As you well know, I was at Ban Me Thuot as a member of the 822nd CSPS.  There were 2 fire teams plus an NCOIC (TSgt Providence), for a total of 14 men, who were sent there to guard a 3 building ALCE (Airlift Command Element) which was located at the hellipad at the 155 compound located away from the actual city, MACV Compound, and 5th Special Forces Compound.  We either ate C Rations or at the Army Open Mess at the "Big Gun".  I believe it was the 25th Infantry, but I am not sure.  We were there briefly (thank God), until the ALCE unit was moved.  In letters home, I don't recall and didn't mention where the thing was moved to.  I have some of my slides loaded here in my computer and will try (I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack) to send them to you.  You will have to let me know if you get them.  If I fail, I can send you CD's with the pictures on them.  I will also have to check my records and let you know when we were there.  We had one M-60 position and 2 smaller M-16 positions with 2 men each and were flanked by Army and Vietnamese Special Forces.  Although we took some incoming small arms fire and 122mm rockets, we had damage but we never fired a shot.  One night, a 122 rocket set off one of our trip flares which was the closest thing other than the automatic fire that put some holes in our sandbags.

I arrived at BMT on 13Sep68.  The night of Sep 18-19 we watched a B-52 drop about 20 Kilometers away at Duc Lap.  The night of Sep 19-20 was a ground attack to our left and the Army killed 7.  We caught some of the incoming small arms fire.  There was one Army injury and only damage to our sandbags.  In a letter home dated 25Sep68, I said that we had been rocketed twice and had ground action twice, but didn't record what dates.  On 27Sep68 at Camp Coryell, we were mortared.  I had to hang up talking to my Mom when the sirens went off.  4Oct68 at Camp Coryell at approx 2 AM, Charlie hit the camp with rockets, mortars and had penetration.  I don't know if there were any us casualties or injuries.  We were being housed awaiting transportation back to P.R.  10Oct68, 1915 hours we departed BMT and arrived back at base camp at Phan Rang.

Barry McLean
VSPA LM#53