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vinny9698

(1,016 posts)
Fri Sep 30, 2016, 04:23 AM Sep 2016

I would like to thank those blacks that fed us soldiers during the MLK Riots in Washington DC.

Ft. Myer, Virginia April 1968 MLK Riots Washington DC
This is a video during the day, at night it was a whole different world.


It was April, 1968, 21:00 hour, we were told to gear up full combat gear. We were issued our M14s, 2 clips of 20 rounds each, and 2 tear gas grenades. Told to assemble in the courtyard. The first sergeant, Company C, Third Infantry, MDW (Military District of Washington) told us we are going in, the riot has gotten worse, National Guard is stretched thin, overwhelmed and exhausted. We are going into to the rescue. They are pulling out the NGs and we are taking over. We are the third herd and we are going to take care of business. Snipers at night, rock throwing, bottle throwing during the day, is what you are going to expect. Keep your heads down, remember your fucking training, and let that training take over. Saddle up, girls. Let’s go to the dance they are expecting us.
As we got into the deuce and a half, I good see in the horizon smoke, flames, and helicopters flying. We had smelled the smoke for a few days during the day. We were all very nervous, but trying not to show it. Jesus, we are the third herd for God’s sake. As we settled in the back of the truck, I looked around everyone was very somber. I sat down, and my left leg started shaking and my put my arm on it to stop, but to no avail. Then I noticed everyone was very nervous. As the trucks drove, I noticed that we were overcoming our nervousness and then Johnson yelled out any one got a beer? We all laughed since he was our friendly alcoholic.
In two hours or so, we had arrived to a small grocery corner store. The sergeant yelled out, Johnson, Gordon, Santoni, and Lovestick, get off the truck. As I was half way out of the truck, one leg in the truck, and the other leg in mid air, I heard the popping sounds of a rifle. That bought a sense of its going to be a long night and busy night. The first sergeant yelled out hurry up we got to move. He was following in a jeep with a M60 machine gun mounted on it. The jeep had a wooden frame 2by4 box that sat around the top of the jeep, wrapped in chicken wire. That was done so if anyone threw a Molotov cocktail at the jeep, it would simply bounce off instead of getting inside the jeep. Very effective. They rushed off towards the gunfire, truck and jeep. I am glad I am not with them. Because I knew they were going to go sniper hunting at night in Washington DC. Just think of that. The nation’s capital with snipers and GIs hunting them. Stalingrad moment.
As we settled in for the night, we started looking around getting our bearings. A nice neighborhood well kept yards. Clean street with newer cars parked in the street and in their driveways. Well what now guys? We all looked at each other. Johnson, “I need a fucking beer right NOW” Yea well there no stores open and we are not going to be walking around at night in a city we are not familiar with. Every weekend we would go to DuPont Circle and drink at the bars there. But we did not know where we were, Just that we are in an American neighborhood, at night, with live ammo, tear gas grenades and ordered to arrest anyone for curfew violations. And that every 30 minutes a jeep would drive by if we needed help. We had no radio and cell phone did not exist.
Then we heard a few more pops. We were ordered not to load our magazines but to keep the clips in our ammo belt. But after the pops, we all lock and loaded. Then I said don’t forget to take the safety off. Oh yeah was the response. We felt a lot safer.
Then return fire from the M60. We knew that must be first sergeant. We could tell it was our unit, the M60 sound, and the short burst of six. Classic machine gun training. We heard about 4 or 5 bursts and all was quiet the rest of the ordeal, ten days. Later, I asked the top dog, weren’t you afraid of killing some innocent people in that apartment you fired on. He looked at me and laughed. I shot at the top of the roof, no one was going to get hurt if could help it. When the sniper realized that we were firing back with a machine gun. He just stopped. The NGs had never fired back. They couldn’t find the sniper’s nest. During the rest of our stay in DC, no more sniper firing. I guess at night when you see those M60 rounds with those tracers coming at you, it makes you think twice of shooting back.
All that had taken place in the first 30 minutes of our arrival. I just thought it is going to be a night to remember, if I survived. In 30 minutes, I had heard a live fire engagement for real, not any training, but live rounds trying to kill people. As the night wore on, we said we were going to take turns sleeping two guys on and two guys off. Who want to go first? We just looked at each other and no one slept that night. We were high on adrenaline. No way to sleep.
The next morning we saw kids coming out of the houses. They started playing, boys tossing a football, girls with that jump rope craze of the 60s. Two ropes and jumping in and out singing chants.
After awhile a black woman approached us and said I noticed you boys have not eaten breakfast. Would you like some breakfast? We all looked shocked, and said yes please. In a few minutes she came out with some peanut butter jelly sandwiches and coffee. She told us to leave the cups and coffee pot on the curb and one of her kids would come and get them. We thanked her. And she said, we are all Americans here to help each other. We four white GIs were much moved. And even as I type and recall those words, it makes me emotional. Total stranger feeding us. Then we had this male young man come up to us. He said don’t worry we the neighborhood gang are going to protect you at night. So we negotiated a peace, everyone became less stressed out and reassured that we as Americans were going to keep the neighborhood safe, from arsonists, and looters. And that is a beautiful thing.
Vincent Gordon PFC Third Infantry MDW




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I would like to thank those blacks that fed us soldiers during the MLK Riots in Washington DC. (Original Post) vinny9698 Sep 2016 OP
'She told us to leave the cups and coffee pot on the curb and one of her kids would come elleng Sep 2016 #1
kicking for eyes.. n/t annabanana Sep 2016 #2
K&R. NT The Polack MSgt Sep 2016 #3
Beautiful. Thx for posting. nt morningglory Sep 2016 #4
K&R smirkymonkey Sep 2016 #5

elleng

(130,126 posts)
1. 'She told us to leave the cups and coffee pot on the curb and one of her kids would come
Fri Sep 30, 2016, 04:34 AM
Sep 2016

and get them. We thanked her. And she said, we are all Americans here to help each other. We four white GIs were much moved. And even as I type and recall those words, it makes me emotional. Total stranger feeding us. Then we had this male young man come up to us. He said don’t worry we the neighborhood gang are going to protect you at night. So we negotiated a peace, everyone became less stressed out and reassured that we as Americans were going to keep the neighborhood safe, from arsonists, and looters. And that is a beautiful thing.'

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