Very nice cover photo of the ROK Tiger Division perimeter at Phu Cat AB.  I was with the 1041st at Phu Cat in 1967, and we did one night operation with the ROK when we first got to Phu Cat.  There was Intel saying that a group of about 100 VC where coming down from the Phu Cat Mountains to attack the base.  We were sent out “outside the wire” to be used as a blocking force.  The Koreans were going to push the VC toward our position.

Turned out there were no VC, but what a frightening night.  Our unit was set up along a perimeter waiting for Charlie and where shocked to see off in the distance flashlights shining in the pitch dark of the night.  As the lights got closer we could hear the Koreans chanting, talking, and making all sorts of noise.  I thought to myself “if Charlie is out there they will certainly find out where we are."

Found out the next day that lack of noise disciple was a tactic the ROKs used to draw enemy fire.  Once fired upon they would unleash “Holy Hell” upon Charlie.  They were willing to lose a few people to find out where the VC were.  I’m pretty confident that’s why the Phu Cat area was relatively safe.

Our outside the wire TAOR butted up against the ROK's, but it’s funny we sometimes set up ambushes in the same areas.


The below photo is of an outside the wire photo from my Phu Cat days with the 1041st in 1967. Of course all our activities were outside the wire.  As I recall our fire was taking a little break after searching an abandoned hooch near the base.  I was the guy in the background with M16 resting on the ground.  Also notice we had a scout dog handler with us.  We all felt quite secure when we had a dog with us, especially on night ambush.  I think the 1041st may have had the first USAF Scout Dogs in Nam.  They were not aggressive as were the [Sentry Dog] K-9's the SP's had inside the wire.  Our Scout Dogs could alert on Charlie at great distances, as well as on hidden booby-traps, etcetras.
John Webster