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VIETNAM II
Memoirs of
Major Donald Babb
Written June,
2008
(10 June 1968 to 15
July 1968) (3 August 1968 to 17 September 1968)
On June 3,
1968, I flew from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to
Kansas City and visited with Mom, Dad, Judy and
Gary and girls, and family before flying on to
Lawton, Oklahoma, to attend the five week Field
Artillery Officer Vietnam Orientation Course at
Fort Sill. The course was a good refresher and
brought me and the other officers attending up
to date on the tactics and techniques being
employed by artillery units throughout Vietnam.
A number of officers and soldiers recently
returned from service in Vietnam shared with us
their first hand experiences. All valuable
information and the course seemed to be finished
too quickly.
I returned
to Kansas City on July 17, 1968, and stayed
there until flying on to Albuquerque on July 27
to visit with Scott and Jon for a few days and
then flying on to San Francisco on August 1.
While in Kansas City I had the opportunity to
attend the tenth reunion of my high school
class. It was a fun evening. I also had several
discussions with Dad concerning service in
Vietnam. I was aware that some individuals and
organizations in the USA had been sending fake
telegrams to families of soldiers serving in
Vietnam saying their son had been killed or
severely wounded, etc. I told Dad if such a
telegram was sent to Mom and Dad they should
immediately contact the local office of
Congressman Randall and get confirmation from
the Department of the Army. The Army was sending
telegrams to families only after receiving
official notice from the casualty section at the
Army Headquarters in Vietnam. At that time my
assignment was to be an Artillery Liaison
Officer to the 11th Armored Cavalry
Regiment and I would be participating in combat
operations.
The four
days I spent in Albuquerque with Scott and Jon
went by all too quickly. Then it was on to San
Francisco and the Oakland Army Terminal and
finally to Travis Air Force Base for my flight
to Vietnam on August 2, 1968.
We flew
into the Bien Hoa Air Base just northeast of
Saigon on Saturday night, August 3, 1968. From
there we were transported to the Replacement
Center at Long Binh. Long Binh was a massive
facility with lots of activity. All the hubbub
and commotion staggers one at first glance. It
seemed to me at the moment that every single one
of the more than 520,000 troops assigned to
Vietnam were all there at Long Binh and each one
was going a different direction and speed. On
August 7, 1968, my assignment was changed. I was
being assigned to the 23rd Artillery
Group specifically to command A Battery, 2nd
Battalion, 32nd Artillery at Fire
Base Camp Saint Barbara. Lieutenant Colonel
Billy McDonald, Commander, 2nd/32nd
Artillery, met me at Long Binh and we caught a
ride on a helicopter flying to the city of Tay
Ninh in Tay Ninh Province about 60 miles
northwest of Saigon. The Headquarters of both
the 23rd Artillery Group and the 2nd/32nd
Artillery were in Tay Ninh. I signed in at the
23rd Artillery Group and met the
Commanding Officer, Colonel Harold G. DeArment.
I received updates on locations, missions and
current operations of all elements of the 23rd
Artillery Group. Colonel McDonald and I made
quick trips by helicopter to visit and tour B
and C Battery’s locations. On August 10 we went
by helicopter to Fire Base Camp Saint Barbara
and I would take command of A Battery.
Colonel
McDonald conducted a brief change of command
ceremony and I took command of the battery from
Major Richard Ranc who would be reassigned to
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and a
primary duty as assistant operations officer, 2nd/32nd
Artillery in Tay Ninh city. On August 18, Major
Ranc was reassigned to the 25th
Infantry Division Artillery. Soon after the
change of command ceremony, Colonel McDonald and
Major Ranc returned to Tay Ninh city. It was
time to meet the soldiers of Battery A.
A Battery
was a “heavy” artillery battery made up of four
175mm self propelled guns. The M-110 chassis
could be reconfigured to mount either the 175mm
gun tube or an 8-inch howitzer gun tube. Each of
the four guns had its’ own pad or firing
position, an ammo bunker and an equipment
bunker.
The picture above shows
the 175mm gun configuration, below the 8-inch
howitzer.
