The Last Battle of
the 9th Marine Battalion
Captain Doan Van Tinh
* 16-3-1975
In my life as a Marine, movement of units from one place to another was common. However, this time, due to the hasty preparations of Brigade 369 Headquarters for transferring areas of responsibility to friendly units at the front lines of Quang Tri and for giving orders to the Marine Battalion, Artillery Battalion and supporting units, we felt very uneasy.
Last night, at midnight on 15-3-1975, we received an order from the Brigade to prepare to move at 7:00am. Even if replacing units would not arrive in time, we were to abandon our positions and to mount trucks to go to Cop Bien village on National Route 1, near the Ben Da Bridge.
To leave Gia Dang beach, after my Battalion had camped there for nearly a month in the Tet occasion, was a difficult detachment.
At 10:30am of 16-3-1975, the convoy of the GMC started moving in the following order: Battalion 6, Battalion 2, Brigade 369 Headquarters, Marine Artillery Battalion (Artillery trucks were full of all kind of equipments, utensils, wives and children) and finally Battalion 9. There was a long tail formed by civilians running after the tens of civilian vehicles. Sounds of weeping and crying children were mixed with the shouts of adults calling straying relatives. Their faces were pale and terrified.
We departed with so many anxieties and questions in our minds. Officers and the ranks had asked me many times about this phenomenon, but I was unable to answer them as clearly as I usually could. Deep within my heart, I had a feeling that we would lose territory, a whole MRI.
We reached Dai Loc and stayed there. On 26-3-1975, in the afternoon, we received an order from the Brigade to accept a number of RF and Infantry units retreating from Quang Tri. Major Thanh ordered me to send them to Major Loc who would arrange for them to defend Nui Dat.
During the two days of the 26th and 27-3-1975 we received a lot of sad news about friendly units, namely Marine Battalions 3, 4, 5, 7, 2nd Marine Artillery Battalion and a long-range patrol company. They were cut in pieces at the Thuan An mouth. Major Nguyen Tri Nam, executive officer of Battalion 4, and a class mate of mine in class 22 Dalat Military Academy was killed on the retreat at Thuan An. Major Dinh Long Thanh, of class 19 Dalat Military Academy, Commander of Battalion 4 was missing. Another number of friends in those units were also killed.
Some units were still trying to board a ship under NVA shellings and attacks. I imagined in my mind a battlefield, completely in chaos and in a tragic situation where Marines had been chopped down. I could not restrain my shedding tears.
* Afternoon 27-3-1975
Major Lam Tai Thanh, Commander of Battalion 9 and I, chief of its S3 were summoned to an irregular briefing at Brigade 369 Headquarters positioning at Dai Loc district, Quang Nam Province. As usual, we greeted each other and shook hands with Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Lieutenant Colonel Do Huu Tung, commander and executive officer of the Brigade, respectively.
Since 16-3-1975, Battalion 9 was divided in 2 groups:
- Group A was composed of Companies 2 and 4 and was commanded by the Battalion commander and positioned on the Son Ga mountain range.
- Group B was composed of Companies 1 and 3 and positioned on mountain ranges up to Nui Dat and to the other side of the Vu Gia river, about 1 km from the Battalion Headquarters. This group occupied places which had been left behind by the Airborne units. The latter had moved to the south.
In the briefing, Chief of G3 and Lieutenant Colonel Commander of the Brigade briefed us about friendly forces and the NVA units in the area of responsibility and also about the conditions of a number of Marine units in the Thuan An mouth and Hue.
So Quang Tri had been lost. Walking out of the briefing room, I asked Lieutenant Colonel Tung:
- When would the quantity of ammunition which I had requested be delivered?
Lieutenant Tung answered:
- This afternoon, or tomorrow
- Be calm, but now, drink some alcohol.
General Lan just visited us and gave us these bottles of Napoleon. Each of us drank some small glasses and then we left.
On the return to our unit, we stopped at a small eat-in shop to eat a bowl of crab-noodles and drink a coffee and at the same time observe the conditions of life of the locals. Here, like in Quang Tri, the locals were poor and lacking in so many things.
The Battalion Headquarters was in a straw house, locating next to a red-earthen road on the Son Ga mountain slope. From here we could overview the whole Dai Loc district and the Vu Gia river. Major Thanh and I sat and conversed. We talked about Saigon, Hue and Quang Tri. We were anxious, but did not know what to do.
Brigade 369 ordered us to receive ammunition. I radioed Major Loc, telling him to prepare to get them and then to distribute them to Companies and finally to report back when everything was accomplished.
Major Loc asked:
- What are we going to do?
- Probably reoccupy Hill 1062.
Major Loc jovially confided:
- “2nd Lieutenant Hung, a new graduate, whom you have sent to me, is very handsome and has a powerful build. He originated from Hue. His family was on Phan Boi Chau Street. He said, since his graduation he has had no leave and had to present himself immediately to the unit. He does not know how his family is..."
As a matter of fact, this morning, an officer presented himself to the Battalion. He was of Class 27 Dalat Military Academy. I was so busy that I had kept him at the battalion headquarters for an hour. I asked him about my old school. I let a soldier cook for him a bowl of instant noodle. Then I sent him to Company 3 of Group B. I thought later on, I would have time to ask him about his family and would drink some alcohol with him. However, no one knew about sudden events that occur to a soldier: meeting and parting. I had never met him again.
He never knew where the battlefields were, how the battles were, how the NVA were until his death. He was killed at 5:00pm on 29-3-1975 on My Khe shore.
