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Tan Son Nhut Air
Base, Post Tet 1968 |
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Two leaflets I found a day or so after start of TET 1968, as best I recall regarding timing. Many of them floated down into our radio compound, blown a little off course from their intended enemy target outside the Tan Son Nhut Air Base perimeter. By night, flares suspended from little parachutes would sway and slowly drift and finally land nearby; by day, surrender leaflets would flutter to the ground. Flares and leaflets... in hindsight, now, it seems a little comical. Our small
cadre of radio operators one night became convinced at the
suggestion of just one person that Viet Cong were marching
toward us... hey, just turned out to be moving shadows
cast on fence posts along the road by the light one of those
swaying flare. We noticed a Security Police sentry at his
post to the entrance of an ammo dump across the road---and
near "our hoard of marching VC"---seemed quietly undisturbed,
we calmed down considerably. The next day, leaflets were dropped,
giving us the reassurance the good guys were still winning.
Maybe a story there, maybe not. More like several sets of
Laurel and Hardy's tripping over one another. (Click
the photo to see a larger image)
The first leaflet, like most, had a photo (some had drawings)
of dead NVA and VC. The back of that leaflet had a post Tet
1968 message probably suggesting the fate of the reader could
be the same and to either be a good little commie and go home,
or surrender and marry General Ky's sister.
The second leaflet seemed clearly, to me, to encourage the
NVA and Viet Cong to surrender to friendlies. Optional Captions: You could be having as much fun as these men are-- or
--surrendering to the enemy can be fun! Anyway, this post
TET 1968 flier fluttered down about the same time as the first.
By night, parachute flares slowly drifting---and by day, surrender
leaflets would flutter to the ground. That went on for
a while during and after Tet. |
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