Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

mdog

Bronze Member
Mar 22, 2011
2,325
4,380
Still burns inside me about the way we of the Vietnam action were treated when we returned. I have no idea how many lives we saved by our gun fire support in Nov. 1967. I regret none of the Fire missions. I remember picking up a Marine at the Phoenix Airport in Jan 1969. After giving me the address, he started in with Draft Dogger this and Peacenik that. When I stopped at a traffic light, I turned and looked at him and said, "I already did my 4 thank you very much, F you!"
Yeah what service? Navy and you either loved or hated my rating, no in between. What? Fire Control! You guys are great! We were dug in on a ridge and 800 yards away on the next ridge was NVA with heavy motors. We could not take them out as they were backed up with heavy machine guns. The Lt. told the radio man to get us some Fire Support. He told the Lt. I've got them!. The Lt. jumped into the radioman's foxhole and told them where they needed the rounds. "How much do you need?" Everything that you got, we're in a bad way! Later the voice on the radio said, "They are on the way."
They waited and waited and the Lt. told the radioman to call them back and find out what happened to their rounds. About that time the Marine heard the most horrible sound above. "I don't know how to describe it."
"I do. God reached down and picked up a Fright Car and threw it in a spiral like a foot ball."
"My God, your right! The opposite ridge leaped up into the air and came down 2/3's the height. We were knocked out of our foxholes and knew we were deaf."
Then we heard this little tinny voice on the radio say, "Well they should have got there by now, do you need any more?"
There was a rush to the radioman and the Lt. said, "No, no that was more than enough, who is this?"
The voice on the radio laughed and said, "Sea Dragon". The USS New Jersey had just fired 9 16 inch rounds at 1500 LBS HE to the other ridge at 800 yards range of them. True story.
He was very happy to talk on the ride to his home with me after that.

My grandson graduated from high school today and Wednesday he leaves for basic training with the National Guard. He enlisted for infantry even though I tried to talk him out of it. I wanted him to learn something that would help him get a good job when he got out. He enlisted in the infantry anyway. I was an infantryman myself so I tried to give him some info that might help him out. I told him to learn all he could about navigation and communication. I also told him who keeps an infantryman alive.... everybody else. Without everybody else, all you are is a bunch of naked guys standing around out in the middle of nowhere, waiting to get killed. I hope he learned something.

God bless all those who gave everything and God bless those who love them.
 

Bum Luck

Silver Member
May 24, 2008
3,482
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Wisconsin
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Dad always carried a.44 mag. Mushroom picking.
Knowing him and his reaction to snakes made looking for mushrooms either a distant ( from Dad) activity, or a nervous activity.

Done that. 24 gr. 2400, Kieths.

Had a good shroom day, and returning, right by the gravel shoulder by the truck was one.

Not his lucky day.
 

Real of Tayopa

Bronze Member
Sep 4, 2016
1,942
9,101
Mexico
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My Grick buddy, that makes you to be at least in the 50 range, no wonder ya don't care for Grick dancing girls. I still appreciate them at 94, as a matter of fact, I would like to see DIT in her famous dance of the seven veils, but alas she is too shy. :tongue3::tongue3::occasion14:
 

audigger53

Hero Member
Mar 27, 2004
909
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Severn, Maryland
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My grandson graduated from high school today and Wednesday he leaves for basic training with the National Guard. He enlisted for infantry even though I tried to talk him out of it. I wanted him to learn something that would help him get a good job when he got out. He enlisted in the infantry anyway. I was an infantryman myself so I tried to give him some info that might help him out. I told him to learn all he could about navigation and communication. I also told him who keeps an infantryman alive.... everybody else. Without everybody else, all you are is a bunch of naked guys standing around out in the middle of nowhere, waiting to get killed. I hope he learned something.

God bless all those who gave everything and God bless those who love them.
Hope you told him to keep lots of socks and toilet paper when in the field. ;)
 

weekender

Sr. Member
Feb 28, 2009
495
1,159
Arkansas-River Valley-Ft. Smith
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It's not the left hook ya have ta watch out for. :tongue3:


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As someone else on the Ark/Okla line.
I was always scared of the Garter Snake...................Belt.
After the spurs. LOL

-Weekender
 

releventchair

Gold Member
May 9, 2012
22,359
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18 to 20 grains of 2400 powder about right for some of Keith's loads. Medium hot, hot , and way hot. (Revolver frame and shooters wrist at way hot +++ if beyond.)
Bullet choice would factor too.
Elmer had a couple three bullet choices ,depending on the business at hand.

Had I kept my .44 ,a dozen grains of 2400 would have been enough for me and paper targets ,close snakes.

