The weapons I preferred for my team's use were those that were small
enough to be handled effectively by the Montagnards, who were not very
large in stature and could not easily handle weapons with which I had no
difficulty.
Some of the generic names of these weapons are:
- 1. M-2 Carbine
- 2. 9MM Swedish K
- 3. AK-47, AK-51 (these were Communist Bloc weapons)
- 4. CAR-15 (cut-down version of the M-l6)
- 5. M-79 Grenade Launcher
- 6. Other weapons -- side arms of choice
- Demolitions. This aspect of the training received high priority
on the training schedule. I conducted it in such a manner that anyone could
set up a "DEMO" ambush, or use explosives to clear out an area
large enough to land a helicopter for exfiltration. Some of the prepared
explosives I used included the Claymore, the "Toe-Popper" (a
small anti-personnel mine), smoke grenades, hand grenades, plastique explosives
of the C-4 category, combinations of them, and field expedients utilizing
components of the Claymore.
- Jungle/Mountain Survival Training. This provided a common ground
for both the team and myself. I had previously been trained in jungle survival
through the School of the Americas, located in Panama, and in mountain
survival in the States of Georgia and North Carolina. However, I relied
heavily on the Montagnards, because this was their country. Some of the
things I discussed with my team members were:
- 1. Hazards of the jungle: snakes, and which were the most poisonous;
lions; tigers; monkeys; and how to avoid all of these. I learned that some
of the larger monkeys (members of the baboon family) have been known to
attack men and even carry them off into the jungle and kill them.
- 2. How to recognize an elephant trail and determine the elephants'
direction of travel. An elephant is one of the world's largest animals;