Clarence Sasser told the story of “the longest day of [his] life,” beginning with a sortie to provide backup to another company pinned down by Viet Cong fire. Instead of rescuing them, Sasser’s company flew into a second ambush, and found themselves pinned down in the thin mud of a rice paddy by rifle, carbine, and mortar fire.
They survived the entire day like that, and made it finally to some neighboring jungle cover. They made it through the night in the woods only because of the constant barrage from American Close Air Support keeping the enemy from overrunning them. Clarence Sasser continues from Part One in his own words.
Close Air Support: Puff The Magic Dragon
“I remember, after dark we had finally made it to the wood line. Within the wood line there was a, like, okay, irrigation ditch. And by now it’s starting to cool off. So we got in the water and the water was warm.”
Clarence Sasser spoke with gratitude of the Close Air Support that kept him and the others alive.
“I attribute my surviving to the Phantom jets, the F14’s, the Cobra gunships, and Puff the Magic Dragon. For the guys that have been over there, that know who Puff the Magic Dragon is, they’ll understand. If I remember correctly, Puff was a single engine monoplane, I guess, one-wing plane, with twin 20 calibers mounted. And it had such a fantastic rate of fire. I mean something like in the neighborhood of five or six hundred rounds per minute. When they started shooting, all you could see of course was the red line which was the tracers. And in between the tracers there were four other rounds, so it looked almost like a red line.”
“… without those guys there wouldn’t have been anyone that came out of that afternoon’s engagement. They were really some daring guys. And to this day I thank them, because we needed it.”
“The Phantoms were dropping napalm, or high explosive type ordinance. And without those guys I know there wouldn’t have been anyone that came out of that afternoon’s engagement. They would come down to tree top level and you would almost think they were going to get caught up in the explosion after they dropped the bombs. They were really some daring guys. And to this day I thank them, because we needed it.”
“We were finally medevaced out by the medevac helicopters, beginning at about 4:30 that morning. And of course when they came in they got the most seriously injured first. And like I said earlier, I wasn’t really that seriously injured in terms of life and death. So I was one of the last ones out of there.”
Read the whole interview at the U.S. Army Medical Department, Office of Medical History page.
Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp5c. Sasser distinguished himself while assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 53rd Battalion. He was serving as a medical aid man with Company A, 3rd Battalion, on a reconnaissance in force operation. His company was making an assault when suddenly it was taken under heavy small arms, recoilless rifle, machine gun and rocket fire from well fortified enemy positions on 3 sides of the landing zone. During the first few minutes, over 30 casualties were sustained. Without hesitation, Sp5c. Sasser ran across an open rice paddy through a hail of fire to assist the wounded. After helping 1 man to safety, was painfully wounded in the left shoulder by fragments of an exploding mortar. Refusing medical attention, he ran through a barrage of rocket and automatic weapons fire to aid casualties of the initial attack and, after giving them urgently needed treatment, continued to search for other wounded. Despite 2 additional wounds immobilizing his legs, he dragged himself through the mud toward another soldier 100 meters away. Although in agonizing pain and faint from loss of blood, Sp5c. Sasser reached the man, treated him, and proceeded on to encourage another group of soldiers to crawl 200 meters to relative safety. There he attended their wounds for 5 hours until they were evacuated. Sp5c. Sasser’s extraordinary heroism is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
