The Truck and the Box Mine
More than a few of us have a story about being close to something the blew up. Usually you don't get to stop, take a picture and record your thoughts, because that explosion is the beginning, middle or end of a fairly interesting day. Here's an exchange of emails about one of Pete Leonard's interesting days.
From: Chopster10178093@xxxxxx.com 01/23/2000
I was blown out of a truck at the east gate of Hill 37
about 1 month before I got transferred to 1/1. Spent most of the time on the
hill with Comm Sect. Remember SSgt Archie, but not to many others. Came from 1st
Motor Trans through 1st Div Hqtrs Comm to 1/1.-
Pete Leonard
From: stevens9@xxxxxx.net> 01/23/2000
I remember truck hitting box mine. Was that you.
S/F Rocky
From: grpm1carb@xxxxx.net
hey chopster I was on 37 from sept 70 to feb 71 when I
got transfered to1/5 back on hill 34 I with comm. wire section they called me
"bear" back then
George Porter
From: Chopster10178093@xxxx.com
That was us. That was in Nov. of 70. Supposedly the biggest mine ever found on 4 East. Lucky us, no KIA’s .
From: Chopster10178093@xxxxx.com
I’m going to have to do some real mind searching to remember all the guys, but I did help the wiremen some, cause I climbed a few poles my self
From: grpm1carb@xxxxxx.net
I have a photo of truck that hit box mine on road but I think it was a was out a ways and before you got there rocky ,when did you get there?
From: Kathy Stevens <stevens9@xxxxxxxx.net>
April-April 70-71
From: Chopster10178093@aol.com
That was in Nov 70, supposedly the biggest mine ever found on 4 East. The cab and Bed of the truck were separated and the bed was sticking in the road on the frame rails. All this was told to me, cause I didn’t even hear the thing go off.
From: grpm1carb@xxxxxx.net
that 4 east sounds right, the truck in the photo was
hauled back to 37 on a flatbed I remember every body was amazed that no one was
kia. I think I also have a photo of the crater the mine made that I took on a
mine sweep detail right after that. Those box mines were hard to detect
george porter.
From: Kathy Stevens <stevens9@xxxxxxx.net>
George, Were you with 1/5 before 1/1.
( If they are hand detonative, RDX & wood .Mine detector will never pick it
up.
S/F Rocky
So Pete, courtesy of George Porter, are pictures of the aftermath of your interesting day thirty years ago:
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Blown truck on a flatbed taken to Hill 37 |
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Crater left in the road from box mine |