About the Book

Donut Hole

This book does not explore the religious aspects of war. Your very belief is tested in combat, you must kill your enemy, or your enemy will kill you – that is the simple, hard cold fact. Because in my humble opinion, War is hell on Earth. Evil roams freely in War, and it will kill you, one way or another, with its evil intent. Nightmares are common and, in their fantasy, never reflect the real horror and the reality that War can bring to your mind. No matter what your personal spiritual beliefs are, you will be tested. The conduct of your intent will be your judge for life.

It is your second guessing that can be dangerous to you. A wise Philosopher once said in Greece, “If you want real peace, you must always prepare for War.” This book is about war. It tells my experiences of the paths I took as a United States Marine in Vietnam. The mouths of many soldiers will say the same – the same soldiers who had shared my paths with the experiences of my many paths in life. I have not shared these words or reflections with anyone, except in bits and pieces, and that too, with other veterans in the form of bunker talk.

“Donut Hole” A Marine’s real-life battle in Vietnam during the 68 Tet Offensive. It was like Fort Apache, but in Vietnam.” Feb. 7, 8, 9, and 10 in a CAP unit called “Echo 4” or what I called the “Donut Hole.”

I was a young boy growing up in Detroit, distant to becoming a Marine. My father passes away at the age of 15, and to avoid the draft, I joined the Marines. My new father figure in life is the embodiment of what the Marine Corps stands for. I was a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout, and a Civil Air Patrol cadet. Now, I was a Marine. I became a Marine Logistics expert, trained in Camp Le June, NC, and combat training twice at Camp Pendleton, Ca., Camp Le June, and then Okinawa. And Vietnam bound, I turn 21 on my 13-month tour in Vietnam. Surviving about 85 days of combat, here there and everywhere, I was short, with still, a few more weeks to go when Echo 4 came up and challenged my existence, one more time.

It is a story, not only for my beloved Marine Corp but also for sacrifices made by the Army trying to get to Echo 4. In a single day, the casualties were only second to Hamburger Hill in the northern I Corps area. Little has been written about it, but it is a War story that needs to be told. Valor was common, and the Vietnamese enemy had lost almost two battalions trying to take down the Da Nang airbase in early Feb. of 1968. From An Hoa, in Happy Valley, I was on my way back to Da Nang headquarters and then on to Hue when I got stuck at Echo 4. That battle that history needs to told.

This should be historical, but yet, a story of a witness that saw the trial and tribulations of the Vietnam War. A story about me and things I witnessed during my survival of that War. As a Marine, we are not political, but it will always be, death before dishonor, knowing the difference between right and wrong. Individualism is not allowed; teamwork is still our hallmark. But, with that said, sometimes I felt very much alone, always looking out for the other guy. So, I was an individual with teamwork always on my mind. And, if necessary, willing to die for them, as they are eager to die for me. In the heat of the moment, I was finding dry humor to make them laugh with me. Saying some stupid shit, and fuck was our favorite word.

I think the reader should get to know me first. My background, my beliefs, what I stand for, who I am as a person. It would be difficult to tell this story without that—the transformation boy to young man, to Marine. Again, the transformation of the Marine the man and the 13-month tour, to where they start telling you that only 3% of you will survive without a scratch. Near the end of my tour, the last month and a half, the TET offensive breaks out, and things don’t look so good anymore. And, relaxation at Echo 4 had just turned to shit, and I was only a few miles from my base camp. But, no, I wanted to relax and be with my friend Dennis Hammond and talk about Michigan and fishing. And go to the village and harvest some women and beer. Hammond wasn’t there, and he was at Echo 2 across the river. Bad timing, but it set me up with what takes place and battle history. Dennis was captured and died as a prisoner. This is documented in a book about the prisoners that survived the ordeal of capture in Vietnam. My friend Dennis would be one that does not survive.

There are a lot of books in that time frame of Feb 67 to March of 68.  I have some stuff here that does focus on that event with a little detail. Remember, when you’re in the middle of the trees, it is hard, if not impossible, to see the forest. So, an overview of the situation would be for the reader and necessary for the readers. Chaos was everywhere. So, even I had to read things written about the places and times I was there and why things happened the way they did. So, yes, my writings will have been with references as to that time frame of the War and the way things were.

 

RC LeBeau

Author: Donut Hole

RC LeBeau’s Book

RC LeBeau’s Book

Donut Hole

This auto-biography is there for us to remember the difficult times our nation has been through. Facing some of the greatest challenges in the history of our nation only to show the world that we are the greatest power on Earth because of people like RC Lebeau author, that have served as our nation calls for their help. Every war has a long journey for its War time Veterans to recover from in the wars we have fought. Buy this book, because the price has already been paid with his writing of it and indulge yourself into those experiences thru the eyes of a Marine and his experiences though life and one of our nation’s longest and bloodiest war.

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