Last Days of Platoon 2,
Company 2, Battalion 7
2nd Lieutenant Le Manh Toan
At the end of February 1975, I took my annual leave to visit my family. In mid-March I returned to the area of operation. The battles were boiling up. News propagated by newspapers and radios were not at all optimistic.
On the day I said goodbye to my family, my parents and my younger siblings seemed so attached to me. They did not want me to depart during this period of time. Everybody looked at me with anxious eyes.
My mother and my younger siblings wept so much. Only my father, who had also been a combatant, looked at me anxiously as if he had known all the potential dangers waiting for me. What could I do? Being a man in war time I had to just go. I quickly turned my back to avoid all the glances from the members of my beloved family. However, deep within my heart, I was really touched.
I returned to my unit, when the situation in my whole country was in chaos. This was due to the rumours of a big bloody battle that would occur. Company 2 of the 7th Battalion was still at the Hoa My base.
When I returned to my unit, everybody was happy. So was I. Bursts of laughter clattered as if we were in peace time. After few days, Captain Ngo Kim Anh, Company 2 Commander, summoned all officers and let us know that the 7th Battalion would move via convoy to Da Nang. We put maps of Quang Tri, Thua Thien in the bottom of our rucksacks. Maps of Quang Nam Da Nang were in our hands.
It was 2nd Lieutenant Luong Van Nghia that said:
- Be prepared to have a good time strolling in Da Nang.
Everybody laughed.
At a briefing, the Company Commander showed us places to arrive and then to position. We were all disappointed, because all the platoons were to station on a high mountain, with thick forests. There were no roads for vehicles. If we wanted to go on National Route 1, my Platoon would need at least half a day's walk; not to mention climbing slopes and fording streams.
* On 19-3-1975
A ranger Company arrived to replace Company 2, which would with Battalion 7, withdraw to An Lo. A ranger platoon having only fourteen soldiers replaced my platoon. These rangers had just battled in Chau Doc and had big losses. The platoon leader was a sergeant. He was stunned when he knew that the defensive line was so long. When I transferred each post to him, he looked at me and shook his head in dismay. I smiled not knowing to say anything!
I led my platoon to the GMC trucks to go to An Lo Bridge. The enemy 130mm rockets shelled at both ends of the bridge rather accurately. It was likely that the NVA artillery scouts had mingled with the crowd of the civilians which had followed us.
Waiting in An Lo for two days at the noon of 21-3-75, a convoy transported us to the Thuan An Mouth, Hue, rather than Da Nang as we had previously thought.
At Thuan An, my platoon deployed for defence, while waiting for ships to move to Da Nang. I felt uneasy. My sixth sense told me that something abnormal was going to happen. Civilians in Thuan An also seemed anxious when they found out that the Marines had left Quang Tri.
- The company commander invites you to an urgent briefing. A soldier told me.
At the briefing, the commander said immediately:
- Our Battalion 7 has to return to the Trieu Phong district to protect the Forward headquarters of the Marine Division in withdrawing to safety out of Huong Dien.
Looking at each other, we sighed. There was not a single Marine who had not heard of the name Trieu Phong. We had confronted the enemy frequently in 1972. Company after company boarded the ship to cross Pha Tam Giang. On the other bank there was already a convoy waiting for us. When company 2 boarded the LCM, it was already sunset with some yellow sunrays left.
My platoon mounted a GMC. I sat in the front cabin with the driver. On both sides of the road, every house already had their lamps "on". The lamps had a yellow and lonely tragic light. Civilians of all ages stood on both sides of the road looking at the moving convoy. They had just been disappointed to hear that the Marines had been withdrawn, but now, looking at the convoy taking us along village route 555 back to Trieu Phong, they were surprised. A sparkle of hope ignited in them. However, we did not bring any hope at all!
