Vietnam 1st Battalion
Ted Mc Cormick
After graduating from High School in Flint Mi, June 1968, I hired in with Buick Motor Division that September. I worked for nine months before I was drafted on June 30, 1969.
My basic training was in Ft. Knox, Ky and A.I.T. in Ft Polk, La., receiving orders to Vietnam on November 29, 1969.
I was assigned to B Co 1/327th Infantry 101st Abn (AMBL).
During my tour, I saw action in Randolph Glenn, and Operation Texas Star from March-Sept (battle of Ripcord) which lasted from March 1970 to 15 September 1970. In August 1970, thirty days after the Ripcord evacuation on 23 July, our unit conducted a recon/ BDA from Ripcord. We always moved at night, which was a great tactical move. Ripcord looked much like the “after picture” as I remember it, completely obliterated. A small contingent of Pathfinders, Special Forces and ARVN’s inhabited the far end of the firebase.
To defeat NVA “trail watchers”, our commander, Capt Terry A. Mills used the “shell” game technique. He always would send out three recons in three different directions to look for NDP’s. That way, the NVA never really knew where we were going to set up. It worked every time.
After a two week evaluation we CA’ed out. The NVA were still very much in residence, and in force.
I DEROSED and rotated home on 3 October, 1970. I had 52 days to extend for ETS from Vietnam but chose instead to fulfill remainder of my obligation with six months of duty with the 54th Infantry in Ft Knox, Ky. I was discharged on 29 June, 1971, and returned to my job at Buick three days later. I worked at Buick for 32 years before retirement on October, 1 1999.
I now live in Huron National forest in northern Michigan.
Ted McCormick,
Glennie, Mi.