* 4:00pm 28-3-1975
My assistant called me to the signal room to hear Lieutenant Colonel Do Huu Tung - Major Thanh followed me.
- Thai Duong ! This is Tan An
- Tan An, can you hear me clearly?
- Yes sir, five over five
This is an order for Battalion 9:
- Talk about the ammunition you had received yesterday
- Now give your soldiers the firearm, grenades launcher and machine gun ammunition in complete quantity, then bury the remainder of it. Report to me when the task is finished.
- Yes sir, great Eagle !
I put down the handset (radio receiver) and looked at Major Thanh. He kept silent for a moment and then radioed Major Loc:
- Loc Minh ! This is Tay Do
- Tay Do! I hear you.
Major Thanh gave thorough directives and told him to execute the order.
Major Thanh then looked at me and asked:
- What does it mean, Tan An?
I smiled confidently:
- We would probably have to retreat some kilometres. After the aircrafts have finished bombing Hill 1062, we would reoccupy it. Be reassured, great Eagle. We have enough ammunition for that coming assault. After the recovery of the hill, we would return and retrieve the buried ammunition and re-arm.
Although he heard my words, but both of us had so many questions and doubts in our minds. Major Thanh was very anxious. He was very young. He had been of Class 17 Thu Duc military school. He was reticent and serious.
Being insecure, he asked me:
- Tan An, do you think so?
I laughed.
- Not sure.
Then we both laughed. Everything would be alright.
All orders of the Brigade were accomplished and reported to the Brigade at 6:00pm.
* 6:30pm 28-3-1975
- Tan An ! This is Thai Duong
- Great Eagle ! I hear you
- Let me speak to Tay Do.
Major Thanh held the handset and signalled for me to sit next to him.
- Great Eagle! This is Tay Do
- Open your map and listen carefully.
I opened the map and pushed it to Major Thanh.
- I am ready.
- When I give the order, group B move down from the present location and follow the Son Ga mountain range and advance to the Tuy Loan River. Group A move to Dai Loc to meet the Brigade headquarters. Any questions?
- Hear you five over five.
Major Thanh told me to summon Major Loc.
The voice of Lieutenant Colonel Tung was so cold and as sharp as the edge of a knife. The face of Major Thanh was urgent, showing signs of concern for his unit. This was the first time in my life I heard such a so strange and terrifying order. Oh! Why retreat and where to? Would it be a retreat to Da Nang and establish a defensive line right in the city like in the Tet Mau Than offensive of 1968. Or to run to the sea and quickly board ships like the other Battalions had done in Hue. Are we going to abandon Quang Nam and Da Nang in continuation? During the time we were waiting for orders, we had the feeling as if we were going to the guillotine. Our dinner was ready, placed next to the sleeping place of Major Thanh.
The three of us, Thanh, Loc and myself ate and gave orders and directions at the same time. We had finished all the preparations.
I returned to the signal room. Phan and Quang had been waiting for me.
Phan asked:
- Any happy news, Captain ?
- Yes. Be ready to move.
Phan was vey nice, always smiling.
- Attack Hill 1062 ? Correct ?
I looked at Phan and Quang. I felt pity for my juniors of mine. I pointed on maps which had been glued on walls by 1st Lieutenant Son some days ago… There were numerous signs in different colours, green, red, black… Axis of advances of squads, platoons, Companies…
I told them:
- Copy all those details in your maps. I will tell you about details later.
Quang and Phan drew on their maps, whispering to each other.
- Captain, we finished !
I gave them directions and sighed
- Would it be a hurried withdrawal like other Marine Battalions? I have doubt.
- Captain, why do you speak so tragically?
- Phan and Quang, listen to me, take great effort to care for the ranks of your companies. You should keep in mind that if they had to give an order of retreat in this way, that means that water had been up to our necks. I am praying for the safety and luck for our battalion!
I shook their hands.
- Now you can go. Take great care. I let a jeep driver bring them back to their companies' defensive lines. Distraught, I looked up the Son Ga mountain range which stretched to the horizon in the afternoon sunlight.
I returned to my tent, lying in my hammock, swinging in it and reflecting. It was likely that there was something wrong or that there would be something in an imminent loss. I vaguely felt so and dozed off.
* 0:10am 29-3-75
Finally, at 0:10am, the order came. Major Thanh stood up, stretched his shoulder, took a deep breath and sighed and told me:
- Tan An, you order the companies to move now. Call the commanding Company Commander to come here to meet me.
- OK!
I called Major Loc:
- Loc Ninh, are you ready ?
- Tan An, yes !
- Move now ! Report! Plan unchanged.
- Hear you clear, Tan An !
Group B, under the command of Major Le Van Loc moved along the Son Ga mountain range and along villages on the left side of the road and advanced to the Tuy Loan river.
Group A was led by Company 4 of 1st Lieutenant Luu Minh Quang. Company 2 of 1st Lieutenant Luu Van Phan protected the rear. Group A moved to Dai Loc to meet the Brigade. At 1:0am Group A arrived at the predetermined location. In front of us was an empty space. In the darkness of the night, I still clearly saw sticks, wires, ponchos, boxes of ammunition and wooden artillery round boxes. At the place previously occupied by the Brigade headquarters, there was not a single soul. Only seeing so, we understood the situation we had been in now.
Major Thanh asked me:
- Why is it so?
I was emotionally upset.
- I don't know.
I radioed Lt. Colonel Tung:
- Thai Duong! This is Tan An.
- Thai Duong is listening.
- Where are you now? There is nobody here.