Battalion 7 alighted at Huong Dien. Other soldiers of Marine Division loaded equipment on to the convoy. My Platoon 2 received order to spearhead. There were neither stars nor the moon in the sky. I had to use a compass with a phosphorus needle to lead my Platoon to Trieu Phong.
Some NVA artillery rounds exploded aimlessly with some flashes of light, then total darkness. My boys quietly walked in the dark. Near daybreak, we were ordered to stop and deploy.
* 22 & 23-3-1975
I told my boys to search the place for digging foxholes. I sat on a sand dune, smoked a capstan cigarette. It was so delicious. My orderly gave me a coffee. I felt no tiredness although I had no sleep the previous night. Sounds of foxholes digging were like the sounds of graves digging for us.
It was daytime, but there was no sun. The sky was as heavily overcastted like my heart. In the distance, the high cross of Trieu Phong church emerged above the foliage.
At 9.00 am, about a Company of RF moved in rather good order by our position. I was observing them when a Platoon stopped. An officer was fidgeting with a map.
Walking down the sand dune, I looked at that officer wearing myopic glasses. He was a 3rd lieutenant. I asked:
- Are you being questioned about your present position?
He looked at me, embarrassed:
- Yes, senior.
- Do you see the cross on top of Trieu Phong church.
- Yes I do.
- What is the distance from here to there?
- About 1 km.
- You measure the inverse angle to find your position.
- Thank you, senior.
I returned to my command post, feeling very pleased. Battalions after Battalions retreated in good order, passing by my Platoon. I suddenly felt becoming smaller and smaller and lonely in the middle of a white immense sandy area. However, we were very proud of our duty and we were not forgotten.
* On 24-3-1975
Early in the morning we received order to retreat. However, at 10.00am, we were ordered to stop and deploy. Company 2 was on a sand dune with many firs which could be used as shelter or shields. Platoon 2 was ordered to move about 350m from the Company. I had a squad stationing on a sand dune having fifteen firs and some scattering tombs. Three other squads went with me to a saddle area lying in North-South direction. There was neither bush nor grass. It was so disadvantageous that I suggested to my Company Commander to leave only one Squad here and the two others would be with me in the middle of the large white sand dune.
Suddenly my Company Commander radioed me:
- There will be two M41 tanks to arrive and stay with you. Report to me when they come.
- Hear you clear.
I look around and I saw a great tomb, about 200 m away from me in stone with a surrounding wall. I thought putting 2 Squads there would be best. It would be much easier to defend than to lie exposed in the middle of this sand beach.
I still had no time to carry out that idea when the Company Commander radioed me:
- Did you receive two M41 tanks?
- I saw them. They are coming.
While I was waiting for these two tanks, I looked in front of me. A scene hit my eyes. Hundreds of people were running from Trieu Phong toward here, in disordered clothing. Some had only underwear. Others were naked to the waist. Some had no shoes. Only a small number were still holding on to M16s and some clips of ammunition.
At the same time, I received news that a Marine had been killed in the saddle area. However, I did not hear any gun sounds. Thach Rene! He was killed by a bullet hitting right on his heart. We lost a brother-in-arm. We could not hear his Hawaiian guitar sounds anymore. Farewell to you! Rene! I hurriedly ordered to bring his body to the Company Headquarters. The tradition of Marine Corps was to never abandon a killed or wounded Marine. The Company Commander radioed me:
- You stop all of them
- Why? They have no more morale and no weapons. To stop them would not be useful at all!
- You just stop them and I will find a way to do!
The two M41s just arrived. I still had not the time to show them the place where they were to stay because the disordered current of RF was running by. I felt pity for them. A RF soldier said to me:
- 2nd Lieutenant, there are NVA tanks!
The two M41 had not entered the place and we heard the running RF shouting: NVA tanks! Immediately these two tanks speeded to escape with those RF soldiers and disappeared.
