First patrol:

[Leitz]

Diego

"Well, sure looks like a mine field to me," Diego said. He looked at Corporal Rayburn, "Corp, shall I?"

Assuming the affirmative, and putting the images of pretty Viet girls out of his mind, Diego focused on the task at hand. He handing off his rifle, unshouldered his pack, and pulled out his trusty bayonet.

Detect Mines and Traps (94) [1d100]=90

[GreyWolfVT]

Marco checks his rifle and scans the area for ambushes and things potentially out of place or that could be a sniper.

Marco weapons check vs 81 alertness [1d100]=69
Marco alertness vs 81 [1d100]=100
Marco Detect Ambush vs 73 [1d100]=51

[Bluehorse]

Rex

Wounded though he may be when the girl on the Vespa comes near he still manages to flirt a bit. Hey, there darlin... Speak English? Does it matter? Wanna go camping with us? Hmmm? We could have a good time tonight, you and me.... what do you say?

Other than that however it goes, he keeps a sharp eye out while they travel for anything suspicious as the sharp stinging ache of pain in his chest subside slightly into the constant throbbing cadence of dull pain he can somewhat ignore as his body's natural brain chemistry begins to work to deaden his misery a bit. He finds himself in a zone where he can use the pain to keep alert and focused rather than growing languid and passive. He takes particular interest in the disturbed ground and calls out in a still choked voice since it appears to hurt to speak too much. Hey Corp! Let me have a look at that first...

Awareness v 65 [1d100]=39
Demolitions v 60 [1d100]=51

[Rex]

Cinaed

He keeps alert for any issues.

Detect Guerrillas (40) [1d100]=28

[Stirling]

Ezekiel Washington LeRoy

He doesn't have much experience stopping things go bang. And doesn't want to be in the radius of one should a device go off.

" Corporal Rayburn Sir. How about we set the machine gun up over there to give you guys some cover?"

He points to a ditch or hollow area away from the churned up area and suggests he accompanies Glyndwr to provide some cover to their examinations.

[The Bindoner]

Glyndwr has been sitting on his haunches, resting the weight of his weapon and ammo.

Hearing Ezekiel he stands again.

Very good idea, that. Firm base of fire to cover operations, yes indeed.

Looking over the area he selects a position with good sight-lines.

[Scott308]

Kelly "Waves" English

Kelly takes a moment to sit and rest while Rex and Diego look for mines. Let me know if you dudes need a hand if you find anything, huh. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep along with the physical and emotional stress all combine to overload Kelly's ability to stay awake. Despite his best efforts, fatigue takes over and he keeps catching himself nodding off until his head droops forward, snapping himself back awake.

Alertness Check (50): [1d100]=96

[Spearmint]

July 10th 1968.

575 Road to Kon Bobanh, North of Kontum.

12.30pm. Weather dry, hazy and clear skies. Humidity high.

Glyndwr and Ezekiel move off the road and behind some impromptu stone pile, field the LMG with a wide arc of the road and nearside forest. The others pair up and either take a guard position further away or demo gear to the fore, action probing the churned up section of road.

Finding improvised devices or military grade stock is a sweat inducing and painstakingly slow process. Moving gravel, feeling fingers first or delving with rods, cautiously stepping on prints already laid. Eventually the exploration and time is rewarded by uncovering two anti-mines. Diego is reminded of a mantra repeated in basic, "it is not the mine you see that is the danger". Rexlin aids his partner, the tag team inching around the exposed mines to uncover a series of anti personnel mines running along the side ditch. You might imagine someone stepping on a roadside bomb only for colleagues to seek shelter in nearby off road ruts.

It takes a while but with perseverance, the threat is eliminated not the patrol.

Corporal Rayburn is pleased with the results and after the area made safe, continues to proceed slowly, covering the road to Kon Bobanh.

By late afternoon, have sweltered in the sun, you are nearing your destination. About a kilometre short of the village, a cart track leads through the forest on your right. You take a break in the shadow of some trees. The morning encounter feels a distance away even though you still feel watched as ever by unseen eyes.

In this case, Montagnard ones as two men, hidden in foilage reveal their position.

