Bill Patterson - Road Mines in Vietnam.
I guess explosive mines were always a worry for truck drivers in wars.Vietnam also had the things. Our 319th Transportation Company had several trucks detonate mines causing injuries to drivers and destroying or severely damaging the vehicles. We tried to look for anything unusual in the roads but the mines were concealed and routinely not spotted. My most vivid mines' experience happened over several days in one location. By coincidence I was convoyed down the same road for 7 days in a row. The road was one of only a very few that was paved and similar to one of our county-maintained roads. This road ran to and past the big Cu Chi base (where the B-52 strike happened) and became dirt when turning north and passing the base. On the first of these seven days, I noticed the truck in front of me swerve out of line to avoid a rough spot in the road. I did the same and studied the rough spot as I drove by. The spot, about the size of a bed mattress, had torn through the black paving, dislodged and spread much dirt from beneath, had been filled-in and smoothed over but not repaved. I was sure the hole had not been caused by preventive maintenance! Some vehicle had unhappily detonated a road mine. On the second through sixth days I observed similar holes in the short stretch of paved road by Cu Chi. Each hole was in a different location from the day before. I increasingly watched the road more carefully as we drove over it. I wondered if the road was being "swept" for mines before our convoys passed each day. I wondered if vehicles were being attacked as they drove by. I wondered if I was imagining too much during long hours inside my truck cab alone. I only knew I was very concerned! On the seventh day my truck was sent to the front of the convoy, the only time in the year that this happened. I was the lead vehicle and had the greatest chance of detonating any mine left for us! As we reached the area of concern, I strained my eyes to see anything out of place (I later learned I had become near-sighted and was probably wasting my effort)). I drove around any little thing I saw. I was expecting an explosion at any time. I began to shake with fear. With a lot of effort, I calmed down as we passed Cu Chi and left the area of concern. My truck did not explode. After these seven days I was given different routes. I wondered about the road holes, what caused them, were any men killed or injured, was I being too dramatic? Enlisted men are given very little information. We were given orders and we carried them out. I now believe that I was spared death or injury by the grace of God although I did not deserve His mercy. I never struck a mine in Vietnam , never fired my rifle at anyone and never saw any damage to my truck from enemy fire although I drove over 15,000 miles through dangerous territory. Road mine and enemy threats were scarey but God's protection was greater. I would live and come home.....