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Commander Arthur R. Lee Recalls a Sapper Attack at Cam Ranh Bay During the Vietnam WarVietnam | 14 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post I had been in Vietnam for only a few days when I experienced my first rocket attack. I had just returned from a short trip to the U.S. Army’s base at Dong Ba Thin, where a contingent of Vertol CH-47 helicopters was located. While there, I was amazed to see that so many helos had been shot up. Some were blackened by fire, their crumpled fuselages pushed into a central pile. Those not damaged were widely dispersed. The bleached and faded jungle-green of the paint schemes was dusty with red dirt from their many trips to the Central Highlands near Dalat and Pleiku. A 20-foot-high chain-link fence surrounded the perimeter, in an effort to screen the base against shoulder-fired rockets. Subscribe Today
The sun was low on the horizon when I safely crossed the bridge leading to Cam Ranh Bay. I sighed with relief as I passed the air base’s heavily sandbagged guard posts, with their protruding .50-caliber machine guns. Being new to Vietnam, I found the thought of being off base after dark highly unnerving.
As I stepped out of my jeep in front of the officers’ barracks, I heard a strange whistling sound. Immediately, there were thunderous explosions nearby. Two Army warrant officers of the ‘Crazy Cat’ squadron who had been pitching horseshoes stopped their game and dropped to the ground. They yelled ‘Incoming!’ as I knelt by my vehicle. Off to my right, I saw white flashes and heard ‘Crack! Crack! Crack!’ like the sound of lightning strikes, in rapid succession. Clouds of sand, rocks and smoke flew up from the impact area, only 100 meters from us, and close to the base control tower.
The attack was over as quickly as it had begun. There wasn’t time to be afraid or nervous. The two officers resumed their horseshoe game as if nothing had happened. Somewhat shaken, I went into the barracks to clean up for dinner. The rockets had come from the hills overlooking the base. We assumed they had probably been electrically fired from a timing device; there were no enemy gunners to shoot at — even if we had the capability, which we did not. We were an air base without artillery support.
When new arrivals got off the airplane at the 14th Aerial Port, the briefing officer began by saying: ‘You are now in a combat zone and subject to enemy action at any moment. If you hear the alarm, seek shelter immediately.’
Those words positively caught our attention. Not yet having been issued helmets, flak jackets or weapons, we felt a bit helpless — but being at a large installation such as Cam Ranh Bay gave us a false sense of security. I was told that a nearby Army field hospital had been attacked a year earlier, and that the U.S. casualties had been high. The method of attack was simplicity itself: Sappers had slipped through the barbed-wire perimeter at night, dashed down the rows of barracks and thrown explosive charges at their targets.
We saw our movies in an outside amphitheater. Some of the older hands refused to gather in groups, fearing grenade attacks. Since I enjoyed movies and looked forward to the escape they offered, I considered the risk worth taking. One clear, starlit night, there was a showing of The Battle of Britain, with its vivid scenes of German bombers attacking London and fighting off British fighter planes. While bombs were exploding on-screen, Army artillery was laying down harassment and interdiction (H&I) fire on the jungles of the adjacent hills. When the on-screen explosions ceased, the H&I fire continued.
As I was sleeping that night in transient quarters, the door suddenly was flung open. Wide awake, bolting upright in my bunk and fearing the worst, I brought my pistol up to the firing position and faced what I thought was a sapper. The figure silhouetted in the doorway stopped as I tried to get the words ‘Who’s there?’ out of my throat. I could only get the words up as far as my throat, and managed a coughing stutter, more like ‘Uh, uh, uh.’ It was only after he said ‘Friend!’ in English that my heartbeat returned to normal. He was a visiting pilot who had been to our officers’ club for a nightcap. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Historical Conflicts, Historical Figures, Vietnam War
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14 Comments to “Commander Arthur R. Lee Recalls a Sapper Attack at Cam Ranh Bay During the Vietnam War”
I was stationed in Dong Ba Thin with the 18th Engineers Headquaters company. I was in the commo section. After reading the story. It reminded me of what happend one night in DongBaThin. The generators took a hit in the Helicopter Battalion which their call sign was Stallion Control. They were based across QL1 from our post direcly across the highway. Also down the road was Charlie Battery the Artillary and also on our base was the ROK Army . Well they got hit over at the choopers site and lost all power. Myself Sp4 Iacovelli and SP4 Bogel hooked up two trailers to our jeep and filled one with gas cans and the other with a generator and while still under fire we drove across to Stallion Control and got the lights up with our generator. We were both put in for Bronze star for this effort but I was a short timer and would not be there long enough for them to get that medal. I was given an Arcom with an oak leaf cluster. I guess it was a nutty thing to do but hell we wanted the choppers up and running to protect us . It was a scary night. We had several scary nights in Dong Ba Thin. But that one sticks out in my mind the most. Spent 11 months in DongBaThin in 1979 and was pulled out in president Nixons first troop withdrawl . I was an o5c20 which was a radio teletype operator. When I arrived in Dong Ba Thin and they found out I was a radio teletype operator they were happy as they were command net for the entire Cam Rahn Sector and their RATT never was operating. I set it up with the doublet antennas cut to freq and got it up and running . I taught several people how to use the Ratt I didnt want to be on the edge of the perimeter in that little green box. I ended up in the T.O.C. on the radios there doing nights 10:30 till 6:30AM each evening . I loved it because in the evenings was generally the only time we got hit. I had the panic button as I called it to alert the base when we got hit. Our guard towers did not have the panic button but they did have direct communication with OIC . We also had a general on our base who used to love to come in and do a radio check once in a while . His name was Brigadeer General Hank Shrader. Good man like my father he was an older guy but one hell of a soldier not afraid to talk to the ranks . He started his career as an RTO also . So this is my story . I thought it seemed quite close to what I read above here.
