An Assault Helicopter Unit in Vietnam (Undaunted Valor 1)
Cambodia
Normally, coordinating an operation the size and complexity of the Cambodian Incursion takes time and resources. Time is required to plan the operation; position the attack force; pre-position the logistics to support and sustain the operation; and execute the coordination, especially between foreign allies. In this case, however, attack forces and logistics were already in close proximity to the objectives, so the planning process was greatly reduced. The events that put this operation in motion had begun in March of ’70. In the mid- to late 1960s, Prince Sihanouk, the leader of Cambodia, had turned a blind eye to the North Vietnamese use of the border region between Cambodia and South Vietnam. Publicly declaring neutrality, he gave tacit support to North Vietnam, which humiliated many Cambodians. A major port was established on the southwestern coast, where ships with supplies destined for the North Vietnamese forces would offload. The goods were then loaded into trucks and moved north, to the vicinity of the Parrot’s Beak and Fishhook regions along the border. This region was northwest of the South Vietnam city of Tay Ninh, expanding northeast to An Loc and Song Be.
Prior to 1968, no cross-border operations into Cambodia had been authorized by the US government. In 1968, covert cross-border operations had been authorized for the purpose of gathering intelligence. Prince Sihanouk let it be known that he would not object to US bombing in the border region if no Cambodian forces were targeted. Publicly, he condemned the bombing. He was playing both sides. In addition to North Vietnamese forces operating along the border, Khmer Rouge rebels were working inside Cambodia towards the overthrow of the Sihanouk government, but their goal was not better relations with the US but with China, as the Khmer Rouge were sponsored by China. As a result of Tet 1969, President Nixon authorized the bombing of military targets beginning on March 18, 1969 along and over the border.
In January 1970, while on a trip to France, Prince Sihanouk was overthrown by his defense minister, Lon Nol, who quickly sought support from and friendly relations with the US. President Nixon saw this as an opportunity to accelerate the departure of US forces from South Vietnam. Now Cambodian forces not only fought the Khmer Rouge but began to target North Vietnamese forces as well. Unfortunately, the Cambodian military was not a large or strong force.
In early March, ARVN forces had been contemplating and planning an incursion into the border region. As forces and logistical support were already in the Parrot’s Beak and Fishhook regions, little preparation was required for such a move. In addition, in March 1970, the Military Assistance Command Vietnam, MACV, had conducted preliminary planning for an incursion into the Parrot’s Beak and Fishhook regions of the border. On March 12, Lon Nol, the new leader of Cambodia, told the NVA they had seventy-two hours to get out of Cambodia. This did not sit well with Hanoi, and at the urging of the Khmer Rouge rebels, the NVA launched a major offensive campaign west across Cambodia on March 29. With this new development came new opportunities for the US.
NVA forces and Khmer Rouge rebels worked together to push Cambodian forces to within thirty miles of the capital of Phnom Penh, at which time Lon Nol requested assistance from the US for aviation and armored cavalry units. On April 27, ARVN rangers advanced across the border and destroyed an NVA supply base in the Fishhook region.
US planning for an inc
ursion into the Cambodian border region was held in very tight security. Senior subordinate commanders were not officially notified until a week prior to execution, with battalion commanders not being notified until seventy-two hours in advance and aviation unit commanders notified only twenty-four hours prior to execution. However, in early April, they were notified to increase aircraft availability. No logistical buildup was to be undertaken so as not to tip the hand that an incursion was coming.
The NVA had already considered the possibility of Cambodian and South Vietnamese forces attacking in concert at some point, one from the west and one from the east. Contingency plans had already been prepared, and with the directive from Lon Nol to get out of Cambodia in seventy-two hours, Communist Office South Vietnam, COSVN, began evacuating on March 18. NVA ground combat forces began leaving the area, attacking west towards Phnom Penh on March 29. Thus when ARVN forces launched their attacks on April 30, few combat units were home to meet them.
On April 30, ARVN forces along with some US forces crossed Parrot’s Beak into Cambodia. The ARVN force consisted of twelve infantry battalions and three Ranger battalions. The US elements consisted of a brigade from the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Division and two squadrons of armed cavalry. Operation Rock Crusher was on.