We were in the middle of a large sandy area. We had had no time to dig foxholes. I ordered my platoon to lie in places. I stood up looking in front of me. I saw a column of smoke, liking that of a locomotive, about 500m away from me. I had not seen the NVA tanks. The column of black smoke drew a serpentine course among sand dunes and a T54 appeared in front of our eyes. It would be best to shoot it at a closer range, but we had no shelter. If they were to see us, we would be fired at with 100 mm artillery and 12.7 mm bullets. I ordered to fire the M72 at the distance of 300m. A rocket exploded far from the tank. Five or six NVA jumped down and lay down. Sergeant Tam shouted:
- Its steel track is broken!
However, it turned its artillery gun barrel in our direction and fired a 100mm round which exploded on our defensive line. I was thrown down on to my back. My buttocks hit the sand, but I was not wounded. I asked:
- Is anyone wounded?
- No !
- Withdraw to the rear squad, quickly.
All three squads ran at the highest velocity, not caring about the tank 100mm and 12.7mm rounds in pursuit. Reaching the rear squad position, we counted the number of Marines in the three squads. Fortunately, all of them were unscathed. While everybody was busy digging foxholes, I stood behind a big fir trunk to observe. A 100mm round exploded 5m from me, but I was not injured, thanks to the big tree trunk.
The T54 tank, for an unknown reason, was the unique NVA tank there. It lay in front of our defensive line. I requested artillery. The company commander said that artillery had been moving and could not give fire support.
After some silence, I recalled that Company 2 had the two M48 tanks which had been accompanying it. I radioed:
- Company Commander, please let the M48s destroy that NVA T-54 tank
- OK!
Five minutes later, there were sounds of running steel tracks and the M48 artillery gun fired. The T54 tank turned its barrel and retaliated. I stood afar watching the two tanks firing artillery rounds at each other like two soccer players transferring a ball. No tank was hit. The T54 clearly returned and stayed in a lower place. Only its turret was seen. About half an hour later, the company RTO called me:
- Authority! Artillery rounds are coming. Observe!
- Hear you clear.
Two artillery rounds exploded, one in front and one behind us. I adjusted for the third time, closer to the tank and requested 100 rounds for "effective fire". A 105mm round exploded near the target. I saw five to six NVA jumping out and lying down on the ground. The T-54 did not burst into flames and still lay immobile there. After 100 rounds, I did not care about requesting more. It was good enough because it did not disturb me anymore.
At 4.00pm the Company Commander radioed me:
- Be prepared to go before 6.00pm. There would be two M113 APC's coming to pick your Platoon.
- Please give me more details.
- Yes. Platoon 1 and 3 would be commanded by 1st Lieutenant Le Khac Phuoc, the company executive officer. They will move to Thuan An, following Company 4. Your Platoon and the heavy weapons Platoon would move with me via tanks.
- Hear you five over five.
Only later, I realised that, in this retreat, the 7th Marine Battalion was in the rear. Company 2 of this Battalion formed its rear contingent and my Platoon was the Company 2's tail.
It was twilight. The range of observation was shorter. My whole platoon was already prepared. There were tank noises at the sand dune foot. Sergeant Nguyen Van Tam, the vice platoon-leader ran to me and said:
- 2nd Lieutenant, the APC's have come.
I had previously arranged: the vice platoon leader and two squads in one APC and the Platoon Headquarters and two other squads in the second APC.
I told the cavalrymen:
- Please, try to drive close to each other and avoid straying in the dark. I then turned to Sergeant Tam:
- Always remind them to follow right behind my APC.
When my Platoon was mounting the APC's, the two M48 tanks, which had been carrying the Company Headquarters and Platoon 4, passed by. The Company Commander told me:
- You have to keep in mind that your APC should follow the trail of this M48 steel track to avoid straying.
Before he finished his words, the M48 tank sprang forward like a battle-horse and disappeared in the dark curtain of night.
