"When we went through the village we should have known something was wrong or at least when I look back I should have. None of the kids were begging and the women and children stayed in the hootches. That was not natural. I remember the looks on their faces. They knew what was going to happen.

As best as I can recall now there were at least four boats and I think they were old Navy PT boats with the drop down fronts. I think there were two squads in each boat, but not sure. I do know there was another squad in the boat other than my squad.

Anyway, I was in the lead boat and it was hit with an RPG and it came through the side of the boat and through Davis who was carrying an M72 LOG strapped to his back. When the round hit the LOG it ripped Davis and McGovern to pieces. I think everyone caught either metal or body parts. I know that is graphic, but that was graphic.

At first the shock was so intense I didn't know what happened. Everyone in that boat had some form of concusion, but when the machine gun opened to the side I knew what was happening. I remember Sergant Kitchens and I were screaming at everyone to return fire with everything we had. Some did and some didn't. Some stayed in the bottom of the boat. If we hadn't shut down the machine gun the x rate would have been much greater.

I'm not sure what the other boats did but once we shut things down we proceded up river for a short distance to what I recall was a small group of houses. Got everyone out and fanned out with a perimeter until we got a full report on everything. Called in choppers to evacuate severely wounded, and those of us that could went back on board and loaded bodies into ponchos to be taken out.

Then we got back on the boat and proceded back to the hootch where the two came out of to shoot the rpg and make sure they were taken care of then joined with unit. That was the longest day of my life..."