On the May 1, 1970, at 0710 hours, Company C, 227th AHB, inserted an ARVN airborne rifle company to secure a landing zone just across the border inside Cambodia.10 Once the landing zone was secured, six 105 mm howitzers and three 155 mm howitzers, which would support additional insertions throughout the area of operations, were brought in by CH-47 helicopters. Later that day, the Second Battalion, Seventh Cavalry was inserted into Landing Zone X-Ray, marking the first American ground troops from the First Cavalry Division to enter Cambodia. Throughout the day, First Battalion, Ninth Cavalry flew reconnaissance missions while elements of the 227th and 229th Assault Helicopter Battalions provided lift support to the ARVN grunts and 228th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion provided CH-47 heavy lift capability for the movement of artillery and other heavy equipment.
Chapter 39
Taking the Fight to Them
At 0530 hours, the flight ops clerk came around and woke everyone. We straggled into the mess hall. What the…? Steak and eggs! By 0645 hours, almost every aircraft was cranked and we were getting clearances. Fourteen aircraft were in the flight, and the other five were picking up normal missions. One aircraft was being loaded for laying down a smokescreen and would be with the formation initially but not carrying troops.
Over in the Snake Pit, most of Lobo’s aircraft were cranking up as well. As we departed, they were flying trail behind us and on our flanks. Fifteen Hueys and eight Cobras makes for an impressive formation. The Robin Hoods normally flew for the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Division, and they were cranking up in Sherwood Forest and departing also, but heading in a different direction. The runway at the SF camp at Chon Thanh came into view and Flight Leader set up the approach. Off to the side of the runway was a single aircraft, a speaker’s stand and a large covered display board. The aircraft was the battalion commander’s aircraft.
“Chicken-man Flight, this is Yellow One. Shut down and everyone assemble on Lightning Bolt Six.” This was getting stranger by the minute. As we climbed out of the aircraft, two more flights were landing behind us, Bravo Company and Charlie Company. This was going to be a battalion lift—a first for me. Then we saw CH-47s coming to land as well and more Cobras from Blue Max. There were forty-two UH-1H aircraft, ten CH-47 Chinooks and twenty-five Cobras. All were shutting down and converging on Lightning Bolt Six’s location. Once we were all assembled, the battalion commander stepped onto the speaker’s platform, which was a stand used for physical fitness training.
“Gentlemen, we are launching a battalion lift, a first for most of you. We will be picking up elements of the Third ARVN Airborne Brigade at these three locations throughout the day”—the cover was pulled up—“and inserting them in these three LZs in the Parrot’s Beak region. These forces are blocking forces for the elements of the Eleventh Armored Cavalry Regiment that’s moving north out of Loc Ninh to Snuol, Cambodia.” Holy shit! We were invading Cambodia!
Almost on cue, most crew chiefs and door gunners got up, returned to their respective aircraft and began cleaning, inspecting weapons and preparing ammo.
“I will be controlling the operation from above and will provide all artillery clearances as well as providing navigation information to Flight Leader. My call sign will be Anger Two-Nine. Alpha flight lead will be Owner Two-Nine; Bravo flight lead will be Desire Two-Nine; Charlie lead will be Hang Two-Nine. Blue Max is Sword Six-Two and Lobo flight lead is Welder Two-Nine. Tenor Two-Nine is the brigade commander. Flight altitude will be low-level. Flight formation will be heavy left. The S-2 will now give you the enemy situation.”
The S-2 took the stand and placed a clear plastic cover over the map. Except it wasn’t really clear, as it was covered in red symbols that depicted known and suspected enemy positions. Some of those positions were along the routes I had flown with the Division G-2 a week or so ago.
