BONG SON- "We had been receiving light sniper fire and knew we were in Cong territory" said Rose. "I noticed the ground in front of me looked peculiar. I put my foot down softly and it went right through over the ankle. I then uncovered the whole pit so the guys following me wouldn't slip in."
     A short while later the 20 year old Rose stepped into another pit. "This time," recalled Rose, "I went in up to my thigh but luckily, I slipped onto my other knee and managed to balance myself."
     Indeed, it was a luck-filled day for Sp4 Gregory Rose of Vienna Va who stepped into two Viet Cong punji pits within the space of an hour and never got hurt.
     Rose was operating as point man for C Company, 2nd Battalion, when the accidents occurred while patrolling along the base of the Tiger Mountains near Bong Son.

     BAO LOC, RVN- Paratroopers of the 173d Airborne Brigade's 3rd Battalion believe in Buddha and it's not because they've changed their religion.
     Buddha is a Scout Dog whose keen senses recently helped avert a devastating ambush on a hillside near Dalat and resulted in 10 NVA dead.
     "Without Buddha I don't know what might have happened," asserted 1Lt Rory S. Fausett of Madison, Wisc. "Those NVA were pretty well set up."
     According to reports, the Paratroopers from Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 503d Infantry, were moving up a ridgeline when Buddha suddenly "alerted" to enemy in the area.
     Seeing the Dog's signal, PFC Jerry Whitcomb, the Platoon's flank security took another look in his own area and caught sight of three NVA bushwackers. Whitcomb fired up all three with his M16 before the enemy reacted.

Quick Reaction

     Whitcomb's quick action also caused the NVA to prematurely detonate two command detonated mines, which exploded harmlessly 50 meters in front of the Sky Soldiers.
     The NVA were heavily entrenched atop the hill, and in the ensuing fire fight they unleashed a heavy barrage of machine gun and automatic weapons fire. They also had several snipers tied in trees.
     Although the NVA in their fixed positions gained an immediate fire superiority, Bravo Company quickly moved on line and gained the initiative.
     The Paratroopers used an old favorite ploy of yelling and shouting at the NVA, and it seemed to unnerve the defenders.
     "GO LIMA, GO, GO LIMA GO, GO LIMA GO," shouted the Sky Soldiers as they charged through the foliage toward the enemy emplacements.
     Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. Berke of Fairfax, Va., the 3rd Battalion Commander, pointed out that, "Bravo Company maintained excellent control of the fight, especially considering the disadvantage of deploying uphill."
     Charlie Company, which was trailing Bravo up the hill, deployed to provide flank security. C Company's Medics were instrumental in prompt care and evacuation of the wounded.
     1st Lieutenant Peter Wright of Palo Alto, Ca, called in Artillery within a hundred meters of the advancing Paratroopers. Meanwhile, Lima Platoon led the frontal assault.

Artillery Helps

     TUY HOA- When Sergeant Paul D. Timlake first spotted the curl of gray smoke he didn't get very excited. He'd seen a lot of similar curls before and it had, usually meant only the remains of a Viet Cong cooking fire.
     Despite his skepticism, the Las Vegas Paratrooper herded up his Platoon from Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry and set out for the coordinates where the smoke curl had been sighted.
     The Paratroopers never did find the campsite, but instead uncovered a Viet Cong hospital dug into the side of a mountain and three Viet Cong suspects.
     After prepping the area with mortar fire, the Platoon moved in and found their first suspect.
     Pfc Ronald Clark of Toledo, Ohio apprehended him, and after interrogation by an ARVN interpreter, the suspect told about the hospital in the area and how two other enemy who had been carrying him on a stretcher fled when the mortars began falling.
     Nearby, Sergeant Ronnie Clark of Towaoc Colo, spotted and detained a woman hiding in the brush. She turned out to be a nurse from the hospital.
     Sp4 Larry Holbrook of Creedmore, NC was the first to see the hospital, which consisted of 10 separate structures built into the side of the mountain and carefully camouflaged.

