# Ann Margaret



## sfmike (Apr 28, 2010)

ANN MARGARET

Team Cobra 1-5 was given a mission to infiltrate the Ann Margaret area just outside of the Cu Chi base camp (Home of the 25th Division) to observe sampan traffic on the Saigon River.  The execution  was to enter the Ann Margaret area on foot and walk to the river.  Once there we were to set up in the reeds and report traffic on the water way.  If it was practical, we were to interdict sampans with artillery.

The team left the Ann Margaret gate ( manned by the 101st Airborne) at approximately 2300 hours. We walked in single file spread a good distance apart because of a full moon.  When we arrived in the vicinity of the river, we were met by rice paddies.  It wasn’t advisable to walk on the rice paddy dikes because of booby traps and foot prints.  I showed the team how to use the rice stalks and sweep them aside with your boot to create a perch to step on.  The rice plant would later rise back to its original configuration after an hour or two.

We got to the river and selected a hide.  All day long we observed boat traffic but they were all flying the RVN flag.  After dark (and curfew) more sampans went by.  We attempted to call preplanned artillery on them but couldn’t get clearance from the Provence Chief.  At 0230 hours we heard a sampan being polled right in front of us.  There was an NVA soldier with an AK47 magazine pouch polling the sampan and two other NVA sitting in the boat.  The poller stared right at me giving me no choice but to fire at him.  I shot him six times with my M1 carbine and he just looked down at his chest.  I then grabbed my Remington 870 shotgun and fired two rounds of OO-Buck at him.  He was blown clear out of the Sampan.  We were only about six feet apart during all of this action.  The rest of my team fired M-16 or Car -15s at the other two NVA blowing them up.

A .51 caliber machine gun started firing in our direction from across the river and someone south of us started firing AK-47s in our direction.  Soon I could hear dogs barking and I could see flashlights moving in our direction.  I called for artillery to fire a mission (battery of six) on our position in five minutes.  We moved out of our position and went about 50 meters before the artillery rounds impacted on our old position.  A “Battery 6" has 36 actual rounds included (six artillery pieces firing six rounds each).

Each time we would wait for five minutes and then call for another Battery 6 at our new position.
We would move 50 meters and go to ground as the artillery rounds started to impact.

Seven times I called for artillery.  This action was written up by Shelby Stanton in his book,
*Rangers at War.*/

SSG Michael D. Soetaert
Company F, 50th Infantry (LRRP)
1967-1969


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## 7point62 (Apr 28, 2010)

sfmike said:


> There was an NVA soldier with an AK47 magazine pouch polling the sampan and two other NVA sitting in the boat.  The poller stared right at me giving me no choice but to fire at him.  I shot him six times with my M1 carbine and he just looked down at his chest.  I then grabbed my Remington 870 shotgun and fired two rounds of OO-Buck at him.  He was blown clear out of the Sampan.




I killed Ho Chi Minh. With a can opener.


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## sfmike (Apr 29, 2010)

Ho Chi Minh died in 1969 of natural causes!


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## Chopstick (Apr 29, 2010)

sfmike said:


> Ho Chi Minh died in 1969 of natural causes!


That is what THEY want you to think.


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## 7point62 (Apr 29, 2010)

sfmike said:


> Ho Chi Minh died in 1969 of natural causes!




Sure he did. I quite naturally shoved my can opener into his eyeball.


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## 8'Duece (Apr 29, 2010)

I took a shit in Ho Chi Minh's tent one night.  Stole his rice too.  Made a helluva lot of noise doing it.

I used a Fairbairn/Sykes dagger to taste the rice.  It was still hot.


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## AWP (Apr 29, 2010)

Enough.


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## 7point62 (Apr 30, 2010)

sfmike--

I owe you and the entire forum an apology for being a sardonic smartass. It was meant as humor but it was misplaced, improper and disrespectful. I caused a few others to follow suit, which is natural I guess, and we ended up turning this thread into a joke. Please accept my public apology to you and my admiration and respect to a fellow combat veteran. Welcome to Shadowspear.


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## ovicidal01 (Apr 30, 2010)

I went to the Cu Chi tunnels in Feb 08.  Scary and very brutal place... Cheers to what you did.


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## 8'Duece (Apr 30, 2010)

7point62 said:


> sfmike--
> 
> I owe you and the entire forum an apology for being a sardonic smartass. It was meant as humor but it was misplaced, improper and disrespectful. I caused a few others to follow suit, which is natural I guess, and we ended up turning this thread into a joke. Please accept my public apology to you and my admiration and respect to a fellow combat veteran. Welcome to Shadowspear.



Ditto from me as well. 


We can get carried away here, all in fun but our comments where way off in your particular occassion. 

Thank you for your service and your stories are interesting to here. 

Sincere apologies.


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