There is a story to these photos. This village,
Situated to the Northeast of the Village of An Tinh, scene of a major contact in January
of 1968 by Delta and Bravo Companies, seemed idyllic. In the Fall of 1967 we often passed
this village located on the South China Sea. I had my camera with me on one trip and took
a picture of the children (Top Left) who would always run out to meet our tracks as we
passed by. Waving happily and asking for candy, food, or anything we would be willing to
give. It seemed a bit odd that so many children would run from this village toward our
tracks (Pictured above)
so one day we turned and cordoned off the village. It turned
out to be an R&R village for NVA troops in the area. In the months to come, nearby An
Tinh would be selected as a staging area for spring and summer assaults on Highway 1 and
other Vietnamese Popular and Regular Force Outposts. Delta Company smashed those hopes
when they, along with Bravo Company and elements of the 1/5th Cav and 2/5th Cav would
devastate to annihilation this NVA force. We took several prisoners that day in the
fall
and I found a North Vietnamese 2 cent coin. (Hai Dong) I still have the coin
which is shown in two views above Top Center (Click on the image of the coin to enlarge).
On the front the coin reads (In Vietnamese) President Ho Chi Minh
and on the
rear Peoples Communist Republic of Vietnam (Approximate Translation).
Ironically, the date on the coin, 1946, is the year I was born! The third picture (Top
Right) was taken from a re-supply chopper months later. Circled Armored Personnel Carriers
can be seen on the beach below between An Tinh and the Fishing Village on the coast.
Pictured below these three is a scan of the Topo map of the area, Series L7014, Sheet
6837-IV |