     TUY HOA- Visit the 173d Airborne Brigade Paratroopers in Tuy Hoa, South Vietnam and they'll show you LeRoy the pig.
     No ordinary swine, LeRoy is a former Viet Cong, but gave himself up to the Americans when they discovered the cave where he and other VC were living.
     Since then, LeRoy's been known to walk point on patrol with the Paratroopers.
     LeRoy's captor is Sp4 Larry Holbrook of Creedmore NC, a rifleman with Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry.
     After Holbrook found LeRoy, a makeshift leash was made from a vine, and the Infantrymen continued their mission with LeRoy leading the way.
     "He did a good job," said Holbrook, 'but it was rough travel up and down those mountains, and he lost a lot of weight. '
     Now LeRoy is gaining weight in a more important rear echelon job back at base camp. "He's really looking good," said Holbrook with a grin. "We think he'll be ready by Christmas.

     BONG SON- "It's nice to be a 'short-timer,' but, I'm going to miss a lot of guys I've met on my tour over here."
     The monsoon rain beat steadily on the canvas tent as Diane Steinhauser of Germantown, Pa recalled her experiences as a Red Cross Representative in Vietnam.
     Diane is a member of what seems to be a hopelessly outnumbered group involved in the war, 106 'Donut Dollies' to 500,000 American troops.
     When asked how it felt to be a girl tossed into a man's world Diane's face turned thoughtful and she said: "The men look at us as girls, sure, but what they are really seeing is any girl anywhere. Our uniform is simply an impersonal reminder of their wife or girl back in the States."
     The six young ladies assigned to the 173d Airborne Brigade are all well-versed college graduates and all unmarried.
     Sharon McCullough of Blytheville, Ark told of some of the reactions from field-hardened Paratroopers when they first see a female walking around their sandbag and canvas world.

Shy Soldiers

     "When the men see us," remarked Sharon, "some of them wave, some shout, some whistle and a lot just stare. It's strange how shy a lot of them are. You'd think they were meeting a girl for the first time."
     For the girls it's a lot of work getting out to see the troops. They travel quite a bit. It is a necessity if they are to visit as many units as possible.
     One soldier, Sp4 Thomas Dvorak of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry, claims that the girls are one of the biggest boosts to a Soldier's morale in Vietnam. "I remember one real cute blonde who visited us once," he said. She ate in our messhall and you know something, the food even tasted better that day."
     Another Paratrooper remembered the time he was in the hospital in Qui Nhon. Those girls were the prettiest things I'd seen in a long time."

Comfort Packets

     When the Donut Dollies visit the hospitals, they bring special Red Cross 'comfort packets', of reading materials, puzzles and word games.
     "The games are pretty simple to do,-- said Betty Jolley, a fetching brunette from Charlotte NC, but they help to break the ice. Most of the guys haven't seen an American girl for months and sometimes they are a little nervous. The comfort packs help keep them busy and keep them from getting bored too."
     Diane, a tow-headed 21 year old with sparkling blue eyes, has been in Vietnam for eleven months, but hardly looks like a veteran.
     Nevertheless, she confesses to be Airborne at heart, though; having never jumped from a plane, and will show you her floppy 'jungle hat' with its yellow inner-brim where she wears a bright pair of Jump Wings.
     Diane defends the reputation of the American Soldier by saying, "the GI is really the most underrated guy in the world. He deserved a lot more credit than he is getting."

Miss the Most

     What do the girls miss the most in this hot, faraway country?
     Diane says the first thing she is going to find when she returns to the States is an ice-cold lemon ice cream soda. Betty, with just three months in country, asserts that it is difficult to become accustomed to the hot weather, especially when it comes to using make-up.
     The Red Cross began sending 'Donut Dollies' to Vietnam in 1965, with the idea that they would direct Red Cross recreational facilities for American Servicemen. But, since there are so many troops stationed in isolated spots like Fire Support bases, the girls became sort of roving ambassadors of good will, bringing a little charm and femininity to these out of the way places.
     The girls quickly become used to flying in helicopters, and on a busy day will travel over 300 miles.