Fire Base
Camp Saint Barbara (Saint Barbara is the Patron
Saint of the Artillery) was located about 20-25
miles north, northeast of Tay Ninh city in an
area carved out and built by an Engineer unit in
March 1968 and occupied by the battery in April
1968. Inside dimensions of the fire base were
400 feet by 500 feet. Built up bunkers (walls)
along each side were all covered by a dirt berm
to a height of nearly 20 feet. At the base each
wall was nearly 40 feet thick. The bunkers
served as both the living quarters for the
soldiers and as fighting positions for defense
of the perimeter. In addition to the individual
positions, there were two .50 caliber machinegun
firing positions built into each wall and
centered in each wall was a 105mm recoilless
rifle position. We had a 4.2-inch mortar as well
as two 81mm mortars that were used mainly to
fire flares. Depending on the movement that was
detected outside the perimeter, we could choose
to fire a series of flares far enough out in
order to back light any movement detected. In
addition to the munitions with flares we had a
supply of high explosive rounds for the mortars
and would use these from time to time. At each
corner there was an air defense artillery
section consisting of a quad-50 and a
searchlight. The quad-50 element was four .50
caliber machineguns as pictured below.
The searchlight was
capable of using infrared as well as switching
to a one million candle power white light. At
night the searchlights would operate using
infrared as they swept the perimeter. When
movement was detected, the searchlight sections
would coordinate with each other to be certain
two sections were detecting the same movement.
The quad-50 section chiefs would contact the
fire direction center concerning the movement
being detected. The officer in charge of the
fire direction center would alert the battery
and everyone would man their respective firing
positions with their individual weapons or would
man the .50 caliber machinegun and 105mm
recoilless rifle positions. When everyone was in
place the command would be issued to the two
searchlights sections who had detected the
movement using infrared to switch to white
light. White light was the signal for the
quad-50’s and other soldiers to open fire. 15 to
30 seconds was all the time usually needed and
cease fire was ordered. The searchlights would
switch back to infrared and continue to monitor
the perimeter.
Most days
an Armored Cavalry section would lead a convoy
between Tay Ninh city and Camp Saint Barbara
bringing food, mail and ammunition resupply. The
cavalry unit would spend the night and each
morning would sweep around the perimeter, search
and pickup dead Vietcong and North Vietnamese
Army (NVA) soldiers. All documents, maps, etc.,
found on the bodies were sent to the battalion
S-2 (Intelligence) for evaluation and
assessment. More often than not the dead were
very, very young, mere boys than young men.
The battery
was authorized 115 soldiers and most positions
were filled. In addition there was an Infantry
platoon attached, a searchlight and quad-50
platoon, and a heavy weapons platoon. About 180
total. Outside the bunker walls are a series of
wire fences some 50 meters between each fence.
And between the outer two fences there were more
than 4,000 land mines of various types along
with trip flares, booby traps, etc. [The cavalry
units always seemed to have one or more pet dogs
with them when they came to the fire base. And
even though we would warn them about the mine
fields, dogs being dogs, they would frequently
wander in those forbidden areas and “Boom!” a
mine would explode and “dog gone.”]
After
taking command I began a series of inspections
and reviews of each section of the battery. I
had some 30 days to verify all equipment
assigned to the battery was accounted for. I
began my evaluation with 1LT Noble and the
supply clerk, PFC Kevin Dugan. We reviewed the
copies of documentation in the notebook
maintained in the supply bunker. Copies of hand
receipts were on hand for all items and
everything appeared to be in order. My next step
was to meet with each section chief and go over
each hand receipt item by item. I found it
worked best to conduct these assessments one at
a time and at irregular intervals.
The fire
direction center, mess, communications, firearms
and weapons, and supply sections were in good
shape. If an item was not physically present
there was a record showing why, usually because
it had been turned in to battalion for repair or
replacement. The individual gun sections,
however, were another matter. Several items were
simply gone and could not be accounted for.
