The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Siege of Khe Sanh - Dec. 10th, 2002

http://www.willpete.com/siege.htm ^ | Maj Mark A. Swearengen, USA

[R. Scott]

Yes, road convoys were risky – but air supply was very limited in quantity. Our boats could deliver over 1000 tons a day, and the truckers would deliver it. I always imagined that air was used only for that which was needed on short notice – it would take us about a week from the time supplies were requested until it was delivered. Most of what we carried was fuel and ammo – stuff they would always need.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the follow-up information, most accounts I had read on Khe Sanh imply that overland supply was very limited.

[middie]

I recall those days with a clarity that exceeds what I did and where I was yesterday. The squadrons supplying air support practically wore out our aircraft, crews, ground support troops and maintenance parts inventories. The enormous amount of munitions that were used during that period had to be more than the Eighth Air Force placed on German targets during a period much longer than this action.

We were able to put to effective first use some of the new day and night photo, electronic and communications reconnaissance gadgets being then made available. Technology provided some truly amazing stuff that hepled air crews to put the bad guys in the cross hairs and get the boomers in the pickle barrel. It was sort of like the old Marlon Brando mob axiom that nothing moves in his town but what he says so. Nothing moved in areas around the Khe Sanh base and its outlying posts but what we saw it, tracked it and told the proper planners about it.

From overhead, the view of a C-130 making a pass only a few inches above the runway with the pallet delivery system chutes draging re-supply crates out of the ass-end while incoming all around them was to watch what was truly a feat of intrepidity and airmanship. It's one thing to do your thing with a high performance aircraft providing close ground support and supressing the bad guys' fire, it's totally another to play chicken at low speed, on the deck with the back door of an unarmed C-130 wide open.

Of my 48 trips to Khe Sanh and its immediate environs, watching those brave C-130 air crews do their circus act is the vison that remains in my mind's eye like a framed photograph.

[rastus macgill]

I'd say the Stones kept going strong to Some Girls in 1978 their decline after this excellent record roughly paralells Mick and Keiths declining drug use.
Dying early for Jazz and Rock musicians limits their mediocre and embarassing efforts.
Drugs are no substitute for talent,I will grant you that more often than not drugs stifle or destroy it.
I am struck by how many artists in many fields really suck after getting clean---Steve Earle for example.
Charlie Parker's musical sound is inseperably linked to his drug use.Mick and Keith were at top form in the early 70s as their drug use was at its peak.
I suspect that for many creative people who produce supreme work "on drugs" it is the result of neglecting all other aspects of their lives resulting in a focus on only work and their next high.

[rastus macgill]

Whoops that post was not meant for you or this thread my comments section is filled with Freeper foxhole posts for some inexplicable reason and I was attempting to reply to someone else sorry.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for sharing you experiences at Khe Sanh with us and thank you for your service.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"I always imagined that air was used only for that which was needed on short notice[snip].

As a helicopter (HUEY) Crew Chief I'd say that your statement is mostly correct but it depends on the area, time-of-day, enemy activity and mission necessity.(A Huey (UH-1) has a crew of 4 members:Pilot, Copilot, Gunner and a Crew Chief and most non Army Aviation people aren't aware of the pecking order of the crew.) The pilots were mostly warrant officers and the Crew Chief and Gunner were enlisted. In my last tour in Nam (I did 2 tours) I was 22 and older and more experienced in flight operations than most 20 and 21 year old pilot/warrant officers. I would say that each person had a mission and we all did our jobs to complete what we were required to do. Get the supplies/troops to where they are needed.

So air missions could be called for, in an emergency, but my experience was that it was best to use a truck, IF POSSIBLE, because a truck doesn't hit the ground and crash when hit with a bullet in the engine compartment.

Most movies portray helicopters to be flying tanks and invunerable to enemy fire.

So those who flew into Khe Sanh were truly brave men flying into dangerous missions and aware of the danger of the mission. Most Viet Nam era aircraft lacked armor and relied on luck and great flying skills along with a Crew Chief and Gunners who knew how to supress the enemy with M-60 machine guns.

[R. Scott]

”"I always imagined that air was used only for that which was needed on short notice…”

This was in reference only to Khe Sanh, I am in total agreement with ever word you posted.
Much of the “history” of Viet Nam is based on two things – our esteemed media’s reporting, and the statements and briefings put out by the military officials, many who had their own agenda. We are familiar with the US Marines publicist’s versions – The US Marines were directly responsible for winning every one of our wars, with only minor help from the Army (no offence, guys). In the early days of Army helicopter aviation, their reps had to polish their efforts at every chance to fend off the Air Force’s effort to take over all cargo and ground support aircraft roles. In their rhetoric they did all the medical evacs, all the resupply, all the insertions etc.
The Army’s waterborne people never had many good publicists – and I still believe it was a (unintentionally) well kept secret.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

 

""Much of the “history” of Viet Nam is based on two things – our esteemed media's reporting, and the statements and briefings put out by the military officials, many who had their own agenda."
 

Don't look for the real history soon.  I worked with many Army amphibious landings in the Delta and I failed to see any Navy personnel.  Except for the Forrest Gump movie there is not much reference to the all-Army water-borne-navy operations in the Delta (brown water) which was done by all Army and had very little support from the US Navy.  The Navy took a huge credit but they knew how to play the press game.  The US Army had hundreds of boats and hundreds of helicopters but the Navy had better press coverage.  I think the Navy had 2 helicopter companies but they took credit for 30 Army helicopter companies.

I have read things that suggest that the "brown-water Army operations" in the Delta were the most important war activity because they denied the VC supplies to Siagon and supply routes by water from North Vietnam.  The 9th Infantry Div. did more to stop VC and RVN progress than several other Army and Marine Divisions in the North.  THIS IS MY OPINION.  I think in the end the 9th Infantry will come out as important as the Khe Sanh stand.
 
 

[Sparta]

Siege of Khe Sahn ping!!!!

If you want on or off the Western Civilization Military History pinglist, let me know.

[R. Scott]

In addition, we supported many Navy Coronado missions. The 9th supplied the infantry, the Black Horse supplied the armor, various Army helicopter companies supplied air support and we supplied most of the resupply and heavy hauling.
The Navy supplied the press releases and a limited amount of gunship support.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

I often wonder if as I've heard that history is written by the victors if that so the US Army has lost the War in Vietnam? (This means that the Marines and Navy won.)

I just wish things were a bit more objective.

[R. Scott]

Written history is seldom objective, as it is difficult for any historian not to include personal opinion and add the “why” as well as the “what”
As far back as the 5th Century BCE, Herodotus and Thucydides included a bit (a lot?) of personal opinion.

[Jen]

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