By Michael W. Rodriguez Christmas, 1966. The operation is called Sierra, south of An Hoa, I Corps, Republic of South Vietnam.
Grunts move softly through the jungle and the treelines, weapons at the ready.
They carry no machine guns, no rocket launchers. Most are armed with M-14s and shotguns. The rain has been steady and dreary, and has been so for many days and many nights. Everything rots and molds and mildews, rotting toes and the flesh that bears the weight of bullet belts and water bottles. Their chow is cold C-rations and brackish water from canteens.