Posted on 05/03/2023 10:12:53 AM PDT by fugazi
Don’t lose your head over being beaten to it.
I remember reading an account of a patrol finding an enclosure defined by rows of punji stakes pointing outward. Apparently it was a VC Remain Overnight (RON) shelter against tigers.
Bet that tiger is a nice rug in his home.
Elin Nordegren did it with a three iron.
Remember, in south east Asia you may hunt the tiger, but the tiger may hunt you.
5.56mm
Collecting mangos can be dangerous, Chef.
There is a lot wrong with that movie, but...that is a great scene!
WHAT THE Heck WAS THAT? The ambush froze. Often when its raining the noise intensifies. It’s easy to suspect movement when in fact there is none. But this time was real- every man new it. Allow guttural growl-could that be possible!- and definite movement.
Cpl. Schwirian’s jaws tightened and his nostrils flared. His heart raced so that he could actually feel it against the ground. Slowly, pulling his knees up under him he moved his body into a slow crouch. His right hand grasped his weapon, still on the ground. Shifting his weight to his left leg he prepared to bring his weapon into a firing position.
The source of the growl made a sudden leap!
God in heaven!
No one was fast enough to fire. Whatever it was it had Schwirian screaming. The machine gunner jerked his gun around trying to bring it to bear but this thing and Schwirian were locked together in a desperate blur.
It’s a Tiger!
The big cat had pounced out of the darkness and grasped Schwirian in its jaws. One paw was standing on the Marine’s hand which held his weapon, pinning both to the ground. The other paw was on Schwirian’s left shoulder, forcing him backwards and more erect, while the beast chewed on his right arm and shoulder literally tearing off great chunks of flesh.
In what had to be the luckiest punch of any fight; certainly in this brutal fight for his life, the terrified young Marine threw a left cross into the muzzle of the tiger with his free hand. The blow hurt enough to cause the animal to release its grip.
Cpl. Schwirian fell at that spot while the tiger lurched backward momentarily. It was the instant the squad needed; the Marines simultaneously opened fire.
The beast recoiled then simply disappeared.
The entire drama had taken seconds. The indescribable terror experienced by the squad left them shocked and drained. Their squad leader lay moaning and kicking where he had been dropped.
Your timing was exquisite. I had only heard the tale m’self and spent maybe 20 min/half hour tracking down a quotable source...
...only to see your post just as I was getting ready to post the excerpt!
Sometimes things just mesh perfectly.
Synchronicity
The LRRPs can keep the tigers. We would hear the tigers and their *cough noise which would make sleep in the bush hard to come by. Only wildlife mentionable for me was being in a 3 man listening post far in front of an overnight perimeter spring 1968. Had trip flares set out and settled into position. In the middle of the night all hell broke loose, blinding trip flares going off and a deep rumbling getting louder. A family of elephants came down the narrow trail we had set up on, running full tilt. feet pounding the dirt and trumpeting away. All we could do was freeze and stare in the flares dying light as these huge flesh mountains all ran past.
Needless to say, that was the end of the listening post the rest of the night. Reading this post with the tigers made me so glad it wasn’t tigers.
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