Passage (P137-138) – “Stumbling, gasping for breath, soaked with perspiration, every Marine reached the point at which he barely managed to drag himself up the steep incline. There were choked curses as men gained a few feet, only to slip and fall back even father. Water discipline collapsed as canteens were quickly emptied. Marines began to drop along the slope, some unconscious, others doubled over and retching… Each man had only one canteen and had quickly drained it as temperatures rose to 112 degrees Fahrenheit… By flying its OY-2s very low and slowly, it managed to deliver the ammunition and water within the perimeter. Unfortunately, every five-gallon can burst upon impact… the water ran out… Some people went down with canteens and came back with rice-paddy water. As a result, we all ended up with worms…Hell, in that oven we were so thirsty we’d have drunk anything.”

Discussion – Water purification and resupply are sustainment challenges for any frontline unit. At 2-504 PIR, we have begun experimenting with 10 liter Katadyn water filters to provide self-water purification methods at the company level. The weakness of this system is having to constantly replace water filters after every few uses to continue effective filtration. We have also received notes about Lifestraws and seems like they have similar issues and can’t supply effectively. Are there any other systems that are effective when it comes to water purification?

Passage (P144) – “Cahill’s platoon fought for days on Hill 342 and in two days, his platoon lost 6 killed in action and 12 wounded in action out of the 52 he led up the hill. Brooks (Company F, 5 RCT) had only 8 survivors of almost 120 who had gone up with him four days earlier. Hill 342 had been an intense introduction to the NKPA for both regiments.”

Discussion – Other than tough, realistic training, what are other ways to prepare for the realities of war? Is there a way to prevent the “bloody nose” that we often face in the first few days of combat? If so, how?