Gallery 7 - Visit to Song Mao

GALLERY 7
VISIT TO SONG MAO
(Click on thumbnail picture to enlarge)

The first week of May 1967 we were sent to Song Mao, a town located north of Phan Thiet to secure the airfield which was being built by Army engineers. We waited at the PhanThiet airport until our helicopter transport arrived. We watched as Army Caribous and other aircraft landed and took off. At Song Mao, mortar and rifle platoons were being rotated until permanent security could be established. We set up near the air strip which had temporarily been made of meshed steel plates.

An Army Caribou arriving at Phan Thiet. Battalion HQ is in background.	Helicopters will pick up the group at Phan Thiet airfield	Rodriguez, Platson, Salazar, Williamson and others waiting for a helicopter lift
Platson standing against Song Mao's ID plaque.	An Army plane on the steel mesh tarmac	An Australian Air Force plane arriving at Song Mao
	These Huey helicopters were used to transport us

While we were at Song Mao, patrols turned up a Viet Cong cache of weapons which were recovered and brought back to camp. Some of the pictures below show us inspecting MAT-49 assault rifles, German mausers and other weapons.

Lt. Spence examines a
French MAT-49 taken
from the Viet Cong

Platson checking out a
captured German mauser

Local kids playing
near the airfield

During off hours we spent our time at the restaurant/bar which the Army engineers had constructed at the airfield. In the "waiting room" shack, an enterprising Vietnamese woman had brought a record player and music to attract customers for cokes, cigarettes and other items.

Dandrea, Pugh, Platson, Salazar and Ware drinking cokes at the Song Mao restaurant	Drinking cokes at the restaurant/bar	The restaurant/bar at Song Mao
	A Vietnamese woman selling cokes to passengers waiting for their flight

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Last Updated: 01/05/09

GALLERY 7 VISIT TO SONG MAO (Click on thumbnail picture to enlarge)

GALLERY 7
VISIT TO SONG MAO
(Click on thumbnail picture to enlarge)