ROCKET ATTACK AT BAN ME THUOT

  BAN ME THUOT WAS A SMALL TOWN IN THE HIGHLANDS ABOUT 75 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF NHA TRANG. DURING MY TOUR OF DUTY IN 1968 WITH THE 92ND AHC WE FLEW MANY COMBAT ASSAULTS OUT OF THIS LOCATION. THE ARMY AIRFIELD WAS LOCATED ALMOST DIRECTLY IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY AND ALTHOUGH A PERIMETER COMPLETLY SURROUNDED THE US MILITARY INSTALLATION, ANY VIETNAMESE PERSON WHETHER HE BE A "GOOD"GUY OR A "BAD"GUY COULD JUST WALK RIGHT UP TO THIS FENCE AND LOOK IN. I'M CERTAIN A LOT OF "BAD" GUYS DID JUST THAT AND MANY TIMES WOULD FIRE DIRECTLY INTO THE COMPOUND. WHY THE ARMY CHOSE TO LOCATE AN AIRFIELD THERE IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENISON BUT I DON'T CLAIM TO BE A MILITARY GENIUS. I NEVER LIKED LANDING THERE BECAUSE OF THAT REASON AND I REALLY DISLIKED SPENDING THE NIGHT IN THAT PLACE. I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS BEING WATCHED BY THE ENEMY. NOT GOOD!

  THE OFFICERS CLUB WAS A SMALL ONE ROOM BUILDING APPROXIMATELY 20 BY 20 WITH A TIN ROOF. I ALWAYS REMEMBER THE MANY SHRAPNEL HOLES IN THE ROOF CAUSED FROM ALL THE ROCKET AND MORTAR ATTACKS THAT OCCURED ALMOST WEEKLY. THE TOP OF THE BAR HAD SHRAPNEL INBEDDED IN IT SO YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PLACED YOUR ARMS WHILE DRINKING YOUR BEVERAGE OF CHOICE. THERE WAS ALSO ABOUT 3 OR 4 SMALL TABLES WHICH SERVED AS A GOOD PLACE TO PLAY A LITTLE "NICKEL-DIME" POKER. ALTHOUGH I WAS NEVER MUCH OF A "GAMBLING MAN" I DID ENJOY DOING THIS WITH MY BUDDIES FROM TIME TO TIME. WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU IS A TRUE STORY OF A POKER GAME THAT ALMOST ENDED IN A REAL TRAGEDY.  DON'T EVER LET ANY ONE TELL YOU THAT GAMBLING IS NOT HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. I KNOW BETTER.

  OUR UNIT WAS TO BE INVOLVED IN A LARGE COMBAT ASSAULT NEAR BAN ME THUOT SO FLIGHT OPERATIONS DECIDED TO SEND 6 AIRCRAFT THAT AFTERNOON TO AVOID ANY WEATHER PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT OCCUR EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. I THINK WE ARRIVED LATE THAT AFTERNOON AND AFTER GETTING OUR AIRCRAFT AND ENLISTED CREWMEMBERS SITUATED MOST OF THE PILOTS RETIRED TO THE "O" CLUB FOR HAMBURGERS AND BEER.  WE WENT THROUGH OUR PLANS FOR THE NEXT DAY'S OPERATION AND THEN SOMEONE SUGGESTED WE PLAY CARDS. THE CARD GAME LASTED FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND IT FINALLY ENDED WHEN TWO OF THE PLAYERS GOT IT A RATHER HEATED ARGUMENT OVER A PARTICULAR HAND THAT WAS DEALT. LITTLE DID WE KNOW THEN BUT THAT PARTICULAR HAND BEING DEALT PROBABLY SAVED OUR LIVES.

