Southern Cross information
for 26 ENGR 23 INF
11 BDE 23 INF
For date 681124
26 ENGR 23 INF was a US Army unit
11 BDE 23 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Ngai Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, LZ BRONCO
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Engineer's Reaction Saves Buddy's Life.
LZ BRONCO - A quick-thinking combat engineer was credited with saving the life of one of his fellow soldiers recently, when the 2 1/2 ton dump truck in which they were riding struck an enemy mine planted in Highway 1, just north of Duc Pho. SP5 Edward Salscheider (Tacoma, Wash.), a combat construction specialist in the 26th Engr. Bn.'s C Co., assigned to the 11th Inf. Bde., was on his way to one of the brigade's fire support bases. He was travelling with SP4 Glen Villaneuva (Tampa, Fla.) and six other engineers to relieve another combat construction crew when the incident occurred. Eruption of Flame "We were about 800 meters outside the Duc Pho city limits," related Salscheider, "when suddenly the truck erupted in a nightmare of flame and twisted metal." The force of the blast threw the truck 120 feet and tossed the occupants free of the blazing wreckage. Fiery Rescue Salscheider, dazed and injured, picked himself up from the ditch alongside the road. "I saw the demolished truck ahead of me," he said, "and stumbled toward it to see if there was anybody left." The others escaped with minor injuries, but Salscheider noticed Villanueva lying in a ditch. "His clothing and hair were on fire so I carried him to a nearby rice paddy and put out the flames by rolling him in the water," the young engineer said. Something Burning "I was kind of dazed when it happened," remarked Villanueva. "The first thing I remembered was feeling someone lifting me up and smelling something burning. The next thing I knew, I was in the water. "If it hadn't been for Ed," he continued, "it would have been a lot worse."
The source for this information was 6811_112_scr supplied by Les Hines 01/05/2000
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Last updated
12/18/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023