Operation Starlite Revisited

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I remember looking at the shoreline thinking of some of the movies I saw when I was younger. Thinking… “OH BROTHER we’re in deep shit here”.

My thoughts were of trying not to be to scared. L/Cpl Jerry Helton had lost his glasses and was holding on to my cartridge belt and as we were landing. He walked off the side of the landing craft and went under the water.. I grabbed him back up and we headed to some light cover on shore. I was thinking, “Now what are we going to do with my "A" gunner without glasses?” Not to worry…he did a magnificent job.

We were attached to India Company 3/3 and were to meet up with them, somewhere inland. You have to remember that I was in 81's and only 1 gun each to a line company.

We headed inland and started to receive some small arms fire. A Corpsman, Robert E. Larock (not pictured), got hit in the ankle from behind as were heading for cover. We soon found out that we were in the lead… without any support! The small arms fire we were getting was friendly fire.

Later that day we were to set up on the side of this hill over looking a village. There was a rice paddy and a small open area before the village (An Cuong 2) and we were about 3 to 4 hundred yards away. India Company was about to sweep the village. As they started to cross the field it seemed that the whole area opened up with small arms fire. I hear Cpl Jake Germarrad yelling, "Fire mission, Fire mission." Jerry Helton and I set up the 81, what seemed to take forever, and started throwing rounds down the tube.

After a while, we got a bad round and had to remove it from the tube. NO time to think… just do it. We were scared. With a live round in the tube, with the tube red hot, that round could go off at any second! We removed the dud and kept firing. We fired long into the night with illumination rounds lighting up the area. Planes were also dropping flares well into the next morning.

The word was passed that Captain Webb and Cpl G Matton were wounded. We soon found out that Capt Webb was killed and Cpl. Matton was badly wounded and it was his first day as FO. He had taken SSgt Nauss's place. Nauss was in fire control. Capt Webb was a great leader as far as I’m concerned. His men and all of the attached personnel would follow him anywhere.

Over the next day and a half we made it back to the shoreline with some little actions. When we got back to the beach, I remember seeing body bags and some wounded That was not a good scene. I got pretty sick and was real saddened at what I saw. Little did I know the saga continues...

3/3 Marines to Our Left Flank

The Fun Begins

PFC Richard W. Beard

H&S 3/3 81’s attached to India Co.

Photo by: L/Cpl Lance R. Kaeding 3/3 H&S Co. 81s