Nui Ba Den, The Black Virgin Mountain

[Retired W4]

I was going through my pictures from Vietnam and I came upon this one that I took in late 1969.

The Black Virgin Mountain holds a place in ancient Vietnamize folk lore. In modern times the top was owned by us (US SF) and the base was held loosely by us. Every thing in between was owned by the VC. Mounting combat assaults on or around the mountain almost certainly meant being fired upon by heavy machineguns or mortar teams. We suffered many losses around that thing and especially the saddle between the main peak and the smaller one on the left.

Note the pock marked sides from our fast mover and artillery attacks aimed at the heavily dug in VC troops. Many nights became a massive light show as Puff the Magic Dragon (AC-47) or Spector AC-130 gunships circled the mountain.

In the fore ground is the central market of Tay Ninh. Just out of the picture is the Cao Dai temple. I flew over the temple many times but I can't find a picture of it. The Cao Dai sect had a 30,000 man army before it's integration with the ARVN.

The musings of an old war horse.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Imagin if religious denominations had armed militias in America today! Or there were whole orders of armed monks! I don't think anyone would ever burn a second Church or Synagogue!

"We request that today's offering be in 9mm or 223."

Ivan

 

[jpage]

So there was an A-team camp on top ?

 

[Greyman50]

Here’s the mountain in Vung Tau on the coast. ASA had the top so very few got to the top. There was a beautiful Catholic cemetery on the other side with a huge statue of Christ with his arms raised. Sure it gone now.

 

[Retired W4]

So there was an A-team camp on top ?

Yes, complete with indigenous personnel. 1st SFG I believe. This is a US government photo of the camp. The times I was there I did not have the opportunity to use my camera. I was busy. There were other elements there, possibly ASA types and other assorted spooks.

Shortly before I got to Tay Ninh the VC fired a 240 mm rocket from Nui Ba Den that hit our maintenance hangar. That's about twice the size of a 122, which makes a big explosion.

 

[Retired W4]

Here’s the mountain in Vung Tau on the coast. ASA had the top so very few got to the top. There was a beautiful Catholic cemetery on the other side with a huge statue of Christ with his arms raised. Sure it gone now.

Vung Tau was a beautiful place. Old French villas on the beach. The Aussies were located near there.

 

[Greyman50]

A good friend and I got a 3 day pass there for changing the engine and transmission in the Col. M-151 in about 3 hours. Motor Sgt could not believe it but the Col.’s driver liked it. We stayed in a hotel downtown, slept, ate, drank(33) , shopped and went to the beach couple times.

 

[Lee Barner]

flew many trips in and around the mountain in the back of a slick with my radios coordinating air strikes. I was AF radio operator)TACP) attached to A troop, 3/17 Air Cav at An Loc a couple of times. thanks for the memories. Lee

 

[IAM Rand]

I salute all of you that served in Vietnam. You are the next group that has its numbers declining every day. You are owed much more that what you got when you came back.

Thanks to all that served.

 

[Greyman50]

Over HALF of us that served in RVN have passed on, somber fact.

 

[Retired W4]

flew many trips in and around the mountain in the back of a slick with my radios coordinating air strikes. I was AF radio operator)TACP) attached to A troop, 3/17 Air Cav at An Loc a couple of times. thanks for the memories. Lee

Lee,I've been in and out of An Loc many times. Not exactly a friendly place. After I returned to the world the VC tried to make it the VC Capital of S. Vietnam, or was the Loc Ninh? Any way, the ARVN wouldn't have it so the whole place was pretty much leveled. Then there's the ground route to get there, Highway 13, the notorious Thunder Road, seen below going north through the Michelin Rubber plantation. An Loc and Loc Ninh are just up the road.

I did have time to break out my trusty Yashika, and in color to boot.

 

[Greyman50]

An Loc, our unit had the last M-88 in Vietnam operated by GI’s so we got sent there to retrieve a couple of T-54’s. One had been abandoned by the nva crew on the bunker line and was fully operational. One of our guys started it and drove it on a “ dragon wagon” after our Ord guys said ok. The other one was in town shot with about 10 LAW rockets by MARVN. It stunk so bad one could hardly get within 20’ of it. Hooking up the winch line on the other dragon wagon was rough. Here’s a pic of the operational one that got sent stateside. About 1980 we took our kids to APG to show them but it had changed so much other than the tank lined road and tank field. We turned down a street and in front of a Intel. unit building was this T-54. The hair stood up on the back of my neck. Have no idea if it was the An Loc one or not……

 

[Retired W4]

An Loc, our unit had the last M-88 in Vietnam operated by GI’s so we got sent there to retrieve a couple of T-54’s. One had been abandoned by the nva crew on the bunker line and was fully operational. One of our guys started it and drove it on a “ dragon wagon” after our Ord guys said ok. The other one was in town shot with about 10 LAW rockets by MARVN. It stunk so bad one could hardly get within 20’ of it. Hooking up the winch line on the other dragon wagon was rough. Here’s a pic of the operational one that got sent stateside. About 1980 we took our kids to APG to show them but it had changed so much other than the tank lined road and tank field. We turned down a street and in front of a Intel. unit building was this T-54. The hair stood up on the back of my neck. Have not idea if it was the An Loc one or not……

You know they are dedicated when the T-54s roll in. 10 LAWs? Marvin the ARVN was going for over kill.

 

[Greyman50]

Talked to a couple of US Advisors and they told how they wiped out a column of them in town. The old shoot the first one then the last one the rest are trapped in the street. Found this pic in a RVN book and it was taken by one of the Advisors.

 

[Greyman50]

LAW depends on where it hits, road wheels, engine compartment wont kill the crew, MARVN was MARVN and was kinda ok when our advisors were there. IIRC there were a few Ranger Bn’s that were really good. We lost 3 advisors at An Loc, almost got picked to go pick up their bodies but they used a Slick to carry them to Saigon. Bad stuff.

 

[Donn]

Was in-country 1969-70, First I.D. Could see BVM anywhere in the A.O.