Military Memories III

Being a Forward Observer

That "repeat" thing... in the combat arms, that's a radio call from the forward observer to the artillery battery to re-shoot the last shot, most likely because the target needs more servicing, but also because the "splash" didn't occur while adjustments were being fired or wasn't observed. I was an Army Forward Observer at one point and directing my battery's fire (this was a Ft. Lewis in the 70s), and wouldn't you know, a round impacted a hundred or so meters behind us instead of the impact area. Not our shot! But like an idiot I ran over to where the round hit (in some trees) and stood marveling at the fumes, the scrambled dirt, and torn up tree branches. Then it suddenly occurred to me that some other FO had not seen the "splash" and might end up calling in a "repeat." And there I was, standing where the repeat would impact. Oh, dear, and I unassed that AO most rickey-tick. It turned out that someone had called a range checkfire because of the short, and so it was OK, but still, I remember that sudden realization of being at ground zero.