Tiger
Flight had just been relieved of duty for the day. We had worked the normal swing shift, and night had fallen.
Most of us had changed clothes and were ready to eat
chow or party as usual, however, about an hour later,
the sirens went off and we were on alert.
The majority of
Tiger Flight was deployed to the west side and
along the Navy compound overlooking the village.
I remember riding in the back of a duce & 1/2 and
being dropped off outside the main gate somewhere en route
to the west side. The sky was still lit up from
the POL. area in flames. Sappers got through our
perimeter and placed satchel charges on a number of large
petroleum storage tanks. Two or three of the tanks
were either empty or contained very little fuel, and
there were just enough fumes in the nearly empty tanks
to blow a large hole at the bottom of two of them.
The one or two tanks with JP-4 jet fuel went up like
a large mushroom cloud.
Remaining security
police were deployed, and all that could be heard was
the klaxon. The strong smell of burning jet fuel
permeated the area. I recall that as I passed the Navy
entrance, I saw a dead VC lying in the middle of the
road. The SAT team driving in front of us had just
shot him, as he fired at the jeep. He evidently
crossed the bay earlier with other locals, and waited
until dark to sneak through from the village.
The entire base
was on alert for 24 hours--a long day for Tiger Flight.
Except for short breaks from Ranger Flight, we had not
slept for almost 36 hours. Most of us were scared
out of our boots and were making promises that
if we made it through the night, we would change our
lives. At the time, I felt we were making a difference
in Vietnam. Having been there and knowing the
people and their way of life--after all these years--I
still believe it was the right thing to do, and we did
make a difference.
