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Tet Offensive: The Battles of Bien Hoa and Long Binh

By John E. Gross | Vietnam  | 25 comments  | Print This Post  | Email This Post

After I got the coordinates of our objective, I yelled, “Crank ’em up!” into the radio handset. We rolled through Long Binh and out the main gate, then turned onto Highway 316. The 2nd Platoon led the way under Lieutenant Fred Casper, followed by my track, then Lieutenant Howard Jones’ 1st Platoon and, finally, the weapons platoon under Lieutenant Don Muir. The Commo track, C-007, nicknamed Abdula and the Rug Merchants, with Pfc (current Vietnam editor) David Zabecki behind the .50-­caliber, brought up the rear. We charged southeast down Highway 316 to the Highway 15 intersection, situated on a small hill overlooking the 90th Replacement Company. As we rolled by, we looked down into the compound and saw soldiers in khakis milling about with boarding passes in hand. But no one would be leaving the country that day.

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As we turned right onto Highway 15, an unbelievable spectacle stretched before us. Having been struck by mortars or rockets, the fuel tanks at the air base, as well as several buildings throughout Bien Hoa, were burning brightly. Flames illuminated the clouds, forming an eerie glow; flares hung in the sky and helicopter gunships crossed back and forth firing red streams of tracers into the city.

Through sporadic fire, we continued northwest on Highway 15 to where it intersected Highway 1 on the western edge of Bien Hoa. As we made the turn eastward on Highway 1, the lead platoon was ambushed. We opened up with everything we had and kept driving. We had run through the rear of the 274th VC Regiment, which was attacking the airfield. As we cleared the ambush, the column suddenly came to a halt because of some kind of block in the road; simultaneously, someone keyed the company net. With a push-to-talk button stuck in the transmit position, no one could use the radio. I jumped down and ran from track to track, pounding on the sides and yelling, “Check your handsets!” As I ran back through the weapons platoon in the pre-dawn gloom, with small-arms fire cracking overhead, I was amazed to see young girls carrying bottles of Coca-Cola, trying to sell them to the troops.

After the roadblock was cleared and communications restored, Charlie Company continued toward its objective. At 7 a.m., as daylight was breaking, my track rolled past the ARVN III Corps compound gate. I realized we were driving past our objective, halted the company and called for the 2nd Platoon to find a place to turn around. As the C-23 track in the lead, Stormy, turned into a side street, a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) slammed into its front, smashing the radiator and wounding several soldiers. A VC guerrilla hiding behind a parked ARVN jeep had fired the rocket. Despite the confusion and wounds, our troops returned fire. The VC who had fired the RPG slipped away, but Pfc Jim Love, who was tossed into a sewage ditch by the explosion, remembers “killing the jeep” with his M-16.

Several soldiers gathered in front of the track to help the wounded, and Love climbed up to man the .50-caliber. Just then a three-man VC RPG team calmly walked across the street right in front of the damaged APC. Love was so startled, he didn’t fire.

“I realize now that the track was high enough that the rounds would have passed over” the troops in front of the vehicle, Love recalls. “I yelled at Lieutenant Casper, and everybody looked around as the VC tore out running the last few yards to safety. We threw grenades over the wall behind them, but hit nothing.”

Under fire, Staff Sgt. Benny Toney, the 2nd Platoon sergeant, hooked a tow cable to Stormy. The 2nd Platoon pulled the damaged track out of the side street and towed it back to the III Corps compound. There, Charlie Company soldiers joined ARVN and U.S. MACV soldiers manning the walls. Zabecki remembers taking his place on the wall with his M-79 grenade launcher. Our arrival had canceled fears that III Corps headquarters might be overrun.

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  1. 25 Comments to “Tet Offensive: The Battles of Bien Hoa and Long Binh”

  2. I was stationed at Bien Hoa from July 67 through July 68; when Tet began we endured multiple, dialy rocket and mortar attacks and we hung the nickname ‘Rocket City’ on Bien Hoa. I also was assigned pipeline patrol from BH down to the Saigon Rover two days after Tet to mark every place the NVA or VC had ruptured the line. It was the scariest duty I pulled while in country because of the tall elephant grass and ‘luke the gook’ popping up from spider holes to shoot at us.