Very Rewarding

     All of the girls tell of rewarding experiences they've had, such as when they stopped at a Fire Support base near Bong Son. It was mid-July and very hot. Soft drinks were scarce and ice was virtually nonexistant However one trooper dug into the bottom of his rucksack and pulled out a can of soda, giving it to Diane with a shy grin. "It was the warmest soda I've ever drank," recalled the pretty blonde, "but it tasted delicious at the time."
     "Yes, it sure is nice to be a 'short-timer' smiled Diane as she rushed to climb aboard a waiting helicopter, "but you know, I wouldn't trade this past year for anything. Just watching the spirit and morale of these guys has helped my own outlook about the future immensely."
     The Chopper Pilot smiled as she bounced into the aircraft. "Where to, MISS ?"

     BAO LOC- A curious group of Paratroopers recently found one of the largest and most sophisticated North Vietnamese Hospital complexes yet uncovered in South Vietnam.
     The hospital complex included over 100 adjustable beds, operating tables and two kitchens. The Sky Soldiers of the 173d Airborne Brigade made the discovery 15 miles southeast of Dalat.
     The Paratroopers got their first clue to the hidden complex when 1Lt Lance Singleton of Detroit Mi, spotted a well-hidden trail they hadn't noticed before. Singleton, a Platoon Leader with Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 503d Infantry proceeded to establish an ambush on the trail.
     Although the ambushers saw no signs of enemy activity, the following morning the persistent Platoon followed the trail and found the complex which was hidden deep within a triple canopy forest.
     A medical expert from Saigon's 521st Medical Detachment, Captain David Montgomery of Kent, Ohio, was called into the area and disclosed that, "it is the largest and most sophisticated enemy hospital I've seen in Vietnam."
     Captured medical supplies included stretchers, penicillin, saline solutions, plasma, heroin and syringes. Also a number of letters and documents were retrieved.
     Apparently, there were female nurses in the area as women's gloves and sandals were also found.
     The complex was divided into four wards. Each ward was accompanied by a series of bunkers, and some of the bunkers were constructed to accomodate litters. The beds were of typical Vietnamese bamboo construction with adjustable back rests so the patient could sit up.

Steel Roof

     Wards and other structures had apparently been covered by canvas, but this had been removed by the time the Paratroopers arrived. The kitchen roofs were made of galvanized steel. There was a corn field adjacent to the hospital. Also, a stream had been dammed off and bamboo pipes inserted in the dam to aid in drawing water. The kitchen contained a supply of rice and corn and was replete with earthen stoves.
     It was obvious that the NVA had hastily evacuated the hospital as evidenced by a mixture of plaster of paris still moist and pliable. In addition, Paratroopers found pots still wet from washing.

Troops Spotted

     The NVA cadre must have spotted the Paratroopers coming as Sp4 Mahlon Dunn of Greenwich Village, NY found and disarmed a chicom grenade trip wire booby trap.
     Captain Huba Wass de Czege, a Hungarian native who now lives in Gainesville, Fla, said, "It was obvious from the condition of the bamboo that the complex was recently built. Also some of the wards were still under construction."

     AN KHE- Winding its way through the hillsides between An Khe and Mang Yang Pass, the 25-mile segment of Highway 19 has been a formidable target for enemy activities while the 173d has been based at Camp Radcliff.
     "If we weren't on our toes," said Sfc Kenneth J. Caudill, Field First for Charlie Company, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry, "it is conceivable that a quickly executed ambush could result in highjacking several tons of critical supplies on convoy to the interior of Vietnam."
     "But, we've never lost any part of the road to the enemy," added Caudill whose home is in Canton, Ohio. Only the weather was successful in closing down the road when a bridge was washed away in a monsoon rain.
     At first light, the Mechanized Infantrymen of Charlie Company ready their equipment and Tracks for a reconnaissance and mine sweep patrol from their base at LZ Schuller 10 miles west of An Khe.
     "We recon the road every morning before the first convoys pass through," said Sp4 K Heaton of Nicholls, Ga. "That can be risky business" he added, "because pulling the same mission along the same route daily, increases the chances of enemy ambush."
     Nearly 100 mines have been discovered in the last two months on 15 strongpoints west of LZ Schuller left in the night for the mech teams that occupy the posts throughout the day. The Infantrymen who man the hillside outposts maintain a constant watch on all avenues of approach to the highway so they can provide quick reaction and early warning in the threat of enemy attack.

