Python Page

Thorne and the Python Adventure

Back at the fire base camp in the picture above, we were sent out to cut waste

high grass out side the burm wall. On the other side of the burm was several

hundred feet of nothing but high grass before getting to the barbed wire

barriers which was the second defense before the VietCong could get to us.

I was told that outside the wire there were land mines which would have

been the first defense.

Anyway we were given sling grass cutters to cut down the grass. You couldn't
see what was a foot away from you much less 6 feet. As we were cutting the
grass I was cutting from the south to the north toward the mountain in the
background.

The young Lieutenant in charge of the detail decided to chain a railroad cross
tie to the back of an APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) and drag down the
grass to make it easier for us to cut. As I was cutting the grass the APC
crossed about six feet in front of me and at that time a very large python
arced up trying to capture the APC.

The lieutenant pulled his side arm and began to fire at the snake and before
it was dead had emptied 8 clips of 45 caliber ammo at it. Should he have
not come up with his brain storm I would have no doubt been the next thing
for that snake to decide was lunch!

After all was done the snake was skinned and it's head put in a largemouth
gallon jar of formaldehyde. The skin was draped around the end of the EM
club (Enlisted mans club) tent and reached from one side of the tent to the
other. Estimation of the snake's length was about Eighteen to Twenty Feet.

No doubt I was one lucky young man that day!