Sapper attack on fob4: Da nang

eggbeast

POSTED FROM OUR YOUTUBE PAGE:

CandC68 When they are talking bout the enemy grenades.... I was in the transient barracks at our HQ in Danang Aug, 68., on my way to R&R in Hong Kong We woke up to explosions bigger than grenades. It was satchel charges. Though, at the time we thought it was incoming rockets. The end of the building next to us had taken a lot of damages ( Gilbert Secor died in that). We were all passing through, R&R, or meetings. So none of us had equipment. I went out in the hallway and saw a grenade roll just in side the far end of the hall from our room. It was cylindrical and smoking. My mind actually said( very quickly), "it looks like a smoke grenade. Why would someone throw a smoke grenade? I don't care" and went back into our room. It wasn't a smoke grenade. During the next few minutes other grenades rolled into the hall, each getting closer to our room. The last one about 6 feet short. We waited. I was holding the light fixture that blew off the ceiling to use as a bat if one came in our window. And who ever was grenading us did try for our window but hit the outer wall. It went off <5 feet from me outside, and blew frags through the plywood wall. i caught a few of them. In retrospect I've been glad it wasn't one of our grenades or I'd have a lot more holes. The transient barracks was not a high priority on the attackers plan, fortunately for us. Though all the walls had bullet holes from one end of the building to the other, when the grenadier threw his last one at my window, he left. Other than frags, the only casualty was Potter, from gun fire. The other occupants in his end room said he jumped out of his bunk and was dead before he hit the floor.

eggbeast

Here is the NVA After Action Report translated by one of our team:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ekha_VWjuQva9f2KzOxuSLNYmPP3qhzRRA_E5-Zjk9I/edit?usp=sharing

Parker

A lot of other guys did the work of surviving and clearing the camp over the few hours. I didn't. Their stories are the ones to read and record in the history books. What I can do here is post what I saw and heard. Soooo..
Neil (a friend from FOB 2) and I were heading to R&R. I think we had watched a movie in camp and afterwards headed to our barracks. As we walked past a mortar pit, we commented that if the SHTF we could go there and pop off some rounds. We never got there, and later heard that the guys who did, were killed. As I remember it, things started around 0300 or so.
Which reminded me of how Tet started. At the time I was in B-42, Chau Doc. At midnight the local soldiers were celebrating in town firing tracers into the sky. All fun and games. Around 0300 the tracer fire was all ground level.
So, Neil and I crashed and then the attack woke us up.
<<Insert the previous account here, and I'll continue where it ends.>>
When the grenade bowling stopped, Neil and I went back in the hall and headed out the far end. A guy had just gone out the close end and came right back in. He got shot in the foot and told us "they" were in the camp. We left the other way. At the last room on the left a mattress was burning, and a body was in a pile on the floor. It was Potter. The guy in the room told us he had died instantly. And was trying to get the mattress out of the building. We helped.
There were a few of us now. I had picked up a full magazine from a sub machine gun. It was my only weapon. Shortly, I got a 45 and then a sub machine gun. I kept the 45, and gave the sub to Neil. I was limping by now and figure he would be more capable.
There were several of us ill equiped folks now. For some reason we decided to move up to another barracks. Just before we moved, someone said, "hey Jones(?) is around the side, lets get him." He ran around the corner found Jones(?) dead, and then came under fire. Came back to group.
We got to another barracks and hunkered down outside one entrance. Then a vehicle pulled up and a Captain hopped out and said "Put the injured on the Jeep(?). Then follow us to the dispensary. We can make a last stand down there."
(Let me explain a few things. 1- This Captain was a ring knocker. And had been kicked out of FOB2 for smacking one of our Vietnamese women, who worked there. Not behavior of a West Pointer, or anyone. 2- My mind said "I don't do last stands. If they want me, they'll have to find me. " 3 - I'm 6'2" and 220 lbs. My PJs were black pajama pants I had made in Chau Doc. So running around for me was a bad idea. Either side could see me and shoot, and I couldn't fault them. and I had no idea of the layout of the camp.)
So, Neil and I and a few others stayed digging into the sand at that barracks. We watched as a fire started in the warehouse structure. We weren't gonna become firemen. So we just watched it all burn down. As it got lighter, a couple guys came by and told us to move out and man the walls. They saw me limp and had me go to the medevac Huey. I spent my R&R on the Hospital Ship Sanctuary. Shortly it had to move out of harbor to maneuver when a typhoon hit.
I did get back to HQ and was offered a ride back to FOB2 for any "stuff" I wanted. I declined. I was very short for a bunch of dates. My DEROS, DOR, DOB, ETS, were all within a few days of each other. (a sign? ) Not knowing the extent of damage to my knee, I was afraid I couldn't jump, and would not be in SF. I was offered a stateside assignment and rank of Captain, if I stayed. After SOG and SF, I couldn't imagine stateside non SF. So, I got out.
I don't know when I heard this but... One NCO had been drinking before the attack, and went to bed slightly impaired. The attack woke him up. He stood up in front of his metal locker and proceeded to get dressed for war. As he stood there, and enemy ran past his door. Their eyes met. The enemy threw a grenade in the room and kept running. This NCO, looked at the guy, then the grenade, and calmly stepped into his locker and closed the door behind him. Story was that he may have gotten a few scratches.
Back in HQ what I heard was: The enemy were wearing shorts and came in from the beach. That they owned some of the guards. That 32 of them died trying to get out after the initial fight. That 109 were killed in a nearby village, nicknamed VC Village. And that we had lost 17 American SF and I never heard a number of our indig troops.

eggbeast

hey Parker,

thank you for sharing your story, it's an honor to have a veteran of FOB4 telling us how it was.
If you decide to read the translation of the NVA sapper companys AAR I linked, I'd be interested in your opinion of it.
We had one of our Vietnamese team do the translation and a whole bunch of SOG vets were interested to see it from their enemies POV.
A tragic night in SOG.

Rob

Parker

I have seen accounts of what happened that morning, on YouTube and MACVSOG sites. Those guys' actions and accounts are the actual story of what happened. Even the NVA information can fill in the event. I've seen hand drawn maps of the camp layout that gave more.
It was a historically important event. To me, the more information about all sides should be documented. The statement that history is written by the winner is not valid as history.
And all the collected stories are remembrances, each as seen from the limited view of the participants. Gather as much as possible while any survivors are still around, all sides. That collection will be the closest to a historical record.

eggbeast

Thanks, I am in total agreement.
When I tentatively posted the AAR on the SOG facebook page, one of the guys immediately said "wewouldn't be Special Forces if we didn't consider all the intel available, and learn from it"
Spider Parks told me in an email that some vets are meeting to discuss the AAR later this year. I'll be fascinated to see what comes out of the discussions.