I now had a
list of items to take to battalion and discuss
with the property book officer. Unable to
schedule a helicopter to transport me to
battalion, I had the First Sergeant coordinate
with the Armored Cavalry unit a road trip to Tay
Ninh city. The battery had too many trucks and
jeeps parked at Camp Saint Barbara and they
would be better off in the motor pool at the
battalion location. On September 2, 1968, two 2
½-ton trucks and one jeep from the battery
joined the vehicles from the Armored Cavalry
unit for the trip to Tay Ninh city. I had given
battalion our estimated departure and arrival
times and would report to battalion following
arrival in Tay Ninh. I rode in the jeep and 2LT
Lucas rode in the 2 ½-ton truck immediately
behind the jeep. We were approaching the half
way point when suddenly there was a huge
explosion behind me. Thinking ambush, all
vehicles began pulling off the road alternating
left and right. The Armored Cavalry unit set up
a perimeter and waited for an attack that never
came. But the explosion had demolished the 2
½-ton truck that had been following my jeep. 2LT
Lucas was killed, the driver and two soldiers
riding in the rear of the truck sustained
serious injuries. I radioed for a Medical
Evacuation Helicopter [The medical evacuation
helicopter units were referred to as “Dustoff”
throughout Vietnam and when you needed one you
always called for it by that name] and it
arrived in about twenty minutes. We loaded the
casualties onto the Dust off helicopter and it
lifted off taking them to the medical unit in
Tay Ninh. We then reassembled the convoy and
made the rest of the trip without further
incident.
When I
reported to battalion after arrival in Tay Ninh,
I asked Colonel McDonald to go with me to the
medical unit to visit the soldiers who had been
wounded in the explosion during the road trip
and brought to Tay Ninh. We spent some time
waiting at the hospital to visit the soldiers
and to see how they were holding up. Two of them
had leg fractures and the third had an arm
fracture. The doctor we spoke with said the men
would be transferred to Japan for rehabilitation
and perhaps even to the USA. It certainly seemed
their war was over. LT Lucas’ body was in the
process of being readied for transfer to the
graves registration element at Long Binh where
his body would be prepared for placement in a
casket and shipment home to the USA. I stopped
by the S-1 office and obtained the name and
address for 2LT Lucas’ next of kin, his parents.
Writing that letter of condolence to his parents
was a difficult task, but one I needed to do as
soon as possible. After returning to Camp Saint
Barbara I conducted a brief memorial service for
LT Lucas, a man who had been with the battery
for such a short time.
While in
Tay Ninh, I spent time with the battalion
property book officer going over the equipment
listed as assigned to my battery. I signed for
all the items I had inspected and knew were
present at Camp Saint Barbara. I annotated the
property book for the items that were missing
and could not be accounted for and did not sign
for them. The property book officer made sounds
of exasperation telling me there would need to
be a report of survey, etc., etc.
I attended
briefings and meetings at both the battalion and
group operations centers. I learned that
preparations were underway for a series of
listening devices to be dropped by aircraft or
delivered by artillery fires off the sides of
the road and trails that ran from Tay Ninh to
the vicinity of Camp Saint Barbara. At impact,
the listening devices would be buried to varying
depths and all that remained above ground was a
very thin wire-like antenna. The devices were
supposed to be sensitive enough to pick up the
sounds of people walking or running or even
bicycling nearby and then to transmit the sounds
on a specific frequency. Battalion and each
battery were being issued radios to receive the
sounds and signals of movement. Because the
listening devices were being dropped or fired
into areas considered hostile, then those sounds
and signals transmitted and received were
interpreted as coming from Viet Cong or North
Vietnamese Army elements as they passed by. The
firing battery’s could then coordinate a time on
target fire mission to cause havoc with the
movement being detected. Over the next two weeks
I was able to listen to the radios in my fire
direction center as several of these firing
missions were carried out.
Back at
Camp Saint Barbara the days seemed to speed up
as First Sergeant Dixon Barfield prepared for
his final day with the battery before going to
Tay Ninh and then on to Long Binh and a flight
to the USA. His tour of duty in Vietnam was
coming to a close. A new First Sergeant would be
assigned but in the meantime First Sergeant
Barfield helped the chief of firing battery
learn the ropes so he could fill in for a while.
Sergeant Barfield had a Polaroid camera and was
taking photos before leaving the fire base. The
picture below is an extra one he took of me.
There were
frequent visitors to the fire base. In addition
to officers from the battalion and group flying
in from time to time, we also received visits
from the 25th Division Commander,
Major General Williamson, pictured below.
Vietcong
and North Vietnamese Army movement and activity
in Tay Ninh Province seemed to be on the
increase. Camp Saint Barbara came under
harassing mortar fires daily. Each time we had a
fire mission, the tube of one of the guns would
be elevated and could be easily observed by
anyone in the tree lines surrounding the fire
base. That always seemed to trigger one or two
mortar rounds being fired at us and the
explosions always got our attention. And again
each day around dusk we would receive another
round or two just to harass us it seemed. We had
three soldiers very lightly wounded, more like
scratches, so we were lucky.
