Excerpts from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. You can google “First Battle of Loc Ninh” for many more stories about this action and much more detail about the actual battles.
The First Battle of Loc Ninh was a battle during the Vietnam War that occurred between 29 October and 7 November 1967, fought by the Viet Cong (9th VC Division), Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), Civilian Irregular Defense Group and the United States Army (elements of the 1st Infantry and 25th Infantry Divisions).
The battle was part of the Operation Shenandoah II campaign. This battle represented the first time that Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN) had coordinated attacks from different divisions, and was intended as “rehearsal” to experiment with urban-fighting techniques to be used for the Tet Offensive.
Operational goals of COSVN was in part, to draw US and ARVN forces away from the cities in an upsurge of activity, in preparation for the Tet Offensive the next year.
In late September and early October patrols from the Loc Ninh Special Forces Camp had discovered an engineering company from the Viet Cong (VC) 9th Division building a large hospital on the Sông Bé River several kilometers west of Loc Ninh and elements of the 84th Artillery Regiment, which operated in support of VC infantry, camped within a few kilometers of Loc Ninh. Allied intelligence also obtained documents indicating that the VC 9th Division would begin a major operation in Bình Long Province on or about 25 October. II Field Force commander Lieutenant General Frederick C. Weyand ordered Major General John H. Hay to prepare contingency plans for the defense of the district capitals of Loc Ninh and Sông Bé.
The 187th Assault Helicopter Company (Crusaders) was deployed on the third day of the battle to support elements of the 25th ID. This action would begin my first experience with the massive body counts that would be a result of the VC attacking border units in an attempt to draw US forces away from the cities. I didn’t know that was their tactic, I only knew that all of a sudden the war had become far more deadly for myself, but especially for the enemy. During the 9 days of this battle the VC lost over 1,000 soldiers. Many of those were lost during attacks on the SF camps at Loc Ninh and Bu Dop. Prior to this time, even though we had participated in some severe actions, a 100 enemy dead was seen as a tremendous kill rate.
We were deployed to and staged out of the airfield at Loc Ninh. We landed there on the third day of the attacks and the VC had made tow large scale attacks during each of the previous 2 nights. During the second day, an artillery battery had been moved into the southern end of the airfield. This was done via road rather than airlift and since the VC we operating out of and attacking from the NE and NW, they did not detect this new threat. That night they led off the attack with mortars, rockets, and other forms of artillery. Then attacked the SF camp from two directions. The airfield had a slight rise in the middle, with the sound end not clearly visible from the north. As the enemy came over the slight rise, the artillery had lowered the guns and fired bee hive rounds into the surprised enemy.
We landed on the eastern side of the runway and shutdown to await briefings for the mission. After I exited the aircraft, I became acutely aware of my surroundings. The PSP runway was covered with unexploded mortar rounds. Just the fins sticking up out of the PSP, others buried int the dirt between the runway and the trees. The bodies of the dead had been removed from the runway but some still remained along the tree line. The bee hive rounds had desseminated the trees and in come cases “nailed” the enemy to trees. It was a mess and an eye opener for me me, had seen nothing like this during my 4 months in country. Little did I realize then that this was just the beginning. Over the next 3 months we would support numerous intensive battles along the border. The Parrot’s Beak, attack on two SF camps, Katum CIDG base, FSB Burt and other unnamed battles brought on by our insertions of units of the 25th ID. On many of these night engagements against fixed bases the VC/NVA lost from 200-600 soldiers killed during each engagement.
Our activities during this time frame where not as intense as some of the earlier actions, but we took fire every day. Our insertions were all challenged, either by LZ watchers or by surprising enemy units of platoon to company size. We were lucky that we did not have any KIA or seriously wounded. We did have some wounded, but most were repaired and returned to duty with us.
I was involved in my second major accident during these operations. I was flying with the 12th Avn Group SIP, he was a former member of our unit and I knew him well, would see him during our later years at other Army assignments and become good friends. We were flying trail (Chalk 10) and the leas was a CPT platoon leader and and FNG pilot. They cam in on the wrong axis and instead of landing in a very uneven LZ with a ravine running through it, perpendicular to the ravine, they landed right down the ravine axis. This did allow some aircraft to move to either side and land, others had to go around, but not us. We were left hanging over the widest part of the ravine, couldn’t go left or right and not enough power to go around wit a full load of combat troops. The SIP was at the controls, but nothing he could do to save it, just do his best to let it settle in one piece. As we settled we hit a high stump on the tail boom which upset the apple cart and knocked us into the ravine side. We spun around and then settled upright. SIP called on the radio that “trail was down” and I started an emergency shutdown, fuel off, battery off, then the rest after we insured no fire. The troops just said, thanks for the ride and scampered off. Then lead thinking we had told him we were down and unloaded, took off with the rest of the birds, leaving us in the LZ.
As I stated about 4 birds had to go around, so they formed up together and came back in on the proper path to unload troops. It then one of them realized we had crashed and moved over to pick us up. We went back to Loc Ninh and started giving our statements to the powers that be. Since I was not the AC I only needed to give my statement, but I told them that there was nothing the SIP could do, if I thought I could have done something, I would have taken control, I was an AC in the unit. We were in one of the known weaker ships in the company and he was doing all he could to keep us upright and safe.
Right after this I got a short pass to go to Saigon and visit my Fort Wolters IP who was assigned there. I boarded a C-130 at Tay Ninh whose destination was Saigon, but the forgot to tell me that was their “final” stop. The crew wanted me to come sit in the jumps seat and talk to them while we flew, they took off and headed north, I asked what the heck guys, where we going. They said they had a quick stop to make at Loc Ninh…. first of all I didn’t think the runway was long enough for them and secondly, it was still covered in unexploded ammo. But anyway, wrong on the first count, they made a steep approach and hit the brakes and reverse thrust as soon as the wheels touched. Finally came to almost a stop at the end of the runway, did a 180 lowered the ramp and boarded some SF guys. Then hit the throttle and off we go, they never did really stop, was still moving while the SF boarded and skimmed over the top of the arty battery on the south end. If that’s what you have to do for a ride to Saigon, so be it…
Just another learning experience in Vietnam…