Abandoned in Hell : The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate (9780698144262) (35 page)

Unknown Station:
   Spooky 41, Roger.

Chicken Hawk:
   Three or four people trying to talk and war game at the same time.

Spooky 41:
   Yeah, I know, that's not the thing that bugs us so much, what bugs us is the highers we got up here wanting to know that they get all these coordinates and all these, ahh, clearance numbers and all this other stuff and, ahh, we know that you guys are wanting us to fire soon and we're having to sit up here and wait for them to give us clearance.

Chicken Hawk:
   Hey, yeah, I didn't know that . . .

Spooky 41:
   Yeah, we have to call back to Carbon Outlaw and he goes back to the big boss to ask and everything and they check it out and plot it out and drink a cup of coffee and finally get his clearance sometimes.

Chicken Hawk:
   Oh, that's how it works. How come you . . .

Spooky 41 Internal:
   
(Unintelligible
.)
 . . . Roger. Carbon Outlaw . . . 41, OK.

Spooky 41:
   Hey Hawk, you're gonna have to stand by a minute.

Main Tripod:
   Spooky 41, Main Tripod.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, old buddy, we're going to have to di-di out of the area here in about 6 minutes. I just wanted to give you a call and see how things were going.

Main Tripod:
   OK, roger, you planning on coming back tonight?

Spooky 41:
   Don't know yet, we're gonna go back and regenerate. We may come back.

Tripod:
   OK, roger. Right now everything seems to be cooled down.

Spooky 41:
   OK, mighty fine. And, ahh, look, if we don't get back, ahh, as I told Chicken Hawk a while ago, I want to tell all you boys that all the Spookies have enjoyed working with you all, and hope this thing quiets down for you over here. Sorry we can't come over and see you after tonight, but that's the way things go and make sure you tell old Chicken Hawk and 43 and Reeling 28 and all the other boys that we work with, ahh, that we'll be thinking about you fellahs.

Main Tripod:
   OK, roger, thanks a lot, most of them are right here, the Hawk and 43 are sitting right on this post and listening . . . from you.

Spooky 41:
   OK, mighty good, like I say, old Spook sure hates to leave you fellows but that's the way it happens sometimes.

Main Tripod:
   Sure hate to see you go, man.

Spooky 41:
   OK, we're going to stay over here about 5 minutes, so if you need me, give me a call and then we're going to di-di out of the area.

Main Tripod:
   OK, roger, we'll see you later.

Spooky 41:
   Roger that.

Main Tripod:
   This is Main Tripod, Hawk say again.

Main Tripod:
   Hear you real good, but you can't seem to hear him . . . He says its been pleasure working with you
and hope's to see you prior to going back to the States.

Spooky 41:
   Roger that. Tell him if he gets over around channel 75 in the next 20 days, he'll probably get to see me.

Main Tripod:
   OK, roger, I think he heard that. Break, did you get that, Hawk?

Spooky 41:
   OK . . . this is 41.

Main Tripod:
   . . . if stuff breaks around here, he'll be up to see you.

Spooky 41:
   OK, that's good and, ahh, tell him to look around for Alabama Spooky and he'll find me somewhere.

Main Tripod:
   Roger that. Did you monitor that, Hawk?

Main Tripod:
   OK, Spooky told me to tell you they'll up there your way so take it easy and good luck. And he wanted to make sure you knew he'd kinda like to see you . . .

Spooky 41:
   OK, mighty fine, you tell him, ahh, my initials are Mike Alpha Delta Junior.

Main Tripod:
   OK.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, buddy, we're fixing to di-di out of the area. You all take it easy and, ahh, tell everybody to keep their head down, tell Hawk to tell old Beak that he makes sure he keeps his nose down.

Main Tripod:
   Tripod, roger, will do, from all the officers here, so long.

Spooky 41:
   Roger, roger, old buddy, you all take it easy.

Pilot:
   Let's go home, sir.

