53 years ago I was flying with the 187th AHC at Forward Support Base Tay Ninh. The PHILCAG (Philippine Civic Action Group) was located on the East side of the base, as they had been from 1966. They had been in the process of standing down for their final departure in Feb, 1970, but in late 1969 the Viet Cong decided to give them a little going away present. This particular night I just happed to be OD (officer of the Day), which means I was in charge of the nights perimeter guard. Our section consisted of a main bunker, just down the wire from the MPs main gate bunker, with two 2 man bunkers (fox holes) between us and the MPs. We also occupied two more 2 man bunkers on the other side. Late that night I was trooping the line, walking back from from checking on my guys to the left when it started.
Tay Ninh was casually known as Rocket City by it's inhabitants and the place lived up to it's moniker that night. They started the operation by sending in many 122mm rocket on our POL (refueling area) to get things rolling. Mortars and 122s continued to rain down on our flight line, the PHILCAG and pretty much the whole camp. A pause in the barrage brought on several sappers running through our flight line, blowing up helicopters. There was plenty of activity all over the camp but my concern was our section of the wire. When the explosions started I dove into the ditch along the perimeter road but soon realized I needed to run for the bunker, which was about 30 yards away. I made it to the bunker where our PRC was lit up with SITREPs for the duration.
The remainder of the PHILCAG left Vietnam a few months later, but we took on a straggler who didn't want to return to the Philippines for some reason. He worked for us for a while before he was badly injured in an ambush on Hwy 1 just outside of Trang Bang, coming back from Saigon with a load of supplies (steaks and wine). I visited him in the hospital where I found out his green card had expired. He was shipped home after he was well enough to travel. Two others were killed and another friend was badly injured in the ambush.
The PHILCAG served with distinction for several years in Vietnam, even though the complicated politics of the day clouded their mission. The VC certainly did not want them there. I always wondered what happened to my Pilipino buddy.
Tay Ninh was casually known as Rocket City by it's inhabitants and the place lived up to it's moniker that night. They started the operation by sending in many 122mm rocket on our POL (refueling area) to get things rolling. Mortars and 122s continued to rain down on our flight line, the PHILCAG and pretty much the whole camp. A pause in the barrage brought on several sappers running through our flight line, blowing up helicopters. There was plenty of activity all over the camp but my concern was our section of the wire. When the explosions started I dove into the ditch along the perimeter road but soon realized I needed to run for the bunker, which was about 30 yards away. I made it to the bunker where our PRC was lit up with SITREPs for the duration.
The remainder of the PHILCAG left Vietnam a few months later, but we took on a straggler who didn't want to return to the Philippines for some reason. He worked for us for a while before he was badly injured in an ambush on Hwy 1 just outside of Trang Bang, coming back from Saigon with a load of supplies (steaks and wine). I visited him in the hospital where I found out his green card had expired. He was shipped home after he was well enough to travel. Two others were killed and another friend was badly injured in the ambush.
The PHILCAG served with distinction for several years in Vietnam, even though the complicated politics of the day clouded their mission. The VC certainly did not want them there. I always wondered what happened to my Pilipino buddy.
