BACK TO BLACK

Back to Black - by Snake Blocker

Issac Black II, Master Sgt. US Army (Ret.), 1965-1984 Special Forces, Vietnam Veteran (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) CTZ- Combat Tactical Zones. Issac was a Special Guest with Snake Blocker at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Duke – Najaf, Iraq in 2005 during MCQC training. 

It’s during MCQC night training when Issac Black gave a talk to the troops about his experience in the Vietnam War.  The talk takes place in an area that the local Iraqis call Dead Sea (Najaf).  Snake worked at the same base for 11 months in Iraq with Issac.  They were both there doing various contracting work for the US Army.  Even the local Iraqis that came into the base enjoyed working with Issac. There was a niceness to him that made him easy-going.

Issac Black is a tall dark man, who walks with a slight limp.  He is no public speaker, but his stories grab your attention nonetheless.  As he speaks, I can see the look in the soldier’s eyes.  They realize that they have it allot easier in the Operation Iraqi Freedom war, then their parent’s had in the Vietnam War.  In the end, they walk away in awe; they walk away a bit prouder; and they walk away grateful for those that served before them.   Here’s some of Issac’s story:

I was in a small Special Forces group during most of my time in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia at the time of the Vietnam Conflict.  President Kennedy had declared war on the Communist control of Vietnam and I was there to serve my country and fight for what we felt was right at the time.  We knew Communism was not going to offer the Freedom for the Vietnamese people that we experienced in the USA.

There wasn’t as much media, politics, or the same rules of engagement, at that time, as there is today.  We did what we had to do to win the war, one fight at a time.  The CIA was very active during the Vietnam War.   One time I saw an exchanged that took place between the CIA and local rebels.  Other times I saw the CIA meet with and hire the services of a team of mercenaries.   On one occasion, I saw the CIA give a case full of African gold coins.  I would guess it was close to a million dollars worth.  They didn’t want USA dollars because it was traceable, and the gold had a value that everyone respected without questions being asked.  Some of the mercenaries were from Australia.  Our team was there to protect the CIA at times, even though they never said who they were.

One time, our team of six was spread out doing surveillance on an enemy camp.  All of sudden, we heard gun fire. Our regular Army was attacking this camp.  Allot of the soldiers were getting killed right in front of us, but we were ordered to stay hidden.  We couldn’t aid our fellow soldiers and lose focus of our mission or risk possible capture.  We waited till the fight was over and continued our mission.  There was no communication with our team and the regular Army.  They didn’t know we were involved or in the same area.  Most the time we didn’t carry dog tags or have our name on our uniforms.  This way, if we were ever captured no one would know of our existence or the existence of our mission.

Another time, our team attacked an enemy compound and killed every one in it.  Then we placed items from a local-rebel tribe around the compound.  We placed items like clothing, riffles, and other common items.  This way when the enemy came back and saw their compound destroyed, they would think that local rebels did it, and they would not be looking for our team.  Our team was to stay invisible during the entire war. 

I remember after one attack on an enemy post…I came across a POW that was tortured to death.  He was hung upside down and elevated for others to see.  The Vietcong had took a knife and cut a line down his body, from right below his navel to right below his chest.  His intestines were hanging out.  He was alive when they did this.  He was dead now and posted as a warning for other Americans.  I saw other signs of torture from the Vietcong.  They used electrical shock, starvation, and skinning as part of their torture.

I saw allot of the war, and even though part of it bothered me, I never had issues with nightmares or post-war syndrome.  If you couldn’t handle seeing graphic and horrible acts that are a part of every war, then you weren’t going to make it in the Special Forces. You have to go in knowing that war is ugly.

I killed with my riffle; I killed with my pistol; and some time I had to kill with my knife or empty hand.  The knife is the silent killer.   We trained in Military Close Quarter Combat.  It allows you to kill without alarming others that are around.  I saw some of my friends die in front of me.  That was the tough part.  We knew we had to kill the enemy before they killed us or our fellow soldiers.  We knew we were also trying to help the locals that also didn’t want the Communist rule. 

I took hundreds of picture with a small pocket camera I always brought with me.  I brought the pictures back home with me after my tours.  Someone got wind of my pictures and one day I came home and saw that my apartment had got broken into.  The only items missing from my home was my box full of pictures.  I think the CIA took them. 

During the war, we never had air condition or heated tent like they have in Iraq. We never had the nice hot meals 3 times a day like you do today.  We never had armored Humvees, cell phones, internet, or health club tents.  I hear the troops today complain because their area isn’t big enough, or they don’t like the food, or they don’t want to exercise (PT).  If their parents and grandparents from past wars knew how much better military life is today…they would be embarrassed at the complaints.  

You must always be alert!  I see many soldiers today let children run up to them and they make friends with the locals.  This is not smart!  I’ve seen children come up to soldiers and blow themselves up, killing everyone around them. I’ve seen children shoot Americans; and I’ve seen children distract troops so the enemy can close in their sight to kill them.  Children will do whatever their parents tell them to do. 

My closing advice is - don’t trust anyone in war!  Don’t give out information and don’t make friends with anyone!  In so doing, you may aid the enemy, and you or your friends may die.  Continue to train in MCQC in the event you run out of ammunition or support.  Life is unpredictable so expect the worst to happen in time of war.