    By Larry Garascia on Jun 26, 2008 at 9:39 am

  3. The first platoon of Bravo Company (numbering 24 troops) of the 2/47, was the first to enter Widow’s Village. We ran into 200 NVA and held them off for almost three hours with no air support or artillery support. We were not “guarding” the PX. We were on the verge of being overrun when the Scout platoon showed up. There were very few survivors from our platoon and what remains of the platoon are very proud of our part that we played in holding off the enemy from getting into Long Binh where all the high ranking brass were located.
    Sincerely,
    John Driessler

    By John Driessler on Sep 9, 2008 at 6:10 pm

  4. I enjoyed reading your story “The Battles of Bien Hoa and Long Binh”. It brought back memories for me. I was with the 265th RRC (ABN) at HQ of the 101st Airborne Division close to the airfield at Bien Hoa. I remember the sound of mortars and rockets and the ammo dump going up in flames. We were hunkered down in bunkers, but I was able to get some photos of the action. The guys in the field did a great job protecting our camp.

    Thanks for a Great Article,

    Castello Domingo

    By Castello Domingo on Dec 30, 2008 at 3:57 pm

  5. I was in 2/47, 1st plt, 3td squad during the TET offensive. We were the second or third M113 in line entering Long Binh early in the morning. I remember the gunships looked like they were spraying a solid stream of orange water as they poured on surpressing fire all over the complex. First job was to relieve headquarters under heavy assult. We attacked in line and “Harrassment”, the Charlie 1 3 track took machine gun fire through the transfere case, we barley made it inside III Corp compound and I stayed there overnight after the VC batalion was driven off . This article reminded me of those days with more pride for my brothers and more reverance for the brothers who were killed there.

    Great article
    Thanks JON M. “TEX” Bowers

    By Jon M Bowers on Jan 5, 2009 at 12:40 pm

  6. Left Long Binh in Oct 67. Still feel bad I was not there for Tony and my other brothers. I was home and just moved on. One foot in front of the other.

    thig

    By Talmage aka thig on Feb 26, 2009 at 12:33 am

  7. I was in the 4/39 9th Infantry Division and stationed at Bearcat near Ben Hoa and remember the operation that you are talking about in fact was were on patrol when the ammo dump was blown. The VC must to have had great intel because they slipped by us and got to the ammo dump. As I remember we didn’t engage them until after they were coming out . It funny but I was also supposed to be attached to the 2nd briadge of the 101 air borne Division ( I was also airborne quarlified). At any rate I remember well some of the things you are depecting in your story.

    By Donald Williams on Mar 2, 2009 at 6:23 pm

  8. I was in the 4/39 9th Infantry Division and stationed at Bearcat near Ben Hoa and remember the operation that you are talking about in fact was were on patrol when the ammo dump was blown. The VC must to have had great intel because they slipped by us and got to the ammo dump. As I remember we didn’t engage them until after they were coming out . It funny but I was also supposed to be attached to the 2nd briadge of the 101 air borne Division ( I was also airborne quarlified). At any rate I remember well some of the things you are depecting in your story.

    ps there is a mistake in your posting the above statements are mine

    Donald Willliams

    By Donald Williams on Mar 6, 2009 at 2:30 am

  9. I was in the 4/39 9th Infantry Division and stationed at Bearcat near Ben Hoa and remember the operation that you are talking about in fact was were on patrol when the ammo dump was blown. The VC must to have had great intel because they slipped by us and got to the ammo dump. As I remember we didn’t engage them until after they were coming out . It funny but I was also supposed to be attached to the 2nd briadge of the 101 air borne Division ( I was also airborne quarlified). At any rate I remember well some of the things you are depecting in your story.

    By Donald Williams on Mar 6, 2009 at 2:36 am

  10. Co B 4th Bn 39th Inf 9th Inf Div – We flew in to Widow’s Village air mobile and would like to thank some of you –

    The two guys in the 2/47 jeep that was running through the village resupplying ammo – THANKS

    The APC that provided us cover while we maneuvered to the church…

    To the two (or more) APCs that fought through the village and set up a blocking force for us GRUNTS.

    Welcome home one and all

    By Steve Forcade on Mar 18, 2009 at 9:43 pm

  11. I was on guard duty when the dump was blown up; two guards down the line were killed that night. I was from the 86th transportation ,6th bat. and still have nightmares

    By danny smith on Apr 1, 2009 at 9:15 pm

  12. i was station in long binh, my tour was up jan.31st 1968,but it was not to be,i stayed in hell, for 4 extra days. please contact me. nam 67/68

    By derrick j young on Apr 26, 2009 at 3:27 pm

  13. I arrived in Vietnam on the 3rd February 1968. I was a conscript in the Australian Army, attached to 104 Signal Squadron at 1ATF at Nui Dat in Phuc Toy province. On the 7th February I was deployed to an Australian FSPB (Andersen) as part of Operation Coburg, about 20 miles north east of Saigon. I was then sent on the same day to the Tactical Operations Centre (TOC) “Hurricane” at Bien Hoa. On the first night there the ammo dump almost next door to the 101st Airborne barracks was blown up. All the US troops were immediately put on “red alert”. The ammo dump was on fire for several hours.

