Here Earl Holmbeck is holding up the large radio antenna we installed on top the hill to provide better radio reception and to allow us to act as a radio relay for other recon teams deeper in the highlands.  The Marine holding the base is Fred Brisch.

This is David "Gerty" Gugich enjoying his C-ration meal of Ham and Lima beans while he watches Holmbeck holding the radio antenna.

At this point, we were ready to erect the antenna and everyone lent a hand.  The Marine in front with his backside to the camera is Fred Brisch.  Next in line is me, then Gugich, Holmbeck and Mike Bell.  The Marine in the far back with his face hidden by the antenna pole is Ray Triana.

In the distance is "Roddy" Rodriguez using the spotting scope to watch activity on the valley floor.  From here, we had a commanding, virtually 360-degree view of the entire valley and we called in air and artillery strikes on any enemy seen moving through the valley.

This shot is very similar to one of mine from the first page.  Down to the lower right of this shot, a bit down the slope from the top you can see the makeshift lean-to that two other Recon Marines and I shared while on the hill.  On the low hill across the river just out of view center right was the company-sized combat outpost above the ""Coal Mine."  It was there that Hotel Company 2/7 was almost overrun on the night of 3-4 July.  We observed the battle from our vantage point and directed artillery for them.

This was the command bunker.  All the extra ammo was also stored here.  At this particular time, early in my tour, this was the only position that could qualify as a "bunker" (and just barely at that).  Over the next several months, the positions on both ends of the hill (see two preceding shots) were fortified by sandbag walled and roofed bunkers. 

You can also see the radio antenna we erected at the far end of the command bunker (Ray Triana is taking his turn on radio watch).  The antenna greatly increased the effectiveness of the radios we had up there but it also had another, and later unanticipated tragic effect.  About three months later, while another recon team was manning this OP, lightning hit the antenna, traveled down the wires and set off much of the ammo that was stored there.  The explosion killed one Marine outright and blew two other Marines over the side of the sheer cliff (to the left in this picture) where they fell over 300 feet to their deaths on the ridge below.

This is David "Stick" Nelson tempting fate by sitting on the edge of the drop-off.  From the angle of this shot the surrounding terrain looks deceiving.  The green slope behind Stick is actually another hill behind Hill 452.  At the spot where Stick is sitting, the hill has a vertical drop-off of over 200 feet to the next ridge below it.