Pete Schroeder Remembers: A Hellhole Named LZ Margo (continued)
The Barrage Continues. Friends Die.
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As I ran to the bottom of the draw I was trying to figure out where to go. I noticed a Marine stumbling out of the smoke from the direction of the water point. Lieutenant Lloyd yelled to lend a hand as I was already going to help.
I didn’t recognize the Marine, as he was covered in blood and bleeding from head wounds. He told me who he was but I couldn’t for the life of me remember his name. The rounds were still impacting as I helped him to a Corpsman. On the way I noticed the recon platoon was firing back with their M-60 machine gun in the direction of the enemy mortar positions.
After getting the wounded Marine help I headed back to the mouth of the draw where Lt. Lloyd’s position was located. It was then that the incoming let up. I was directed to help get the remaining wounded and dead to the LZ.
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As other Marines were carrying some of the wounded out I inquired about PFC Delon Hunter and was told he had died. I saw LCpl Harry Rivers being carried to the LZ and asked him if he was going to be okay. He said he was but he died later. I helped carry out two dead from the area of the Headquarters Group.
PFC Delon Hunter's headstone in Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. Hunter, from Los Angeles, was just 18. Photo courtesy of FindAGrave.com and Larry McCartney.
LCpl Harry Eugene Rivers was from Philadelphia, and was 19 years old when he died of wounds received on LZ Margo. Photo courtesy of the Virtual Wall.
The helos came and took out the wounded and, shaken, we started to regroup.
I returned to my hole to discover that there was nothing left of my gear, as I had been carrying the M-79 and all the rounds for the bloop gun in a demolition bag. A direct hit on my hole had blown everything to hell and gone. So without a weapon I, along with the remnants of the platoon. began to police up the dead and wounded mens' weapons and gear.
