User:Scenicphoto
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[edit] Welcome Home!
I, E. Ray Austin, hope to make contact via the Internet and eMail with others who were at DAK TO, in any Unit, at ant time. I would appreciate it if you would contact me at my email address: ScenicHillsPhoto@Hotmail.com and also my website: www.PictureTrail.Com/scenicphoto and let's get acquainted. I have a pretty large photo collection of that area, some mine and some I have collected from others. I would appreciate any photos you might be willing to share, and you are welcome to anything I have in return. If you want a copy just let me know.
From Jan 1969 to Jan 1970, I was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) of the 1st Battalion, 92nd Field Artillery located at DAK TO in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. My primary job was a Communications Specialist, or Field Wireman, and I remember the Siege of DAK TO that took place during parts of May, June, and July 1969, and remember it pretty well. I was decorated for heroism a few weeks later and received an ARCOM with a "V" device, for calling-in an Artillery Strike and knocking out the Recoilless Rifle that had been pounding DAK TO for weeks. The Artillery support came from Firebase 6, which was also one of the Batteries from 1st Bn 92nd FA. I had never called in a Fire Mission before, that wasn’t my primary job, but we all have done things that we never thought we could do until we try. Right! I remember running, between the impacting rounds that were hitting DAK TO, to an Observation Post atop the 1/92nd Mess Hall Tent/Bunker, about the size of a Telephone Booth, where "I" had installed a Field Telephone DA-312 a few weeks prior, and when I thought I had seen the "smoke or flash" from the enemies Recoilless Rifle, I rang our Switchboard using the TA-312, and told the Switchboard Operator (Also from HHB 1st Bn 92nd FA) to connect me with our Operations Bunker that I had a Fire Mission!
I talked to someone in Operations and told them I believe I had spotted the location of the enemy firing position. They took my information down and radioed Firebase 6 for a Fire Mission, and told me to stand-by to direct fire.
Someone plotted the information I had given, which was the direction and distance from my location to the enemy, and the Red Legs from FSB-6 fired one round of 155mm, based on my information and direction, and the round was close to target. I remember only making 1-2 adjustments to the Artillery fire, like “Add 10 and Right 10, until I ordered “Fire for Effect” and the 155mm's from FSB-6 hit right on target!
I counted 9 secondary explosions. FSB-6 had hit the Recoilless Rifle and the Ammo supply. I remember jumping up and down when we saw the explosions. The men along the bunker-line were jumping as well.
Weeks went by before I was notified that I would be getting the medal. Didn’t think anything about it, I just did what anyone else would have done and have done on many occasions. I was told later that I was recommended for a Bronze Star but that it was downgraded to the ARCOM. No matter. I’ll have to say, that I am very proud of that one medal, of many I received throughout my 26 years in the Army, because I was recognized for doing something really great, by doing what was expected of me, under the those conditions.
