11-11-02
I,  invented the trench line "piss & pooper" for our troops.  When I first arrived on the Hill in January with India 3/26, it was still safe to drag the shitters, half 55 gallon drums, up to the top of the Hill and with the help of 2 Marines, dig a hole and dump the crap, burying it.

Due to running out of places to dig holes and the occasional sniper, I replaced the half barrel with a 105mm canister on an angle for pee and and a 155mm canister positioned vertically for a crapper.

One would unscrew the caps (preventing the smell and flies) and position oneself for strategic piss and moan.  Once full, we would throw the canisters down the gully where they collected in a pile.

One night while on radio watch in Capt. Dabney's bunker, we received a sit-rep that there was noise down in the gully.  We all had more grenades on the Hill than food.  So the assembled masses gathered at that end of the Hill to drop a shit-load of grenades.  We could only think that Mr. Charles thought our load of shit canisters was a load of rounds that missed the Hill during a resupply.  I can only imagine their surprise when they reached into the canisters.

We were proud of our attack on the canister raiders.....until the days that followed when a rare odor emanated from that side of the Hill.  Our grenades had laid open some of the canisters and we were to suffer for a few weeks to follow.