(Snuffies. US Army photo)
 
The citation indicates that the President Johnson took pleasure in the award for the Navy Cross for these actions:
 
“During the period 1 to 6 March 1969, Company C was engaged in a combat operation north of the Rockpile and sustained numerous casualties from North Vietnamese Army mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, small arms, and automatic weapons fire…. First Lieutenant Marlantes skillfully combined and reorganized the remaining members of two platoons, and… initiated an aggressive assault up a hill, the top of which was controlled by a hostile unit occupying well-fortified bunkers… the attack gained momentum which carried it up the slope and through several enemy emplacements before the surprised North Vietnamese force was able to muster determined resistance… completely disregarding his own safety, (he) charged across the fire-swept terrain to storm four bunkers in succession, completely destroying them. While seriously wounded, he  continued to lead his men until the objective was secured, a perimeter defense established, and all other casualties medically evacuated…he resolutely refused medical evacuation for himself.”

God, what is contained in those few dry formulaic words. Matterhorn expands the experience to nearly six hundred searing pages.
 
There is a larger context to the Marine campaign to block the NVA’s advance, of course. This is not a strategic account. A marvelous companion piece is the novel “Lotus Eaters,” by first-time author Tatiana Soli. I am glad I read them in sequence, and both are fresh in my mind.
 

Soli’s book was of the city, of Saigon, and the Bush was a place to go to see the elephant.
 
Matterhorn is all elephant. No civilians at all.
 
Sort of stunning to read it on a lazy weekend to finish at first light on Memorial Day.
 
I am not giving a thing away if I tell you of the chills that ran down my spine as I heard in silence the chanting of the surviving Snuffies on the hill and the drumming on the c-rat box:
 
“If it’s good enough for Parker…
Then it’s good enough for me…”
 
The names went on and on, like they do on the black Wall downtown.
 
It is a day to remember.

Copyright 2010 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
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