I blame dad for my big bore flinch , from handing us kids his Blackhawk and handloads.
My goal was to not break my nose.
 

Ditlihi

Banned
Aug 20, 2016
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As someone else on the Ark/Okla line.
I was always scared of the Garter Snake...................Belt.
After the spurs. LOL

-Weekender



Heehee, yep, you know exactly where I'm coming from. :wink:

As a fellow line straddler, you must know of the rusty tow truck driver I spoke about. He's legendary in those parts, lol.
 

weekender

Sr. Member
Feb 28, 2009
495
1,159
Arkansas-River Valley-Ft. Smith
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18 to 20 grains of 2400 powder about right for some of Keith's loads. Medium hot, hot , and way hot. (Revolver frame and shooters wrist at way hot +++ if beyond.)
Bullet choice would factor too.
Elmer had a couple three bullet choices ,depending on the business at hand.

Had I kept my .44 ,a dozen grains of 2400 would have been enough for me and paper targets ,close snakes.

I blame dad for my big bore flinch , from handing us kids his Blackhawk and handloads.
My goal was to not break my nose.

Been there myself. Shooting last year with a friend, he opened up one of his gun boxes.
Hey, you ever shot one of these? What the hell is that? Desert Eagle 50 cal SS 7+1. Nope,
I said but I'm game. It was one of those nice 97 degree in Arkansas, nice meaning 97 in the shade,
with 97% humidity. Here, you're gonna need some earplugs along with those earmuffs, What?
And let me tell everyone on the line that you're fixing to shoot so nobody has a heart attack. Huh?
Long story short, after the audience gathered around to see the gun and watch me shoot, you can imagine
that my hands weren't sweaty a bit, then it was time, praying that it wasn't goinf to break my wrist or black my eye,
Yep, loud noise, big recoil, cleared the ground for about 20yards and managed to clip the target. One more time after that,
missed, gun about twisted out of my hands, sweat in my eyes, Yep I'm done. Big bore flinch indeed.
-Weekender
 

Real of Tayopa

Bronze Member
Sep 4, 2016
1,942
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Mexico
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Elmer Keith was one of my mentors when I was active in the Border Patrol. But I didn"t go for his 44 mag, just the 3S7 mag which fulfilled all of my requirements ( used 14.5. grains of 2400 behind a 158 keith, lead, semi wadcutter)


Speaking of the BP, I had the dubious reputation of having the lowest bribe attempt in the BP, .27 cents, all that he had

.I had picked up this very, very pretty 17 year old out of a bus heading north. She smelled clean with a slight touch of perfume, as if she had just stepped out of a shower, About the middle of the day I won the flip to take her to the next town for lunch / I still think it was a test of some kind, any ways as we sat at the table I noticed that somehow, the top three buttons of her blouse had come loose when she leaned forward to examine the menu, odd, then she murmured, "officer isn't there 'anything I can do to make you let me go ?"

I didn't I was pure and naive in those days. course if it had been DIT ???
 

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uglymailman

Bronze Member
Feb 3, 2010
1,266
1,463
If it sounds too good to be true......it usually is. Love that "pure & naive" part. Good to see you're still kickin mi Major.
 

Ditlihi

Banned
Aug 20, 2016
1,227
4,793
Primary Interest:
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Elmer Keith was one of my mentors when I was active in the Border Patrol. But I didn"t go for his 44 mag, just the 3S7 mag which fulfilled all of my requirements ( used 14.5. grains of 2400 behind a 158 keith, lead, semi wadcutter)


Speaking of the BP, I had the dubious reputation of having the lowest bribe attempt in the BP, .27 cents, all that he had

.I had picked up this very, very pretty 17 year old out of a bus heading north. She smelled clean with a slight touch of perfume, as if she had just stepped out of a shower, About the middle of the day I won the flip to take her to the next town for lunch / I still think it was a test of some kind, any ways as we sat at the table I noticed that somehow, the top three buttons of her blouse had come loose when she leaned forward to examine the menu, odd, then she murmured, "officer isn't there 'anything I can do to make you let me go ?"

I didn't I was pure and naive in those days. course if it had been DIT ???



Oh, you silver tongued scamp, you say the sweetest things......when you're blowin' smoke. :-*

You and I both know, if it had been me, you would have turned me over your knee and commenced to wailin' on my backside. At which point I would've had to bite a hunk out of your thigh big enough to stuff a bell pepper.....and while you were turning the air blue with love words Id've been on your back like a scalded cat, spurs dug in for dear life, and chewed half an ear off before you could get loose.

If it had been me....you'd hold the record for highest bribe ever paid to a fellow BP, just to get me off your hands.

Seven veils my patootie......pffft! :tongue3:
 

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