Page 115 - Echo 127

Chapter 25
Kozak Versus the Monkeys
First platoon A Co. continued with patrols, ambushes, sweeps and operations along with the rest of the First Bn., Fourth Marines. The other two platoons that had transferred over to A Co. from E Company ( Kozak and Boryszewski’s platoons ) were doing the same. Kozak’s platoon was on one of these sweeps just North of Chu Lai—near Tam Ky when they saw something or somebody run into a cave that was partially hidden in a hillside. They surrounded the cave— took out their handbook on the Vietnamese language and ordered the people inside to come out with their hands up—they could hear a number of voices inside the cave—they couldn’t understand what they were hearing—it sounded like a large number of people mumbling. Kozak didn’t want to throw a grenade or open fire into the cave concerned about collateral damage if civilians were in there—so they threw a smoke grenade hoping the smoke would cause the cave occupants to come out—when the grenade exploded inside the cave—they heard a lot of screaming and suddenly thirty or so monkeys came running out of the cave past the Marines who were shocked at what they were seeing! There were no monkey or Marine casualties!@28
115