The Landing of
the 4th Marine Battalion on Hill 550
in Operation Lam Son 719
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dang Hoa
In the morning of 7-3-1971, the 4th Marine Battalion was helilifted from Khe Sanh to land on Hill 550 in south Laos. The landing zone was a thick-aged bamboo forest, with some small clearings which allowed a hurried landing of helicopters.
Vietnamese helicopter pilots, with so many experiences in battles, performed their mission excellently.
After landing, Battalion 4 temporarily defended the eastern half of the Hill. It then received order from Brigade 147 to advance and occupy the other half. When were we going to depart, the enemy used "Flames and attacks" tactic. Suddenly the forest burst into flames which were blown by winds from the direction of the enemy to us. The aged bamboos were burning. Winds were blowing. Combined together, they became a storm of flames. In a lifetime as a combatant, it was rare that one would meet such a hellish fire. The popping sounds of burning bamboos and guns sounds from all directions shook the fighting spirit of the Marines at the beginning.
Our formations were disorderly and were very difficult to control in the beginning. The devilish flames pushed us down to the foot of the hill. Thanks to thick bamboos, the enemy had difficulty in observing and pursuing. However, small groups of the NVA were still trying to follow us on our heels. We fought back.
The battle continued through the night. At 2.00 am, I corps requested supporting airstrikes. USAF aircrafts from Thailand arrived and bombed the hill. Fragments flew to our defensive line causing a number of casualties.
After the rain of bombs, Battalion 4 reoccupied the hill. A number of NVA had been killed by these bombs. Two heavy days passed quietly. Battalion 4 searched in the westerly direction and destroyed a NVA training centre. The enemy had withdrawn to avoid any more engagements. Battalion 4 killed a NVA squad which had been guarding it, seized numerous chickens and pigs which had been raised for NVA food and we also destroyed a huge field of green vegetables. We detected natural caves which were able to contain 500 people and were very good shelters for the NVA to avoid bombs.
On the 10-3-1971, after many barrages of shellings, the NVA infantrymen charged our positions. At the hill foot, NVA engineers groups had been clearing roads for the NVA tank advances.
According to the Marine Division intelligence source, NVA commander at South Laos had requested North Vietnam to send another twenty battalions as reinforcements to block the return of the Marines.
At the NVA's final push, the defensive line of the Platoon of 3rd Lieutenant Tran Thanh Dzung was heavily pierced. He bravely commanded the combat. He darted here and there, from this foxhole to another to give directives to his boys. Thus, he became a good target for the NVA. At 6.30 pm, he received a whole B40 in his abdomen. His body was torn apart and its pieces splashed in all directions. Captain Tu Duc Tho reported:
- Dzung had gone on leave, eternally!
I was muted as if I had lost all consciousness.
After the fighting, I ordered Captain Tu Duc Tho to let his boys dig a grave, and used all of 3rd Lieutenant Dzung's clothing, blanket and poncho to wrap all pieces of his body inside before the burial. I just hoped he would be warmly protected, with these wrappings, against the coldness of the harsh nocturnal winds during his eternal rest in South Laos
. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dang Hoa
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