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 SSgt Doug Deacon 
The following excerpt was taken from part of a
story written by Tom Waterbury as told by Doug. Doug was acting Platoon Leader at this time and had been
given the mission of checking out a village whose occupants were thought to have been involved in
blowing up the truck that killed LT. Nelson and several other men. One of the
kids that detonated the bomb was going to lead Recon to the village. Doug describes in the following
story what happened.
" We knew the village would be booby
trapped because they knew we had the kid. It was a
senseless mission but the powers that be wanted
us to check it out anyway. I didn't want someone else getting blown up so I walked point. We had
one of those light observation helicopters flying around in case anyone was in the village
and tried to get out the other side when we were going in. I got all the way to the far side of the
village finding booby traps along the way, just as we had expected. I told everyone to turn around and go
back out exactly the way we had come in. The chopper pilot radioed down that he thought he
had seen some movement in the last bunker the village. I told him I had already checked it
out and there was nothing there. He insisted he thought he had seen some movement so I went back to
check it out again. I remember being closer to the trail but not on it. The pilot kept coming in
lower and lower and the chopper backwash was blowing debris all over the place. I remember
waiving him off just before the explosion. I think he may have blown something into a trip wire on or
near the trail because I had been in the same spot for at least 10 or 15 seconds before the blast. I felt
like you do in a dream when it feels as if you're falling off a building or something. In fact I probably
was falling through the air. The I felt like I was sitting, but I probably was prone. I kind of knew what had
happened, but couldn't see. I think I called for the medic.
I remember someone calling for a medivac
on the radio, and I said to get the chopper that was already there on the ground. I believe that's
what they did. I knew what was going on all that time, but again I couldn't see at all. I had all sorts of crap in
my eyes from the explosion. I wasn't in as much pain as one might think, but I had plenty of that in the
next couple of years. The next thing I remember was being in a hospital bed....still couldn't see
anything..and some nurse was holding my hand and asking if I knew what had happened to me. All I could think to
say was that I had gotten blown up (real good)...but didn't know what my injuries were. She said both my
legs were gone above the knees...and I had multiple other wounds.
That sounds pretty terrible..but I was so
drugged up I think I just said OK...and went back to sleep."
We salute you SSgt Deacon for your loyalty,
valor and dedicated service to your country . The rest
of us can only imagine what anguish,
suffering and hardships this one "senseless mission" created for you and your family.
Doug went to be with our Lord May 20, 2004. Rest in Peace our Friend!!
"Where is your faith?" Doug
wrote. "I have mine, but where is yours? Remember life on earth is just a
drop in the ocean. It's life after death that counts. Please remember all this
when we talk and meet again. OK, OK?"
SSgt Deacon
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