The two M113 APC's carrying my Platoon ran like two turtles (due to overloading), at about the speed of a running human. I was anxious about a potential pursuit of the NVA T-54 tanks. We sat close to each other. The night wind slightly blew in to our eyes and our heads. In the back, in the direction of the Trieu Phong district, there were sometimes a red flash in some places then the original darkness of the night returned.
The M113 behaved like an elderly carrying piggy backing her children in an escape. She had no strength to run! It was so tragically sad!
I discussed with the chief of the APC to throw away some firearms and ammunition to alleviate its load. We agreed. We threw a number of .30-caliber-Machine Gun ammunition out of the vehicle. However, the "old mother" still dragged her feet on the road.
We follow the trail left by M48 steel tracks. My APC front lights did not shine more than 15 m ahead.
The Company Commander radioed me:
- When you reach Huong Dien, collect the engineer who had been in charge of destroying the Marine Division ammunition dump. After the destruction, carry him with you.
Finally we reached Huong Dien. When close to the fence of the Division headquarters, the APC stopped. The driver shouted:
- There is a Marine in front of the APC
I jumped down. The engineer corps sergeant ran to me and asked:
- Is that your APC 2nd Lieutenant Toan?
- You have the responsibility to destroy the ammunition dump. Do it quickly.
- Yes, wait for me.
- OK
Then he ran into the dark. I waited for an explosion and thought: this dump contained much ammunition for the whole division. It would explode terribly. Had some of them been carried away? Five minutes later, the Engineer Sergeant returned:
- It does not explode; 2nd Lieutenant!
In the afternoon I had set up the wire thoroughly. Wait for me some more time. I shall review it.
- OK, do it calmly
He ran away. After 10 minutes he ran back panting:
- It still doesn't work!
- Check it another time, if there is no result, abandon it.
I nervously waited for a big explosion so we could go reassured. He ran back. I radioed the company commander to report. After a minute, he ordered me to carry the engineer sergeant and escape. So the ammunition dump was not destroyed.
The two M113s miserably dragged their steel tracks in the night. After five minutes, the APC behind me had its steel tracks distorted. We used a flare to destroy it. Now, my whole Platoon, cavalrymen and the engineer sergeant were packed in one M113 APC. All together, there were more than forty people. It was limping, ten centimetres after ten centimetres, on the road leaving the other burning behind. It ran slowly but it was still better for us than to walk. The greatest anxiety for all of us was the pursuit of a NVA tank. However, no one spoke it out. The M48 had run very far. It was likely that we were the last Marines in retreat!
Suddenly, the driver of my APC shouted:
"1st Lieutenant! Look at that. I looked forward, startled. From the start of the evening until now, we just followed only 2 trails of steel tracks. Now, in front of us, steel tracks had ploughed a very large area with interlacing, crisscrossing trails in all directions. How could we choose a trail to follow?"
I radioed the company headquarters, many times, but there were no answers. I knew that they had driven very far forward, out of range of the PRC 25 radio
The chief of the APC asked me:
- 1st Lieutenant, what's your decision?
Not wanting to bring the morale of everybody down, I decided immediately:
- Turn left to the sea, then follow the water line to run to Thuan An Mouth.
The M113 turned ninety degrees. A moment later, it reached the sea and drove to the Thuan An Mouth. When we had been retreating, we avoided to go along the sea shore for fear of an NVA ambush. Now, however, there was no other road. I took the risk. I reminded my RTO to continue to radio the company headquarters. There still was a radio silence. The M113 dragged its feet through that night. Daybreak approached. The night mist receded to give a place to the morning fog. We were cold. The heavy fog covered us, protecting us, the little strayed lonely souls.
Suddenly, there were tank motors sounds in the back. I turned my head back. A M48 tank was rushing toward us. On it, soldiers were hanging, overcrowded like a bunch of figs. When it was by my side, there was a shouting:
- That is the APC of 1st Lieutenant Toan's Platoon!
