Page 53 - 100 Hours to Destiny

accomplish a comfortable, hasty cleanup. I put on my cleanest set of
Cammies and put back on the two nuclear biological chem suits to repel the
cold.
I needed to move…I was a little cold and cramped up in the vehicle,
so I chose to lock the vehicle down and go see some fellow Marine friends. I
made it over to 1stLt Williams’ LAV-C2 ( Delta 5) where I knew that I would
find good companions, and comic relief with driver Anthony Gonder, fire
coordinator/forward observer and vehicle Commander Fred Battley, the Lt
himself, and close air support coordinator Sgt Zawalick. These men were the
backbone of the victory we had at OP4. Between 1stLt Williams and Sgt
Zawalick, the Iraqis were turned back and/or destroyed by the incredible
teamwork of these two talented and highly skilled Marines. They directed air
assets which became brutal airstrikes, from this same LAV-C2 on January 29,
1991…. And here I was standing right there amongst these great men.
It was these men that as time wore on, and I became more and more
informed of what had actually taken place during the air campaign at the
battle of OP4, that it came to pass that between 1stLt Williams, Sgt Zawalick
and Cap Roger “Rock” Pollard himself, that indeed Red 5, and all souls on
board that vehicle to include mine, were saved from the crosshairs of an
inbound fighter jet who believed that we were enemy forces, which was
called off at the very last second. So, no doubt, I was keeping good company
at the moment. My conversation kicked off with driver Gonder who met me
as I was beginning to approach the vehicle, he had his M16A2 at the
standard watch carry and as I approached Gonder belted out, “Halt who goes
there?” A hearty handshake ensued and Gonder asked, “How goes it,
Witcher? Looks like we are rolling in soon.”
“I’m super excited, I can’t sit still….so here I am! Just out and about
for a moment to see some pals, you are one of those.” About that moment, I
could hear 1stLt Williams at the radios inside the LAV-C2 hashing out
information to higher-ups. Simply the sound of 1stLt Williams’ voice was
reassuring. After all, it was 1stLt Williams who began this entire operation as
our Commanding Officer. We simply loved the man! He was super intelligent,
witty and made for a dashing fine-looking officer. 1stLt Williams was not shy,
the kind of officer that would grab you around the collar and shake sense
into you if he did not like what was going on; And he had the size to do it. He
was a Marine’s Marine, just a confident aura all the time. Later on, at the
chicken ranch was where we would pick up Captain Roger “Rock” Pollard and
1stLt Williams would then become the XO of Delta Company. I will always
give high marks to the transition between these two officers, that rightfully
found themselves in the right spot at the right time to fulfill an obligation to
subordinate Marines, offering world-class combat leadership in the most