Guntrucks Guard the Convoys 541st TC In Action LZ English LZ Uplift An Khe Pleiku
William Oliver	Sgt Oliver NCOIC COLD SWEAT & COLD SWEAT JR.

I was working for my father as a plumber's helper and I joined the National Guard HQ 101st Medical Bn Booneville Arkansas as a 94B Cook.  I took a leave of absence from the Guard and went to California as a fire fighter for a year.  Then I joined the Regular Army and went to Fort Polk for 11B Infantry training.  After that I went to Fort Richardson, Alaska for winter training.  My MOS is Nam was 64C40 NCOIC Guntruck.

What I remember about arriving in Nam was that the plane came down real fast to avoid ground fire.

The Guntrucks we had were 2 1/2 ton trucks with a square box in the back welded together with two layers of sand bags in the bottom.  It was very heavy but I don't think it was overloaded.

The daily routine was motor stables, check ammo, go to firing range and fire weapons check, check C-rations for overnight stay or longer.  When we got to the destination we had a staging area where we waited for the trucks to unload.  Here we checked for flats etc.  If we had a flat on the front we had one guard on the 60 machine gun and we all changed the flat in a hurry.

Everyone carried their own M-14 and ammo and we had 2 60 cal machine guns and an M79 grenade launcher with CS Gas and White Phosphorous and M79 buck shot rounds for close range.

I went back to Nam in 1970 assigned to the 67th Engineers DT.  Escorted the dump trucks with a gunjeep.  Was injured and was sent back to the states to the US Army Recruiting Command at Durant Oklahoma.  After four years I was medical retired due to the back injury I received when Cold Sweat hit the land mine in 1968.
 

	Guntruck Crew, Left to Right Pvt Garrasco, Asst Driver;Pfc Goodman, Driver: Pfc Portnott, Gunner; Sp4 Farmer Gunner in truck.
	Driver and assistant driver Cold Sweat and Jr, Carrasco and Goodman
After hitting landmine Pfc Goodman, Driver had knee injury Pfc Portnoff, gunner, had metal in jaw and neck-medevaced Sp4 Farmer didn't know where he was for a while but got better later Sgt Oliver had back injury and scratches.	Cold Sweat after it hit land mine 6 miles out of Kontoum on the way to Dak To.
	The new Cold Sweat which had "The Mine Sweeper" painted on the back
	Sgt Wise in Deuces Wild
	Cold Sweat Jr settin in Mang Yang Pass waiting for all trucks to get through.
	Cold Sweat and Deuces Wild waiting for trucks to unload at Dak To
	Air support on road to Dak To
	Pop Neeley, oldest man in 541st.  He was there 2 years before I got there and was there after I left/
	Truck 52, Sp4 Spikes and Sgt Williams took a direct hit on the way to Dak To.  Sgt Williams was hurt very bad and was sent back to the states.  Sp4 Spikes took metal in the stomach and right side but was ok.
	Sgt Williams
	LZ Uplift The 541st Trans had 4 trucks and drivers assigned to 1/50 Inf. Ist Cav Division and I was the SP4 in charge of these trucks.  Later I was transferred to the 541st TC after the 1/50 left the area and we were sent to Ana Khe and then to Pleiku
	LZ Uplift
	LZ Uplift
	LZ Uplift
	LZ Uplift
	This was the first guntruck I ever saw.  It had come down from LZ English where the 541st had 10 trucks assigned to the 1st Cav.
	This truck was in the motor pool when I was reassigned from the 1/50 Inf.  I was told it took a direct hit at Dak To
	Cold Sweat at Kontoum staging area waiting for road to be cleared of land mines and 2 coke girls who were there every day.