|
CPT Tommy Thompson, XO Det B-57, coordinates air support during Plei Me
seige.
Great Story:
Well, the story goes like this (personally witnessed by me (Galloway), sitting
right there beside them): Tommy Thompson was handling the radios, calling in
the air strikes, coordinating parachute drops of pallets of ammo and food (most
of which landed out in enemy territory and not inside the camp) and dealing
with various HQs. He constantly had two PRC25 handsets, one on each ear.
Suddenly a huge grin came over his face. "Cholly (talking to Beckwith),
man wants to talk to you." "Who the fuck is it?" "Cholly,
man say he's the President." "President of WHAT, fer
christsake?" Even bigger grin. "Cholly, man say he the President of
the U-nited States of America." Beckwith grabbed the handset which
squawked and yammered loudly as Lyndon B. Johnson, President, was patched
through God alone knows how many Puma and Tiger switches began congratulating
Maj. Beckwith and his valiant sojers on the fine job they were doing defending
the farflung frontiers of democracy etc etc etc. Beckwith held the handset a
good ten inches from his ear; we could all hear Johnson drawling on. A look of
utter disgust came over Beckwith's face. Finally after some grunts and
"Yessirs" on the part of Beckwith, LBJ said bye and let Beckwith and
Thompson get back to fighting the war.
|