FIGMO
Đà Nàng SHORT TIMER!

by Don Poss.
© 2000
366th Security Police Squadron, K-9, 1966

My FIGMO calendar, with notes scrawled on it.

The "May 6 Never too short" notation at the bottom left corner of the FIGMO above, refers to one heck of a firefight I had while patrolling Đà Nàng's ammo dump. Sappers tried to penetrate the post for the second time (Aug 1965 and May 1966), but failed both times due to K-9. Tom Baker (RIP 2007) and his K-9 Rex 9F97, foiled the first attempt and alerted the Marines who opened fire. During the second penetration attempt, my dog Blackie alerted--I didn't see a thing it was a dark moonless night--and then the VC started firing! I went through about three magazines in a heart beat. And it was over. The Strike Team was there in about 20 minutes but I told them stay out until I could get Blackie back. He came back with a bloody muzzle which I think was due to his trying to chew through barbwire fencing. The Strike Team found blood trails and some expended AK47 shells. My K-9 buddy, Gary Eberbach showed up about 10 minutes before the Strike Team (about 300 yards off his post). After we both DEROSd and were discharged (we both ended our four years tours in Nam), I introduced him to his future wife, Rita. They've been married now for 42 years!

Don Poss, 6252nd APS; 366th APS, K-9, Đà Nàng AB, Vietnam, 1965-1966

Photo: Viet Cong finally succeeded in blowing up the Đà Nàng AB Ammo Dump, 1969. You can see the roofs of Security Police hootches and the mushroom cloud a mile west and across the two runways.