Mendell Schelin was wounded while serving as a forward observer (FO) for B company 1/11 Infantry on April 21, 1970. Lt Schelin had been an FO since arriving in-country in September of '69 right out of OCS. First, for D 1/11 and then B 1/11. 1/11 was one of the three maneuver battalions of the First Brigade, Fifth Mechanized Infantry Division. 1/11 was a "leg" infantry battalion.
Lt Schelin's time as an FO was coming to an end and his replacement was actually on hand getting some on-the-job training (OJT) during this operation. B 1/11 was operating in the mountains and jungle West of Quang Tri in Northern I Corp. B 1/11 was going through an NVA camp which had been deserted. Unfortunately, the NVA left some booby traps behind. The booby traps were indiscriminate as B 1/11 found two NVA bodies (more about them later) during their sweep through the camp's huts. As B 1/11 moved through the huts and trails, Lt Schelin was following a grunt who tripped a vine connected to a chicom grenade. Lt Schelin heard the grenade go "pop". Thought at first it was a trip flare until the blast put Lt Schelin in a patch of bamboo. Lt Schelin's left side was peppered with bits of shrapnel and powder. The Company Medic also caught part of the blast. One of the medics bandaged Lt Schelin's larger wounds; offered a shot of morphine which was declined; and, the dust-off was called for the two wounded. A huey from the 237th medical detachment (DMZ Dust-Off) showed up overhead; lowered the "jungle penetrator"; Lt Schelin and the medic got on; and, were lifted up to the dust-off for the trip to the EVAC Hospital in Quang Tri escorted by a Cobra gunship.
Lt Schelin spent a week at the EVAC Hospital. A Doctor dug the bigger pieces of metal out of his leg and put them in a pill bottle that he still has as a souvenir. Then it was off to his new assignment as a Fire Direction Officer (FDO) for C Battery, 5/4 Artillery.
Today, there is a very small scar on his left leg as a result of the grenade blast. The injuries were not serious or particularly painful. The most painful moments came when the doctor was getting the fragments out of his leg as the MD didn't use any kind of pain killer on the areas he was poking around in.
In retrospect, Lt Schelin was very, very fortunate that the grenade was not a US grenade. Had it been GI, Lt Schelin would have probably received his Purple Heart posthumously.
As for the two NVA KIA by friendly fire, it appeared that they were paymasters as one had a large satchel full of North Vietnamese money. Captain Iacovoni, B 1/11 Commanding Officer, gave Lt Schelin one of the bills as a souvenir. Ironic that the NVA killed two of their own, but were only able to inflict minor injuries on the Americans.
Below are a couple of pictures from the incident; Lt Schelin with a bandaged leg; and, the NV bill complete with Ho Chi Minh's picture.
Credits
https://amarilloseniorlink.com/magazine/2020-04/index.html#p=1
https://amarilloseniorlink.com/magazine/2020-04/index.html#p=40