BLINKY
TAKEN FROM A 1st LOG CMD REVIEW
FEBRUARY 1969
WE KNOW WHO THIS IS ABOUT BUT THE AUTHOR IS UNKNOWN
A NOVICE DRIVER WANTS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
THE ROUTE IS TACKLED DAILY BY THE “STICKERS” OF THE 359th TRANSPORTATION COMPANY.
THESE DRIVERS GET THE NICKNAME, STICKERS, BY PROVING THEIR ABILITY TO KEEP THEIR INDIVIDUAL VEHICLES RUNNING SMOOTHLY WITHIN THE CONVOY.
DRIVERS MUST ALSO BE CAREFUL NOT TO GO OFF THE ROAD. THIS COULD SLOW DOWN THE CONVOY, MAKING IT EASY PREY.
THE MUCH TRAVELLED ROAD TO DAK TO IS ALL TO FAMILIAR TO THE STICKERS OF THE 359th. BUT, TO LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVERS, IT OFFERS A DISTINCT AND IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE.
ONE SUCH NOVICE IS BLINKY, A PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. HIS TYPE IS KNOWN AS “NONSTICKERS.” VETERAN DRIVERS STILL LAUGH IN A FRIENDLY WAY WHEN SOMEONE CALLS HIM A NONSTICKER, BUT IT DOES NOT BOTHER BLINKY. THE KIDDING LETS HIM KNOW THAT HE BELONGS, BUT HE WOULD RATHER BE A STICKER.
EACH DAY’S DRIVERS ASSEMBLE AT THE MARSHALLING POINT AND LISTEN TO INSTRUCTIONS THAT MANY OF THEM HAVE PRACTICALLY MEMORIZED. BUT, IN THE EARLY MORNING LIGHT, BLINKY STILL LISTENS TO THE SAME BRIEFING HE HAS HEARD FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
THE INSTRUCTIONS END WITH THE FAMILIAR, “ALL MEN WILL WEAR FLAK VESTS AND HELMETS.”
AS HE WALKS BACK TO HIS TRUCK, BLINKY DOES NOT THINK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS JOB. HE DOES NOT THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT HIS CARGO IS FUEL – FUEL THAT POWERS THE HELICOPTER REMOVING A WOUNDED INFANTRYMAN FROM A REMOTE BATTLEGROUND. THIS IS FUEL FOR COOKING, FOR TANKS AND JEEPS, AND FUEL THAT DRIVES THE GENERATORS THAT PROVIDE ELECTRICITY.
INSTEAD, BLINKY THINKS ABOUT THE TREACHEROUS ROAD TO DAK TO – A TRAIL WITH RUTS THAT BOUNCE HIM OUT OF HIS SEAT EVEN THOUGH HE STEADIES HIMSELF BY HOLDING HARD TO THE STEERING WHEEL.
BLINKY HAS GROUND LIFE OUT OF HIS FIVE-TON TRACTOR EACH DAY FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. THE MORE EXPERIENCED MEN HAVE BEEN DRIVING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 52 WEEKS A YEAR EXCEPT FOR R&R. SO BLINKY DOES NOT LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING ANY TIME OFF IN THE FUTURE.
HE DOES LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A STICKER. EVEN THOUGH HE HAS ALREADY DRIVEN THROUGH THE AN KHE PASS, THE MANG GIANG PASS AND AMBUSH ALLEY, AND AROUND DEAD MAN’S CURVE, HE IS STILL A NONSTICKER. (P-1)
BLINKY KNOWS THAT FOR THE “PROFESSIONALS” OF THE 359th THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CONSISTENT SUCCESS. ONE SUCCESSFUL RUN DOES NOT MAKE A STICKER.
HE ALSO KNOWS THAT THE NAME “PROFESSIONALS” WAS GIVEN TO THE MEN OF THE COMPANY BY A FORMER COMMANDING OFFICER IN RECOGNITION OF THE PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE THEY DISPLAYED DURING LAST YEARS TET OFFENSIVE.
BLINKY HAS HEARD STORIES ABOUT TET. THE CONVOY MAKING THE RUN FROM AN KHE TO PLEIKU WAS AMBUSHED FOUR TIMES IN ONE DAY _ ALL WITHIN A 10-MLIE STRETCH OF ROAD.
A ROCKET PENETRATED A TANKER ON THE FIRST AMBUSH. WITH THE BURNING ROCKET STILL LODGED IN HIS FUEL TANK, THE DRIVER RISKED AN EXPLOSION BY CONTINUING UP THE ROAD FOR 30 MINUTES TO GET OUT OF THE KILL ZONE.
