|
David Mitchell
WARNING - BORING !
I have a serious thought that may put some of you off. Sorry, but you can tune this out if you choose. We can get back to fun and games right after, but the timing is what pushes me to raise this topic. Call it an amatuer history lesson.
I would like to make a point about a huge event that happened 48 years ago this month (April 1970) - Cambodia. The Cambodian "Incursion" as we called it. You may have called it something else back home as the news ripped the nation into further division.
I have never, ever heard this point mentioned in all the reports, news articles, and documentaries on the subject. I say this as a very close observer to the entire event as it unfolded, and my point is not really political in nature and is not even meant to take a political side - but merely to inform.
I am sure many of you can recall scenes that you saw in news reports, or imagined you saw in news reports about the Bombing of Cambodia. And the upheaval the followed the news of our "Invasion". And with all that, you will have imagined, or been convinced of all the detruction and "collateral damage" - or to put it in plain language, the killing of innocent civilians due to their approximation to a military target.
And here is the point I wish to make: There was almost NO collateral damage - at all! Why? Because of this simple fact that goes almost entirely unmentioned - ever - in my memory. There was almost nobody there! And I simply NEVER hear this point raised in discussions - ever! *(Hello historians!)
Let me explain. First of all, the southern border of Cambodia as shown on the map below is a piece of geography with which I was once intimately familiar. And I do mean intimately.
First, to locate you - look at Saigon and then go to the soutwest (downward and to your left) until you see a tiny red circle and the number 4. (You may need to use your fingers and "spread" and enlarge the map to see the detail) That is my home base of Vinh Long on one of the northern splits of the Mekong. We flew out of there every day to various assigned smaller bases all over the Delta, but often up to locations along the Cambodian border. Over time, we covered the enitre southern border of Cambodia from Ha Tien (far left - full name cut off before the "en" - where I showed a photo of some of our Hueys dropping supplies by the ocean - and picking up the delicious "lobster") at the border of the two countries and the Gulf of Thailand. Then proceed all the way east (to your right) to a place called "The Parrot's Beak" - a sharp point (close to, and pointed towards the "S" in Saigon) just above a tiny place called Moc Hoa ("muck wha") - where I showed a photo of the kids who often joined me for lunch along the airstrip.(Moc Hoa may be your best visible reference on this map) I am amazed Moc Hoa is even on this map. It is very tiny, but strategic. Moc Hoa is the tiny airfield from which my squadron were the first American units to "officially" enter Cambodia after Nixon sent us in. Mind you, we had accidentally crossed that border many times while pursuing both V.C. and North Vietnamese Regulars (NVA, as we called them). And we worked several small bases spread all along that border. Our crosssing were many and often while pursuing "contact" with VC (in small bands) or NVA troops (often in large units). Unlike my 5th grade geography book, there was no heavy dashed line separating one country from another. And Cambodia was not "pink", or "green", nor Vietnam "yellow" or "blue". This border was vague and unmarked.
So, not only am I quite familiar with almost every little "click" of this border, you must also understand that we viewed the countryside from both our operational low-level, but also from about 1,500 feet, as we traversed back and forth from our refueling spots (Moc Hoa, Sa Dec, Cau Lahn, Chou Duc, Tri Ton, Chi Lang and others). I would say we had probably the most accurate and comprehensive view of the countryside whereever we went. And this was a place we went to a lot.
Having said all that, back to my point. We could clearly see where the B-52 stikes had hit. They are quite obvious. They are about 40 to 50 foot wide swaths of 10 to 20 foot round shallow craters (full of water after about a day) that run in a straight line for about 200 to 400 yards along the ground in a line. No possible way of mistaking what they are! And wherever we saw them, they were in open and completely unpopulated areas.
Because what lies in most of this area - almost all of it - is nothing but open grassland! With the exception of several small villages, which were clearly avoided - by miles! The countyside is almost unpopulated AND not even cultivated for large sections. No rice paddies at all - just grassland and some low density woods and light jungle. It may have once been rice paddies, but the presence of very large NVA units forced (or frightened) much of the local population to vacate the area long before the "incursion". They treated the local civilian population with very poor manners. Taxing their rice production was someties their mildest offense. The Cambodian farmers were not amused by rape and torture.
The bombing was clearly intended for large NVA staging areas and we never saw anything close to the few populated areas, such as Svey Riang, district capital of the province of the same name. I could drag this on with more detail but that is not my point. I just wanted to get this fact out there.
It has frustrated me for 48 years!
But for those of you who believe Cambodia was a failure, you may be shocked to learn that I do not disagree with you. Within a week or so, they simply moved back in beyond that 7 kilometer line Nixon declared, and sat there and watched us as we would helplessly turn back from that point.
See p.s. below.
p.s. I have something to add. After all of our anticipation for this action (yes, I just got political there - we were practically salivating over the possibility), I was crushed to learn that I was being assigned to have a "down" day for this first day of "Cambodia". I was not in the air for that very first day - a wild one I was told. I was ordered by our beloved CO, Major Alan Smith (whom we lost in a tragic and ironic "accident" a few weeks later - some of you got my personal story last year) to be in the radio room, sitting beside and assisting our company RTO "every minute" of the day. When I questioned Major Smith about not leaving the "TOC" ("The Operations Center") "AT ALL", he said. Mitchell, we'll have your meals brought in from the mess hall. If you need to take a piss, go stand in the back door and aim out. If you need to take a shit, just hold it till we get back!" It turned out to be a very long day!
I came to believe later that he was protecting me from that day - it ended quite badly for one of our "sister" compnaies. He and I had formed a specail friendship - almost like younger and older brother. We were 10 years different in age, and miles apart in rank. But after 3 months as his co-pilot in the C&C, there a was a special bond there. And of course, I had no choice but to obey his orders.
For those of you who read my (pivate) Memorial Day story last year, Major Smith was the main pilot (AC - aircraft commander) in my story about drawing straws with Captain Eddy Molino. Major Smith's loss was even more devastating to all of us. And being right behind him in the air when it happened made it even more unbearable. We had some ups and downs with C.O.'s, but he was the finest officer I (and most of us) ever knew!
|
