2nd. Lt. Forest Lucy

2nd Lt. Forest Lucy was Hotel Company's forward observer, the main man to call in artillery for the grunts out in the Bush. He was more then just an artillery fire mission assistant to call in a fire mission when we got ambushed or attacked by overwhelming odds, he knew all artillery frequencies from air strikes to the New Jersey Battle Ship that we used occasionally when the heat got turned up by the NVA or VC. He was a comfort for any grunt to have on a patrol as he called his fire missions in directly to the fire bases, saving 20 minutes of wait time in order to get the first spotter round over the target. He got them in five minutes or less and would call ahead for pre planned fire missions from areas that looked like good ambush sites for the enemy so if they were in one of his pre called sites, the rounds came instantly never giving the VC or NVA a chance to run for it.

Forest Lucy was an Officer in the United States Marine Corps and was awarded such respect from the troops but we felt as if we could talk to him and he would give us important information to help us out in calling in future artillery strikes if he wasn't able to be with us. He worked with a Lance Corporal who we didn't know too well but the tow of them were very tight and would go out on a lot of patrols together. Getting hit with them along made it almost worth it the way they would get artillery right on the enemy and walk it all over him. It began to make Charlie a bit gun shy when it came on ambushing Marines coming out of Battalion Area and going on their patrols.