JUST SAY NO TO APRICOTS...

Apricots, Heaven or Hell?
by Tom WilliamsAmtracers have not eaten apricots for close to 30 years as they are believed to be a jinx. This amtrac tradition started with my Amtrac Platoon in Vietnam. I was with 4th Plt B Co 4th Amtrac Battalion and we were on float with the "Magnificent Bastards" of 2/4.
I was sitting on the ramp shortly after my arrival to the platoon in the village of Mai Xa Tai and was eating my c-rations. Most anyone who spent time in the bush, in Vietnam, knew the fruit in c-rations was one of the most sought after items next to pound cake. Danny Foisy, I think it was, took what I had in my hand to eat and threw it as far as he could. I said "What the hell are you doing?". He says "We don't eat apricots in Amtracs! ". He then related the following story to me:
I am not sure of the name of the Marine but he did not believe in the Amtrac taboo against apricots and ate them anyway despite being warned not to. A short while later while he was on patrol he took a sniper round right between the eyes and was KIA. It was not the first time that bad luck had hit someone from the platoon after eating apricots so they had all started to avoid eating them after this happened.
Another incident that I witnessed served to confirm this belief to stay away from apricots. The old P5 had a auxillary generator that we called "Little Joes". We had one that we could not get to run right and the mechanics could not find anything wrong with it. This went on for a coulple months with the "Little Joe" not running right. One day I was looking around and found a can of apricots in behind the generator. I removed the apricots and gave them to one of the grunts in exchange for peaches which I than ate. We tried the "Little Joe" and it ran from then on just as if it were a fine tuned watch.
When I left Vietnam and the Platoon was disbanded I was sure the Apricot myth would die. I found out I was wrong when I visited Quantico in 1994 with my father. I was standing on the ramp of a new P7 amtrac and this SSgt says you know I have a LCpl who still eats apricots. I was shocked to hear that apricots were still considered tabo in tracks.
In April of 1997, while visiting 3rd tracs, I asked this tracer who was showing us around if he ate apricots. He said "NO WAY " would I eat apicots. He than told me a couple of storys about peace time problems that had befallen others who ate apricots that were in tracs.
Read the following story about apricots and tracers during Desert Storm and then see if you have apricots any more.