They greet you in broken English, swapping cigarettes and chatting. Diego gets his chance to try to master some lingo as the patrol is escorted into the village.

Minh Tran Ho, one of the Montagnard guards, tells you the road is routinely mined so that the buses and trucks cannot go from the village to the city. That way people cycle or walk but doing so leaves them more open to kidnap and assault.

The village is a community of stilted longhouses and a couple of stone dwellings which seem to serve as a community health centre and village principals office. Probably 40+ families live in the village, extended ages groups from toddlers to infirm elderly and generations in-between.

A break in formalities allow the patrol to mingle, still on duty not off so ladies and the village bar still off limits. While Corporal Rayburn touches base with the militia here, you can relax a couple of hours.

what would your character like to do?

can be anything from sleep in designated area, shower and relax, fact find some intel, check out health centre, engage locals in chitchat,

[Leitz]

Diego

Happy as a kid in a candy shop, Diego circulated with the Montagnards. He talked to young and old alike, though his eyes caught a pretty girl here and there. Still, he was there to gather intel, so he did that too.

[Rex]

Cinaed

Cinaed will rest up then shower and scout around if he still has time.

[Scott308]

Kelly "Waves" English

Kelly will happily shower, then head to the health centre, see if anyone can take a look at his bullet wound. Nothing against the work done in the field, but a doctor or nurse caring for his wound in a clean, medical setting would make him feel much better.

[GreyWolfVT]

Marco will heck on Rexlin knowing how badly shot up he was despite the stoic tough-guy act the man put up afterwards.

[The Bindoner]

Glyndwr welcomes the chance to shower, singing hymns in a good baritone as he does so.

Afterwards he sits in the sun, quietly singing more hymns to himself, as he checks his equipment, cleaning his weapon and the ammunition links.

He does not sing hymns out of religious conviction, they are just the songs of his childhood and they are familiar and comforting to him in this strange place.

[Stirling]

Ezekiel Washington LeRoy

I would like to check out any rearming I can do and see if the Montagnards have any kind of perimeter set up. What if any defences and mortars they have.

Normally I would just malign in a bunk but with the recent activity just a few kilometres away, I want to make certain we can organise or strengthen any defences.

[Bluehorse]

Rex shakes his head looking at the genius two-part trap and mentally takes notes about it while looking at his companions. That is some grade A nasty shit right there. Legit nasty shit. Corp, you want us to salvage some of these goodies or make with the kaboom and get rid of it all?

Regardless of what Rayburn orders there will be at least a couple of the mines that find their way into his pack for "safekeeping."

Once they reach Kon Bobanh and they are given a little bit of leave, Rex will make a b-line for a shower or bath, even if he has to pay for it in some way to get rid of the swampass. This also gives him time to properly clean his wounds and check things out. Once he is clean, he will go check out the Health Center to make sure the professionals agree he is good to go and in general see what kind of scuttlebutt he can uncover.

Assuming everything checks out, he will see to more earthy needs like finding food and women.

[Spearmint]

July 10th 1968.

Kon Bobanh, North of Kontum.

8.30pm. Weather dry, hazy and clear skies. Humidity high.

The patrol get a chance to put their feet up, though still very much 'on the job' knowing a few miles east, the VC are rumoured to be gathering in force.

After the slow and mind numbing road clearance check, the village of indigenous tribal people is gained. A long hut serves as a place for you to rest, bunks placed haphazardly around the walls. You can just claim one and crash out for a few hours respite. 'Chow' is served, which might actually be chow. An unknown meat with rice and beans. Cold water showers and a clean latrine supplement the basic comforts.

You hear some baritone rendition of 'Men of Harlech' coming from Glyndwr. An anthem to rally warriors to the cause and send the Saxons packing.

Ezekiel tours the defensive lines, chatting to the Montagnard militia. They seem to have a regimented patrol of the area and a mortar pit dug behind one wall. A tall tree has a 'crows nest' built in which you can scale to see over the farmed land. It is manned at all times but only sees to the N, S and E of the village.

The village is shielded on three sides by a stone wall. It has been patched up and sandbagged in places. Beyond the wall are allotments of vegetable patches and small orchards and beyond those a large paddy field. The road is on the west of the village and carries on another few hundred yards past to an open gravel pit. Any mining through has long since stopped and only the rusty hulks of some machinery and a car chassis remain. A semi circular sandbagged defense has been built at the far end, with a view over the paddy fields to the north.

