Quote Originally Posted by stickhauler View Post
Well, if your avatar shows what you flew during that time, I assure you those of us on the ground certainly appreciated the "assist" you provided us when we needed it. I trained as an 11 CP 10 (army talk for mortarman) and the only time I saw a mortar my entire tour was when I walked out of the wire, or returned. Then, in the typical logic practiced by the Army, I was assigned as an instructor in the 101st training troops in mortars. Thus fulfilling the old adage, those who know do, those who don't teach. I served with the 173rd in country, and earned my CIB there.
Funny, I served as a 11C (actually called a 112 when I started in '62) before I became an Army aviator in '69. Two tours with the 81mm in Korea (one straight-leg, one mechanized), and taught mortars both at Ft. Dix and Ft. Benning. I was on orders for the 173d, with jump school enroute, but a rather poor PLF ended my very short jumping career at Ft. Benning. Upon recuperation, I went to flight school and then Cobra school and then on the RVN.