Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
7:57 | As his company led the assault on Hamburger Hill, Steve Korovesis was armed with a grenade launcher He had to pass it on to his squad leader when they were pinned down. Just about the time he realized he was now unarmed, a hand grenade knocked him put of the action Part 2 of 2.
Keywords : Steve Korovesis Vietnam Hamburger Hill M79 grenade launcher grenadier Chi-Com eardrums rain Medical Evacuation (Medevac) leech Camp Eagle Long Binh hospital marijuana (pot) mama-san Vietnamese civilian Purple Heart
His father was Greek and fought the Italians and Germans in World War II. Then came the Communists and he said no more fighting and immigrated to the United States. Steve Korovesis grew up in Chicago and was in college when he became upset at the radicalism of the anti-war movement. He left school and exposed himself to the draft.
His basic training was at Fort Campbell and that's where Steve Korovesis ran into a Shake and Bake corporal who tormented him even after basic was over. After the advanced training, he had a 21 day leave before shipping out to Vietnam. He didn't think that was enough.
The trip over was great with friendly stewardesses and beautiful scenery off the China coast. Steve Korovesis enjoyed that but he did not enjoy the unbelievable heat and humidity that hit him when the door was opened at Cam Ranh Bay. Before he got to his unit, he was once again hassled by a superior with what he thought was a petty grievance.
Within a few weeks of his arrival in Vietnam, Steve Korovesis was in the A Shau Valley as part of a blocking action against the NVA. After dodging leeches and sleeping in an enemy spider hole, he was part of a detail chopping out an LZ for the colonel's helicopter to land, something that went badly awry.
They were cutting through dense jungle on the flank of Hamburger Hill when the word came down. You're too slow, use the trail. Reluctantly, Steve Korovesis and his comrades did that and, sure enough, they were ambushed. A Medevac chopper was summoned and that ended in more death. That was just the beginning of this battle. Part 1 of 2.
After his eardrums were shattered by a Chi-Com grenade at Hamburger Hill, Steve Korovesis was evacuated to a hospital in Japan where they postponed his surgery until he was back in the States. While he was still in Japan, he had a chance meeting with Samuel Zaffiri who would later write a famous book about the battle of Hamburger Hill.
He had been wounded and sent home only six weeks into his Vietnam tour. After he had recovered from his surgery, they asked Steve Korovesis if he wanted to go back. Are you crazy? I was almost killed there! He was allowed to serve out his term at Fort Sheridan where he did nothing really.