  MY CO-PILOT FOR THAT PARTICULAR MISSION WAS A YOUNG WARRANT BY THE NAME OF JOHN PASQUARELLO. ANY ONE WHO KNEW HIM LIKED HIM AND BEING FROM NEW YORK CITY HE COULD REALLY TELL SOME FUNNY STORIES. HE AND I RETIRED TO A SMALL QUONSET HUT NEAR THE "O" CLUB TO BED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT. AFTER CLIMBING INTO THE SMALL BUNK BED I PULLED THE MOSQUITO BAR OVER MY HEAD AND ASKED JOHN TO TELL ME THE FUNNIEST THING HE EVER SAW IN NEW YORK. HE WAS BEGINNING TO TELL HIS STORY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS AN ENORMOUS EXPLOSION JUST OUT SIDE OUR SLEEPING QUARTERS. THE NEXT THING I HEARD WAS THE ALARM SIREN AND THAT REALLY SPARKED ME INTO ACTION. THEN ANOTHER LARGE EXPLOSION EVEN CLOSER AND I COULD HEAR PEOPLE SCREAMING "ROCKET ATTACK! GET IN THE BUNKER! "NOW I'M MOVING AT THE "SPEED OF LIGHT" BUT WITH DIFFICULTY BECAUSE IN MY PANIC I HAD BECOME ENTANGLED IN THE MOSQUITO NETTING. I FINALLY GET INTO THE NARROW HALLWAY AND ON MY HANDS AND KNEES BEGAN CRAWLING TRYING TOWARD THE BUNKER OPENING. ANOTHER VIOLENT EXPLOSION AND THEN SOMEONE IS SHOUTING "THEY ARE COMING THROUGH THE WIRE!". ABOUT THIS TIME I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE BUNKER AND THEN I REALIZED I HAD LEFT MY PISTOL, MY FLAK JACKET, AND MY HELMET UNDER MY BUNK. EVERYTIME I THOUGHT I HAD MY NERVE UP ENOUGH TO RETURN FOR THOSE ITEMS ANOTHER EXPLOSION WOULD ROCK THE COMPOUND AND THIS WOULD QUICKLY ERASE ANY BRAVADO I THOUGHT I HAD. I SUSPECT NEARLY EVERYONE IN THAT BUNKER WAS AS SCARED SH..LESS AS I WAS. ONE GUY FROM TIME TO TIME WOULD STEP OUTSIDE THE BUNKER DOOR AND THEN SHOUT "HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE!. BEFORE RACING BACK INSIDE HE COULD ACTUALLY SEE THE ROCKETS BEING LAUNCHED AND THEN TRACK THEM IN FLIGHT{WAS THAT BRAVE OR SIMPLY STUPID? YOU DECIDE}. THEN ANOTHER ROCKET WOULD IMPACT. WHAM! AND EVERYONE WOULD SHUDDER AND CURSE.

  DURING ALL THIS ACTION OUR GUNSHIP PILOTS HAD TO RACED THROUGH THIS BOMBARDMENT TO THE FLIGHT LINE TO TRY TO GET IN THE AIR. THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKEOFF DURING THE ATTACK BUT BY THE TIME THEY GOT AIRBORNE "CHARLIE" HAD HEADED FOR THE HILLS. ONE OF OUR LIFTSHIPS TOOK A DIRECT HIT AND CAUGHT FIRE. TWO OTHER AIRCRAFT NEARBY SUSTAINED MAJOR SHRAPNEL DAMAGE AND WERE OUT OF SERVICE FOR SOME TIME. I DON'T REMEMBER ANY INJURIES TO PERSONNEL BUT I THINK WE WERE JUST VERY LUCKY. I KNOW IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP AFTER THAT.

  THE NEXT MORNING WE HAD A CHANCE TO SURVEY THE RATHER EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE TO THE COMPOUND. GUESS WHERE THE FIRST ROCKET IMPACTED? YOU GOT IT, RIGHT DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE OFFICERS CLUB. THAT PARTICULAR ROUND BLEW THE ROOF COMPLETLY OFF THE BUILDING AND DESTROYED MOST OF THE FURNITURE IN SIDE. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED HAD THAT PARTICULAR POKER HAND NOT BEEN DEALT. THAT "HAND" PROBABLY SAVE MY LIFE AND THOSE OF MY FRIENDS. COULD THAT HAVE BEEN "DIVINE" PROVIDENCE?

HARRY BROUSSARD

Stallion Section Leader

Nov67 - Oct68