ONCE OUT OF THE KILL ZONE, THE DRIVER PULLED TO ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO LET THE CONVOY PASS; THE, AS FUEL POURED OUT OF THE HOLE IN HIS TANKER WERE THE ROCKET HAD ENTERED, HE UNHOOKED IT FROM THE TRACTOR. HURRYING BACKE TO HIS TRACTOR, HE DROVE IT AWAY AND THEREBY SAVED THE TRACTOR FROM THE THE TANKERS ROARING FLAMES.
AS A NEW DRIVER, BLINKY HAS BEEN GETTING A DIFFERENT TRUCK EACH DAY. HE MUST LEARN THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF EACH ONE, SO THAT HE CAN GET IT IN SHAPE FOR THE JOURNEY. ON THE ROADS THE 359th TRAVELS, AN INFERIOR TRUCK CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
AS THE CONVOY ROLLS ALONG, BLINKY MUST SHIFT GEARS TO KEEP UP WITH THE OTHER TRUCKS. WITH A FULL LOAD, HE MUST GEAR DOWN TO SLOW HIS VEHICLE AS IT RACES DOWN INTO GULLEYS THROUGH MISTS OF DUST STIRRED UP BY THE LEAD TRUCKS.
THE FULLY LOADED TANKER PUSHES THE TRUCK FORWARD, BUT HE CAN’T STOP WITHOUT RISKING JACKKNIFING THE VEHICLE, TEN FEET AHEAD OF HIM, HE SEE’S THE OUTLINE OF A ROUGHLY HEWN LUMBER BRIDGE.
CLUTCH IN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS MOMENTUM FOR THE HILL HE KNOWS IS AHEAD, HE RACES TOWARD THE BRIDGE. HE FEELS THE LUMBER BEND BENEATH HIS WHEELS.
HE CROSSES THE BRIDGE. NOW HE MUST SHIFT GEARS BEFORE THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN. IF HE DOES NOT GET INTO HIGH GEAR QUICKLY, HE WILL LOSE SPEED AND HAVE DIFFICULTY CLIMBING THE HILL.
TO KEEP UP WITH THE CONVOY, HE MUST DOUBLE SHIFT. BOTH HANDS LET GO OF THE WHEEL. THE ENGINE REARS. THE GEARS CATCH, AND THE TRUCK STARTS ITS LONG CLIMB OUT OF THE GULLEY’S DUST.
ONCE THE CONVOY REACHES DAK TO, THE DRIVERS EMPTY THEIR TANKERS, GRAB A QUICK BITE TO EAT AND LINE UP FOR THE TRIP BACK TO PLEIKU.
THE RETURN TRIP REQUIRES LESS SHIFTING OF GEARS SINCE THE TANKERS ARE EMPTY, BUT THE LIGHTENED TRUCKS BOUNCE MORE OVER THE RUTS, THIS GIVES BLINKY PARTICULAR TROUBLE.
( P-2 )
HALFWAY BACK , THE DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE TRUCK BREAKS A HINGE AS BLINKY GOES OVER A RUT. THE DOOR SLIPS OUT OF ITS LATCH AND SWINGS CRAZILY BACK AND FORTH, BANGING AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE CAB. HE CAN’T STOP TO REPAIR IT. HE HAS TO STAY WITH THE CONVOY.
FINALLY, AT KONTUM, THE CONVOY PAUSES, WITH THE HELP OF OTHER DRIVERS AND A SPARE BOLT, HE FITS THE DOOR BACK INTO POSITION.
AS THE SUN SETS, THE CONVOY PULLS INTO PLEIKU. BUT THE JOB IS NOT OVER. FIRST, HE MUST “TOP OFF” AS THE MEN REFER TO THE JOB OF REFILLING THEIR TANKERS WITH THE NEXT DAY’S FUEL LOAD. THEN HE MUST GO TO THE MOTOR POOL WHERE THE DRIVERS FIX FLAT TIRES AND EXCHANGE TIRE FRAMES BENT OUT OF SHAPE BY THE MASSIVE LOAD AND ROUGH ROAD. IN ADDITION, MAINTENANCE MUST BE DONE ON THE ENGINE AND BRAKES.
ONCE HIS CHORES ARE COMPLETED, BLINKY CAN TAKE CONSOLATION IN THE FAT THAT TODAY HE STUCK WITH THE CONVOY. HE REMEMBERS, HOWEVER, THAT IN THE 359th, ONE SUCCESSFUL RUN DOES NOT MAKE A STCKER. HE HAS HAD SUCCESSFUL RUNS BEFORE, BUT NOW THEY ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT.
SOON HE WILL HAVE HIS OWN TRUCK. BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IS THE FACT THAT SOON HE WILL BECOME A FULL-FLEDGED “PROFESSIONAL”.