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WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS! |
Tuy Hoa Air Base
SAPPER ATTACK!
July 29, 1968
by: Don Graham
31st Security Police Squadron
1968-69 |
Photos by Tuy Hoa Air Base photographers
DET 8 600th PHOTO SQ AAVS
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The attack of 29Jul 1968 occurred a little
after midnight. Viet Cong soldiers were killed between the flight line
and the perimeter fence while apparently trying to reach a small village
just outside the base possibly named UAT LAM.
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Photo 1 - Members of the 31st SPS check out a fighting hole dug by Viet
Cong outside the perimeter fence between Oscar-7 (tower) and Golf-16 (bunker).
VC used this fox hole to support sappers on base trying to escape after
their attack.
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Photo by, Dick Larsen
An HC-130P "Crown" Hercules from the 39th ARRS parked in the Tuy Hoa revetment
area. Two aircraft like this were completely destroyed in the July 29th
attack after satchel charges were thrown into the aircraft.
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Photo 2: What's left of a C-130 after a satchel charge attack.
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Photo 4 - Aerial view of killing field, a few of the bodies of dead
sappers can be seen. They were running from bottom right to top left
and were picked off one at a time. Most sapper's died in the sand trying
to escape to village at top left of photo.
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BELOW PHOTOS ARE
GRAPHIC WOUNDS: Sappers 1-4 were killed in the areas between the
flight line and perimeter fence, and were carrying assorted weapons such
as AK47s, Bangolore Torpedo mines, B40 Rockets, homemade grenades and
satchel charges. |
Sapper 1:
Killed between the flight line and the perimeter fence.
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Sapper 2:
Shot down as he attempted exfiltration of Tuy Hoa Air Base. His AK-47
lays where it fell.
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Unexploded homemade Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fragmentation
grenade fell near a dead Viet Cong soldier.
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Sapper 3:
Killed approaching perimeter fence--Bangolore Torpedo mine in tow.
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Sapper 4:
Killed while running barefoot through heavy sand--satchel charge bag still
strapped to his back.
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Sapper 5:
Shot dead scurrying beneath base perimeter's concertina wire fence.
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Sapper 6:
Viet Cong made it under the base perimeter's concertina wire only to die
of wounds. His B-40 Rocket abandoned inside the base, laying on the wire
with its nose near blood soaked ground.
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