- Exactly so. You move to Tuy Loan River and you will meet me there.
- Yes sir.
In all movements of troops, I was very careful. This time I had told 1st Lieutenant Quang to divide his Company into three prongs. The one on the right moved close to edge of the villages. The left platoon widened its deployment towards the mountain to avoid potential losses due to the NVA ambushes.
Phan radioed me:
- Captain, behind us are disordered infantrymen and the RF, what am I to do?
I said sharply:
- Try to keep your company in solid form. Do not let anybody intrude in your formation. Let the rear platoon march a little bit further from the back of the Company Headquarters. However, continue to move and let friendly units just follow.
Although not seeing it, we clearly knew that there was a very disordered long tail formed by the friendly units and the civilians running after us. The only thing we could do was to keep main force ready to fight anytime.
In the dark, the Marines were moving consistently. I did not know the reason why we had to go to Tuy Loan. Being confident of the absolute power of a Marine Battalion, the platoons moving on the sides easily smashed some small NVA ambushes on the axis of movement. Finally we reached the Tuy Loan River. Daybreak just arrived. There rose some sunlight in the east. All around us, it was quiet. This quietness caused alertness in us.
I gave orders to Companies to deploy and to carefully let platoon after platoon to cross the river. There were only some NVA guns sounds coming from very afar and with some sniper bullets. Those had no meaning.
The Battalion headquarters crossed the Tuy Loan Bridge and then temporarily occupied a school on the left side of the road and deployed. We still had not seen the Brigade Headquarters. Major Thanh told me to radio Hieutenant Colonel Tung.
- Thai Duong! This is Tan An.
- I hear you.
- I reached Tuy Loan river. Where are you now?
- Be calm. I and the Brigade are at Han River bank, near the De Lattre Bridge. You tell Major Thanh to find any kind of vehicles and move your Battalion to the Han River at coordinates X.
- Thai Duong, I want to ask you something.
- Tan An, go ahead.
- Thai Duong, where are we going? At that riverbank, who would pick us up?
- Be calm. At that place, someone would be there to collect you. We would board ships to sail to Cam Ranh.
- Oh! Does it mean that we abandon Da Nang and thus a loss of territory?
- Tan An! Listen. Follow my instructions.
- Hear you five over five.
I looked at Major Thanh. We kept silent. In that horrifying minute, it seemed to me that the sky and the earth were crumbling. Finished! Everything.
* 7:00am 29-3-1975
My tired orderly pulled two suspenders down and put his rucksack on a school table. He opened some "three slices" canned meat and a nylon bag containing rice. He put them hurriedly on the teacher's table and gave Major Thanh and me a spoon each.
- Please, Major and Captain, have some breakfast.
Each of us held a meat can and spooned rice out of the nylon bag and swallowed hurriedly. Major Thanh gave me a cigarette. We discussed. Thanh would go to Han river first to see the Brigade Headquarters. I would find vehicles and direct Companies. He shook my hand with some more instructions and mounted his jeep.
The higher the sun rose, the more tumultuous the scenery was. All the movements of the vehicles and of people were more and more hasty. Not knowing where to go or where to return, people just ran and walked.
I told Corporal Hoang, a RTO, to call Commanders of Companies 4 and 1 to come meet me. It was then that 1st lieutenant Cong and 1st lieutenant Quang arrived.
- Captain. Where are we to go?
- To Da Nang. Now, Cong and Quang, you set up two check points on the road and stop all vehicles. Then report to me how many vehicles there are. However, let people pass by the checkpoints as they like, and friendly units too. Also be careful to control the VC who could mingle with the crowd.
Cong and Quang returned to their companies.
At that moment, a disordered avalanche made of infantrymen and artillerymen from Duy Xuyen slid down. Company 4 stopped them outside its defensive line. The Company Commander led a Colonel (whose name I forgot) to me. He was the Commander of an Infantry regiment at Duy Xuyen. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Khai, the executive officer of that regiment and a Major of his staff.
Lieutenant Colonel Khai saluted me and asked me:
- Are you the commander of this Marine unit?
- No, I am chief of S3. I replied.
He said:
- I am Lieutenant Colonel Khai, executive officer of the Regiment. Now whenever you go, can you allow us to follow you?
Looking at them, I knew that they were my seniors. I nodded:
- Yes
The Colonel, commander of the regiment seemed so angry:
- I apologise. "Fuck." They had abandoned all of us.
- Didn't you receive any orders? I asked
- Excuse me Captain. Those blokes did not give us any orders.
I reassured them:
- Colonel, and all of you; be reassured to follow us.
- By aircrafts or by ships?
- I am not sure, but it's likely that by ship.
- Allow us to follow you?
- Yes
I used trucks from that Regiment. All Artillery guns were disconnected from the trucks with trailers left on road sides. All vehicles were exploited to their utmost capacities. I ordered all companies to mount trucks and to move directly to Han River as well as carrying friendly troops.
- Tay Do! This is Tan An.
- Tan An! I hear you.
- Great Eagle! The whole battalion are on trucks now. Can we move now?
- How about Group B. Are there enough trucks for them?
- Yes, enough for all.
- OK, Tan An! Give orders to move now but be careful. It is a chaos here. People and vehicles are overcrowded on roads. I am at T-junction of Hoa Cam Training centre.
- Hear you five over five. Great Eagle! Be reassured. I will be leading the convoy.
- Loc Ninh. This is Tan An.
- Loc Ninh is hearing you.