By Matt Iacovelli on Jun 29, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I was stationed in Dong Ba Thin from 1966 to 1967, in headquarters of the 18th Engineer Bde.
I had origionally worked as a Nike Hercules Missile crewman in Germany for three years but wound up in the Mess Hall and in Viet Nam. I made Mess sergeant in two years but got out of the Army after my Viet Nam tour.I’m really glad I served, but I would’nt want to do it again.
By Ken Maxwell on Jul 31, 2008 at 6:01 pm
My father, Boyd E. Brim, was stationed in Dong Ba Thin in 1970-1971. He never talked about any of it, but after he died in 2003, I inherited his photo album and am trying to find out more about his time over there. He saved two letters that state that he was a Staff Sergeant at HHC, 18th Engineer Brigade and then Staff Sergeant at HHC, 10th Combat Aviation Battalion. If anyone can tell me anything about him, good or bad, please send me an email at julieg@hughes.net. Thanks.
By Julie Gammons on Aug 24, 2008 at 9:47 am
Being under fire for the 1st time can change your life forever.Been there done that!!
By C4Steve on Nov 9, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Cdr. Wilkerson’s report is a little lacking in detail. I was there. I climbed up Tango 2 to save a buddy Chuck Kilpatrick. I was the first up the tower, and discovered Chuck had swapped duty. The two guys that were there were hurt bad. I called in the CB’s and a cherry picker. The guys were loaded in the cherry picker and taken to sick bay. One will die. The other will live.
For heriosm, what did I get? Not a stinking thing. Suppose when you do stuff for a buddy, you reward is you know in your heart that you saved a life.
Nuff said. I want from being a QM3 to being a lawyer. Tom O’Boyle (base JAG Officer) was a tremendous influence on me. I miss him. Tom died of cancer in 1975.
By Bob Donald on Feb 25, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I was in cam ranh bay from Oct 05, 1970-1971
By roger anderson on Apr 11, 2009 at 11:43 am
iwas at cam rahn bay sept677-sept68. i worked at the ammo revon. line ran by 174 ar
By jimhovious on Apr 14, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Got to cam rahn bay mar 7 1970 work at depot and was a gunner on convoy’s
By miller lindsay jr on May 6, 2009 at 5:15 pm
looking for my good buddies in 36 transportation bn.1966-1967 aloha.
By john pineapple logan on May 15, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I was there that night! I was at the Operations Building when we got hit. M16’s and flak jackets were slid on the floor towads us as the explosions and small arm’s fire were going off around us. I took cover under our “Follow Me” truck. I earned my Combat Action Award that night.
By Frank Taxiera ABH3 on Jun 19, 2009 at 9:12 pm
First I would like to correct something in my story it says 1979 it should say 1970 As I was in Dong Ba Thin from January 1970 to November 1970. The other thing I would like to say there are several of my buds who served in DongBaThin I am in touch with now. Mike Coffey who is now a district court judge in Omaha . Blaine Foss who is retired federal employee in North Dakota,Alan Toy who is in Florida,Danny Bess, Fangman,Swannie Swanson we were all in Headquarters Company 18th Engineer Bde. If you know us or want to contact us my email is Miacove@aol.com I am Matt Iacovelli. I would be happy to put you on to anyone of us that you know. To all Welcome home and to all may your veterans day be peaceful this year 2009. Today is October 30th 2009 . Peace brothers and may you feel good today..
By Matthew Iacovelli on Oct 30, 2009 at 10:48 am
i was there that night..it was sheer terror…few weapons…some great luck by a few walking to security with a automatic weapon.. a long night of searching the base for the enemy,I.. have some photos from the next morning. i will never forget it. I usualy am on guard duty at the main gate..but i was off that night,,but I saw it all and lived to tell about it.
By john hoellerich on Nov 11, 2009 at 12:58 am
had some trouble tracking this artical..it was originally under “google” cam rahn bay naf 1970. somehow i found it… john hoellerich
By john hoellerich on Nov 11, 2009 at 1:01 am
I was there from May 68-May 69 There was mention of the sapper attach on the Army Hospital a year earlier, and the casualties being high, I distinctly remember the attack you army guys correct me if i am wrong i believe it was the 52nd conv. Hospital close to the 14 th aerial port , i visited a friend there once when i learned he was there, anyway i have searched everywhere i could think of to find information on it and have come up empty there seems to be no record that i could find about this attack and this is the first bit of information i have come across, since my memory is not as good as it use to be lol i think the casualties were somewhere around 30-50 not sure , the reason i am for this is the attack took place like two weeks before i left in country and the news in the states was like two to three weeks behind a few days after returning state side i picked up a Charlotte NC observer and our government was reporting something like 12 killed and say 10 wounded i told a friend thats not right i just left there and it was way higher than that, because the war was so unpopular they reported less casualties than there actually were any assist would be much appreciated God Bless & Welcome home !!
By Larry Evans, HTCS (ESWS) USN RET> on Nov 20, 2009 at 6:37 am