My second game of Surviving 'Nam went much better than the first. HQ went out with five men. 1st and 2nd sections were both down by one, with men recovering from wounds. A cherry private, Scott May, joined 1st section, so that they wouldn't be too short-handed. Lieutenant Miller, having survived the first mission, now led the platoon. Tasked with ambushing the VC along a trail in the middle of the night, the men took their positions.
March 1969
Vietnamese Jungle
Turn 0
Lieutenant Miller, newly promoted to lead the platoon, crouched in the tall elephant grass. Just ahead of him, his men formed a line just back from a trail through the bush. Night had fallen. They were ready to spring their ambush on any VC moving through the darkness. Johnson and Williams were set up on the right with the M60. PFC White of 2nd section held the right flank, while the new guy, PFC May anchored the left. Ahead of him, he could hear sandaled feet approaching in column. He let out a low whistle.
Turn 1
Johnson's MG opened up. Breaking the silence of the night, the burst took down one VC gunner and suppressed his friend. Johnson's partner, PFC Williams, put fire on the lead enemy, causing the man to duck and cover. White and Jackson, on the right flank, moved toward the path, hoping to cut off the enemy as they approached. Sargent Becker followed, staying low in the grass. Toward the center, Harris opened up on the column, but didn't appear to hit anything. The enemy began to return fire, shooting into the darkness. Lieutenant Miller crouched, moving slowly forward through the tall grass, his medic and radioman close behind.
Turn 2
As the two approached, Johnson kept his machine gun trained on the column, taking out the lead man. A scream sounded through the night. Sargent Ellis of 2nd section continued toward the path, motioning his men to follow him. PFC White screamed, "CONTACT RIGHT!" A VC had somehow popped up on their flank, far away from the marching column. Jackson moved to cover him. "Machine gun left!" cried Private May on the other flank, popping off a shot into the darkness while the others in his section moved forward to gain better targets.
Turn 3
Startled by the VC on the right, PFC Jackson leveled his rifle to fire. Stepping forward, he heard the click of a buried mine. Sweat appeared on his forehead as he realized it was a dud. He squeezed off a round into the darkness. On his left PFC White also fired, taking down the VC threat.
Lieutenant Miller, approaching PFC Johnson, clapped him on the shoulder. "Move that MG forward!" Johnson nodded and moved closer to the path, followed closely by his loader. Tracers ripped into the night as he unloaded a couple of rounds toward the enemy, who kept their heads down. The LT heard a snap next to his ear, instinctively ducking to the ground. "Sniper!" hissed his radioman, PFC Brown, who fired back in response. Miller grabbed for the radio, keying the handset. "Fire mission," he stated calmly, calling in the coordinates of the pathway in front of them. With any luck, the artillery would catch the column in the open.
From the path, an enemy machine gun swung toward the men, ripping bullets into the grass. PFC Miller hit the dirt, scared, but not wounded. "That was close!" Anderson said behind him as he picked himself back up. Anderson fired his own gun into the darkness. Nearby, PFC Harris also fired, killing the machine gunner at the front of the column. On the left, Private May, new to the jungle, swore as jungle undergrowth grabbed at his boots.
Turn 4
Jackson continued putting fire down on the path, jamming his M60. "Dammit!" he swore as Williams, next to him, squeezed off a couple of rounds, striking the lead VC. Lieutenant Miller and his radioman came up behind them. "Keep fire on that road." Miller urged.
From his 4 o'clock, Sargent Miller heard the crashing of brush, and a shot ring out from the darkness. Instinctively, he swung in that direction, gunning down the Charlie who had appeared out of nowhere. "White, Jackson! Move up!" White, following Sarge's command, moved closer to the road. Jackson ducked as he heard artillery overhead. The path erupted in dirt and grass, pinning the enemy in place.
On the right, the men surged forward through the grass, trying to get better sight lines. As he kicked himself free of the jungle, Private May screamed in panic, "Sarge! There's more comin'!"
Turn 5
Reaching the path, PFC White on the far right flank spotted a sniper in the grass opposite his position. A skillful shot took out the threat, as gunfire erupted on the far left, narrowly missing Private May. "Jackson! Get up here!" Sargent Becker hissed, trying to get his men coordinated. Sargent Anderson, on the other side, ducked as tracers headed his way. On the far left, Private May screamed as bullets tore into him. "MEDIC!" someone screamed. Spotting a clump of VC moving in the grass on the other side of the field, PFC Harris pulled a grenade, lobbing it in their direction. Screams of pain echoed through the night. A rocket-propelled grenade zipped over his head in response. Medic Johnson headed toward the downed cherry as PFC Davis launched another grenade in the direction of the enemy. "Suppress that fire!" yelled the LT to the machine gun team, "NOW!" Two VC fell in the path as the gun belched rounds.
Turn 6
"Alright boys! That's enough! Pull out!" Lieutenant Miller called out to the men, "Let's go!" All sections began pulling back. "I'll get May," called out PFC Wilson.
Turn 7
"May, man, how you doin'?" The young private looked down. Blood soaked the chest of his tunic. "I, I think I'm okay." Just then, the medic arrived. "C'mon guys, we're getting out of here." He lifted May, draping the man's arm over his shoulder. "Grab his other arm; we'll carry him out." Noise could be heard on the other side of the field as the rest of the team disengaged.
Post Game
Private Scott May survived his first mission, but it was also his last. He was sent home with a serious, career-ending wound. The rest of the platoon successfully made their way back to the rally point, counting the mission a total success.
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