A bit of light reading I thought you guy's might enjoy!!![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
The Battle of Kipapa Gulch
We were a rag tag bunch of soldiers, preparing for the Battle of Kipapa Gulch.
Our uniforms and equipment were somewhat lacking. Our TOE was comprised of whatever we could scrounge from the trashcans and repair depots of Schoffield Barracks.
We were ready to go into battle and prove to the world that we were a capable fighting force, and we all wanted to become Heroes.
It was early summer in 1959; we had just finished our year of training at Wheeler Air Force Base Elementary. I was just a ten-year-old kid, but I was ready for my baptism under fire.
We assembled early in the morning in the picnic area at the west end of the base.
My older brother John was the Platoon Leader, and he was natural leader, hard but fair. He cared about his men.
We started the morning with a ruthless round of PT, then we ran two laps around the park. I will always remember my brother screaming, "If you can't run a mile, you will die on the battlefield!"
Then we had assembled for our equipment check....
Helmet Liners
Pistol Belts
Canteens filled with cherry KoolAid
Ammo pouches with magazines filled with spent brass
Belts of spent brass linked together for the Machine gun.
First Aid Pouch
Bayonets, and Machetes
Army packs filled with bologna sandwiches
K-Rations and C-Rations 'appropriated' from Schoffield Barracks!
And most important, our rifles. The old timers were lucky, they had real, wodden M1 Stocks with a piece of black painted conduit for a barrel. I just had my BB gun, but was hoping to survive the battle and earn my own M1.
My brother had a pearl handled revolver in a Roy Rogers Holster, just like General Patton!
Our mission was to be the siege of Kipapa Gulch. A deep jungle to the west of the base that would make Jurassic Park look tame.
Kipapa Gulch was a strategic target. Our goal was to take the gulch and lay claim to all the natural resources. Papayas, Guavas, Passion Fruit, Mangos and Bannanas. If we could take the gulch, we would have a safe and easy access to the Pineapple fields at the top of the ridge!
There is no better reward for winning a battle than a cool, juicy Pineapple!
We were Air Force Brats, and the enemy was the Army Brats from the Schoffield Barracks Elementary School. They made fun of us because we were Air Force.....but we never let that phase us. We had Esprit D"Corps!
The Army Brats controlled the western ridge at the edge of the pineapple fields. They were dug in hard and ready to fight to the death. The enemy held all of the north side access to the ridge, and the highway with it's large chain link fences was a deathtrap to try and cross. If we were spotted crossing the highway, the Schoffield MP's would take us prisoner and call our parents to pick us up.
The south side of the ridge was impenetrable jungle, so thick you couldn't see more that twenty feet.
Our only choice was a frontal assault, up the steep hill behind the firing range. There was no cover, and I had memories of watching "Porkchop Hill" with Gregory Peck the week before at the base theater.
I knew this battle would not be easy, and the fear in our eyes was evident.
We started our descent into Kipapa Gulch, the jungle providing good cover and concealing our movement. Our first obstacle was at the bottom the hill. A Paved road ran the length of the valley, patrolled by the AP's. The firing ranges were "off limits", and if we were caught would be taken prisoner.
It took almost a half hour, waiting for the AP jeep to pass and then sneaking across the jungle to the other side of the range. My heart pounded as I ran the whole length of the range, constantly looking over my shoulder for that dreaded enemy jeep.
(Those runs around the picnic field were good training. )
Once we all assembled on the other side we traveled south to conceal ouselves in the thick, double canopy jungle. We lagered down for a while and quietly ate our lunch, waiting for our next orders.
My brother stood up. "Well men, we have made it this far, but the hard part is still ahead of us. But this time we are going to try something different!" We all sat there in rapt attention, waiting.
"We are going to do something different this year. I have been studying guerilla warfare, and it is our only chance. They Army guy's are waiting at the top of that ridge, and they will wait patiently all day. If we try to charge the hill, they will wipe us out. We are going up here, through the jungle."
We looked at him with dread.
Jimmy piped up, "Are you nut's, it will take us all day to get up there through this jungle."
"I know" said John. "But we are going to do it! We are going to do it quietly, and slowly. It's gonna take all day. When we get to the top, we will wait till they have to go home, then we will move into the pineapple fields and have a feast."
"But we won't get home on time, Dad will kill us!" I said.
"If you guy's want to go home now, then get the hell out! But I am going up there tonight, and stay all night, and then ambush them tomorrow morning."
And that's what we did. It was starting to get dark when we got to the top. The Army guy's had left, and we had to stay all night because we didn't have any flashlights, and couldn't get home in the dark.
We ambushed them the next morning, and kicked their asses! They never knew what hit them!
When we got home the next day we were in a whole lot of trouble. Our parents and the AP's were looking for us all night. But we didn't care, we did what we had to do to win.
When my Dad heard the story (while eating the pineapple), he just laughed! Pretty soon, we were the heroes of Wheeler Air Force Base!
And after that, they never worried if we were out all night when we played war.
It is no wonder that me and my brothers ended up joining the Army years later....it was what we grew up with and trained for.
It is no wonder my brother grew up and became a hero in Vietnam, he was hero material when he was 12 years old
It is no wonder....because Kipapa in Hawaiin means "Paving the Way!
__________________
I don't have f***ing PTSD!....I just hate hippies!