- I start moving. Let Ba Xuyen continue to deploy. After half an hour later, order it to mount trucks and move. Report to me when you start moving, OK?
- Hear you five over five.
The convoy moved with great difficulty between the chaotic crowds of civilians, of Hoa Cam training center units and the sick and wounded soldiers of the Duy Tan Military General Hospital.
At 11:00am, group A reached the Han River.
Major Thanh and I met each other there. He said:
- I have not met anybody. No one has been waiting for us. Tan An, you try to radio the Brigade Headquarters.
At that moment, I had understood everything. I ordered all companies to deploy widely on the river bank to avoid enemy shellings pouring down from the direction of Ngu Hanh Son and to block enemy attacks from behind. The NVA shellings increased with more and more intensity and also in accuracy.
I urged Major Thanh to cross the river first, to Command Company 4 to move on the other bank, because it was so dangerous here. It was lucky, that until now, no one had been wounded.
A number of soldiers of the Marine Amphibious Battalion were still staying here to manipulate canoes to carry us to the other side. We also used all the other sampans and boats present on the river to cross the river.
I radioed Lieutenant Colonel Tung.
- Thai Duong! This is Tan An.
- Hear you clear! Where are you now?
- Great Eagle! We are on this side of the Han river.
- Good, have you met a platoon of Ha Noi waiting for you there?
- No, sir!
I heard his unclear voice on the radio PRC25. It was mixing with very familiar sounds, probably those of helicopter rotors, or of ocean waves.
- Thai Duong, where are you now, on helicopter or on a ship?
- Tan An, why do you ask me so?
- Because I heard sounds of helicopter rotor blades hitting the wind, or ocean waves hitting the shore.
Neither helicopter nor ship. That was ocean waves hitting the shore.
I heard a very loud shout of Lieutenant Colonel Phuc, the Brigade commander:
- Give Tan An the radio frequency of Hop immediately. Also, Hop has the duty to collect Battalion 9.
- OK, OK. Tan An! This is Thai Duong. Write down this frequency to radio contact Ha Noi and Ha Noi will arrange to take Battalion 9 to ship.
- Hear you five over five.
- Good luck.
Whamp! Suddenly I heard a loud explosion in the radio, cutting across his sentence… ending the conversation. That was the last conversation of us with Lieutenant Colonel Do Huu Tung. In the segment of road from Dai Loc to Han River, I occasionally heard lieutenant Colonel Phuc, but rarely, probably because he had been too busy.
These two Lieutenant Colonels had been my direct Commanders since the first day I entered the 5th Marine Battalion. They had been also my admirable seniors of our Alma Meter, Dalat Military Academy. During the years of battle, we had so many times a direct subordinate of Lieutenant Colonel Tung. When I was platoon leader, he was company commander. When I was chief of G3 of Brigade 258, he was its executive officer. Outside the life of military hierarchy, he and I had many opportunities to talk about life and about family. He acted as if he were my older brother, especially at the time both of us were in Brigade 258 of Colonel Ngo Van Dinh.
I successfully made radio contact with Major Hop (radio code name Ha Noi). Hop was the 2nd Marine Battalion commander of class 19 Dalat Military academy. He informed me that he had been on the VN Navy big ship HQ 810 and commanded all the Marines on that ship. I did not know the name of the ship captain. However, Major Hop let me know the captain's radio code name Nam Ho and his radio frequency. I carefully wrote down these details.
I informed Tay Do about that and I told Major Hop that we would try to continue to fight.
- Tan An, for how long? He asked
- Perhaps two to three days or longer.
I confidently replied.
Major Hop said:
- Try to combat. At about 9.00 pm, clear the landing beach for pick-up.
- OK, thank you Ha Noi !
That was the most important appointment in my life. Unfortunately, that appointment did not happen and had never happened. We completely lost contact with Major Hop since 3.00 pm on 29-3-1975. I then switched to Nam Ho's radio frequency but received no answer.
Hoping to be able to take Battalion 9 onto a ship and sail into the open sea or to find another way of escape was a hallucination and unrealizable. I felt by my sixth sense in this situation, nobody wanted to be bound by the power of command or of leadership. Perhaps one's main concern now was to find an escape for oneself. I thought so and I recovered my calmness. This calmness was now very indispensable for my unit. All angers, anxieties and hates in my heart had sunken down. To die now or later, it was always only once.
I had chosen the path for my life; I had lived 7 years in combat. Danger and death had surrounded me every second of every minute. Now I did not need to reflect upon trivial things to lose precious time.
* Noon 29-3-1975
Company 4 crossed the river first. It was 1st Lieutenant Quang who reported:
- Captain, there was no unit waiting for us!
At that moment, I had bitter problems. I told Quang to advance another 500m from the bank and deploy, waiting for us to cross the river. Meanwhile, the enemy shellings were relatively accurate in adjusting to the river bank. Their artillery sounds continuously fell down. In this open barren space, to seek or not to seek shelter had no difference. However, to seek shelter would cause a disturbance in formation.
Major Thanh had crossed the river and was waiting for us there. When I reached the bank, he said:
- Tan An, there was nobody waiting for us here. You radio Loc now to see where he is and find out about the Group B condition.
- Yes, sir.
Major Loc told me:
- We arrived at the river. Company 3 was preparing to deploy when the enemy mingled with civilians and attacked us from behind. We can not cross the river now.
- Authority! Please, solidify positions and counterattack! You don't need to cross the river now, because the enemy has been shelling here.
- Tan An, hear you clear.