Spooky 41 Internal:
   
Roger.

W
e are forever indebted to Ken Moffett, who laid the foundation for this book in his capacity as the Veterans Affairs representative in the office of Congressman Bobby Schilling of Illinois. Himself a Vietnam veteran, Ken recognized the heroism of the brave men who fought at Firebase Kate, and was determined that the American people know the truth about this battle.

Ken selflessly gave of his time and effort to locate and recover government documents, newspaper stories, after-action reports, maps, and photographs. He diligently sought out the defenders of Kate as well as those who flew in the skies above. Most wanted to tell their story, but a few chose to not relive the nightmare. Once these contacts were made, he became the central point of contact as well as the repository of all research and information. Without Ken Moffett, there would have been no book and the story would have been lost to history.

We would not have had cause and means to create this book were it not for Reginald Brockwell, who alone kept this story alive over the decades since 1969. Reg also reviewed our final draft, offering numerous suggestions and correcting a number of errors.

We are also indebted to each of the men and women quoted in this work, with whom we have spoken, or who wrote to us, or who shared written accounts of their recollections. In this respect, we are particularly indebted to Major Al Dykes, USAF (Ret.), who saved and shared hours of tape recordings of radio traffic over and around Firebase Kate. These became the basis for the Appendix in this book, and were also useful in helping us to create a timeline for the narrative.

Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Pries, USA Special Forces (Ret.), spent countless hours transcribing the taped conversations between myself and the Spooky/Shadow gunships.

Steve Sherman was enormously helpful in my first effort to put memories and fact on paper, aside from maintaining, at his own expense and energy, the world's finest and most complete unofficial archive of Special Forces personnel and activities in Vietnam.

Rita Cann of the National Personnel Records Center provided numerous unit morning reports and many other useful records.

Pat Rolfe transcribed dozens of recordings, creating text from digital files both rapidly and accurately as she learned to love the language of war.

Nelson and Maryellen Koon welcomed Wolf into their home, gave him a wonderful meal, and provided a comfortable bed for an overnight stay.

Likewise, Rocco and Diana DeNote offered Wolf the hospitality of their home, as well as sharing several hard-to-find documents relating to events on Firebase Kate.

Ben and Janet Gay welcomed Wolf into their home, fed him, and later helped guide him back to more-populated parts of Virginia.

Al and Pat Dykes hosted Wolf's stay in their off-the-beaten-path hometown.

Mike and Elizabeth Smith welcomed Wolf with a fabulous meal and warm hospitality.

A special thanks to Dean Fait of the Art Place in Rock Island, Illinois, who created computer-readable disks containing volumes of research and interview transcriptions. Dean enormously facilitated the distribution of research material, which greatly accelerated the flow of information to shorten the time required to complete the project.

While this book was still in its conceptual stage, our literary agent, Doug Grad, shared his industry-tested guidance about its nature, voice, scope, and authorship. He was also relentless in finding the right home for it, and fearlessly negotiated our contract with New American Library.

Our editor at New American Library, Brent Howard, offered sage counsel and marketing savvy, as well as innumerable other helpful acts as he turned a manuscript into a book.

We are indebted as well to the women in our lives: Mary Albracht offered encouragement, proofreading, and support and comfort while her husband relived the perilous events experienced on and around Kate, and the space to participate fully in the project. Tomi Wolf provided her father the vital support that freed him to work on this project, and encouragement when the complexities of completing a book seemed overwhelming. Sage advice and emotional encouragement were provided in unlimited doses by the Munchkin Queen.

While this book is therefore the product of the efforts of many people, we alone are responsible for any errors, mistakes, or misstatements.

Captain William Albracht, USAR (Ret.),
Moline, Illinois
Captain Marvin J. Wolf, USAR (Ret.),
Los Angeles,
California

The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.