It was the M48 carrying the Company Commander, Captain Anh. It overtook my APC for about 100m and then it stopped. My APC crawled close to it. I jumped down and asked:
- What's wrong, captain?
- It ran the whole night. Now there is no more petrol. How did you arrive here before me? Well done!
I succinctly reported: an APC had broken steel tracks. Everybody was packed into one M113. The Captain also told me that the M48 tank had run until the last drop of fuel. It was destroyed. Everybody clung to this M48 and now it had no more fuel.
I ordered my Platoon to alight to join the Company Hadquarters, setting free the M113. The M48 tank was destroyed by a M72 rocket.
It was lucky, that we were not far from Thuan An Mouth.
* 25-3-1975
It was 6.00am. We arrived at Thuan An Mouth. Hundreds of locals, carrying infants and children with conical hats on their heads, ran to and fro to call and find each other. A M48 tank was in the sea, only its turret and its artillery gun emerged from the water. Some GMC trucks turned over. Some sampans were carrying people across the mouth. Everybody raced against time. The Company Commander called me:
- You try to find boats or sampans to cross the river.
I met an old man of moderate stature and a weather beaten face. I asked him to find some sampans for us. He hesitantly refused. I immediately said: "We will pay all costs immediately" he then called those sampans back to carry us. Reaching the other side of the river, I saw two platoons which had been led by 1st Lieutenant Phuoc last night. They were sitting there waiting for us. It was 1st Lieutenant Phuoc that asked me:
- You were retreating by APC. Why did you come here so late?
- The APC's ran like turtles, slower than it is to walk. It was fortunate that we arrived here now. How long have you been here?
- We just crossed the river about half an hour ago.
After a rest, we restarted moving. The company marched in one column. My Platoon was still in the rear.
We received orders not to let any friendly force or civilian mingle with the Marines moving. However, they followed us and hoped to be picked up by ships with us. There was a priority for the general reserve forces. On this side of the river, the situation was completely different. There were hundreds of thousands of people here: rich and poor individuals, officers, soldiers and civilians of all classes of the society. They all poured into this place. Tens of ARVN tanks, numerous trucks and buses were here. It was total chaos! We received orders to stop. The Company Commander ran forward to have a briefing with the Battalion Headquarters and then he raced back ordering us to move rapidly forward and not let any stranger mingle in the unit. We continued to walk quickly in a column. People followed us, but they were not allowed to walk parallel with us. After having separated from the crowd a distance, we stopped and organised a defensive line. My platoon positioned along a low sand edge, about 100m from the water line. Close to the edge of a village and behind rows of trees, there was a school blackened by moss. It seemed to be abandoned for a long time and it was about 200m from my platoon. My boys quickly dug foxholes in the sand. I took out a cigarette, smoked and looked away in the open sea. It had a moderate swell today. Waves after waves were still hitting the shore like it was since ancient times. In the distance, a big VN Navy ship was seen. Suddenly I saw about five LCUs approaching the shore, but not landed. They seemed to be waiting for a safe landing beach.
At 10.00am, a Marine shouted: VC! Then M16 rifles were fired towards the school, at the edge of the village. I saw about ten NVA, probably a reconnaissance team of them, in green uniform.
Whenever one of them emerged from a window, the Marines fired. I had to tell my boys not to spend ammunition so lavishly, but to save them. The NVA wanted to challenge. They ran out, hid behind tree trunks, fired some shots and then ran back into the school. We had no heavy guns. Which artillery unit could we call now?
Looking in the sea, those LCU were still strolling but not landing.
Past noon, the company commander called me:
- Be careful to avoid misrecognition. Platoon of 2nd lieutenant Nghia is running toward your position.
- Hear you five over five, captain.
Nghia radioed me:
- Toan, I am leading my platoon to your position. Tell your boys not to fire at us.
- I know, but remember that on your left side, there is a NVA squad hiding in the school. Don't go near it.
- OK, I see it.