Respectively companies 4, 1, 2 and the Battalion Headquarters crossed the river. From the river bank to the asphalted road, we saw a disordered scene. A number of Marines of Company 4 were running back, without helmets on their heads and without rucksacks on their backs.
It was 1st Lieutenant Quang that informed me that in that direction, the enemy had been violently shelling. Civilians and a number of other units were chaotically running. I told Quang:
- Rectify your troops immediately. Don't let your boys run in disorder. Deploy a defensive line widely on the other side of the road, especially on the east and the south.
Major Thanh and I discussed and decided:
1. From this minute onwards, we will not to wait for any reinforcement.
2. We will look for a good position to protect the Battalion.
3. Major Loc and 1st Lieutenant Ba will Command Company 3
In the past, we had performed operations in remote villages, mountainous regions or swampy forests in Ca Mau, Nam Can before, but now, looking at a city map, we felt unfamiliar. Battles had rarely happened in cities like this.
After having determined our present coordinates, we agreed to move to the north of Non Nuoc Airfield, where there had been big houses situating near the sea shore.
- Phuong Dung! This is Tan An.
- Hear you, Captain.
- Move to X, deploy, facing the sea. Report when you start moving.
- Yes.
Company of Phan quickly rearranged and moved, then Company 1 of 1st lieutenant Cong, the Battalion headquarters and Company 4 in the rear. Only on arrival, we realised that it was a catholic seminary and large orphanage. This Son Tra seminary was a large area, having four to five rows of continuous storied houses which formed a rectangle. There was a high fence around. Columns were of concrete. There was an anti B40 net. In this urgent situation there was no other better position. This seminary faced the sea in the east, about 200 m from the water line. A barren area was in the south, next to the Non Nuoc airfield. In the north there was a fishing residential area. Public edifices were in the west.
The ground in this area was formed by earth and sand. It was easy to dig foxholes and trenches. Firing fields were ideal.
Major Thanh agreed to position in this place.
The defensive line was as follows:
- Company 2 took care of the beach, facing the eastern sea, observing ships.
- Companies 1 and 4 formed an L line facing south and west.
We expected that we would have to confront the enemy in these two directions. We also newly received a number of soldiers from the 6th Marine Battalion, led by Captain Ho Ngoc Hoang. I arranged to let Captain Hoang's protect the north side.
Only Company 3 of 1st Lieutenant Truong Van Ba and Major Loc, the Executive Officer, was stuck on the other side of Han River.
Loc and Ba informed us that while Company 3 had been preparing to defend on the bank, the NVA attacked and shelled. Loc said:
- Lying here was becoming flesh targets for the NVA. Our backs were facing the river… It was so difficult…
Major Thanh ordered:
- Loc and Ba, try to make decisions for yourselves. Strive to occupy a good position to minimise loss to your Company.
After an hour later, Loc called me:
- Tan An! This is Loc Ninh.
- Authority! I hear you.
- We are retreating slowly to De Lattre bridge. We can't move any further because there are so many small branching rivers.
- Tan An! Tan An!
I heard hurried calls in the radio… then since this moment, I lost contact with this group. (only later Loc and Ba recounted to me that, soldiers had had no shelter under the heavy enemy shellings. They ordered them to withdraw along the river, to the De Lattre bridge, in the eastern direction. However, there were many rivers. Some soldiers drowned. Finally, Company 3 broke up).
At the seminary Son Tra, companies completed the defensive line. I felt very pleased after having made a patrol tour.
This was probably an ideal position for battle. We chose the battlefield in preparation for the final battle.
As Commander, we knew clearly that the enemy was on all sides. Our battle would be alone. Our defensive line had no way of retreating. There would be not a single fire support from any friendly unit. We would have to fight until we were annihilated.
It was a concern that the enemy would also pay a high price as long as we were still breathing and had the stamina to fight.
The Battalion headquarters staff officers sat around. I sat on the last step of the Seminary. Major Thanh leant against a concrete column to rest. We smoked continuously.
- Captain, Dr Tuy wants to present himself to you.
I turned back looking at Hoang, my RTO. We turned his head toward the entrance where Dr Tuy had been standing. I waved my hand to let him approach us.
- Major, Dr Tuy would like to present himself to you.
Major Thanh nodded. I showed him to Major Thanh.
Dr Tuy had been assigned to the Battalion about a month ago. He was of small stature, meek and reticent. He seemed shy, slowly walking to Major Thanh and saluted. He exposed his situation:
He originated from Duy Xuyen. He had an elderly mother, a wife and two children. He did not know where they had been or where they had strayed to. He was very anxious and asked permission to return to his native province to find his mother, wife and children. Seeing the chaotic currents of people in the days we had been in Dai Loc or during the time we were moving recently until now, we completely understood the subordinates' anxieties and uneasiness of mind.
He was very anxious and asked permission to return to his native province to find his mother, wife and children.
We shared their thoughts and feelings and situation, especially with those originated in this region.
No, we did not blame Dr Tuy at all. We did not blame him for lacking responsibility, because many people with much greater responsibility had quietly and sneakily run away and shamelessly abandoned big units without hesitation. I advised Major Thanh.
- Major, grant him permission!
Major Thanh told Dr Tuy
- Up to you.
However, Dr Tuy showed signs of fear. Bending his head forward, he looked at the ground. I understood my Battalion Commander completely. Behind those cold features of his face, he had been meek and humane, sometimes too sentimental to the point of becoming weak.
I knew that at this moment, Major Thanh has had too many anxieties and sadness. I turned back and spoke to Dr Tuy:
- You can be reassured and go. Be careful once you are outside the fence. There were chaotic civilians and soldiers outside. We hope that you can find your family.
