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Even on slow days
things could get exciting. While I was in Ca Lu I
had experience with 2 wild animal incidents.
The first was
shortly after we arrived to the area on a rainy night while on ambush. Dan
FUSS was sleeping under his poncho. He was awakened when one of the Marines
let out a yell and then was silent. Then the call came for "Corpsman
up". Dan responded and when he asked the Marine, Cpl. David SCHWIRIAN,
what had happened he calmly stated "Something bit me, Doc!" Upon
examination something had indeed bit him. The biceps on his left arm had
been torn out. Dan applied a battle dressing and they broke radio silence
and contacted Captain Ripley at the command post and got permission to
break ambush. The Marines walked approximately 5 miles back to Ca Lu, arriving around sun up. The rain had stopped and
it was a clear sunny day. Before being medevac’d SCHWIRIAN stated he had
been on watch. The radioman next to him, just out of reach, began to snore.
SCHWIRIAN used his rifle to reach out from under his poncho to poke the
snoring Marine. As he extended his arm something grabbed him by the bicep.
With his free hand he began punching whatever had him in the head until it
let him go.
After
spending a rainy night in strange bunkers, many filled with water, a squad
of 2nd platoon, myself included was mustered and told to saddle up for a
special patrol. Our mission was to proceed to the ambush site around 5
miles out alongside Highway 9 and examine the area. When we, with our
contingent of RFs, and members of Lima's command group arrived at the site
we found large cat tracks in the mud around the area where the squad had
been located. The cat had circled the site and then grabbed SCHWIRIAN. When
he fought back, the cat had let go of him and ran from the area. With
information from a local Montagnard, it was determined that the cat was
probably a tiger that frequented the area.
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