- When you are about 150 m from me stop and make contact with me. The NVA are still firing at us.
Five minutes later:
- Toan, I am about 100m from you.
- Shoot a clip of M16 above my head and then enter. I already told my Platoon.
- Tac…tac…tac. Nghia's Platoon darted to my position like a tornado. Nghia ran to me, his arm had been wounded but already thoroughly bandaged. He asked:
- Where is the Company Headquarters?
I showed him. He led his Platoon to that direction and disappeared shortly afterwards. Meanwhile, my boys were still exchanging fire with NVA. I had been anxious when suddenly one of my boys shouted:
- I have no more ammunition.
I radioed the Company Headquarters. Captain Anh sadly answered:
- As you know it, I can't find any resupplies for you now. Tell your boys to save ammunition.
- I sighed disappointedly. A sullen sky was covering us. Had our fates been decided since this moment?
The LCUs were like still having fun in the sea. Just about 40 m from us, a crowd of other service branches soldiers and civilians were lying or sitting there, patiently waiting. Some soldiers collected about half a helmet of M16 bullets, a grenade and two M79 grenades from somewhere. A soldier crawled to our position and gave them to us. That was precious. No comments were made and my boys wiped them clean and fixed it in a clip.
The second time, another infantryman crawled to us and gave us a third of a helmet of ammunition being mixed with sand and finally, a third man crawled to us holding in his hand about six to seven M16 bullets full of sand. All three resupplies, alas, were miserably meagre!
Meanwhile, the NVA in the school stopped firing. Gun sounds temporarily ceased. Being not busy, I looked towards the sea. A LCU had landed 250 m from me. Hundreds of people rushed to it. There were absolutely no orders. Everybody strived, quarrelled and insulted. All service branches soldiers jostled against civilians and vice versa. A number of Marines had priority to board it.
Everybody was exhausted in the wait. Now they just struggled for a place in the ship, because it was a chance for survival. He who boarded first, entered inside. Others clung to the hull, to anything, even to steel chains swinging in the sea waves. There were no place in it, but there still were hundreds of people fording or swimming to the ship. Looking from a distance, the ship was like a cube of sugar being surrounded by ants and now only ants were seen.
Suddenly, I heard a M72 explosion. A short trail of black smoke flew after the rocket for a short distance. The rocket flew toward the already ran-aground ship which had been stuffed with human beings. The rocket exploded. People who had been clinging to the ship fell down and floated in the sea. Crying and weeping sounds reverberated in that corner of the sky. He, who still survived, jumped down and swam back to the shore.
At this moment, I heard departing sounds of NVA mortars which then fell down, one after another onto Platoon 2's position. The enemy had brought here some mortar guns with a lot of rounds. They fired continuously about ten volleys. Red sparkling flames rays were next to our foxholes. Smokes caused our eyes to lacrimate. Some rounds fell two to three meters from our foxholes. Sand was blown down our foxholes. We were nearly buried in sand. Meanwhile, keeping our observation, we used our helmet to shovel up sand.
We were like fishes on a chopping board. In the past, our Artillery might have destroyed these mortars quickly, but now, we had to show our heads to withstand. Marines had been tied up in hands and legs. A squad reported:
- 2nd Lieutenant, Be and Den were killed. Private 1st Class Nguyen Van Be, M79 gunner and Private 1st Class Nguyen Van Den, his assistant were in the same foxhole. A NVA mortar round fell into the foxhole and the two were killed. Den had been usually shy. He had a talent in catching snakes. Not a single poisonous snake escaped his hand. One time, I asked him:
- Do you use charming means?
- No, 2nd Lieutenant.
- Can you catch snakes of all sizes?
- The bigger, the better.
I warned him:
- There were no antidotes for snake poisons in the platoon. If you were bitten, you would die for sure.
- No worries, 2nd Lieutenant. Being bitten, I just need to rub it and that's all.