    You can imagine, not only Being attached to a different unit, but a different army, how I felt. I had no idea what was happening nor what I should do if the ‘proverbial hit the fan”. This was a great introduction to the war.

    During my time in Vietnam I spent time with 11ACR at Blackhorse. I also spent time in Long Binh and with MACV in Xuan Loc.

    By Gordon Taylor on May 26, 2009 at 2:57 am

  14. I was on Guard Duty at II Field Forces HQ Bien Hoa when the ammo dump went up and mortars everywhere on our compound also, Oct 19,1967 to Oct 19th , 1968, Larry Stephenson

    By LARRY STEPHENSON on May 31, 2009 at 12:18 pm

  15. I am trying to find someone who was in Region 3 – Bien Hoa during the first half of 1969. Trying to find out more information on a family member….if anyone is out there please let me know! Thanks,

    By Tanner on Jun 2, 2009 at 11:29 am

  16. WAS IN THE 54TH ORD AMMO CO THE NIGHT THE AMMO DUMP WENT UP. WE HAD TO GO OUT IMMEDIATELY TO START SWEEPING FOR SATCHEL CHARGES WHEN MORE PADS STARTED GOING UP. AS I HIT THE GROUND I HAD A SHRAPNEL PIECE THAT WAS CHERRY RED LAND ON MY LEG. THAT IS ONE OF MY FEW MEMENTOS , BUT AS I SEE IT EVERYDAY THE MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK.

    By ED CARLSON on Jun 16, 2009 at 10:13 am

  17. I was stationed with the II Field Force Hdqtrs company, SGS, under LT. Gen. Fred Weyand. Jan. 31st, we received rocket fire. the 11th Armored Cavalry came down from the border to pull perimeter duty for us. What a welcome site to see those quys. I was sitting in a sandbag bunker 3 feet high when VC blew the ammo dump. I could see the huge fire ball go up and ducked when the concussion came. shrapnel fell like confetti all night. saw the aviation unit under attack. saw infanty land across from us to do a sweep of Ho Nai village. The jets came in at tree top over us to rocket the NVA in the village. Witnessed the huge fire fight there. A few days later a group of us went to pick up dead bodies where ever we could find them to throw in the back of a deuce and a half. Gun jeep in front. I saw the NVA and 199th Lt. Inf.firefight up the Hwy from us as they briefly broke thru. I had 60 days to go on my tour. Never forgot man.

    By Robert Sloss on Jun 19, 2009 at 3:25 pm

  18. Dear Vietnam Brothers,

    Nightmares and stress including the worse form of stress named PTSD are all related to your Vietnam experiences. Please see your VA Representative Veterans Service Office to get assistence. ALl VN Vets should get compensated…

    God Bless our Veterans and Troops…

    By Steve on Jul 4, 2009 at 1:37 pm

  19. i was across from Widows Village and were receiving fire from three sides Bien Hua, long bein and the village. I was with hhq 6/56 Hawk missle. We were not combat experianced. Not much I can recall or not wanting to. I remember two different colors of traciers, I wsa in charge of opening ammo bunkers and taking ammo to the defense bunkers. I remember the ammo blast from long bien. I thought the Sun was rising from the West. Iam finally getting info for PTSD from this event. 41 years of thinking i was ok.

    By roger on Jul 15, 2009 at 10:41 pm

  20. Greetings I am helping a friend find a capt.Powell, my friend Ted shot the finger off capt Powell by accident and would like to contact Capt Powell to personally apologize.
    It was ted’s first day with Bravo 4/39 9th div.and his weapon discharged taking off Captain Powell finger and striking his leg.
    IF you know anymore about this incident or capt Powells e-mail plz write me .
    Unowhohot@hotmail.com
    Blackwidow14@truebattlestories.com
    Via Con Dios

    By Blackwidow 14 on Jul 31, 2009 at 7:24 pm

  21. I was at Bearcat in July 69′ during the time frame that the ammo dump blew up. There was mass confusion during that time due to all the daily rocket and mortar attacks on bearcat. It was almost a foregone conclusion that It would ahppen. When the dump exploded, there were a number of guys that were killed or seriously maimed. To this day, I cannot erase from my mind what I saw. I had never seen anyone killed or so dismembered that they could not be identified.

    I still have nightmares about it, 40 years later.