 

A-1 Skyraider, 164

Abbott, CW2 James L., 204, 205, 276

Abrams, General Creighton, 192, 220

AC-47 Spooky gunship, xiii, 96, 163–70, 226, 232, 233, 237–38, 249, 254

transcript of recordings, 297–343

AC-119G Shadow, 120, 158, 166–68, 202, 224, 226, 232, 249, 254

AC-130H Spectre gunship, 207

Adam, Captain Klaus, 37–42, 74, 79, 156, 267–68, 282

Adam, Ursula Viera-Vazquez, 38–39

Aerial reconnaissance, 16–18

Afghanistan, 34

Agent Orange, 291

AH-1 Cobra, 103

A1H Skyraiders, 223–24, 227, 231

Ahearn, WO John, 174, 176–79, 249, 268–69

Alamo, the, 219

Albracht, Bob, 15, 46–48, 51, 57, 59–60, 62–63

Albracht, Captain William, xii–xiv, 273

basic training and, 51–53

birth of, 45

brother Bob and, 47–48

at Bu Prang, 62–63

Bu Prang attack and, 253–54

childhood of, 46

commissioned second lieutenant, 57

education of, 46–47, 59

enlistment of, 49

escape and evasion from Kate and, 231–40, 243–48

family of, 294

joins Mike Force, 263–64, 292

on Kate, 81, 85–92, 95–97, 99–105, 107–12, 119, 120, 135, 136, 138, 141–42, 144, 146–50, 155–58, 161, 167–70, 173–82, 185–96, 209–15, 219, 222–27, 229, 250–51

medals awarded to, 254, 256, 293, 295–96

media interview of, 254–55

at Officer Candidate School, 54–58

parachute training and, 57–58

Albracht, Captain William, (
cont.
)

parents of, 46, 56

planning escape from Kate, 214–15, 220, 223–27, 229–30

with Secret Service, 293–94

solo reconnaissance by, 243–44

training Royal Thai Army and, 15, 60

transcript of recordings by, 297–43

weapons carried by, 85–86, 147

Albracht, Don, 46

Albracht, Germaine, 46

Albracht, Leander, 46, 56

Albracht, Mary Beth, 46

Albracht, Nancy, 46

Alvarez, SP4 Rafael, Jr., 276

Ambush Hill, 30, 86, 87, 95–96, 100–2, 136, 214, 224, 230–33, 235–38

AN/GRC-46 radios, 65–66

An Khe, 50, 124

An Lac, 29, 112, 269

AN/PRC 25 radios, 96

Anderson, Colonel, 31, 36

Antiwar protests, 3

Arbizo, Staff Sergeant Santiago, 29, 69, 79, 89

Arc Light Mission Golf 476, 177, 178

Army of the Republic of [South] Vietnam (ARVN), 2–6, 14, 80, 123–26

First Airborne Division, 19, 126

23rd Infantry Division, xiii, 19, 20, 126, 158, 190–92, 200

Special Forces, 28

Artillery, history of, 23–25

Artillery forward observers (FOs), 62

“Artilleryman's Vision, The” (Whitman), 84

ARVN (
see
Army of the Republic of [South] Vietnam)

