Like many
before me, I served in Vietnam exactly thirty (30) years ago
in 1967-1968. My tour of duty was strictly at Tan Son Nhut
Air Base, located on the north-western edge of Saigon. I know
many of you remember this base, especially Air Force Security
Policemen who were there with me during the 1968 Tet Offensive.
As you may recall, during the Tet attack in the early morning
hours of January 31, 1968 we lost four good men (Sergeants
Cyr, William J., Fischer, Louis H., Hebron, Charles E., and
Mills, Roger B. all Awarded the Silver Star) in the O51 Bunker
(Echo 37) which was located on the western perimeter of Tan
Son Nhut Air Base and took the brunt of the enemy battalions.
Without exaggeration, the five Security Policemen (including
Sgt Alonzo Coggins who survived!) in the bunker and the 377th
SPS fought gallantly against overwhelming
odds. In my mind, I can still hear O51 Bunker's frantic radio
transmissions for help as tracer fire, flares and rockets
lit up the night sky.
Recently (December 1998), I
had the fortunate opportunity to return to Saigon. During
my visit I made it a point to see Tan Son Nhut Air Base one
more time and try to locate the area of the O51 Bunker. Believe
it or not, O51 is still standing. With the help of some excellent
Vietnamese guides (Tung and Hoai) we located the bunker. O51
Bunker is the only bunker still there. The original barbed
wire perimeter of the airport has been replaced with a twelve
(12) foot concrete wall. Highway One (also still there) is
a bustling, busy two lane thoroughfare.
(Click
to see panorama!)
At first,
because of all the area improvements and the concrete security
wall, I could not locate the exact area of the O51 Bunker
which sat approximately forty (40) meters east of Highway
One. As we were searching down Highway One I just "happened"
to see the roof of a what appeared to be an old bunker
protruding above the concrete wall! With the assistance of
the two Vietnamese guides I was able to get to the area and
to the top of the wall to get a view of the lone, overgrown,
standing monument. It was the O51 !
For a
moment, all I could do was stare in amazement. I couldn't
believe it was still there! As I stared and recalled the battle,
it seemed to just stand silent... alone... as
a reminder of the acrifices of war.
Close up of O51 Bunker, TSN, 1998
O51
Bunker, 1968, USAF Security Police, after battle for
Tan Son Nhut
(Viewed almost from the same angle
as above)
(O51
Bunker as viewed from the rear. Concrete is heavily pock-marked
after
being overrun by NVA/VC, and then recaptured by Air Force
Security Police)
The area
across Highway One which used to be an open kill zone
with just a few dwellings and rice paddies is now built up
with businesses all along the highway. The old Vinatexco Factory,
from which the Viet Cong staged their attack, is also still
there but now operates under a different name.
Much of the Air Base flight
line looks the same as it did in 1968. Most of the revetments
have been removed and replaced with concrete canopies which
are still there and are visible from the terminal. The original
aircraft Control Tower, adjacent to the old C-130 and terminal
is still in use today. The original airport terminal has been
remodeled on the inside, but looks the same on the flight
line side as it did in 1968. The front side of the terminal
has also been remodeled; however, I was able to clearly recognize
the area as it was in 1968.
The original main gate to the
base has been removed and the main gate area along the main
gate road, which led west to the SP barracks, MARS station
and heliport, is now open and a commercial business area.
Tan Son Nhut has been down sized and the perimeter moved about
two hundred yards to the north of the main gate road. The
two large octagon water towers east of the old SP barracks
are still there. These towers helped me recognize the area.
Many may recall the area just outside the main gate referred
to as "100 P Alley". This area of buildings is also still
there.
In consideration
of my Biên Hòa counterparts, I traveled to Biên Hòa in hopes
of photographing the Bunker Hill-10, and the Air Base where
Capt Reginald Maisey (Air Force Cross) and KIA A1C Edward
Muse (K-9) were both killed in action that Tet night. However,
after the ride there, photographs were not allowed anywhere
around the base area. The highway to Biên Hòa from Saigon
and the Biên Hòa area are now all built up with very little
country side. Saigon still
looks much the same as it did in 1968, but is much more crowded.
You can see some modernization and building improvements and
such things as cell-phones street phone booths, fax machines,
photocopy centers and, believe it or not, the "yellow pages".
Anyone desiring to return need not have any anxiety or concern
about the trip. The Vietnamese people are friendly and have
no animosity toward Americans. The city was safe and relatively
inexpensive. Western influence is very much alive and English
is still widely accepted and spoken. Although the official
name of the city is Hô Chi Minh, everyone continues
to call it Saigon. "Again",
one thing this trip taught me was "God Bless America And Her
People". We are a really blessed nation. I feel more proud
now that I had the opportunity to defend our way and assist
the Vietnamese people. To me, the trip was well worth it. Frank Ybarbo,
USAF, 7th Air Force,
377th SPS
Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, 1967-1968
"PROVEN IN COMBAT"
Sgt Alonzo
J. Coggins, O51 Bunker survivor, who was severely wounded
and medevaced immediately out of Vietnam, has been located
and will receive the Silver Star (awarded but never received)
in Feb 1999, at Lackland AFB, Texas!
Watch for Sgt Coggins' story here at VSPA!
Recommended
reading is a book called "TheBattle for Saigon"
which really tells the Air Force SPS's
side of the battle! Excerpts follow:
"The
attack force (against TSN AB) numbered 2,665 VC and NVA.
The 350-man 269th F Battalion 
spearheaded the attack
on the O51 Gate Bunker... the 267h MF Battalion and
the 1st Battalion, 271st Regiment were in column formation
behind it. The attack was 'on a very narrow front,' noted
a U.S. after-action report. The lead battalion's mission
was to effect a (base perimeter) penetration, the second
battalion in the line was to exploit the penetration,
and the third battalion in line was to destroy the equipment
and facilities of TSN...."
Nearly twelve hours after
the attack began, the lone survivor of the five men O51
Bunker, Sergeant Alonzo Coggins, was released by the
four VC who (still) held the bunker. "... The fire
on the bunker came to a screeching halt. It resumed when
the delirious, burned, and badly wounded airman proceeded
down the perimeter road... the guerrillas did not
surrender... (and Tech) Sergeant [Bernard C.] Gifford
[Silver Star] of the 377th SPS... peeled off his flak
jacket... popped up to hurl a third grenade, which
exploded in midair right in the doorway. The O51 Bunker
was thus retaken.... Four of the five 377th Security
Police at O51 Bunker were KIA. Sgt Coggins, the 5th sentry,
was so badly wounded the NVA disregarded him as they
spun the post's M60 toward the flight line and opened
fire...." The
savage storming of O51 Bunker by VC and NVA was temporarily
successful, but cost tremendous casualties for the NVA,
and ultimate defeat. The valiant defense of O51 Bunker
delayed enemy advance and provided time for the 377th's
SP Response Team to get in line and block the enemies'
flight line attack, which gained time for the 25ths' arrival.
When O51 Bunker was overrun, firing was so intense from
the captured bunker that base defenders asked and received
permission to fire on the bunker, as everyone assumed
the five SPs were dead. The concrete bunker, with Sgt
Coggins inside and very much alive, was hit several times.
Don Poss
|
