By Ken Bird

I Remember one evening in Dec 68, personal on top of Marble Mountain overlooking CCN north side of the mountain was receiving fire and a Recon team was in support on the south side of the mountain.

At that time I was assigned to security company. One of our duties was to man the mortar pit if needed. We received instructions to fire several illumination rounds to light up the area near the mountain. Turned out quite a few rounds were needed. A Sergeant was with me his name was Mazlesnick, John. He was preparing each round as I continued keeping the area well lit up. I received a radio call to check the main gate off highway 1 because guards were not letting a few guys assigned to CCN in. I left John at the mortar and headed to the gate. I remember being trained if a 60mm mortar fails to fire and cool enough you would prop the mortar on your knee and raise the tube at a angle so the misfire round would slide out to your hand to take away. John had a misfire and immediately tried to lift the tube on his knee. However as he was lifting the tube higher the heat began to burn his leg.

The mortar tube slipped off his knee and he immediately grabbed the top with both hands. When the rear end hit the ground his left hand was over the open end. The 60mm illumination round fired taking off three fingers and breaking his thumb almost off. He immediately proceeded to the dispensary and was medavaced to 93rd Hospital Danang. I received word of what happened and headed to see him at which point he told me what had happened. Last we heard he was medavaced to Camp Zamma Japan. Haven’t heard anything about him since.