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thedrifter
10-07-02, 03:01 PM
Trek Into Former Battlefield Revives Memories
and Creates New Friendships

Story by Herb Richardson

A basic problem in the northernmost part of the Republic of Vietnam's I Corps, according to then-Major General Raymond G. Davis, was that much of the Third Marine Division was tied down to combat bases such as Vandegrift and Carroll. He acted on that understanding in May 1968, when he assumed command of the division located just south of the demilitarized zone between the warring Vietnams.

The combat bases were elements of the "McNamara Line" of grunts and sensors that was conceived to shut down enemy infiltration of the Ho Chi Minh Trail used to transport supplies from North to South Vietnam.

The $6 billion "Line" wasn't working. Battalions were being pulled back into defensive positions at the combat bases at night-positions essentially contrary to the way Marines think, train and fight. The general observed contact being broken off by the Marines as nightfall became imminent so the combat bases could be manned, regardless of how the battle was going.

Gen Davis had intelligence reports of movements of entire divisions of well-trained North Vietnamese soldiers along the 1,400-mile border of South Vietnam, often on the Laos and Cambodia sides. He viewed this as the main problem-not infiltration through the northern demilitarized zone.

Men and supplies could be massed along the border near major population centers such as Hue, Da Nang and Saigon for large offensive operations against the allied forces in Vietnam. Enemy truck convoys were using roads and trails in the area, and supply dumps were strategically located along the way.

The solution?

"One of my first orders after I assumed command of the Third Marine Division was that the combat bases would be manned by company-sized units instead of battalions. Everyone else was expected to be in the field."

Davis specified, "Before dark these things will happen." They did. These orders became known as his "before dark dictates."

The Marines felt better. The enemy felt worse.

An extension of that "in-your-face" philosophy was known as Operation Dewey Canyon, generally considered to be the last big offensive battle for the Marines in Vietnam and one of the most successful as well.

Dewey Canyon ran from January into March 1969. It took place in areas where American forces had not been--in the rugged valleys of the Da Krong River basin and the A Shau Valley and the high, rugged, triple-canopied rain forest-covered mountains that flanked the valleys. The area of operations was along the Laotian border 35 miles west of Hue, and 50 miles from the main support facility at Vandegrift Combat Base, formerly known as Landing Zone Stud.

That's a long stretch of supply lines for a major operation, especially when the weather can turn helicopter-grounding nasty at any time. It often did during the final stages of the monsoon season, the time of Dewey Canyon, and helicopter crews found themselves flying resupply missions through small, rapidly changing windows in the cloud cover.

There would be no resupply over that ground and through that hostile countryside. The beans, bullets, bandages and water would come through the air, or they wouldn't be there. There were a couple of long stretches when supplies were short, and many cases of helicopter crews taking great risks in getting the troops what they needed. In the end, it all worked out. A calculated risk paid dividends.

One of the general's earlier moves was to regain unit integrity within the division's regiments that had been spread over northern I Corps. Detached units were brought back under parent commands. They trained and fought together.

That was a key element in having the mountain-fighting 9th Marines in place and cohesive for Dewey Canyon, which was a reinforced regimental-sized affair.

Members of the regiment had fought in the northern hills and mountains many times, but never over terrain more rugged than in this area of operations.

Many members of the reinforcing 3d Marines would bleed with the 9th before the operation closed with nearly 2,000 enemy losses, 130 Marines killed in action and 932 others wounded.

Several of those who spilled their blood, others who fought in the Dewey Canyon battles without injury and some members of their families revisited the old area of operations this past spring. Three active-duty majors and two captains accompanied them. Their job was to learn as much as they could from the Vietnam veterans, so they could pass that knowledge on to others.

The visit came in the year of the 30th anniversary of the operation. Personnel of Military Historical Tours, Inc., an Alexandria, Va.-based group, put the tour package together.

The first stop was Hanoi, the point of entry into Vietnam from Hong Kong via Los Angeles. A scattering of MiG war planes at the airport, visible through the windows of the jet carrying the 18 members of the tour, served as reminders of where they were landing.

Uniformed Vietnamese bureaucrats manned the customs desks. Their faces remained stern and businesslike, despite the cheery greetings of the Yankee visitors.

What appeared to be shaping up as a long, grim 10 days in the communist country became a delight once customs was cleared.

The Vietnamese people are for the most part open and friendly to Americans. They smile often, and they enjoy having their friendliness returned. Actually, they view Americans with curiosity, and many seek contact in order to practice their English language skills.

None of those on the tour had any war experience in Hanoi. Still, they suffered as they viewed what remains of the infamous "Hanoi Hilton," the facility in which so many American aircrews were held captive during the Vietnam War.

Although most of the structure has been torn down to make room for new development, a small part has been made into a museum. The tiny, dark cells are still there. There are pictures of American prisoners.

In one room there is a guillotine, complete with two baskets-one for the severed head of the victim, and another for the headless body to be rolled into. Guides assured visitors that the device was last used in 1951, long before any Americans were held there.

A guide also explained that American prisoners there had access to the Red Cross, received mail and packages from home and had a sports complex where they could participate in athletics every day.

Former POWs held at the Hanoi Hilton have painted a far different picture, and their malnourished bodies, when released, backed their claims of deprivation.

Tour members, cheerful up to that point, became quiet and reflective during the visit.

http://www.mca-marines.org/Leatherneck/deweyarch.htm


Sempers,

Roger