About four days after arriving in Vietnam, Roy C. Raisor went into an area called the Ho Bo Woods. He was with five other men who had infantry AIT training. They were carrying their combat gear and a Prick 25 radio as they prepared for their first air assault.
Fortunately, their first landing zone was a Cold LZ, meaning they were not taking fire when they arrived. It was already late in the day, so they were told to dig in immediately. The men dug holes and established their camp at the edge of the jungle.
Helicopters brought in a large web net containing their supplies, ammunition, sandbags, and rails. The rails were placed across the tops of the bunkers before sandbags were stacked on them for protection against mortar attacks. For Roy, everything had gone well, and he still felt invincible.
A Nighttime False Alarm
That first night, the Lookout Post called back with instructions that everyone should get to the firing lines if there was movement in the area. Soon afterward, the lookout reported hearing something.
The company commander ordered Roy to have the armor group set off claymores. Roy relayed the message, and all three lookouts blew their claymore mines.
Something flew back and struck Roy in the eye. His eye became red, but the medic said he was fine and told him to wipe it off and continue. The incident turned out to be a false alarm.
The experience was an early reminder that even before entering the jungle, Roy had to remain alert to what was happening around him.
His First Day in the Jungle
The following morning, the men ate C-rations for breakfast and assembled for a search and destroy sweep. Roy explains that a sweep meant the company lined up side by side and moved through the jungle looking for signs of the enemy.
This was Roy’s first day in the real jungle.
He described it as hot, thick, sticky, gloomy, and dark. The men moved along while watching the soldier next to them and repeating what he was doing. The point man was positioned about fifteen yards ahead of the company.
The point man served an important purpose. He moved ahead so the entire company would not walk into an ambush. Every soldier had to take a mandatory two-hour turn covering that position.
A Sudden Encounter
While walking through the jungle, Roy was not watching where he was going and stepped into a hole. He went in up to his crotch.
Fortunately, it was a tunnel rather than a booby trap. Because the tunnel was not very deep, Roy was instructed to throw in a hand grenade, yell “fire in the hole,” and stand back. He followed the instructions.
The company continued marching for another two and a half or three hours. Roy still felt like he was tough and described feeling like John Wayne. He believed they were on a mission, were tough, and would face the enemy head on.
Then everything changed.
The First Reality of Combat
Suddenly, they heard a machine gun. The point man in front of them fell to the ground and was already dead. The company had walked directly into an enemy camp.
Everyone dropped to the ground and tried to return fire. Roy was beside the company commander, checking on the platoons to determine who was taking fire and who could assist. Mortar fire was called in from the mortar company at the main base.
After the skirmish ended, the soldiers moved forward to where the point man had been killed. Roy then helped carry him back through the jungle.
Four men placed the soldier in his poncho liner and carried him by the corners. Because a helicopter could not get into the dense jungle, they had to walk for at least two and a half hours to get him out.
Losing the Feeling of Invincibility
The death of the point man became an important moment for Roy. He had been with the company for less than a week, and suddenly the war felt very different.
He realized that people close to him were going to die and that he could die too. He was only eighteen years old. He no longer felt invincible. His focus became survival.
His first experience in the Ho Bo Woods had changed his understanding of the jungle, the Army, and himself. What had begun as another mission quickly became the moment when Roy understood that Vietnam was real, and that he was no longer simply preparing for what might happen. He was living it.
For more about Roy’s story and latest updates, visit his official website: Roy C. Raisor.
Get your copy of his memoir here on Amazon: Boy to Man in 365 Days.