     BONG SON- A Brigade Long Range Patrol (LRP) recently accidently bumped into a large Viet Cong element, but got away and killed two while doing it.
     "We had been humping a long time," said Pfc Richard Green of Ronan, Montana. "I was on point, and before I knew what was happening a guy in black pajamas was standing in front of me."
     The incident occurred in the central highlands west of Bong Son, and before the surprised VC could fire his weapon, Green hit him with a burst of fire.
     Green's shots alerted another VC nearby who sprayed automatic weapon fire through the trees. One of the Paratroopers, however, also cut him down with a volley from his machine gun.
     The small LRP team then heard a babble of voices and a large group moving toward them. "It looked like we were badly outnumbered," recalled Pfc Robert Offenhartz of New York City, "so we hightailed it out of there."
     On the run, the RTO, Pfc Jim Mazur of Saginaw Mi, radioed for a helicopter to extract the team. "It was so thick in there we had to blow a landing zone with claymores so the chopper could see us," said Mazur. "For a couple of us," added Offenhartz, "it was our first LRP mission, and that extraction chopper couldn't have gotten there fast enough. Artillery was quickly called in on the enemy site.

     BAO LOC- What first appeared to be a piece of silver money turned into 4 tons of Viet Cong rice for Paratroopers of the 173d Airborne Brigade.
     The Sky Soldiers of Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 503d Infantry were conducting a routine reconnaissance mission 10 miles south of Dalat as part of Task Force South, when Sergeant Clarence Bryant of Silverton Oregon spotted a flash of metal as the sun glittered through the thick foliage.
     "I didn't know what to think," said Bryant. "It looked like a coin at first, but could have been anything, a booby trap or even a rifle aimed at me."
     Moving in to investigate the area, the Paratroopers found a large galvanized steel bin containing more than three tons of rice.
     Nearby the Paratroopers, led by 1Lt Edward Hartner of Safford Az, found a smaller cache of rice and an enemy mortar with nine rounds laying beside it.

     The keen eye of a 1st Battalion Paratrooper and a faulty magazine in an NVA's AK47 rifle recently led to the capture of an 82mm mortar with base plate and tripod, and the death of two NVA Officers.
     The Paratroopers were conducting a search and clear operation in the Suoi Ca Mountains. Charlie Company was searching a previously found NVA base camp when their OP (observation post) spotted three enemy soldiers, and wounded one.
     "We were following their trail when we came to a large rock formation and I thought I saw something moving," said Sgt Thomas Darden of Granger, Texas. "I told that Platoon Leader and we stopped to search the area."

Complex Found

     The men discovered a cave complex hidden in the rocks and later found a base plate and tripod to an 82mm mortar along with 24 mortar rounds, 6 cases of charge and 6 cans of fuses.
     Continuing the search, Pfc James Peden of Daytona Beach Fla, found a small tunnel leading out of the cave.
     "I had just gotten outside, when I heard what sounded like a rifle misfiring," recalled Pfc Peden. "I looked to my left and saw the three NVA soldiers hidden in some rocks about five feet away."
     Taking cover, Peden summoned the rest of the Company, who cut down the fleeing enemy, two of which turned out to be NVA Officers. "We later found out that the the magazine was bent and would a not project a round in to the chamber causing the rifle to misfire," said Peden. "I guess that is the only thing that saved my life."
     Returning to the cave complex the following morning to make a more thorough search, Sp4 Jack L. Joseph discovered the mortar tube hidden in a deeper section of the cave.

     BONG SON- A Viet Cong propaganda team recently lost its red crepe paper and went temporarily out of business.
     The bright red streamers were found by a Platoon of Paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion 503d Infantry while on a routine reconnaissance mission near Bong Son.

Lots of Stuff

     "There was a whole bunch of stuff," said 1Lt Tom Still of Paducah Ky, a Platoon Leader with Bravo Company. "There was brown drawing paper, song books, NVA flags, a couple of gas masks, several recently made propaganda signs, a bag full of patriotic speeches and other documents, and all that crepe paper."
     The Paratroopers were alerted to the find when they spotted movement in the brush near a trail they had been following. Pfc Larry Moore of Independence Mo, and Pfc Terry Smith of Decatur Ga, located the well-camouflaged production plant in a crevice carved into the side of the hill.

All Laid Out