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 Bandit 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, Captain [jconners_98@yahoo.com 775-847-0214]
Chinese Bandit 13

"Spirit of Robert Rogers in the Footsteps of Lauri Torni and Tutelage

of Frenchy Theriault … Chinese Bandits Penetrate Deeper and Where
Others FEARED to Tread!"

Chinese Bandit Recon LRRP Team 1st Bn (ABN) 8th Cav 1965-66
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