Dr Tuy saluted Major Thanh and me and said farewell to his medical platoon and then walked to the fishing village. Since then we had never met that brother-in-arm again. Major Thanh sat down on the steps and tendered his hand to grab my Y-shaped suspenders on my back and pulled me down to sitt next to him. He pulled a packet of cigarettes out and offered me a cigarette and spoke in low voice:
- Most of our soldiers originated from the south. Others were from the centre of Vietnam and has the same pitiful condition like Dr Tuy. Will we call them all here to tell them as we had told Dr Tuy?
- Major, you are right. The coming battle would be a matter of life and death. To have another number of soldiers sacrifice would not change anything. I suggest summoning all company commanders, all platoons and squads leaders here and we will inform them. They will tell their boys later.
- OK. Major Thanh nodded.
I told 1st Lieutenant Son, my assistant:
- You call all Company Commanders, Platoon and Squad Leaders here for an urgent briefing. All executive officers would be in charge of units during this time.
It was 1st Lieutenant that gathered them and then presented them to me. I controlled the number and then presented them to Major Thanh.
Major Thanh stood on the steps of the Seminary. He bent his head for a very long time. His shoulders trembled. Finally he raised his face, but he could not utter a single word. Shame and mental pains choked him. He tried to swallow them down, but his eyes were full of tears. He quickly stepped toward a concrete column; put his face in his two hands. He shook his head and with a tearful voice, he told me:
- Tan An, I can't speak
My whole body shook. All tough sentiments of a combatant disappeared. My mind became unclear and floating. I clenched my teeth and tried to swallow all the salty tears down. I walked to under the corridor. I raised my head high, because I knew in advance that, when I bend my head, I would be unable to hide the painful tears like Major Thanh. This Battalion was our "son" since the day it had been established in 20-4-1970. It was five years old now. I took a deep breath and spoke loudly.
- Officers, underofficers and the ranks, all of you, listen to me. We have nothing to hide to you. From Quang Tri to Da Nang, all units have broken up. Our Battalion 9 is the only one persisting. The coming battle would be a battle of life and death. We could not retreat anywhere. We ask you to inform all your boys to stay if they want to continue and fight. If they want to return to their family, they can be reassured and leave here. We will not force anybody. We, ourselves, have decided to stay and combat with the 9th Marine Battalion until the last minute. Tell the medical platoon to distribute to each person a small plastic bag containing pain killers, anti-diarrhoeic tablets, anti-malaria tablets and band-aid strips to help soldiers during the struggle for survival.
Finally, I shouted very loud:
- That's all!
I was intending to turn away when 1st lieutenant Phan came in front of me. Raising his hand to lift his myopic eyes glasses which had been soaked in tears, he could only utter some soft words:
- Captain! Captain!
He then turned to the column of attendants, raised his hand high and shouted
"Battalion 9 is determined to combat until death!" All the other people also shouted:
- We have decided to stay and fight.
* 2:40pm 29-3-1975
From Company 1, 1st Lieutenant Cong reported:
- In the distance, in the direction of the airfield, the NVA tanks appeared.
From Company 4, 1st Lieutenant Quang also reported:
- Enemy tanks were approaching us. Holding the radio handset, Major Thanh told me:
- Tan An, you go upstairs to observe.
I brought a XM16 and led an RTO to the flat top of the building to observe. Looking through binoculars in the direction of the airfield, I saw columns of dust and smoke. There were about five to six NVA tanks in a row slowly advancing towards us. Deep within my heart, I smiled.
"Finally, you arrive!"
I had never been so calm and joyful like this moment. Seeing that our defensive line had been solid, I felt reassured and walked downstairs to meet Major Thanh.
He asked:
- Tan An, what did you see?
- Great Eagle, the NVA tanks were advancing towards us, not very far now.
Major Thanh radioed Companies, telling them be ready.
The features of seriousness on his face had a faint emotion. Since the day he had become the Commander of the 9th Battalion, this was his first battle. I never thought that it also was his last battle of a combatant's life. He stood up, holding a M79, walked to and fro in the room. Companies 4 and 1 continuously reported. I told them:
- Be confident. Aim and shoot each NVA accurately. When the NVA tanks are closer, less than 50m away, then the LAW would take care of them. It was very hard for them to enter here.
Truly, Major Thanh and I had same feelings and thoughts. In this very short period of time, innumerable complex ideas and thoughts stirred in our minds: units, family, relatives and lovers. Finally, we could not solve any problems concerning these topics.
Any play ends, no matter how. At times Thanh and I looked at each other and smiled. The smile of war hardened Marines who had found a solution. A smile of "readiness to accept fate".
* 3:15 on 29-3-1975
The NVA tanks started firing. The bullets passed through the B40 protecting nets and created pock-marks in the seminary walls. Tank artillery rounds exploded, continuously, like New Year fire crackers. Marines on the defensive line started firing. Around me, there were shouts from the defensive line coming through the PRC25 radios, mixed with weeping, crying and shouts of innocent civilians still being stuck inside the seminary with all of their children because the NVA artillery rounds had been falling in the main yard of the seminary. These shouts and sounds of crying made us anxious.
With the fighting capacity of my Battalion, I thought, we could resist, even if not for long, at least three to four days.
Since that moment, the NVA artillery rounds fell more and more on the main yard. After each loud explosion, the weeping and crying of women and children raised higher. I ran up to the upper flat top to have a look and thought "No worries. You need a long time to occupy this seminary".
