Thanks to Gary Davis who was a Medic attached to Charlie Company during Operation Just Cause for providing a copy of this tape. The recording which is about three minutes long features the initiation of the Vulcan fire on the PDF Barracks on the evening of December 19th-20 1989.
You can hear Captain Rizzo (C 4-17 Company Commander) shouting in the background to "Start the Fucking Vulcan!" .. you can also hear him trying to get SITREPS from the platoons.
AUDIO FILE: 4300 KB
Gary also sent me a 2 hour long video that was shot by a member of C 4-17 prior to, during, and after the invasion of Panama. I'm currently working with Ryan Bohling to have it cleaned up and edited for DVD distribution. I also have an audio tape coming from Johnny Brooks (Boss Buffalo 0f the 4th Battalion) of an interview made of a couple Charlie NCO's after the firefight at Coco Solo. I've also heard from Adrian Vrolyks (A 4-17) who has a video of the Assault that alpha company did that evening. I'll hopefully have this as well soon for all you guys. If you have something to contribute in any way, please let me know. Ryan Bohling is in the video production business and he's been throwing around the idea of putting together a documentary style piece on the Buffalo Lightfighters of our era, so if you have stories, pictures, videos, audio files, documentation, etc .. let me know!
Shook Out
5 comments:
I'm currently commanding a recruiting company in Bloomington, Indiana with responsibility for 6 stations in the SW part of the state.
I played that clip for about 20 of my 'Future Soldiers' down in Evansville today. I don't know if that is a very good idea since it's been my experience that many of these kids are NOT necessarily joining for the "duty, honor, country..." I don't really care, though. We are a country at war and shortly a good many of them will be smack dab in it.
Anyhow, I've had that recording on audio cassette for near 20 years but forgot about it. I haven't heard it for probably 12-13 years.
As a matter of fact, I think my memory of the story of the recording has probably faded.
I want to say that I remember Dan Hightower as the person who recorded it and (though I know this can't be right) I always had it in my head that it was Andy McCright who was the one talking with shaky voice near the end. [for medics only had sidearms, right? Ha.]
Regardless, while the uninitiated civilian listener might find the shaky voice funny, I don't. I can identify because I had never been that scared in my life nor have I since.
Pat here is a quote from Gary Davis (Medic attached to Charlie) He is where I got the audio and video tape from:
"The recording was made by a driver from the support plt, who was attached to me as the driver of my ambulance. He is the one that recorded and the one that is doing most of the talking. when C co. CO starts shouting it was because shots were being fired on the boat dock, in back of the building.
This is great I would not of thought that either tape would have received
this much air time (what ever it may be as of now).
Also there was a SGT Daniels from C co. that was shot in the leg (just below the pelvis) that I and SGT McCright worked on, I didn't see his name on the list you sent me. it makes me feel good knowing the I had a part in his well being."
Pat - FYI
Believe Dan Hightower was attached to Bravo Co. at the Colon Bottleneck at H-hour. Several non-sniper scouts were peeled off and given 2 each spare M24/M21 systems to offer direct support to that blocking position. Rodney Hudson was paired up with Dan. Believe the other hasty sniper team was Bob Grundvig and Tim Kempkes. Same-same pos and so not able to record anything at Coco Solo.
Team, I (Jeff Secor) was the one who handed the medic the voice recorder right before I ran out of the gym door. True, some scouts were attahced to different companies but I don't remember who was attached to C. What I do remember is hearing the vulcan open up, and being told to go, go. As the first man to exite the cover of the gym, I will never forget Dave Rainer throwing a smoke grenade out in front of me, essentially lighting my silhouette to be fired on as soon as I ran out.
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