Jim Doner Remembers the Barrage on the 81s
by Staff Sergeant James F. "Jim" Doner
1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 5th Reconnaissance Battalion, BLT 2/26
20 Rounds in the Air
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[the first round had just exploded at the base of the hill on LZ Margo on September 16, 1968. SSgt Jim Doner of the Recon platoon ran for the CP...]
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A little second lieutenant brought me up short. 'Well, Sergeant,' he said, 'if you think we're receiving mortar fire, work up a fire mission.'
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Back down the hill, I estimated the range and, with my map in my hand and juggling in my mind the elements of a call for fire and a grid coordinate, I moved to where I could see Lieutenant Green and his 81s, set up on the south side of the LZ.
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I yelled 'Fire mission.' Green was up using a megaphone -- which he had liberated from the ship -- and the troops were moving in the gun pits when I heard the NVA mortars. 'Oh, Mother of God, they've got about 20 rounds in the air,' I thought; there was a distinct break and it started again: 'Bloop, bloop, bloop, ... ' -- the second volley was on the way before the first impacted.
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I stood there with my mouth open. The first rounds hit the 81s and blew hell out of them. The NVA knew exactly what they were doing.
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It was like the movies -- people were flying through the air, mortar tubes were flying, the base plates were flying.
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James F. "Jim" Doner
1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 5th Reconnaisance Battalion, BLT 2/26
Remembering Margo, Naval Institute Proceedings, November 1995
