By Tiffany Green
The Cullman Times
CULLMAN — SMITH LAKE — Wayne Patton doesn’t consider himself a hero, but in a dense jungle on March 26, 1970, he sure acted like one.
“I don’t have one ounce of hero in me,” Patton said. “I was just doing my job. I was apprehensive about what was next. I didn’t know what to expect.”
He had just arrived to serve his country in the Vietnam War and was scared.
“If you’re not scared, you’re not human,” he said.
On that hot March day, the 19-years-old tank gunner, along with the rest of the Alpha Troop, First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment were near the Cambodian border, northwest of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. They were on a rescue mission.
The men were exhausted from long weeks in the field with little sleep, and they had just suffered casualties.
“We had been encountering the enemy on a frequent basis,” he said. “Our mortar track sent up mortars to keep the enemy at bay. When they dropped the mortar in the bay, it killed three. It was just a terrible accident.”
The next day, the Alpha Troop got a frantic call for help.
Company C, 2d Battalion, 8th Cavalry, a 1st Calvary Division unit was surrounded by an overwhelming enemy force near the Cambodian border, in War Zone C.
Company C had been in a battle with a North Vietnamese Army regiment who were expected to capture or destroy the 100 Americans in Company C.
“We got a call from Charley Company three or four miles away from us, they were pinned down and running out of ammunition and running out of hope,” Patton recalled. “We had to go get them.”
The troop was nearly outnumbered three to one, and traveling through dense jungle terrain, mounted an fierce assault into the North Vietnamese army.
The troop rescued the survivors and carried the wounded and dead to the vehicles and headed back through the jungle to safety.
Almost 40 years later on Oct.20, 2009 in the White House Rose Garden, President Barack Obama paid tribute to Vietnam veterans who fought in what became known as The Anonymous Battle.
Patton explained that the honor may have taken some time because Houston businessman John Poindexter, who was the troops captain, recently wrote a book, compiled of accounts from the battle and used it to file the honor.
Alpha Troop, First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in the fight.
The Presidential Unit Citation is the highest honor given to a military unit and has not been issued since World War II.
Patton was injured a couple of months after The Anonymous Battle.
“I’m just happy to be here in one piece. I was wounded on June 12, 1970 and my loader was killed. I’m fortunate that it hasn’t ever debilitated me, but for the most part, this stuff stays in a drawer,” Patton said pointing to pictures and mementos from his days in the service.
Patton suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and had nerve damage to his hand as well as shrapnel.
“But I was one of the fortunate ones,” he said.
Patton spent nine months in Walter Reed Army Medical Center before returning to a normal life.
Patton does not think of his 22 months of military service much, but on occasion has gone to reunions to visit with old friends. He says the ceremony in Washington D.C. was a special reunion for many who had not seen each other in more than 39 years.
“It was the first time I saw my driver and my gunner in 39 years,” he said.
“It was quite an emotional bond,” Patton’s wife Susan said.
“They were able to connect. He’s very modest and doesn’t want recognition. He was just doing what he was told to do.”
‰ Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.
