ABU WARRIORS CUT NO SLACK!

by Peter S. Griffin

Griffin’s Lair – http://www.grifslair.com
Honoring the combat paratroopers of Company A, 1/327th Infantry

1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 1965 – 66

Paratroopers of Abu Company, 1st 327th,
Have earned their place in Heaven…
For they have stormed the gates of Hell,
Bravely fighting where the brave dare not go…

Into the forbidden chasm where evil dwells,
Where Satan tortures souls, and then casts them into Hell…
Where his demons employ horrific, torturous apparatus,
Dispensing agony to over-indulge in their depraved lusts!

Satan delights in overseeing this all-inclusive evil control,
He relishes in torturous screams and the agonies of hopeless souls!
Sulfuric, caustic gas fills the cavernous pit with fire, brimstone and ash,
Demonic creatures amuse themselves forcing teeth to grind and gnash!

But all is not lost, for you shall hear and all will see,
Courageous warriors rushing to halt hellish miseries, unspeakable agonies…
Abu Paratroopers of the 101 will end tyrannical rule, free the oppressed,
Abu soldiers fix bayonets, lock and load, start the attack…

Satan and his sycophants run, involuntarily releasing urine and fecal mess,
Terrified, they dare not look back, knowing their sins against man they must confess….
To Almighty God or stand and face Saint Michael’s unforgiving wrath,
Knowing full well that ABU WARRIORS CUT NO SLACK!

It was a great honor and privilege to fight alongside you brave Abu Paratroopers during the last half of Operation Hawthorne during June 1 -21 of 1966. My platoon and I came to your assistance on the 7th day as you were fighting a fierce, deadly battle, then together, we fought and extracted the Tiger Force’s dead and wounded from their lethal firefight, the next morning (the 8th) we continued pushing the enemy through that huge, well concealed, nightmarish NVA regimental, mountainous basecamp and lastly, we fought through, and counter-attacked that gory enemy buzz saw and lethal “L” shaped ambush together despite being terribly hurt and suffering tremendous losses on the 9th, regardless, we still attempted to rescue Company C, 2/502nd Infantry through the 11th. We might not have got all the way to our beleaguered brothers, but knowing well beforehand we would suffer terribly in the attempt, we sure as hell would take the heat off them; while the rest of my company broke through on the other side of Charlie Company’s defensive perimeter.

As we all well know, together, with all our secondary support units, the operation was a great victory for our bloodied brigade (minus one battalion, i.e. 2/327th was engaged in another large battle @ Tuy Hoa) and the United States Army. We rendered the 24th NVA Regiment unfit as a fighting unit, a great accomplishment, (considering they held all the cards and dealt them to their one-sided benefit on their well-prepared turf, during their protective monsoon season), indeed! Later learning their well-rehearsed intent was to draw in and annihilate an elite U.S. Brigade and turn the American people against the war, early on. As a result, Dak To was an extraordinary hellish, bitterly fought contest I’m sure none of us will ever be able to forget! … Nor will the very few remaining survivors of the 24th NVA!

My Best Wishes to all you brave men and brothers true! May God bless and be with you always for what you done… you saved many O’Deuce lives at the cost of some of your finest! Thank you!

In Brotherhood,
SP/4 (then PFC) Peter S. Griffin
Company A, 2/502nd Infantry
Weapons Platoon (4th Rifle)
1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
17 April 2014

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:13)