I was a little bit surprised. He might have hidden something but I did not ask further. He was also an expert in catching snakes like professionals with charming means.
Thach Rene, Nguyen Van Be, Nguyen Van Den and three Marines had sacrificed in those last days. Have an eternal rest! Your images would never fade in our minds!
After the NVA shellings, I ordered to transfer their bodies to the Company Headquarters in the hope that they would be transported back to their families.
When their bodies were pulled out of the foxhole, I saw that Den had had his cervical spine broken. His head had been dangling. Be had a broken chest. His left arm was fractured, only still attached to the proximal part by a piece of skin. His sea-waves-uniform was soaked in blood and sand.
The enemy had ceased shelling, probably lacking ammunition. I looked in the sea. All LCUs had sailed away. The big ship was further. The beach which had been full of people and now it became quiet. The sky became darker and darker. The school which had been occupied by the NVA sunk in the night darkness. I sat in my foxhole. My head was empty. My body seemed paralysed. Suddenly my RTO called me:
- Master, the Company Commander called you to a briefing.
I called Sergeant Tam and gave him some directives and then walked down the sand dune. After few steps, there was a sound of a gun being armed and a voice of a man outside Marines corps:
- Stop or I'll shoot you.
It was so dramatically ironic. These cowardly blokes of other service branches, who had been lying on sand and just waited for boarding ship, wanted to threaten me now. I still walked forward, shouting:
- I go to attend a briefing. He who dares, just release the trigger!
Sergeant Tam also shouted:
- The lieutenant is going to a briefing. Don't act recklessly!
I walked in the wind and in the sounds of sea waves, without human voices. The tent of the company commander was behind a mound of sand. A very weak light emanating from a small lamp. I entered it. Everybody was there. I was the last who arrived. A heavy atmosphere covered me.
Captain Ngo Kim Anh, Company 2 Commander, 1st Lieutenant Le Kim Phuoc, the executive officer, 2nd Lieutenant Le Tan Huan (platoon 1), 2nd Lieutenant Luong Van Nghia (platoon 3) and 2nd Lieutenant Van (platoon 4) were all present. There was a disappointed, anxious gleam in everybody's eyes. I could not see my eyes, but I was certain that they looked like theirs.
We were like fish in a net!
Everybody moved sideways a little bit to give me a place on sand.
- 2nd Lieutenant Toan has come. That's all. We start directly with the main subject now. The Company Commander said.
Looking at everybody, Captain Anh spoke in a tremendously sad voice:
- "I just came back after a briefing in the battalion headquarters. If until 10.00 pm tonight, no ship would come to pickup our Battalion, we would have to drop weapons. Each and everyone would try to return to family, by all means."
Everybody's faces showed signs of desperation. I was unable to speak when 1st Lieutenant Phuoc firstly said:
- Why don't we open a blood-path to go to Lang Co, then cross Hai Van Pass to enter Da Nang.
We all noisily agreed. The Company Commander slowly asked:
- Check the level of your ammunitions to see whether we have them enough for fighting. His words brought me back to reality. That question hit our vital spot.
- All finished!
- If we fight to open a blood-path, who would support us, who would resupply food and ammunition to us, who would medevac the wounded? It was useless. Our Marine blood would pour in great quantity!
We kept silent and that meant we agreed with the opinion of the Battalion Commander and Company Commanders.
- Any questions?
Looking at each other, we shook our heads.
- Briefing stops now!
On the way back to my Platoon, I had complicated thoughts. Locals in this Thuan An Mouth area had destroyed all their sampans, hid their boat motors. We had no more means to sail in the open sea, except we could transform ourselves into fish. I gathered all squad leaders to repeat the facts and things which I had not wanted to repeat. They also thought of opening blood-paths but we had no more ammunition! To dissolve the unit would avoid a blood pouring. They understood so. Those who were lucky would rejoin their family.
