Dear Roy,

As you will recall, we launched a mid-morning insertion out of Loc Ninh.   This was not a standard 6-man package, but a 12-man reinforced team whose purpose was to gain proof that vehicles were traveling through Cambodia into Viet Nam.   Further, the team was to capture a truck if feasible. The insertion was made right on the border between Cambodia and Viet Nam about 15 miles southwest of Loc Ninh.   

Following the insertion, the support and comm team set up a base camp at Loc Ninh.    We put the 5 UH-1 slicks and 5 UH-1 gunships in there as well so we could respond quickly if the team got in trouble.   I circled in the area, maintaining radio contact with the team from my 0-IF Bird Dog.   As the FAC, I would make sure that the team was inserted at the right place, and then I'd stay around for about an hour until the team felt secure and was certain that it had not been seen by enemy forces.

About thirty minutes after insertion, the team called me to say they had been spotted and their position was compromised.   As you remember, the best policy was to pull a team out as soon as they were seen.   However, In this case, the Detachment Commander made the decision to keep the team in.   He had me relay to the team that they should evade and stay concealed until the threat passed and they could move on with their mission.

The team acknowledged and all appeared okay.   After another 30 minutes, an Army Bird Dog (Sea Horse was his call sign) came on station to provide radio relay.   I briefed him on the situation and then returned to Loc Ninh to sit alert. All remained quiet for nearly an hour.    Suddenly we received a call from the radio relay that our forces were receiving fire. Everyone knew this meant we were going in for an extraction.

Gunships, slicks and FAC all scrambled and took off en mass.   As soon as I was airborne I came up on frequency with the team and knew immediately that they were in deep trouble.    The radio operator was desperate.   He'd been hit more times than he could remember, and an explosion had left him blinded.   He knew some of the team was already dead.    Everyone still alive was fighting for his life.  The fighting was fierce.

As I approached the target area, I heard the gunships call that they were picking up intense fire.    One of them called that he had taken hits in the engine and was turning back.   Shortly thereafter he made a controlled crash into the trees about a mile   from the intense fire.   Immediately, the remaining helicopters pulled back and concentrated their efforts on rescuing the downed chopper crew.

I concentrated my effort on the team, now.  Everywhere I looked I saw swarming khaki uniforms.   I estimated nearly 250 NVA in the open.   No telling how many still in the trees.   It was obvious that we'd fallen into a main NVA base camp. In an impulsive reaction, I turned my radio to the international emergency frequency and called,  "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.  Any fighters in the area, I need anything I can get.   Vector 10 miles southwest of Loc Ninh.   I need to put you in immediately. Troops in heavy contact."  Within 5 minutes I had 2 F-lOO’s respond.  These guys were pros and understood what they needed to do.   Napalm, CBU-29 and strafe was their load.

The napalm was gone in two passes.   It took out most of the swarm in the open and took some pressure off our troops.   Next, we put in the CBU.  This was not the standard cluster bomb unit I knew. This stuff had variable multiple delay fusing.  The fighters rolled in and released the CBU.   Nothing happened! I asked the fighter what was wrong.  "Just wait," they said.  Almost immediately, the CBU started going off, just like popcorn.    This kept on for more than two hours.   This really forced the NVA to pull back.    They couldn't figure it out. 

Just about then, the fighters rolled in with their guns, working the tree lines against the most persistent gunners.  Following two more sets of fighters, we were ready to try the extraction again.    As the gunships circled with suppressive fire, we put the lead slick into the LZ nearest our troops.  The first mission was to pull out the live and wounded.   We'd come in for the dead later.

The task was difficult because the wounded were unable to move, or still pinned down by fire.   The recovery crew on the slick fanned out to drag as many as possible to the helicopter.   After what seemed like an eternity, the helicopter began to lift off. Almost simultaneously, an enemy soldier stepped out and unloaded his AK-47 on the pilot.   Almost in slow motion the helicopter spun awkwardly, the blades slicing the trees, and in a moment it lay in a twisted shambles on the ground.    All motion ceased, and I was hit with the despair of having 17 people now trapped on the ground.