Chinese Bandit 13 Walking Stick and Foxfire

[Chinese Bandit 13]

Chinese Bandit 13 Walking Stick and Foxfire by RANGER Jerry Conners,
Chinese Bandit Recon LRRP Team 1st Bn (ABN) 8th Cav 1965-66

My first memory of foxfire is of a small oak and maple forest that is
located below the Legion Pond near Sidney, Iowa. My grandfather and
WWI veteran, Rex Darst, began taking me on night raccoon hunts when I
was about ten years old where his hunting dogs would chase the
raccoons until they would climb a tree where they were shot for the
value of their pelts. It was early fall and some of the leaves had
fallen. We were following the dogs that were running ahead and barking
loudly from the forest located several hundred yards away.

As we walked closer to the trees a faint green glow was noticeable
which became brighter as we approached the trees. Entire lengths of
small branches were engulfed in the green light. “Foxfire,” my
grandfather said. I broke a small branch off continued to follow him.
I rubbed the bark that came off in my hands. The texture was woody and
not slimy like a smashed body of the fireflies that I captured each
summer, but the green light was similar. Looking back over my shoulder
the trees were glowing in streams of green light.

Ten years later, I was frequently patrolling day and night in the
mountainous areas of the Central Highlands of Vietnam and had seen the
same green light emitting from the trees. I collected it during the
night and examined it by daylight. I had located foxfire in different
parts of the world earlier and had learned that is was a fungus
associated with decaying wood. I began to experiment with embedding
the fungus impregnated woody tissue into grooves that I cut in my
walking stick and trying different ways to increase or preserve the
brightness of the material, including compacting, keeping the material
damp and not exposed to light. These three factors succeeded whereas
the opposite did not.

I had been carving designs and initials in my walking stick since I
began to use one upon arrival to the Chinese Bandits. I had learned
earlier to select wood that had thin bark, stiff and lightweight, and
having a slight curve near the top of the four-foot stick where a grip
was whittled. Most of the carvings were military symbols and words
such as the 101st Recondo Brand, the word LRRP, Ranger, ABN, Recondo,
SF and different patches and unit crests. Every walking stick that I
made had my jump wings secured to the top squared off edge and the
initials of a girl from high school that I was still nuts over after
several years. Her name was Betty Hardy and I would carve her initials
in many places on the stick. I did not know then or now the species of
wood that the walking sticks were made from but I did probably use the
same species that grew along the wetter stream banks in the valleys of
the border with Cambodia and Laos.

After only a few days in country I began to embed the foxfire covered
decaying wood pieces into the previously carved designs. It was
necessary to carve deeper into the stick to insure a better bond of
the foxfire. After a few trials, I had a method that where the foxfire
did not fall out and could withstand normal field use with only an
occasional resetting with the edge of my pocketknife. I carried and
used my issued TL-29. It was necessary to dampen the foxfire and
replace it every two weeks, but in most areas where we patrolled and
conducted long range reconnaissance operations there was foxfire and
of course, plenty of water.

In January, we had begun using foxfire-covered branches for trail
markers, set along the right side of the trail to signal persons
following to STOP and link up, enemy to the right, enemy to left and
enemy ahead. I also began to use my walking stick as a trail marker
and night signaling device for those following. We also placed
different foxfire patterns on the back of our patrol caps above the
‘ranger eyes’ to denote each individual. I had chosen a V-shaped
marker and had chosen the design since it looked somewhat like the
101st Recondo brand that was carved into my walking stick.

Within a month, I had discarded several ranger walking sticks when I
had become dissatisfied with the carved designs and locations of the
carvings. Eventually, deciding that the curved stick kept it from
rolling when placed on a steep trail and therefore, the foxfire
embedded designs needed to be only on the upper side when the stick
was placed on the ground. The arrangement allowed for walking with the
luminescent side to my rear and where those following me could see it
but anyone on either side or to my front could not.

The final version of the stick that I carried until June of 1966 had
many carvings but only two 101st Recondo Brands, one near the top and
the other near the tip were embedded with foxfire. Both Brands pointed
downward to the bottom of the walking stick. When the stick was placed
on the trail and perpendicular to the trail and used with other side
trail markers, the meaning was to stop and remain vigilant, and that
the team leader should advance and assume command of the patrol. If I
had not returned then the patrol was instructed to continue with the
mission without me. This procedure was typically used each night prior
to occupying the designated observation point when conducting long-
range reconnaissance operations along the borders of Cambodia and
Laos.

During our first long range reconnaissance observation along the
border of Cambodia that occurred in the early spring of 1966, foxfire
was used as trail markers and the foxfire embedded walking stick
placed horizontally along the trail to allow for assembling the patrol
members while a leaders recon was performed of the designation
observation point and all trails intersecting the area near the
observation point.

My most memorable experience that I encountered with foxfire occurred
along the Cambodian border where the actively used ridgeline trail
ended unexpectedly during the night while we were enroute to the next
observation point. The preplanned route was intended to continue along
the ridgeline and then turn eastward downhill to a trail stream
crossing depicted on aerial photographs and then occupy an observation
point on a prominent hilltop located further to east. A decision was
made to rather than reverse our route and follow a trail to our rear
which lead eastward into the valley that we would proceed cross
country down the steep heavily wooded hillside and intercept the
stream.

The under story of the tall trees had little vegetation and the
initial movement downhill was performed without difficulty, however
after an hour we entered an area that was draped in foxfire. The
luminescent green-coated branches were the located on the ground, in
the trees in front and above us. As I entered an area having more
foxfire than I had encountered previously and since, I developed
vertigo and had difficulty maintaining my balance along the steep
hillside. I slowed to a pace that was unusual and the patrol members
were permitted to move maintaining line of sight. Moving uneasily, we
heard the sound of voices and faint smell of smoke ahead and to our
left. We changed direction to avoid contact. I could not shake off the
vertigo in the overhead, side-to-side and forest floor covered foxfire
panorama until we were near the valley where the tree density and
foxfire decreased. We were able to easily restock our foxfire branch
markers during the movement and I frequently discarded previously
collected material for better brighter foxfire branches.

I have examined the topographic map of that long-range reconnaissance
patrol route many times in the last forty years and my thoughts linger
in the area of dense foxfire. It remains a special place for some of
the Chinese Bandits Recon LRRP Team.

I have never re-experienced the foxfire induced vertigo disorientation
that we all felt that night; however, I have not made the effort to
locate areas known to contain that amount of foxfire. My current
Ranger walking stick has neither carvings nor embedded foxfire and at
night while walking in the Sierras I often consider embedding some
luminescent tape strips but to date I have not done so.

RANGER Jerry Conners
Master Parachutist, Special Forces Weapons Expert, 101st RECONDO
Chinese Bandit 13