VietNow National Magazine

Do You Remember the Artillery?
One of the most important parts of the combat arms, the exploits of the artillery too often seem forgotten – lost in the mists of time.

By William L. Harlan, Pacific Northwest VietNow Chapter

Few and far between are the stories, articles, or any writings about the artillery in Vietnam. In my case, there will always be a fond memory of one artillery gun above all. The 155mm Towed Howitzer. Some called them “Ladies,” some called them “Pigs,” but we all respected and took loving care of our “Guns.”

My AIT training was spent at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. When the training was over,
I had an MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) of 13A10. We called ourselves “Gun Bunnies.” When we got to Vietnam, the training started all over again.
I was assigned to 1st Battalion, 92nd Artillery, in Pleiku, Vietnam.

Artillery Hill was home base for the unit, and was my new home. I worked one of the guns for a month or so, and then decided to volunteer to be a forward observer (FO) – and after a week of intense training I was ready.

This put me on the receiving end of those guns, and gave me a whole new perspective of artillery. Having 100-pound high-explosive shells raining down on you is an experience you’ll never forget, and you will always carry that memory with you. The awesome power of an artillery barrage is unexplainable. The noise alone is enough to put a fear into any man. I know, from my own experience, that just the first few rounds of a fire mission put the enemy on the run before they had a chance to react. The artillery saved many American lives.

I can’t begin to tell the real story of the young men who manned those guns day in and day out. I do know there hasn’t been enough said about their role in the Vietnam War. They were among the bravest and most honorable men there. I am writing this, in part, to say thank you to the men of the 1/92 Artillery for saving my life more than once.

If you want to know more about the 92nd Artillery, get Brave Cannons: WWII Relic in Vietnam, by Bohdan Prehar – available through Amazon.com.

Well over 30 years have now passed, and I still remember those guns and the kids who were my friends and fellow soldiers. I’ll be an artilleryman forever.

William Harlan’s unit, the 1/92nd Artillery, is planning a reunion to be held in the Austin/ San Antonio, Texas, this coming November. For more information, contact David Powell, david@bravecannons.org. Also check their web site at www.bravecannons.org.

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