Now and then, the Company Commanders Cong and Quang reported. Waves of the NVA infantrymen were easily repulsed. There were NVA bodies scattering on the large beach. There was still was not a single tank that could enter. Some NVA tanks burst in flames, with black smoke rising in large quantity due to our M72 LAW rockets.
The fighting continued. The NVA artillery rounds and tank artillery rounds pounded more and more thickly. Cries and moans were still very loud in the big houses of the seminary.
My RTO gave me the radio handset:
- Captain, 1st Lieutenant Phan wants to speak to you.
- Phuong Dung, Tan An is hearing.
- Captain, there are two big ships, appearing in the sea. Did you see them?
I told Phan to wait. I walked to the end of the corridor. I asked my soldier to give me the binoculars. Looking at the immerse sea in the east, I saw two black spots in the horizon. I mumbled:
- "There really are two ships. Perhaps they are moving towards us"
- Phuong Dung! This is Tan An. Exactly, there are 2 big ships.
- Captain. Do you give us any orders?
- Wait
I returned to the command room, asked Major Thanh for an opinion. He was emotionally touched! He told me:
- You tell Phan to continue to follow up and report.
- Yes, sir.
I repeated Major Thanh's opinion to Phan. Then I radioed companies 1, 4 and asked them to report the situation.
Both Cong and Quang laughed:
- These rats still could not do anything.
I sighed. I did not know whether presently Cong and Quang had understood anything about this fighting condition.
Now, it was a matter of life and death, a wish or desperation. Everything was in turbulent in front of my eyes.
Around here, there was nobody. Nobody had made any contact with us and perhaps nobody had known that in this far region of the Centre of Vietnam, there still had been a unit still combating. Of course, it was for survival, but this battle also "defined" what the responsibility of a Commander, what responsibility toward the nation and what responsibilities toward subordinates were.
I was not pessimistic. I was not allowed to be pessimistic, because there was nothing left to be pessimistic about. All Marines of the Battalion were fighting for the last time in their combatant lives.
I used the frequency which Major Hop had given to me previously to radio the ship.
- Nam Ho, Nam Ho! This is Tan An
- Ha Noi! This is Tan An
Nobody was on this frequency anymore! Why? Where did they go to? On the blue sea water, the two ships became bigger and bigger until we could see the cabins and flagpoles.
Phan hurriedly asked for orders. The situation became tense. Continuously for some hours under the enemy attacks with artillery and tanks, we had not been unnerved. However, seeing these two ships strangely appearing and I still could not make any radio contact, it disturbed me.
Major Thanh and I discussed:
- Was it possible that these two ships had been captured by NVA who had been steering here, to entice us into running out to board them?
- If they were VN Navy ships coming to pick up us, why was there no radio contact?
- And if they really were VN Navy ships and if we would abandon this opportunity, what a catastrophe!
I patiently called Nam Ho and Ha Noi several more times. There was absolutely no answer. As time passed, the enemy intensified their attack.
Major Thanh asked me:
- Tan An, see if the appropriate time has come, then order Phan.
Looking at him, I said to myself:
- There are how many times like this in our life?
I looked through the corridor. The two big ships were only about 1 km from the shore. Clenching my teeth, I nodded agreeing with Major Thanh.
- Phuong Dung! This is Tan An.
- Phuong Dung is hearing you.
- Let your boys prepare. When receiving my order, leave this seminary and dart to the ships.
- But how about this solid fence?
- Let all boys climb on it and trample it down. Do you hear me clear?
- Yes, captain!
And then the ships were some hundreds from the shore. I called Phuong Dung.
- Now trample the fence down, and rush to the ships.
- Heard you clear, Captain.
From the 1st floor of the seminary, we heard among the NVA artillery rounds were the Marine shouts and a big "whimp"
The fence was trampled down by Company 2. Phan's directives were no more effective. The ranks moved without order. There were no fire support between one another. Everybody ran toward the sea.
- Hong Ha! This is Tan An.
- Hong Ha is listening to you!
- Hong Ha, let your boys board the ships.
- Yes, authority!
Captain Ho Ngoc Hoang quickly reacted and rushed his troops to the sea. Captain Ho Ngoc Hoang of Class 19 Dalat Military Academy had been the executive officer of the 6th Battalion. I did not know why he had been leading about a Company of the 6th Battalion to Non Nuoc airfield in those last hours. Incidentally, while I had been standing on the flat top of the Seminary to make observations, I saw a column of Marines. I tried to contact them and realised that this was a group of the 6th Battalion. The Commander of this group was Captain Ho Ngoc Hoang. I called him and asked him to defend in the north direction, under our Command. At 6:00pm, it was the last order given to him. After that, we did not know his whereabouts.
Only later that I found out what had happened to him. When Captain Hoang rushed his troops to the water line, the two big ships had been sailing in the open sea. Looking at the disintegration of his unit, he knew that it was hopeless. Hoang returned to the Seminary main square. He did not want to be fallen into enemy hands. He committed suicide with a number of other Marines. The seminary Catholic soeurs buried their bodies under a stone table to have a permanent marking. After many months of trying to find a trace of his death, his family succeeded in finding his body because those Catholic soeurs had indicated the place in the Seminary Son Tra. I had been heart-broken and emotionally touched by his heroic death. I reserved a minute to communicate with this unlucky senior of mine and "I apologise to you! Captain Hoang! I wish you to rest calmly and happily in the Eternity where there are numerous relatives and brothers-in-arms who always love you".
