Vietnam was called (The Jewel of the Orient )that's all I knew about that small little country in Southeast Asia. This is the story about a guy who grew up in the streets of Philadelphia who enlisted into the Marine corps and ended up in the rice patties outside Danang. I will try to explain what I saw and how I felt from the day I landed until the day I departed Thirteen months later. I will do my best to make plain and clear what it felt like to be placed into an infantry unit where I had to adapt to my new surroundings. I'll tell you my feelings, being accepted into a squad of experienced grunts. Guys that I would spend every day and night with, Guys who cared for each other and watched each others back, we were brothers and we knew it. All we had was each other and every time we went out on patrol, we knew that it was up to us to survive together. I participated in over 250 patrols and ambushes and 5 Operations and I can honestly tell you that I served my tour of duty with the greatest group of guys anyone could ever serve with. We were members of the 2'nd Battalion 1'st Marine Division (The Professionals) the North Vietnamese Army referred to us as The Ghost Battalion.