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MSG. E. Ray Austin, US Army, Retired

I was born in Norma, Scott County Tennessee, in November of 1946. My parents were Luther Joseph Austin (1899-1987), and Pearlie Ann (FORD) Austin (1903-1991). What influenced my decision to join the military as a young man was seeing three of my older brothers in Military uniform, looking sharp and proud and knowing also that my Dad had served in the U.S. Army during WWI. Dad joined the U.S. Army on November 25, 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor, KY, completed his three years of honorable service and was discharged at Fort Slocum, New York on November 29, 1922. One of my brothers, Ted, served in the Korean War. Another brother, Junior, served two tours of duty in Vietnam and completed 20 years with the US Air Force. Another brother, Billy, served 3 years in the U.S. Army with the 101st Airborne Division, back when they were on Jump Status. I guess my brothers and my Dad set the stage for me and my wanting a career in the Army. In my teenage years and prior to joining the Army in August 1964. My son Chris served for 20 years in the U.S. Army before retiring, and one of my two daughters, Shannon, served for 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. We have a long-line of patriotic men and women in my family; brothers, cousin, nieces and nephews, who have served honorably and I am very proud to be a part of that number.

I started my Army career with Basic Training (Aug./Oct. 1964) at Fort Gordon Georgia, and then flew immediately to Fort Sill Oklahoma for my eight-weeks of A.I.T. before taking leave and going home to show off my new uniform. I’ll admit, I was really “Green” when it came to what the Army was going to be like for me, so green in fact that I thought my first three years I had signed up for was going to be just like the 8 weeks of Basic Training I had just completed. I thought I had made a big mistake in joining up, until I got to my A.LT. and found out it wasn’t so bad after all. After a few weeks of training at Fort Sill and taking a short leave, I flew to Germany for a two-year tour (Feb. 1965/Feb. 1967) with the 72nd Field Artillery Group located at Wertheim, Peden Barracks, Germany. After that, I returned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for about six-months and then left the Army at the end of my three-year enlistment (Aug. 1967). I got married a week after discharge (Aug. 67), we had a son a year later (Jun. 68), and bounced from job to job and state to state and just couldn’t get settled down. I was missing something in my life. The Vietnam War was going strong and I wanted to be a part of it. In December of 1968, I decided I wanted to reenlist and go to the Vietnam, and that’s what I did. I visited my old Recruiter, Sergeant Murley Joe Cross again and signed up for another three years and volunteered for Vietnam. The Recruiter gave me a 30 day leave and money and orders for a plane ticket to Fort Lewis, Washington. After my leave in early January 1969, I flew to Ft. Lewis, WA in civilian clothes because that’s all I had. After arriving there I was issued all new Army clothing and after 10 days I was on a plane headed for Vietnam. After a short stopover in Hawaii and the Philippines we landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam. I don’t remember much about that trip after leaving Hawaii because somewhere along the way I got sick. I found out later it was called the Hong Kong Flu. After arriving in Vietnam, I was medicated and given bed rest a few days then put on a bus, truck or plane, for Artillery Hill, located at Pleiku. This was the headquarters location for the 1st Battalion, 92nd Field Artillery. I was issued a weapon, gas mask and other items and after a few days there, I was put on a truck convoy for my new assignment at Oak To, which was about 75 miles north of Artillery Hill. A lot happened during that first year in Vietnam, I guess this is where I really became a man. After 12 months at Oak To, (Jan 1969/Jan 1970) in which I was promoted to Sergeant E-5 and decorated for heroism, I flew to California thinking I would receive a hero’s welcome upon my return to the USA, but, to my surprise, just the opposite happened. I was met with protesters calling me a Baby Killer, and a few other select names, and throwing things at us as we were transported from the Military airport to the civilian airport so we could fly home.