Australian Special Air Service, 14

Ayres, B. Drummond, Jr., 259

B-52 bomber, 175, 177, 178, 237

B-40 rocket, 117

Bahnar people, 15

Balaklava, 22

Ballistics, discipline of, 25, 68

Baltzly, Ed, 55, 58, 60

Ban Don (Trang Phuoc), 28, 29, 69, 79

Báo Dai, 12, 124

Barham, Captain Lucian “Luke,” 29–30, 41, 69–70, 78, 80, 86, 89, 90, 120, 269–70

Barnes, SP4 Francis “Butch,” 156, 270

Barthman, SP4 Peter, 275

Battle for LZ Kate, The
(Brockwell), 273–74

Battlefield communications, 24

Beckwith, Colonel Charles, 124

Beehive rounds, 119, 143, 157

Beers, Ethelinda, 208

Ben Het, 26, 29, 116–17, 261

Berlin blockade, 163

Binh Dinh province, 16

Binh Thuan province, 16

Black, Carol Marks, 134, 135, 270–72

Black, CWO Nolan, 133–35, 142–44, 146–50, 249, 270–72

Black, Laura Kristina, 134, 135, 271–72

Blake, SP4 Robert E., 276

Bledshaw, SP4 Johnny D., 276

Bomb damage assessments, 109, 179, 267

Bore sighting, 113

Bowers, Colonel Francis, 34, 191–92, 210

Bowie, Jim, 219

Brockwell, First Lieutenant Reginald, 32, 34–37, 153–54, 188–89, 191, 192, 272–74, 289–90, 294

Brydon, Major William J. “Bill,” 196, 214, 233, 274

Bu Prang Special Forces Camp, xi, 9, 15–16, 19, 20, 28, 32–37, 62–63, 79, 81, 89–91, 96, 101, 112, 114, 125, 126, 143, 145, 146, 158, 173, 176, 178, 189–91, 196, 201, 202, 233, 248–49, 253, 259, 261, 285, 286

Bu Prang town, 10, 12, 18

Buddha's Child
(Wolf), 3
n

Bundros, SP5 Gregory, 276

Buon Ma Thuot (BMT), 10, 18–20, 34, 62, 80, 115, 125, 126, 145, 158, 174, 178, 201, 220

C rations, 68, 69

C-4 explosives, 89

C-47 “Gooney Bird,” 162–64

C-119 Flying Boxcars, 163–64

Ca Mau Peninsula, 177, 178

Caldwell, Sergeant Mike, 187, 193, 275

Cam Ranh Bay, 108, 284

Cambodia, xi, xii, 2, 9, 10, 14, 17–19, 36, 68, 79, 86, 89, 90, 101, 178, 188–89, 200

Camp La Rolland, Cambodia, 188–89

Canada, Sergeant Clyde, 143, 150, 249

Cannon, development of, 24

Cardigan, Earl of, 22

Central Highlands, 1, 10, 12, 62, 66, 132, 200

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 12, 13, 18, 60

CH-47 Chinook, 26, 113–14, 186

CH-54 Sikorsky Flying Crane, 26

Cham people, 10, 12, 14

Childers, Captain Charles, 196

Childs, Rudy, 99, 110

Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG), xii, 12–14, 20, 28, 35, 70, 71, 78

Claymore mines, 88–89, 144

Close, SP4 Edward J., 276

Cobra gunship, 103, 110, 186

Cole, CW2 James C., 201, 205, 275

“College Colonel, The” (Melville), 228

Collins, CW2 Robert, 275

Collins, Lieutenant Colonel, 192

Colt Automatic Rifle (CAR-15), 85, 147

CONEX containers, 31–32, 99

Conscientious objectors, 48

Coonce, WO1 John “Jack,” 135, 136, 276

Corcoran, Lieutenant General Charles A., 16, 220–22, 255–56, 260

Cosmos, WO1 Charles “Pete,” 204, 276

Craig, SP4 Jesse, 276

Crane, Lex, 55, 58, 60

Crites, Lieutenant, 169

Crockett, Davy, 219

Dak Lak Province, 10, 174, 268

Dak To, 19

Davison, WO John “Les,” 135–37, 186, 201, 203–5, 240, 249, 275–76

DC-3, 162

De Sio, WO1 David J., 276

Degar Highlands Liberation Front, 13

Degar tribes, 10, 12, 15

Delaune, Lieutenant Colonel Elton J., 34, 154, 155, 174, 210, 288–90

Demilitarized Zone, 15

DeNote, Staff Sergeant Rocco, 81, 186, 189–90, 192, 220, 222, 277, 298, 299

Diem, Ngo Dinh, 12, 13

Dien Bien Phu, xii, 37, 86

Donovan, CW2 Kenneth, 199–202, 204, 206–7, 249, 259–60, 275, 277–78

Draft, US, 3, 27, 47, 48, 134, 135

Draft dodgers, Vietnamese, 5

Drang River Valley, 18

Duc Lap Special Forces Camp, 9, 18–20, 32–34, 35, 36, 69, 112, 133, 136, 154, 191, 200, 201, 259

