Page 83 - 100 Hours to Destiny

THE SECOND MINEFIELD

As the Cobra gunships blasted into the distance behind Delta, I was
looking south, and here came the engineering assets of 3rd tanks…the mine-
clearing tanks with the big serrated plows on the front, and the two Amtracs
pulling the line charge trailers. (These trailers were the effective method of
defeating minefields, able to shoot a rocket into the air while dragging a
cable of C4 high explosives. Once the rocket impacts on the other side of the
minefield the mine-clearing engineers prepare to detonate the cable full of
C4 explosive across the minefield, thus creating a chain effect of
simultaneous detonations of the waiting mines.) Now these assets came past
Delta Company, with one thing in mind, to clear two pathways for the
waiting American ground attack forces, and they were getting into place.
Captain Pollard began to speak over the net, “All Delta Marines now
hear this, be advised the engineers are about to fly two line charges across
the minefield. They are going to detonate those charges and we are going to
listen to the countdown over the Company Net. Now, Gentlemen, this is
going to be two massive explosions, as not only are the line charges going to
be enormous, but they will probably set off hundreds of mines each when
they go. What these engineers are accomplishing is that they are blowing a
lane for us to penetrate through. Once the charges have fired, combat
engineers will flag the lanes. Drivers listen closely to your vehicle
Commanders and do not lose your focus and drive out of the marked lanes,
or you will die! Are we clear Delta?”
Marines answered back with the typical responses of Oorah, Semper
Fi, get some Delta and the typical “human dogs barking”.
“Ok, Ok Delta. I’m gonna be the first one in, followed by the XO,
Gunny is coming up behind the XO, followed by the 1st Platoon, then 2nd
Platoon, 1Sgt Alfonso Villa, Tail End Charlie is the recovery. Once on the
other side we will blow past the end of the minefield and form up Company
Screen Line.”
No more than Rock had finished that statement, suddenly out of
nowhere came a Marine as clear as day counting backward from 15 over the
net. Now he was down to 10…then 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…. And at the instant, he said
one, and approximately 400 meters in front of Delta the entire world
exploded in a gigantic fireball. Seconds later a massive sound wave hit the
Marines of Delta Company with a deafening roar, and the ground shook and
shuttered, and the LAVs bounced back and forth from the concussion. The
engineers of 3rd Tanks led by legendary Col Buster Diggs had blown two