DAVE AUSTIN PHOTOGRAPHS I DAVE SERVED WITH 3rd PLATOON, COMPANY A, 1ST ANTITANK BATTALION FROM DECEMBER 1968 AND UNTIL JULY 1969 WHEN 1ST ANTITANK BATTALION STOOD DOWN.  THE CAPTIONS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE IN DAVE'S WORDS, THEY TELL A REAL STORY.

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This is the last known picture of the Ontos known as, "The Wonder." I had heard that it hit a converted 105 mm round mine, somewhere in the dried rice patties south of Marble Mountain... joining the hulks of numerous Amtracks already there. Later, as a Grunt with Hotel 2/1, on patrol in the area we came across two strips of Ontos track deeply embedded in the ground. There was no "rest of the Ontos," merely twisted and torn chucks of armor plate scattered in all directions. It could have been "The Wonder." If so, the crew never knew what hit them.... Then someone said, "Yo! Watch your step and let's go single file here!" Yeah, good idea, before we activate the ground we're standing on. We marched off, footprint to footprint, in the soft coastal sand. Dave Austin

The night before, one hell of a firefight on OP Three Fingers, guarding the southern approach to Freedom Hill. Here, Corporal "Pappy" Hall's "Good, Bad, & Ugly" pausing after policing numerous 106 mm canisters away from his "Pig" after an all night firefight with NVA and VC in the valley below. A platoon of Ontos at OP Three Fingers emptied their Pigs and ammo bunkers of 106 rounds and it the middle of the night, a "six-by" was loaded to the rafters and dispatched to rearm them. I was twice caught in the backblast as I rushed up and down the hill between the truck on the reverse slope and the Ontos with fresh ammo. The backblast was blinding in the dark night and it was impossible to see those stupid warning flags that are displayed just before firing. What's that you say, didn't I hear the verbal warnings? Friend, I was blind and deaf! Are you new to this business? "Pappy" Hall, installed a 7-inch reel-to-reel tape deck inside his 'Pig' and wired it to external speakers.  The only tune on the entire reel of tape was, you guessed it, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly."  The tune was played when entering or leaving the battalion front gate, and just before he arrived at his destination (bridge watch, link up with Grunts/Engineers before road sweeps, etc.).  We loved it.

THE COMPANY SIGN FOR COMPANY A, 1ST ANTITANK BATTALION

One in, one out. Continuous road sweeps, bridge watch, OP security, and other chores.