Dykes, Captain Al, 162–70, 173, 207, 230, 237, 249, 278, 297, 298

EC-47s, 16–17, 163, 207

Eisenhower, General Dwight D., 162–63

ELINT (electronic intelligence), 16

Enuol, Y Bham, 14

F-4 Phantom, xiii, 108, 109

F-100 Super Sabre, xiii, 108, 109, 142, 174

FADAC (Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer), 66, 225

Falcon gunship, 135–38, 176, 186, 203, 206

Farlow, SP4 Richard, 276

FDC (
see
Fire direction center)

Fenlon, WO1 Dennis, 206, 275

Field guns, development of, 24

Fire direction center (FDC), 32, 34, 77–78, 100, 118, 155–57, 188

Fire direction specialists, 25

Firebase Annie, 31, 32, 36, 65, 67, 156, 174, 268

Firebase concept, 34

Firebase Dorrie, 36, 282

Firebase Helen, 36, 191

Firebase Kate

air support for, 96, 100, 103, 107–8, 111–12, 141, 142–50, 158, 161, 166–70, 176–80, 188–89, 195, 223–24, 249

ammunition shortage on, xiii, 144, 146, 150, 186–87, 195, 213, 257

ARVN and, xiii, 190–92

attack on, 95–105, 107–20, 123, 137, 141–44, 146–50, 155–58, 167–70, 174–82, 186–96, 209, 211, 212, 250

