Orlo Steele grew up in Grass Valley, California. After graduating from Stanford University in 1955, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, did boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, then infantry training school at Camp Pendleton. He then attended the cold weather training center at Bridgeport, California before being sent to the Officer Candidate Course at Quantico, Virginia, where he received his commission in 1956. Steele deployed to Vietnam in August 1967 as a newly minted major, assigned as commanding officer of Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Hill 327. Six months later he was assigned as executive officer to the 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment at Phu Bai, part of Task Force X-ray. He describes the Battle of Hue, his hero “Dirty Ernie” Cheatham and his 106s, Chesty Puller’s kids, and Task force X-ray. He recalls a personnel carrier that got blown up "like in a Roadrunner cartoon" (no bad injuries), drinking wine with a surgeon (not a great wine, but a good wine), an American in an NVA uniform, and French baguettes.
Key Words: Honolulu, Hawaii, Grass Valley, California, Stanford University, Army ROTC, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, Camp Pendleton, infantry training school, officer candidate course, troop handler, cold weather training center, Bridgeport, California, 16th Officer Candidate Course, Quantico, Virginia, Hold Back the Night, Chosin Reservoir, Amphibious Warfare School, AWS, Okinawa, famfire, M16 rifle, 3d Division, Hill 327, Da Nang, Mountain Warfare Training Center, Mountain Leadership School, 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Phu Bai, Battle of Hue, MSR, Troy River Bridge, Phu Cam Canal, Perfume River, Baltimore Colts, ontos, mechanical mule, 106s, 50-caliber spotting round, 3.5 rocket launcher, Hai Van Pass, battalion aid station (BAS), Bay City crane engineers, Army dusters, freqs (radio frequencies), Frankfurter Zeitung, Phu Loc, An Hoa, Song Tra Bong River, Tet Offensive, Navy Seabees, Arizona Territory, Go Noi Island, Liberty Bridge, Amtrac, Edsel, Marine Officer Instructor (MOI), NROTC, Dartmouth College, SDS, 2d Marine Division, Marine Corps League, Pegasus
Key Names: Lieutenant Bailey, John Payne, General Matt Caulfield, Captain Ron Christmas, Colonel Bob Bohn, Ralph Salvati, Gordy Batcheller, Chuck Meadows, Mike Downs, Chesty Puller, Bill Dabney, Virginia Puller Dabney, Colonel Ernie "Dirty Ernie" Cheatham, Lieutenant Colonel McNaughton, Sergeant Bargaheiser, Brigadier General Foster LaHue, Archie Van Winkle, Pete Duffy, Mike Herr, General Giáp, Ho Chi Minh, Staff Sergeant James Long, General Krulak, Steve Duncan, Professor Mirsky, Senator Warren Rudman, Barbara Tuchman, Jim Webb