Skipper and Zeek in the Hole

Skipper and Zeak have something to smile about because this shot was taken out in the jungle in September 1970.  The Cambodian Incursion had been over for two to three months and the dry season was in full swing.  There was nothing at all to smile about while fighting in Cambodia during the rainy season.

They are standing in the hole.  Our squad had to dig one every night.  The hole was a remnant of trench warfare in World War I.  If we were attacked during the night, the hole is where the squad fought from.

We set up the M60 machine gun at the hole aiming toward the jungle.  All of  the claymore mine clackers were centralized there.  A clacker was the firing device that when squeezed would cause a claymore to explode toward the enemy.  Wire connected the clacker to a blasting cap that was set into the top of the claymore.

The hole was supposed to be large enough to hold a squad of eight to ten men.  By the looks of it, Skipper and Zeek would barely fit.  The hole was never big enough.  The reason was we all had to dig a layer and every layer that followed the first one somehow got smaller and smaller and smaller.  We were lucky that we never were attacked in the jungle where we had to defend ourselves from the hole.
Skipper and Zeak were Vietnam nicknames.  We all had them.  Skipper's real name is Henry Vanbrink and Zeek's real name is Ismeal Figeroa.  At our 2015 reunion, I learned that Henry was no longer with us.  He died in 2006.  It saddens me that Skipper lived in the next state over from me for 36 years and I never knew.  I would have dropped by to say hello.