“The enemy situation is as follows. At this location is the headquarters for the entire North Vietnamese Army in this region of Vietnam.” He pointed at the map. Damn, that’s where I was flying at eight thousand, tossing leaflets out on that psyops mission. “In this area is the Seventh NVA division with the Fifty-Sixth Anti-Aircraft Battalion. The Seventh has three regiments: the 209th south of Snuol; the 165th here”—he pointed at a position on the map—“and the 141st Regiment in this area.” Great, that was where we were going. “The antiaircraft situation is that the Seventh is organized with twelve 12.7 mm antiaircraft guns, fifteen multibarrel 23 mm guns that we know about, and six radar-controlled 37 mm guns. The Fiftieth Rear Service Group is the largest unit in the region, with multiple cache sites and several hospitals of five hundred beds each. Weather for today is clear blue and twenty-two. Any questions?” A long pause. “If there are no questions, that’s all I have, sir.” And he turned the briefing back over to the battalion commander.
“Gentlemen, this operation is code name Operation Toan Thang 43.11 The sequence of events is as follows: At zero six thirty, Charlie Company picked up a rifle company of the ARVN Airborne Brigade at Quan Loi and inserted them in this area to secure artillery that was inserted to support the insertions. The first assault will depart here and fly to this PZ. Load at zero nine fifty-five hours. Depart PZ1 at ten hundred hours for a twelve-minute flight to LZ Center, located here,” he said, pointing at the map. “We will then break into three company flights to refuel, with Alpha refueling at LZ Jake; Bravo refueling at Loc Ninh; and Charlie refueling at Quan Loi. Upon refueling, Alpha and Bravo will join Charlie at Quan Loi and pick up troops for the second lift, inserting into LZ Right, located here.” Again he pointed at the map.
“Everyone will return to Quan Loi to refuel, and we will pick up the third lift and insert them at this location. After the third lift, Bravo will be in direct support for Task Force Shoemaker here at Quan Loi. Charlie and Alpha will resume normal daily commitments. Alpha will lead the first insertion, Bravo the second insertion and Charlie the last insertion. Are there any questions?” There were no questions. “There are obviously going to be changes throughout the day that we’re going to have to respond to, so be flexible. Owner Two-Nine is flight lead and Yellow One for this first operation. Are there any questions?” There were none. “Okay, let’s do this.”
We all returned to our aircraft and got ready. To say the least, we were very proud that our company commander was going to be flight leader for this first operation. Mr. Fairweather again drew the lucky straw to be my copilot for the day. I was glad I had him, as he had proven to be a very stable copilot and he always had cigarettes, a fresh pack even. This was going to be something. Just the sound of this many aircraft was awesome. The liftoff with so many aircraft took longer than any I had done before.
En route to the PZ, I asked, “Hey, Lovelace, what’s it look like back there?”
“Sir, it’s unbelievable. Wish I had a camera to get a picture of so many aircraft in formation. This just might be the largest airmobile operation ever,” he said.
The sky was clear and cloudless. There was no haze from forest fires. It was going to be a beautiful day with low temperatures, at least for Vietnam. We were proceeding northwest by the compass when the pickup zone came into view. I hadn’t seen so many troops lined up in one location before. Ground guides were out for each aircraft.
As we touched down, the Vietnamese airborne soldiers were almost immediately on board and they were all smiles. They knew where they were going and what they were about to do, and for the first time since I had come to this place, I saw genuine enthusiasm on their faces. They were ready.
“Owner Yellow One is on the go,” the flight leader called out. As we climbed to altitude for low-level, flight leader kept the airspeed back to sixty knots initially but, with a call from the last aircraft, increased our speed to ninety knots. The flight was treetop level, ninety knots and closed up tightly with one-rotor-blade separation. The battalion commander was in the C&C aircraft at about three thousand feet above, giving navigation guidance and controlling artillery fire on the LZ when it was time. I had a light touch on the cyclic and was glued to watching Yellow One.
“Owner Yellow One is Tango,” he called out as he crossed the border into Cambodia. Minus the bomb craters that pockmarked Vietnam, it looked pretty much the same. That changed as we flew across a dirt road just over the border. It was perpendicular to our flight path and as straight as an arrow. As far as I could see out my side window, there were NVA soldiers walking down both sides of the road, heading northeast with their weapons over their shoulders. I was sure they were surprised as hell to see and hear this thunderous display of aviation might. They didn’t shoot at us. Our LZ was located in a large open dried-up rice paddy south of the town of Snuol. As in all operations, artillery impacted prior to our landing but was of shorter duration. The lack of artillery support was made u