bomb damage assessment of, 267

building, xi–xii, 29–32

communications on, 65–66, 166–67, 225

cross-border strike and, 189

escape from, xiii–xiv, 231–40, 243–48

food on, 68–69

geography of, 30, 86, 87, 89

operational chain of command on, 34–35

perimeter breached, 175–76

perimeter defenses of, 87–89

planning escape from, 214–15, 220, 223–27, 229–30

recon expeditions from, 69–71

recreation on, 71, 89, 90

registering of guns on, 67–68

reinforcements for, 112, 116, 120, 141

replaced howitzer, 114, 119

rescue plan for, 192–94, 196, 211–13

sanitation and hygiene on, 70, 72, 90

size of, 65

supplying, xii–xiii, 80–81, 144, 146, 150, 186–87, 202–3, 206–7, 275–76

troop rotation on, 81

underground FDC built on, 77–78

water on, 185–87, 213

weapons on, xii, 26, 31, 34, 67–68, 86, 188

weather and, 66, 71–72

wounded on, 98–100, 102, 104, 105, 109–10, 135–38, 147–49, 179, 187, 194, 195

Firebase Martha, 36, 191

Firebase Mike Smith, 284, 288, 290

Firebase Susan, 31, 32, 36, 65, 67, 68, 156, 174, 268

Firebase Swinger, 29

Flight school, 130–31

Forward air controllers (FACs), 62, 143, 147, 150

Foster, First Lieutenant Walter, 276

Franco-Prussian War of 1870, 23

French, in Vietnam, xii, 12, 37, 86

Friendly fire, 4, 176

Frye, Mary Elizabeth, 140

Galloway, Joseph L., xi–xiv

Gay, CWO Harold Benjamin, 115, 130–33, 135, 142–44, 146–50, 249, 279

Geneva Accords of 1954, 12, 135

Geromin, SP4 Warren, 72–73, 78, 112–13, 115, 148–49, 194, 233, 247, 248, 279

Ghost soldiers, 5

Gia Nghia, 104, 107, 112, 126, 146, 174

Giáp, General Vo Nguyên

Gillikin, SP4 Larry, 275

Gooch, Sergeant First Class Jimmy, 76, 284

Graft, in ARVN, 4, 5

Gulf of Tonkin, 15

“Gunga Din” (Kipling), 184

Gunpowder, invention of, 23

Guthrie, Wilbur, 144–47, 149, 150

H-34 helicopter, 129

Hall, Colonel Charles, 35–37

Hare, Phil, 295

Harrell, WO2 Denny, 136–38

HC-47, 163

Healey, Colonel “Iron Mike,” 254, 257

Hearne, WO2 Maury, 143, 148–50, 249

Helmich, Major Gerald R., 224, 227, 279–80

Henry V
(Shakespeare), 266

“High Flight” (Magee), 198

Hill 875/Dak To, Battle of, xii

Hitch, First Lieutenant James A., 206

Hmong people, 15

Ho Chi Minh Trail, 17, 19, 163, 188

Hon Tre Island, 62

Honest John rockets, 74–75

Hopkins, Kenn, 25, 30, 31, 71, 73, 91, 97–98, 108, 113–19, 141, 142, 154–55, 157, 192–94, 211, 248, 280–81, 284

Houghtaling, Sergeant, 28, 113, 168–69, 173, 177

Houston, Sam, 219

Howitzers, 24, 31, 34, 67–68, 73, 76–77, 86, 97–98, 101, 107, 113–14, 119, 225

Hue, 20

Huey gunship (
see
UH-1 gunship)

Ia Drang, Battle of, 18–19

Ia Drang Valley, xii

Indian Wars, 34

Indirect fire, concept of, 24

Ingram, WO1 Larry D., 276

Jarai people, 15

Jesuits, 11

Johnson, Lyndon B., 3, 14

Johnson, Marlin, 174, 269

Johnson, Peewee, 225

Johnson, SP4 Bob, 32, 66–67, 69, 77–78, 99, 118, 155–56, 214, 220, 224, 236–37, 239, 247, 281

Kadel, SP4 David E., 275

Kampuchean people, 14

Kate (
see
Firebase Kate)

Kennedy, John F., 292

Kerr, Lieutenant John, 25, 65, 67, 68, 77, 78, 80, 87, 91, 99, 108–11, 119, 120, 141, 146, 147, 155–57, 173, 177, 248, 282–83, 290

Kerry, John, 189

Khe Sanh, siege of, xii

Khmer Krom people, 15

Khmer people, 10, 12

Khmer Republic, 270

Kinh people, 10–12

Kinnard, Major General Harry, 124–25

Kipling, Rudyard, 64, 128, 160, 184, 242

Klein, First Lieutenant Tom, 154, 289

Kontum province, 16, 20

Koon, SP4 Nelson, 73–75, 77–79, 96, 98, 113, 115, 118, 120, 137, 138, 154, 155, 157–58, 187, 192, 194, 210–11, 225, 226, 230, 235, 237, 246–48, 283–85

Korean War, xiv, 31, 33, 222

Ky, General Nguyen Cao, 3, 5, 14

Lam Dong province, 16

Laos, 2, 10, 14, 17, 18, 101

Larson, Lieutenant General Stanley “Swede,” 125

Lartéguy, Jean (Jean Pierre Lucien Osty), vii

Lattin, Major George, 107, 109, 111, 188, 249, 273, 285–86

Law of the Jungle, The
(Kipling), 64

Leaves of Grass
(Whitman), 84

Lillie, Gordon W., 222

Long Binh, 61

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 106

“Lost Legion, The” (Kipling), 242

Lott, SP5 Douglas Hugh, Jr., 143, 150, 249

Love, SP4 Thomas W., 275

Lu Lan, General, 222

LZ Albany, 18

LZ X-Ray, 18

M16 rifle, 85, 147, 192

M60 machine gun, 120, 145, 192, 194

M79 grenade launcher, 114, 192

M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, 85