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Click On The Image To Enlarge % This photo was shot by one of my buddies while I was resting while guarding our Forward Fire Base. The Forward Fire Base contained our HQ Company and all of our supporting Artillery (both the 105mm stationary and 155mm Self Propelled Artillery) and of course one Line Company. An Infantry Battalion was made up of 3 Line Companies and a Headquarters Company. The Rotation back to the Forward Fire Base (company in reserve) occurred every 8 days or so which meant that 16 days in the Boonies and then the next 8 days protecting the Forward Fire Base. Sometime in the Fall of 1967 the army added another line company to the 3rd Battalion-8th Infantry which was "D" company. Life for us grunts was somewhat more relaxed when we were in reserve. We still had to pull Nightly Ambush Patrols. and daytime patrols because the NVA knew where we were at all times because of our big guns going off all the time during fire missions. It's no wonder I have lost my hearing. You can't even come close to imaging the concussion was from a 155mm Self propelled Artillery Piece. I still remember the difference between the NVA assaulting one of Line Companies and just Harassing Fire from our huge guns. The artillery would fire continuously if one of our Line companies were in trouble and sporadically fire when they were just harassing the NVA.
