Vietnam 1954

Cpl Bernard Bates - I was with 2/4 during the fall of 1967. We lost every battle. I was in 3 (huge fights) all of them. The only thing saving us were B 52 strikes. My Battalian commander West Hammond told me 20 years later he moved the map so as to get the B 52 strikes to hit closer to out perimeter., I was thrown out of my fighting hole during one of the strikes by the concussion. As for crossing the border into the north would have been suicide. There were maybe 4 or five very understrength US Marine grunt battalions who would have been faced up against 35,000 Vietnamese, who by the way were better armed in many ways than us. Our Artillery was set up and controlled out of Dong Ha. They could not defend us. Our artillery was outgunned by the NVA. Because Robert Macfarlin later a shamed Nixon political appointee. He in the fall of 1967 was a Marine Lt Col artillery officer. He screwed up big time. However I praise the lonely and brave US Air Force (putt putt sounding) bird dog pilots directing fire, and bombs onto those wanting to kills us. My battalion had nearly 3000 casualties in their 46 (fighting) days. The math said we had our ass kicked. I hope to hell the Marine Corps will never allow this to happen to their Marines in the future. The Marine Corps is not a land Army. This is not me telling this story. It is about what really happened (I was there) told to me by Marine Corps historians off the record.

I was talking about Khe Sanh. Johnson wanted the Marines surrounded by the communists so he could prove they could't wipe the Americans out like the french were wiped out. The siege lasted from Jan, 21st to July 9th 1968. The B52 carpet bombing broke the back of the communists. We had them on the run and wanted to chase them to the border of Laos. The communists lost ten thousand troops compaired to 5oo marines. Then they wanted peace talks so we stood down. Johnson proved his point but it was costly. I believe everything that you said about your experience. This happened after you described what you went through. The Khe Sanh siege almost wiped out the VC. as a fighting force. I salute you for what you accomplished. Semper Fi.

Cpl Bernard Bates - My battalion commander was Col. Wes Hammond USMC at Con Thien. He was wounded (shrapnel in his butt) during a fight we had on October 26th 1967. He became 3rd Marine Division commander after his butt healed overseeing operations at Khe Sanh during the siege. So many stories of his time. He was a good man. His memory brings tears to my eyes. Semper Fi.

Cpl Archie H. - Sorry Col. Hammond was 3rd Marine Division operations officer during Khe Sanh siege! Sorry I write sometimes with emotions.