Bong Son Caves, 1967: I was with A 1/7th 1st Cav Div. I
believe it was early 1967, we were operating on the South China Sea coast in
Bong Son. We had made a large sweep to the coast and the shoreline was
honeycombed with natural caves in the huge rocks, so we had to go down and
get them out. I was a skinney squad leader with second platoon and when i decended
into the crevas i found two chicom stick grenades and bloody rags. I moved
futher into the cave and found what i though was a Viet Cong's pack with black
pajama material rolled up and stuffed into a large crack overhead. I laid down
the 45. and shined the flashlight on it. I was afraid of boobytraps so I
carefully felt to the sides for tripwires, then gentlly squeezed the pack
to see if i could feel a knife or pistol -- holly crap -- it was a VC with his
legs straight up in the air! He jumped down right in front of me and
tookoff. I grabbed him right in the nuts and I froze with my arm still in
the air. I was embarrased, scared and angry abd when I finally composed myself and
chased him all through the tunnels yelling Dung Lai ... Dung Lai. He finally left through a hole above and was captured, but if he
survived the war I know, like me, he will never forget that brief encounter in
that Bong Son cave.
Garry Owen ... ,