C/3/187th, 101st Abn Div, RVN, 67-68
C/3/503rd. 173rd Abn Bde, RVN, 70-71
The Battle of Kipapa Gulch
We were a rag tag bunch of soldiers, preparing for the Battle of Kipapa Gulch.
Our uniforms and equipment were somewhat lacking. Our TOE was comprised of whatever we could scrounge from the trashcans and repair depots of Schoffield Barracks.
We were ready to go into battle and prove to the world that we were a capable fighting force, and we all wanted to become Heroes.
It was early summer in 1959; we had just finished our year of training at Wheeler Air Force Base Elementary. I was just a ten-year-old kid, but I was ready for my baptism under fire.
We assembled early in the morning in the picnic area at the west end of the base.
My older brother John was the Platoon Leader, and he was natural leader, hard but fair. He cared about his men.
We started the morning with a ruthless round of PT, then we ran two laps around the park. I will always remember my brother screaming, "If you can't run a mile, you will die on the battlefield!"
Then we had assembled for our equipment check....
Helmet Liners
Pistol Belts
Canteens filled with cherry KoolAid
Ammo pouches with magazines filled with spent brass
Belts of spent brass linked together for the Machine gun.
First Aid Pouch
Bayonets, and Machetes
Army packs filled with bologna sandwiches
K-Rations and C-Rations 'appropriated' from Schoffield Barracks!
And most important, our rifles. The old timers were lucky, they had real, wodden M1 Stocks with a piece of black painted conduit for a barrel. I just had my BB gun, but was hoping to survive the battle and earn my own M1.
My brother had a pearl handled revolver in a Roy Rogers Holster, just like General Patton!
Our mission was to be the siege of Kipapa Gulch. A deep jungle to the west of the base that would make Jurassic Park look tame.
Kipapa Gulch was a strategic target. Our goal was to take the gulch and lay claim to all the natural resources. Papayas, Guavas, Passion Fruit, Mangos and Bannanas. If we could take the gulch, we would have a safe and easy access to the Pineapple fields at the top of the ridge!
There is no better reward for winning a battle than a cool, juicy Pineapple!
We were Air Force Brats, and the enemy was the Army Brats from the Schoffield Barracks Elementary School. They made fun of us because we were Air Force.....but we never let that phase us. We had Esprit D"Corps!
The Army Brats controlled the western ridge at the edge of the pineapple fields. They were dug in hard and ready to fight to the death. The enemy held all of the north side access to the ridge, and the highway with it's large chain link fences was a deathtrap to try and cross. If we were spotted crossing the highway, the Schoffield MP's would take us prisoner and call our parents to pick us up.
The south side of the ridge was impenetrable jungle, so thick you couldn't see more that twenty feet.
Our only choice was a frontal assault, up the steep hill behind the firing range. There was no cover, and I had memories of watching "Porkchop Hill" with Gregory Peck the week before at the base theater.
I knew this battle would not be easy, and the fear in our eyes was evident.
We started our descent into Kipapa Gulch, the jungle providing good cover and concealing our movement. Our first obstacle was at the bottom the hill. A Paved road ran the length of the valley, patrolled by the AP's. The firing ranges were "off limits", and if we were caught would be taken prisoner.
It took almost a half hour, waiting for the AP jeep to pass and then sneaking across the jungle to the other side of the range. My heart pounded as I ran the whole length of the range, constantly looking over my shoulder for that dreaded enemy jeep.
(Those runs around the picnic field were good training. )
Once we all assembled on the other side we traveled south to conceal ouselves in the thick, double canopy jungle. We lagered down for a while and quietly ate our lunch, waiting for our next orders.
My brother stood up. "Well men, we have made it this far, but the hard part is still ahead of us. But this time we are going to try something different!" We all sat there in rapt attention, waiting.
"We are going to do something different this year. I have been studying guerilla warfare, and it is our only chance. They Army guy's are waiting at the top of that ridge, and they will wait patiently all day. If we try to charge the hill, they will wipe us out. We are going up here, through the jungle."
We looked at him with dread.
Jimmy piped up, "Are you nut's, it will take us all day to get up there through this jungle."
"I know" said John. "But we are going to do it! We are going to do it quietly, and slowly. It's gonna take all day. When we get to the top, we will wait till they have to go home, then we will move into the pineapple fields and have a feast."
"But we won't get home on time, Dad will kill us!" I said.
"If you guy's want to go home now, then get the hell out! But I am going up there tonight, and stay all night, and then ambush them tomorrow morning."
And that's what we did. It was starting to get dark when we got to the top. The Army guy's had left, and we had to stay all night because we didn't have any flashlights, and couldn't get home in the dark.
We ambushed them the next morning, and kicked their asses! They never knew what hit them!
When we got home the next day we were in a whole lot of trouble. Our parents and the AP's were looking for us all night. But we didn't care, we did what we had to do to win.
When my Dad heard the story (while eating the pineapple), he just laughed! Pretty soon, we were the heroes of Wheeler Air Force Base!
And after that, they never worried if we were out all night when we played war.
It is no wonder that me and my brothers ended up joining the Army years later....it was what we grew up with and trained for.
It is no wonder my brother grew up and became a hero in Vietnam, he was hero material when he was 12 years old
It is no wonder....because Kipapa in Hawaiin means "Paving the Way!
__________________
I don't have f***ing PTSD!....I just hate hippies!
C/3/187th, 101st Abn Div, RVN, 67-68
C/3/503rd. 173rd Abn Bde, RVN, 70-71
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
