Because there had been no officer infusion from other units during the first year my parent Artillery Bn was in VN, all officer personnel (including those serving as FO's) had to be replaced ASAP.  Almost as soon as I arrived, I was on a chopper bound for Delta company 1/12th Cav.  Because the company was engaged in a fire-fight, the chopper had to hover for quite a while before inserting me!  When finally on the ground, the FO I was replacing said "what are you doing here with an M-14 rifle?"  He threw his M-16 at me and said he'd take my Blunderbuss back to the battery.  The weapon he gave me looked like something gotten out of a trash can.  I tried to look down the bore and couldn't see any day light and told him so.  He took it back, looked, and said "your right" and then pointed the weapon down range and blew off two rounds and handed it back to me and said "what else you want fixed before I leave."  During the main enemy engagement a platoon Sgt. (who hailed from Guam) talked/pulled a "Chuck" out of a short tunnel with weapon.  The troops said "He did it again."  (I was then told if you got an enemy soldier to give up with weapon you got an extra out-of-country R&R.)  This platoon Sgt. already had 5 or 6 R&Rs backed up from doing this time and time again.  Didn't remember him taking any, but when he did, I heard he went home to Guam.

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