    By stanley chalmers on Sep 12, 2009 at 4:27 pm

  22. I was a Spec 5 with the 79th Engineer Group, 20th Engineer Brigade stationed at the far north end of the Long Binh compound. About 2:45 AM I walked from my barracks to my assigned above ground guard bunker. It was my duty to check the changing of the guards every 4 hours. When I determined that the change went OK I started to leave to walk back to my bunk when the young pfc guard on duty asked me to stay a little longer because he had only been in Vietnam for a few days and was very nervous. So I leaned my M-14 against the sandbags of the bunker and we began to talk. A few minutes later all hell broke loose. Several mortars fell inside our base camp and at least one 155 shell struck near a transient tent and a small walk bridge across a large ditch destroying the bridge. I remember the explosion of the ammo dump behind our base camp and the bright orange ball of flame and dust cloud and a few seconds later the hot air and wind from the blast hitting my face.

    If…that young pfc in the guard bunker had not asked me to stay a little longer…I would have been near that walk bridge where the 155 shell landed and probably would have been killed.

    Within a few minutes all the men assigned to my bunker were crowded in the bunker and after the initial excitement we began to watch the perimeter fence for unusual activity. Our command post told us to not fire our weapons until we were absolutely sure it was the enemy. I understood why a few minutes later because some of our army personnel were crawling along the fence checking for Bangalore torpedos and any breaks in the fence. Our above ground bunker received a lot of small arms and 50mm machine gun fire and we spotted an area across the highway in “widows village” that was directing a lot of that machine gun fire. We used the radio phone to report the location to headquarters and received permission to fire. We silenced that machine gun. Later it was determined that the machine gun was mounted on wheels and was underground inside one of the make shift widow’s houses and the Vietcong would roll it up and fire on the base camp and them quickly roll it back underground.

    I also remember that after the ammo dump blast that I could not control my whole body from “shaking”. But…immediately after I fired my first shot with my M14 a strange calm took over and a lot of what happened during the next 9 or 10 hours seemed like a dream. It was a lot like being 9 years old again and playing cowboys and indians with your friends, running from one place to another and shooting your weapon.

    Our company lost one transient soldier and very few wounded during the first round mortar attack and we held on and did our job defending our location.

    The experience I had during my 12 months in Vietnam was a big portion of the “shaping” of my life. I was 25 years old and most of the others in my company were 18 & 19 years old. It has been 42 years but I still remember some of those guys… Sergeant Cooley, Jimmy Dunn, “Rat” Harrison, Ray Zawacki and Unser who claimed to be related to the racing family (wish I could remember his first name) from central Illinois.

    This is a snapshot of what I remember about “TET 1968”. I was one of the fortunate ones and got to fly home March 31st to reunite with my wife Jo and see my daughter Lesa for the first time who was 4 ½ months old by then.

    By Ron Lawyer on Sep 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm

  23. Thank you Dad (Ron Lawyer) and all others who shared their stories. Even though we will never know what you went through, we all “Thank You” from the bottom of our hearts! GOD BLESS THE USA!

    By Dina & Larry on Sep 18, 2009 at 6:38 pm

  24. I was at Camp Frenzel Jones April, 1968 until November 1968 nd I was fortunate enough to miss TET. Being in base camp ,we didn’t grasp what you field guys were going through.. Although we are all nam veterans, some of us carried the load,please accept my belated gratitude. co a 7th combat support bn.

    By Bob Edmonds on Oct 12, 2009 at 3:40 pm

  25. I was flown in there from Bihn Son Rubber plantation south of Bearcat. I was in B-4-39th, 2nd Plt. We landed in the middle of the street and from there the party began. We also had a lot to do with the sucess of what happened there. We contributed to the enemy body count and made sure that they stay down. The guys from B-4-39th did an outstanding job and I’ll fight with them again anywhere, anyplace. 2/47th you had a steel vehicle between you and the bullets, we only had a shirt. Good job 2/47, you did great…..Thanks CSM Gallardo

    By Orlando Gallardo on Oct 14, 2009 at 3:14 pm

  26. I was also stationed at Long Ben 1968 TET 551st Detachment our job was destroying ordnance. That knight after charlie was in the depot ,I was shotgun guard for CASEY core of engineers he ran a dozer puting out fires. Then along with my other comrades, we looked for shacho charges. We were 2 pads away from the first pad that went up.We had chrapenal the size of basket balls landing around us. Im going to stop.other than My nick name was TWISTO. 1967 1968 Long Ben 1969 Vung Taoe. ROBERT KEY U.S.A Email robkey16580@gmail.com 509 480 1925

    By ROBERT KEY on Nov 10, 2009 at 12:32 pm

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