LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND

is the credo of the U.S. Infantry. When his platoon was ambushed, Dan crawled over a fire-swept terrain to successfully retrieve the body of his sergeant. Decades later, at a reunion he learned that he had been cited for The Silver Star Medal, but the Jeep carrying the citation was blown up by mortar rounds. Lt. Sidney (Col. retired), company commander was informed by artillery's forward observer that Jesus Camacho was lying dead the day of the ambush. Sid, and two men crossed the Imjin River in daylight, and after a brief firefight recovered Camacho's body. Without knowing the depth of the water, battalion sent a squad wading north in the Imjin River. Dan was carrying a bunker to destroy a sniper's bunker. The water became so deep that another step would have the Imjin in Dan's mouth. The operation was scrapped by the depth of the water and friendly fire from above. The lieutenant leading the attack succumbed to the stress and was assigned to a motor pool in the rear. When a GI was accidentally killed by friendly fire, the victim's buddy said that the GI who committed it hasn't heard the end of it. Upon returning from a patrol, he carried out a revenge murder. Charley Kauneckis was the self-appointed point man on every raid or patrol, and Dan was the runner (contact between the point man and the leader of the raid). In reserve, he led Dan to a village only to be confronted by the officer-of-the-day and two corporals. Charley's drunken behavior resulted in a summary court martial for both.