The most significant and life changing events of my time in the Army would have to be on my first tour of duty in Vietnam (Jan 69/Jan 70), while assigned to the 1st Battalion 92nd Field Artillery as a Field Wireman and stationed at a remote Fire Base (FSB-1) called Oak To, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, I saw my share of hostile actions both on the Firebase and a few times as Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) on patrol in the jungle in and around that area. Oak To was under siege for about 2 months straight while I was there in 1969, with a lot of incoming rockets, mortars, recoilless rifle fire and small arms fire. At least one ground attack that I recall with Sappers sneaking through the perimeter wire one early morning. The Sappers got inside our perimeter and blew up a few bunkers, an armored vehicle as I recall and wounded and killed some Gl’s. Most of the men that were killed at Oak To were from the result of incoming hostile fire coming from the hills above us. I was decorated for heroism during that 2-month siege. Guess that was one of the proudest moments of my career. As mentioned before, I was an RTO a few times. When I went on my 1st Patrol we were loaded on trucks at Oak To and driven in the direction of Ben Het, a Special Forces Camp about 8-9 miles from Oak To. We stopped at a bridge before reaching Ben Het and unloaded. I remember marching in file through this Montagnard village and wading across a small river stream then up the side of a mountain towards Fire Base 6. On the way up, it had to have been 110 plus degrees. We stopped every few minutes to rest, breathe and drink water. This was my first patrol. We had a helicopter flying over head looking for any NVA or VC and I was in radio contact with this helicopter in case he spotted anything he would let us know. Sometime before reaching our objective, the pilot of the helicopter spotted what he described as a Platoon size element of NVA or VC coming down a trail towards us. The Lieutenant that I was carrying the radio for took the call and ordered everyone to move back into the jungle, off the trail. I was sure we were going to ambush the enemy patrol but orders were that we had to try and get around them and not make contact. There was about 40-50 of us. Me, the Lieutenant, a few others from our Unit, and the rest were from the 299th Engineer Company there at Oak To. We were told to make our way around the enemy so we had to move a little faster and man that sun and heat was kicking our butts. As we got closer to Fire Base 6, the men from up there started shooting Mortars and M-79s over our heads onto the enemy below us because by this time enemy had heard us moving through the jungle and was tailing us. Anyway, the last I remember was the Fire Base 6 people were firing over our heads and we stopped for a breather and I flopped down on my back, pulled my Radio off to catch my breath, and when the Lieutenant said, let’s go, I stood up – then passed out from heat exhaustion. He came to me and opened my pants and my shirt and started giving me water to drink. He was asking me questions like, what’s your name, where you from, etc., and all I remember was I was mumbling something so he called for the helicopter to set down on side of the hill in a small clearing (LZ) and get me out of there. The helicopter must have hovered just off the ground because I don’t remember there being any LZ anywhere on that hillside. I was told later that a couple of the men dragged me down to where the helicopter was and strapped me in a seat and threw my web gear and weapon in with me. I woke up in the Aid Station at Oak To from heat exhaustion with an IV in my arm. The sad part was, I had missed my first enemy fire fight and also some SOB stole my big Jim Bowie knife I had on my belt. The rest of our patrol made it to FSB 6 and got airlifted later back to Oak To. I also remember carrying along with that Radio, a 45 Caliber Machine Gun, called a Burp-Gun. I had bought it from some guy for $50. That was the last time I carried that heavy thing because I sold it when I got back to Oak To. I was carrying it along with 4 full clips of 45 Caliber Ammo, and the Radio. My load was pretty darn heavy I thought. I remember those Rocket attacks at Oak To pretty well. When the 122mm rockets were hitting and exploding over in the Artillery Gun area, we on the other side of the Fire Base would peep out of our bunkers. When you heard “that sound” you could watch overhead and sometimes see the 122mm Rockets fly overhead.

We called them flying-telephone-poles. The awards, medals, and achievements earned during my time in the Army I would have to say the one that I cherish the most would be, although not the highest award I received, the award of the Army Commendation Medal with ‘V’ Device for Heroism, while in Republic of South Vietnam. THE CITATION: Private First Class Elmer R. Austin distinguished himself by exceptional heroism in the Republic of Vietnam on 12 May 1969, while serving in the Communications Section with the 1st Battalion, 92nd Artillery located at Oak To. On that date, Oak To experienced numerous attacks from hostile enemy rockets, mortars, and recoilless rifles. As the rounds from the enemy weapons began to impact in the area, Private Austin voluntarily exposed himself to the enemy in order to observe their firing positions. Without regard for his personal safety, he left the relative security of the communications bunker and while moving under fire, he made his way to an observation post. His accurate observation of the flashes from the enemy weapons enabled him to report the azimuths from which the enemy fires were coming. Although not trained as an artillery observer, Private Austin performed the duties as an observer with exceptional professionalism while under fire. He was instrumental in calling in and directing medium artillery fire and destroying the enemy weapons thereby saving the lives of himself, and his fellow soldiers. He remained at his position until the Fire Mission was completed. Private Austin’s courage, fortitude, and complete disregard for his personal safety were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Military Service, and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army (END). During my Army career, I was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal “four” separate times, and for that I am very proud of as well as all the other medals, awards, trophies, plaques, and certificates, etc. I’ve had a good and rewarding career. “May God get the Glory”

Submitted by; MSGT, E. Ray Austin, Vietnam Veteran