Vietnam 2nd battalion
Mario Mendoza
C Company 1968 – 1969
I arrived in Vietnam in 1968 and was taken to the 90th Replacement Center where I under went a week of learning what layed ahead in the field. We were shown all types of booby-traps the enemy used, also shown films on the works of the V. C. and the N. V. A. After that I, along with others, were flown out to Camp Eagle where Charlie Co. was stationed. The following day some of us were flown out to a fire base near a village called Phu-Loc where the third platoon of Charlie Co. was working out of, setting up ambushes at night. We were trucked into Phu-Loc’s Obrian’s Bridge, a bridge Charlie Co. was doing check point duty. I got assigned to the third herd as called by our platoon Sgt. Johnson. The Lt. was one everyone knew as “Mighty Mouse,” the best 90 day wonder we ever had. We had others but not like Mighty Mouse. Platoon Sgt. Johnson was the best we ever had, all the others were just there. The man holding the N.V.A. flag was one of our squad leaders. He’s the one that chose me for pointman after taking a group of us cherries out for some target shooting . We worked the lowlands setting up ambushes, the highlands hunting for cong and his cousins the N.V.A. I didn’t do drugs, just did my job, never suffered flash backs or remorse for my doings. Never killed a child or the old. Women only if they fired at us, then they were game. Did the job in a professional manner.
Now I live in the state where I was born with my wife Alicia of 30 yrs. Have four kids, the oldest is in the Army stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash. Our oldest daughter is married living in Brownsville, TX. with three little girls. The two kids still live at home. I am employed by the City of Houston as a Park Ranger.
No Slack
Your bro.
Mario Mendoza