About 300 metres southeast of the village following a spur of agricultural land, the Montagnards have also an observation post, several covered foxholes which overlook the trail to the forest.

Cart tracks lead off into the dense forests in each capital direction. Most of the resident walk around in semi-naked comfort, often just a pair of shorts or loin cloth and unbuttoned shirt for the men. Some wear a skirted robe. Lots of children run around, finding it fun to have visitors, especially those of different racial backgrounds.

The injured squaddies check in with the 'health clinic'. You find there a pair of elderly women ministering, they look like foreign NGO workers, perhaps vocational or missionary types. They dress your wounds with clean bandages, nodding and tutting. They cannot add to your health recovery in terms of restored hp but do clean the wounds sufficiently to stave of any chance of catching infections or the wound becoming septic.

Diego chats to the ladies. He flirts without response, his attempts rather clumsily made but the ladies, old and young alike, giggle at him. You manage to understand the village girls rarely leave the place now, certainly not without a guardian as they are targeted by VC for ransom and leverage to sway the Montagnards to switch political allegiance.

Rexlin buffs his personal armoury out with a couple of anti-personnel mines. He finds the Montagnard ladies are not as 'accommodating' to his marine needs but does find a washer woman willing to launder his soiled kit clean.

Cinead and Kelly check in with the Command Post. A sandbagged hut which has a radio in the shack. A couple of the Montagnards listen to some crackling talk. It is a radio programme discussing the current affairs. The war is going badly with more guerilla tactics used and bombs going off in market places.

Marco finally gets to swing his baseball bat which he has lumped around the jungle. Hitting a few home runs around the square and pitching his knuckleball at village batsmen.

James chills out, Corporal Rayburn checks in. Soon the squad is reinforced with the 2nd patrol, rookie marines like yourselves making up Amazon Romeo 44.

They have spent the day under intermittent sniper fire, patrolling the lower road and villages between here and the city. The random 'hit and run' tactics have unnerved them, having little opportunity to strike back as aggressors sneak quickly away in the jungle before a fight can happen. You may feel a few of them are quite trigger-happy. They restlessly dump themselves and their gear in the long house. After an interlude, the call to attention is given. You all report for duty.

Minh Tran Ho, Montagnard scout gives the assembled squads a run down on the days VC activity in the area and likely night time one. Following your encounter at the Buddha cliff and with the patrol by the cave, the expectation is for the VC to make a concerted attack somewhere along the line of allied defenses. While attacking the base in Kontum is probably not feasible without a large brigade and serious hardware, smaller numbers could overwhelm a minimally secured outpost such as the village. So, you are prepping for that and Firebase Gethsemane "will answer your prayers with some heavenly bolts if need be."

You can volunteer to take guard in: (one or two in each position please).

The Crows nest lookout position.
Mortar pit.
Command post hut
Gravel pit sandbag position
Observation foxholes

everyone give me an action and weapon check and chosen position for the night.

[Stirling]

Ezekiel Washington LeRoy

We ditched our own mortar having run out of rounds. If the Monty men have such weapons he will dig in with them, maybe Diego can pair up with him.

I have a few grenades still left I can launch. He strips down his weapon and rebuilds it, tuning in sights and cleaning off any jungle grime.

Ezekiel weapons check vs 44 alertness [1d100]=59

Ideally we are all within communication distance with each other so if someone gets whacked we can respond.

[Rex]

Cinead

Cinead takes the observation foxholes.

Weapons check (TG 85) [1d100]=21

Cinead will try and be as alert as possible.

[Scott308]

Kelly "Waves" English

I'll take the Crow's Nest. That'll let me get good sight lines with my rifle. He climbs into the tree, readying his M-16.

Weapons Check (50): [1d100]=33

[GreyWolfVT]

Macro takes a position in the gravel pit sandbag position and alternates to one of the foxholes. "A shame we ran out of mortar rounds." he admits to Cinead when he is in the foxhole.

Marco weapons check vs 81 alertness [1d100]=18