I leaned against a small mound of sand and smoked. Looking in the sea, the ship of "Hope" had been in the far distant. The plan of having a ship arriving before 10.00pm or midnight was only a mirage. It could be a plan established by superiors, but people of lower rank would not realise due to a lot of difficulties.
After finishing my cigarette, I sat in my foxhole with my RTO. He asked:
- Master, anything new?
- After midnight tonight, if we cannot board any ship, we drop our weapons and wait for the NVA to come and tie us up.
He startled and terrified:
- Is that true?
- Yes! All company commanders, the Battalion commander and our whole Battalion "Grey Tiger" and I are not afraid. You do not need to be so anxious. Let fate decide.
We kept silent. Each of us had different thoughts. My head was empty, my mind paralysed. Suddenly my RTO nervously said:
- Master. People had been running.
I stepped up, out of my foxhole, my RTO followed. I looked at currents of people running along the water line to the south. I had the impression that they had been swallowed by a monster into an immense cave. There were only sounds of feet stamping the sand.
- Radio the Company Headquarters, I told him.
He radioed many times. No answers.
- The Company Headquarters had run. It was impossible to contact them, Master.
It was nearly midnight. I knew that the fateful hour was coming. The whole platoon, without any order, surrounded me. Nobody was absent. I was deeply touched. My pride and my self love raised high. I tried to restrain my emotion and said:
- Listen to me. According to our superiors' instructions, our duty ceases from this moment. Platoon 2 dissolves. Everybody drops weapon!
After these words, I threw my Colt 45 pistol very far. The whole platoon threw their weapons on the sand successively.
- Brothers. Goodbye. I hope that you will not do anything without thorough reflections. Try by all means to return to your families. The more of you that escape, the better.
- Where do we go now?
- Run after them, as long as possible.
- Where you go, we follow.
I silently went into the folowing current of escaping people. My whole platoon mingled in. I behaved like a robot, stepped forward with the stream to the South. After an unknown period of time, I went out of the trance, looking to my side. My RTO still walked next to me carrying the radio PRC 25. I held him fast:
- Why do you still carry this load on your shoulder?
He answered panting
- Will you be responsible for throwing it?
My God, I was half crying, half laughing for his innocence.
- Yes, I bear all responsibilities.
Then I helped him to throw that radio into the sea. After having thrown it, I pulled out my small wallet. There still were 2,000 piasters, my military ID card, my "certificate of presence in rank", a flower with the words "Forget me not" of a Hue schoolgirl. I also lifted out my military steel tag. I buried them all under the sand of Thuan An that night.
Around me, there still were about five people. We ran again. I was like a soulless body or like a person in daydream or in a trance, sometimes sober, sometimes in mental confusion. After another unknown period of time, I heard a familiar voice:
- Where is our 2nd Lieutenant?
- He was running in the front of us. I stopped. Once more, I felt very proud. I was deeply touched. I still was the master, the 2nd Lieutenant Platoon leader of Platoon 2, Company 2, of 7th Marine Battalion. This Platoon had no weapons now. It had been torn apiece and re-united around me. I asked as a habit:
- Is our platoon complete?
- Yes sir, nobody was missing.
I felt my heart becoming warmer. I would never forget this image of tonight. Somebody suggested: "We hold our hands and together we run. There would be no more straying. “I had no idea”. Would there be anything beneficial? Holding hands to run where? Anyway, everybody in the Platoon held hands and floated with the current.
Thus so on we went. I sank again in somnambulism. I did not hear and did not see anything clearly. Now and then I heard explosions of grenades which had been caused by Marines who had not wanted to be captured and who had gathered together to use their grenades in suicide.
I let everything go. I heard explosions, vaguely and familiar names of Marines ambiguously committing suicide. Before and behind me, there were only indistinct faint shadows. Platoon 2 was still holding hands and ran together.
Finally, we were inside a prison camp of the NVA. It was early in the morning on 26-3-1975.
2nd Lieutenant Le Manh Toan
