This report is an attempt to sequentially relate the events concerning a 1 July 1965 VC/NVA Sapper attack at Da Nang AB, SVN. The report merges statements of participants and witnesses as the attack unfolds, and where possible related photos are inserted. For context, refer to the complete statements of participants and witnesses from the References page.

ACCOUNT OF 1st LT. Fred Reiling (LTC, Ret. USAF):
Some details of the Da Nang-memory of the night of SSgt Jensen's death:
At the time, we had three areas on the base that we were guarding.
First, was the north end of the ramp where the aircraft scheduled for sorties either in-country or up north were parked. As I recall, they were mostly F-104's, A-1's, and B-57's.

Secondly, was the bomb dump which was across the runway about midfield.
Finally, was the south end where F-102's and C-130's were parked.

The F-102's were TDY from Clark and were for air defense of the base. The crews were on "Alert" and lived in tents between the taxiway and runway.

The C-130's were Ranch Hand aircraft and were used in the Agent Orange program. They were parked on the east side of the taxi way in the newly completed revetments.

[ Operation Ranch Hand was an Air Force program to use C-123K aircraft to spray herbicides over large areas was one of many programs under Operation Trail Dust. The aircrews charged with spraying the defoliant used a sardonic motto-"Only you can prevent forests": 1) wikipedia. 2)AF Magazine/Ranch Hand.]

The actual perimeter of the base was the responsibility of the 3rd Marines [March of 1965: Marine combat troops, Ninth Marine Expeditionary Brigade, arrived at Da Nang Air Base], and we had the pockets of our [USAF] resources that we guarded. We also had people spread out in the base proper to protect the people, especially in the "compound" where most of us lived.