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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
Fearing that some of the sappers might be hiding in our hangar, we conducted a room-by-room search. Power had been restored by that time, so we now had lights. Sailors searched the flight line, and others poked around the damaged office spaces. The helos in the hangars were carefully checked as well. Miraculously, they had not been damaged. Subscribe Today
Three or four of us entered the maintenance shops. A loft over the hydraulics bench, we realized, would have been a likely hiding place for a sapper. While one of my men stood by with an M-16, I climbed the ladder. With pistol drawn and cocked, I stuck my head up over the rim of the loft. What would I find? A wounded sapper ready to blow himself and anyone who discovered him to kingdom come? Would he have a weapon and shoot me? Would I be able to shoot him first? My heart pounded as I scanned the empty space. There was nobody there.
Our search continued until dawn. Commander Schaub, the aircraft maintenance officer, and I searched the blown-up portion of the hangar. Moving cautiously, with drawn pistols, we both pulled away the splintered boards. First he, then I, would stand back, ready to shoot if necessary. Fortunately, there was nobody there, either.
An Air Force security team searched the area around and in My Ca. A weapons carrier was parked on the road overlooking the village. I was standing nearby when the gunner atop the vehicle, a sergeant, yelled out, ‘There’s one now!’
In the weak light of dawn, we saw the figure of a man in a black bathing suit running toward the bay. Over his shoulder was slung a rocket launcher. The sergeant drew the bolt back on the .50-caliber machine gun, putting a round in the chamber. ‘I can get him, Lieutenant,’ he said to one of his officers.
‘Hold your fire,’ was his order. ‘We’ve got men of our own down there and I don’t want to hit them by mistake.’
The lieutenant got on his radio to his search team, but they were still in the village. ‘Let me get him,’ the sergeant begged, with his finger on the trigger of the machine gun.
‘Dammit, I said no!’ the lieutenant answered. I was all for the sergeant opening up, and was hoping that he would, but the lieutenant was in charge of this part of the operation. They were all his men. We watched as the sapper hid behind some sand dunes. When the search team got there, he and his rocket launcher had disappeared.
In the excitement of the battle, I had nearly forgotten my own injuries. With the sun up, I was very distressed to find that I still couldn’t see from my left eye. Black spots blocked my vision. Everything looked foggy and blurred. Chunks of powder were deeply imbedded in my cheek and forehead.
I returned to my room, unloaded and stowed my weapons, then went to the mess hall for breakfast. I was famished. Commander Schaub looked at me closely and ordered me to sick bay. For about an hour I lay on the examining table while a corpsman plucked powder fragments out of my face.
‘I think I got most of it, sir, but you will have some beautiful tattoos for a while,’ said the corpsman when he had finished. My face was pockmarked with black dots. ‘Can’t do much about your eye, though. You’re going to have to go over to the base hospital.’
At the hospital, an Air Force ophthalmologist removed most of the fragments from my eye. ‘You can be thankful you were close to us when this happened,’ he said. ‘If we didn’t get this stuff out today, the chances of your seeing again would be bad.’
He bandaged my face and told me he would look at it again in a week. ‘Keep your fingers crossed,’ he told me. ‘Maybe we saved your eye.’
I once read that wounded soldiers go into a state of depression. It is true. I had no drive or energy for a week after that. I sat at my desk and could not concentrate. I dozed a lot and lost interest in what was going on around me. I was morose. One of our Vietnamese cleaning women came to the hangar the day after the attack. A likable young woman, she lived in My Ca and was a day worker on the base. She let out a gasp when she saw my face in bandages. 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