Companies 1 and 4 continuously radioed the 9th Battalion Headquarters to ask for orders.
I told Cong and Quang:
- Try to keep the defensive line. Wait until Company 2 have finished boarding, then I will order you.
I still always thought that if we just ran disorderly to the sea, the damage would be very great.
Firstly: there was no certainty that these ships had been coming to pick up us. It was probable that it had been a tricky NVA bait.
Secondly: Companies 1 and 4 had been in heavy battle. It was so dangerous to leave the defensive line now. Right at that moment three to four NVA artillery rounds exploded in the middle of the seminary. Major Thanh shouted:
- Tan An, order all companies to leave the defensive line and go.
I had no time to ponder. I ordered:
- Companies 1 and 4 and commanding Company, abandon the defensive line and dart towards the ships!
It was so dangerous in that situation! I followed Major Thanh to the ground floor. Looking through the window at the end of the corridor, I saw all the Companies chaotically scuttling to the two big ships.
I was very surprised that when the first ship was about 100 m from the water line, it suddenly stopped and steered backwards while soldiers had been waiting on the shore to board. It was so strange. It sailed further and further in the open sea.
The sunset was coming. In that disordered scene, I saw Marines throwing rucksacks, firearms, ammunition down and swimming in the sea. The distance between the ship and those Marines increased more and more, no matter how far in the sea they had swum.
When reaching the seminary Main Square, Major Thanh and I lost tracks of each other.
I still had a XM16 in my hand. I also ran to the direction of the sea. The ships now were only faint shadows on the dark sea.
I shouted:
- Stop, don't swim after the ships anymore. Oh! We were cheated!
Some Marines running next to me stopped and asked.
- Captain, what did you say?
- We were cheated!
I pointed in the north direction where there had been six to seven small boats which we had named as "alpha". They were about 50m from the water line. I directed all remaining Marines to quickly move to My Khe beach. When we were close to those boats "alpha", a NVA unit had been lurking there. They emerged from the sand and pointed guns on us.
The foremost Marines stopped, fired at them shouting:
- Viet Cong ! Viet Cong !
I quickly changed direction towards villages, scurried with some Marines. We passed by a village and reached a cemetery (which only later we knew its name: An Hai Cemetry). It was very large, with many cactus bushes and many concrete tombs. This place we could arrange into a defensive position. We hid inside it, trying to deploy and fight with some ammunition left.
The darkness of the night fell quickly covering the whole cemetery. We could not see each other. Some of the NVA illuminating flares were floating in the sky. Some mortars fell on the cemetery, but there were no signs that the enemy would assault this place.
Hunger, thirst, exhaustion and especially the heart-broken disintegration of my unit paralysed my stamina.
I fell asleep next to a tombstone. After a period of time of unknown length, I heard voices of conversation. Startled, I loudly said:
"Was that not enough yet?" That you so loudly speaking would lead Viet Cong to this place?
A Marine crawled to me and whispered:
- Captain, Captain!
- Is that you, Hoang?
Yes, it's me. The VC crawled to us and asked:
- "Where is your commander?"
I became completely sober after his words. Now I understood that I had lost everything. We quietly crossed the barbed-wire fence, crawled between potatoes high beds towards some lamps in the distance. There were only four of us now. We gropingly returned in the dark to the Han River. Reaching its bank, we saw a street lamp on the other side. I and two soldiers took off our uniforms and swam across the river. The fourth, could not swim, stayed back and kept our clothing.
It was 1:00am on my watch. When we nearly reached the other bank, I took a deep breath, then dived and then silently emerged from the water. Suddenly I heard a loud shout of a VC guarding on the bridge.
- Who is it? While he fired a clip.
Hoang was so hurried. That's why we were defeated. I shouted:
- Back to the other side!
I dived a very long way into the water towards the middle of the river and swam back to the other bank. It was lucky, that none of the three was wounded and we did not lose track of each other. We put on our uniforms and left the bank. We found a home still having its lamp on and knocked on its door to ask for permission to enter.
A lady opened the door. Seeing that we had been wearing Marine uniforms, she showed signs of fright. I understood and explained succinctly. She invited us in and closed the doors carefully. In the house, there was another girl, about sixteen or seventeen. They gave us water and food and then we dozed off.
* 9:00am on 30-3-1975
From the house we had slept overnight at An Hai, we walked towards the De Lattre Bridge with the intention to return to the area of the previous battle to see whether there had been any Marines still staying there. In that case we could leave this region reassured. However, after leaving the house for about half a kilometre, a group of about five or six blokes on a Jeep, hurriedly stopped in front of us.
They pointed their guns at me and told me to raise my hands. It was so strange. I had no more of any concept about life and death. My mind was erring like in a dream. My legs walked tightly as if I were walking on fog and smoke. I continued to walk, still hearing shouts in my ear:
- Stop, Stop! Are you the Commander?
I ambiguously answered:
- Yes, I am.
Some of them hurriedly clenched their fists. My soldiers stopped them and pushed them away saying:
- If you want something, just speak out! Don't touch our master…
Finally they asked me to mount that Jeep…
It was about some minutes after 9:00am. I was arrested.
I wanted to return to the long sandy beach where the battle had occurred yesterday to see the last traces of a combatant's life and to look in the direction of the eastern sea where my brothers-in-arms had chosen to put their bodies in and to tell the sea that:
- Thank You. The sea is the purest place to welcome you, the beloved and admirable sons of South Vietnam, into the Eternity.
Captain Doan Van Tinh
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