By the end
of the first full week of September, the
harassing mortar fires were getting too damned
accurate. It seemed like the center of the fire
base was now zeroed in and that caused no small
amount of uneasiness. Everyone began to move at
a quick time, especially during fire missions.
No one went without their helmet or flak jacket
except when inside one of the bunkers or when
trying to grab a quick shower [The fire base had
its own Artesian well for water so we had an
unlimited water supply. The Armored Cavalry and
Infantry elements that came through the area and
stayed in the fire base from time to time really
liked the idea of unlimited water for showers.]
The fire
base received its share of visitors – Battalion,
Group, 25th Division and II Field
Force – seemed to drop in unannounced as often
as not. If they were bringing mail or some
supplies then the visit was a plus. Somewhere
around September 7, Major General Walter
Richardson, Deputy Commanding General, II Field
Force, dropped in for a visit. He was aware of
the harassing mortar fires we were receiving and
before he departed that day he asked, “Is there
anything you think you need that you don’t
have?” I responded, “Yes sir there is. I would
like to have a 105mm howitzer and gun crew, and
I would like to have a pallet or two of
flechette ammunition for the howitzer.” General
Richardson asked me, “Why Captain?” “For direct
fire purposes,” I replied. “There is one easy
way to get into this fire base and that is on
the roadway coming straight into camp through
the three fence lines. If the Vietcong or North
Vietnamese Army elements launch a full scale
attack, then I think they will try to breach the
fences along that roadway. With a 105 howitzer
and the flechette rounds we could sure make them
pay a heavy price.” General Richardson thought
about my response for a few moments, then said,
“Let me see what I can do Captain.”
Two days
later we received a call on the radio that two
Chinook helicopters were on approach to the fire
base and requested assistance in directing them
where to drop off their respective loads. One
Chinook had a 105mm howitzer suspended by sling
load; the other Chinook had a sling load of
ammunition. As soon as the howitzer and
ammunition were on the ground inside the fire
base, one of the Chinooks landed near our
helicopter pad and offloaded the gun crew for
the howitzer, then took off for home base. The
Chief of Firing Battery and the 105 howitzer
section chief got together and laid out plans
for emplacement, ammunition storage, and
personnel bunker. This task was completed during
the following two days.
By
September 12 the Vietcong and North Vietnamese
Army activity was really picking up. The road
from the fire base to Tay Ninh was shut down and
closed off. As a result, all supplies came by
air – when they came that is. We learned that
Sergeant Barfield was due to leave Vietnam and
return to the USA on September 20. He would
leave the fire base on September 16 going to Tay
Ninh where he would stay a day or two before
going on to Long Binh and from there a flight to
the USA.
Each night
from September 12 on we were getting small scale
probes, probably platoon size elements of the
Vietcong or North Vietnamese Army. And more
frequent harassing mortar fires during the day
resulted in even more soldiers getting wounded,
though none were serious. You could almost taste
it; an attack was coming, but when. We could
only guess, but we were ready to defend Fire
Base Saint Barbara.
On
September 15 I received a letter from Mom
telling me that her brother Ben, an Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel, had died of a heart attack.
His burial would be in Arlington National
Cemetery. I wrote a letter dated September 15 to
Mom and Dad telling them how sorry I was to
learn that Ben had died. [My letter was
postmarked September 18; Mom and Dad received it
on September 19] A helicopter picked up Sergeant
Barfield on September 16. Later that night the
probes were heavier but broke off before
midnight.
Between
1700 hours [5:00pm] and 1800 hours [6:00pm] on
September 17, the mortar fires changed from what
had been harassing type of a round or two or
even a few over a period of an hour or so to
what seemed like a barrage.
There were
explosions going off all around, then
nothing.
“I thought
I knew more or less what to expect, but I
didn’t. Not Really….I guess I’m glad I went,
because I learned something….I learned that the
price you pay for seeing the show is steeper
than you think….I guess I’ll spend a lot of time
wondering if it was worth the price of
admission.”
-
Vulcan’s Fire by Harold Coyle and
Barrett Tillman |
