My Life as a Soldier
Captain Nguyen Van Nam
Since 1946 I had understood the slogan of communism: “No family, no religion, no fatherland”. At the time I lived in Bui Chu; there, I had urged many a Catholics to fight against communism. Three years later when I went to Phat Diem, I managed to form a company comprising of men who had fled due to the Communist occupation of Bui Chu. The Catholic fathers Le Huu Tu and Hoang Quynh agreed to the men's being trained militarily. These very forces returned to Bui Chu, fought the Communists there, and eventually liberated the city. In 1950, these men became known as the Bui Chu Self Defence Force.
In 1951 Bui Chi became a part of North Vietnam. Moving to Hanoi in the same year, I entered the army - the “Garde du Nord Vietnam”. This later became a part of the 48th Regiment, 16th Infantry Division. I had made up my mind to exterminate all Communists, since they were poisoning my country. I felt that only the force of the army was strong enough to stop the cruelty of the Communists.
Later I was transferred to the Defense Minister's Psywar Department, and permitted to attend the 3rd Special Course of Infantry Officers in Nha Trang - dubbed the “Strategical Hamlet” course. After I graduated in 1962, I became a part of the Marine Brigade, the Headquarters of which were located in Cuu Long Camp, Thi Nghe. When the Marine Brigade became the Marine Division, the Marine Intelligence Special Group was also transformed. Its zip code became KBC 3331.
At the time, I was fortunate enough to be sent to study the course on “Territory Intelligence for Officers”. The course was taught at the Military Intelligence School “Cay Mai” at Cho Lon in Saigon. Around that period, whenever there was an operation, the Marine Intelligence Special Group would detail an Intelligence team to accompany the Battalion Task Force Brigade, as the case may be. Comprising of an officer and two under officers, the team would return to the Marine Division Headquarters on the completion of the operation.
In 1966, I was sent to the US Army Pacific Intelligence School in Okinawa, Japan, then under the command of Colonel W R Hecker. I particularly enjoyed my life as a soldier, especially my time within the Marine Corps: I found a kindred spirit in their intense desire to annihilate Communists. I was able to accompany the Marine Battalion, Task Force, Brigade, and Division on different occasions, performing operations in all 4 tactical zones, from Dam Doi, U Minh Forest, Rach Gia, Cu Chi, Binh Gia, to Qui Nhon, Da Nang, Hue, Quang Tri etc.
In my mind, the most remarkable battle took place in 1972 when the NVA launched a full scale attack to occupy Quang Tri. In May 1972 I followed the Marine Division Headquarters, commanded by Lieutenant General Le Nguyen Khang, to Hue. The Division Headquarters were positioned first at Mang Ca and then Dai Noi. It pained my heart to see the tragic sight of women and children who had been ruthlessly killed by the NVA along National Route 1. In that battle, Marines courageously fought against larger NVA Tank and Artillery units. The 6th Marine Battalion, using M72 antitank weapons destroyed a great number of NVA tanks. In a way, a trend was set, and units competed against each other to see how many tanks they could destroy. The 1st Marine Battalion destroyed 9 NVA tanks one time. In the following days, tanks continued to be destroyed. Thanks to the many successes of the Marines, the NVA advance was halted, and a new defensive line on the southern bank of the My Chanh river was drawn.
Afterwards, Marine Division Headquarters commanded by Colonel Bui The Lan moved to Huong Dien. Several operations, both Airlifted and Amphibious in nature, were performed to raid Hai Lang and My Thuy, north of the My Chanh defensive line. The object of these operations was to provoke the enemy into a defensive attitude.
In the plan to recapture Quang Tri, the TAOR's were divided in the following way: west of the National Route 1 to the foot of the Truong Son range, was the domain of the Airbourne Division; east of the National Route 1 to the sea shore came under the sphere of the Marine Division.
The citadel was square, and measured 500m on each side. Built with solid bricks and covered by a thick layer of earth on the outside, it boasted a large rampart. Before it was occupied by the NVA, the 3rd Infantry Division and its Combat Engineer Battalion had built hundreds of fortified bunkers with thick timber, metal sheets, and 15 layers of sandbags. Around the citadel they had set up barbed wire fences, and there was a 10m wide moat. The enemy made use of these defenses (previously set up by the Infantry) to block the advance of 4 Airbourne Battalions.
On the 2nd July 1972, the Marine Division was ordered to replace the Airbourne Division in trying to recapture Dinh Cong Trang Citadel. Inside the citadel, there was more than one NVA regiment, and they were reinforced with a large quantity of 75 recoiless rifles, B40, and B41. On each side of the wall, an NVA battalion was positioned, consequently every inch of the wall crawled with Communists. They had the fire support of two NVA artillery regiments - the 38th and the 84th, as well as 82mm mortars from the north of the Thach Han river. The Marines fought courageously, advancing meter by meter. Some days they had advanced quite far, only to have to retreat as night fell. This was because a company usually had 140 fighters, but often so many were killed in the advance that there were only 80 left, and the unit had to retreat to be reinforced with manpower.
But the Marines, with their trademark stamina and audacity, finally succeeded in recapturing the old citadel on 16th September 1972. It was a magnificent and heroic victory, especially in the light of how many Communists they were fighting against; the NVA had employed 7 battalions (304, 305, 308, 312, 320B, 324B, 325) and independent regiments, not to mention two tank regiments (203 and 204), two artillery regiments (38 and 84), antiaircraft rocket regiments, sapper regiment 126, and finally there were the two infantry regiments (246 and 270).
The ARVN had employed initially two infantry divisions (the 1st and the 3rd), the 1st Armour Brigade, and two Marine Brigades (the 147th and the 258th). Later, the 369th Marine Brigade, Airbourne Division, and two Ranger Groups (the 5th and 6th) were dispatched.
Another campaign which I recall well is the operation to clear the Communist Boi Loi Sanctuary (Cu Chi). Here, the enemy had long established themselves in underground bunkers and trenches. In the middle, their headquarters was large, and had tunnels branching off leading to four separate areas. Each of these areas in their turn had tunnels to other corners, as well as to the headquarters. In each area there was a large room containing a squad. The Headquarters and all corners had air tubes hidden in bushes above the ground. The Viet Cong had been able to build such an elaborate system because it was a thinly populated area; moreover, the soil in that particular area was easily moulded, and once moulded, proved to be very solid. Thus rain could not erode their tunnels nor cause their collapse.
I served in the Marine Corps for 13 years - during which time I gathered numerous precious memories. I keep them with me still, the souvenirs and memories of the bonds forged between brothers-in-arms. Memories of those moments of danger to those of repose will linger in my mind forever.
Captain Nguyen Van Nam
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