Allied Military Operations, in South Vietnam, Uncovering Enormous Cache of Weapons and Ammunition
Description
Allied military operations in South Vietnam have uncovered caches of enough arms and stores in a recent three week period to supply a 10,000 man communist division for more than three months. Elements of the U.S. First Cavalry Division fighting 90 kilometers northwest of Saigon, just 25 kilometers from Cambodia, discovered a deep-dug 30-bunker complex crammed with 45 tons of food and ammunition. It included quantities of small arms ammunition, shells, mortar, and recoilless rifle rounds, rockets, and explosives; mostly of Communist Chinese manufacture.; South Vietnamese Rangers on operations in the Mekong Delta have seized 300 automatic weapons. These guns are believed to be of West German origin. Military authorities estimate these losses to the enemy to be the worst since the beginning of the war, with significant impact on communist ability to indicate that most communist war material is transported and infiltrated on the backs of oppressed laborers and enemy soldiers
Dale Stephens and Joe Knapp. Burning a hole in a mortar crate with C4 to make a toilet seat. Took incoming rounds about 20 seconds after this pic was taken. B Co. 1969-70 RVN. Photo by John Fisher.
Allied military operations in South Vietnam have uncovered caches of enough arms and stores in a recent three week period to supply a 10,000 man communist division for more than three months. Elements of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division fighting 90 kilometers northwest of Saigon, just 25 kilometers from Cambodia, discovered a deep-dug 30-bunker complex crammed with 45 tons of food and ammunition. It included quantities of small arms ammunition, shells, mortar, and recoilless rifle rounds, rockets, and explosives; mostly of Communist Chinese manufacture. South Vietnamese Rangers on operations in the Mekong Delta have seized 300 automatic weapons. These guns are believed to be of West German origin. Military authorities estimate these losses to the enemy to be the worst since the beginning of the war, with significant impact on communist ability to indicate that most communist war material is transported and infiltrated on the backs of oppressed laborers and enemy soldiers.
Soldiers With Their Civet Cat And A Mortar Parachute
Description
Cai Cai 1966. Richard H. Dick James standing 2nd from left. "We had just made our civet cat airborne qualified, using a mortar parachute off the observation tower. Sergeant First Class Allard, Staff Sergeant Conard, Sergeant Richard "Dick" James and Staff Sergeant Passmore. We got a group of four A-teams together, made a night jump at Bragg, and each team hiked to a target. We hiked (during the nighttime) to the Bragg Ammo Dump. Arrived before dawn, and reconnoitered the site. In the early dawn we cut our way through the fence/barbed wire, and snuck onto the grounds of the ammo dump. We then placed signs on each bunker, saying 'destroyed by Detachment A-42, Company D, 7th Special Forces Group.' The other three teams did the same at the base water supply and power supply, as well as the aircraft on Pope Air Force Base. The Ft. Bragg commanding general was livid, and chewed out everybody involved. It was a 'blast.' None of the teams were ever spotted." — with Richard H. Dick James. Photo by Richard H. Dick James.
After fishing. Unidentified, Montgomery, Jefferson, Martinez and unidentified. Mortar Platoon. 1965-1966 Photo by Ed Montgomery, Company B, 1/7 Cavalry.
Mortar crater. Photo by Russell Elderbaum, a "Scout" with D-Troop during 1969 & 1970. 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. 1969-1970. Courtesy of Mike Gustin.
