Submitted by Bob Potter,
Vestal, NY
USAF 6988th SS
I am sending in Stars and Stripes (Air Edition) from 2JUL65 (the day after the sapper attack) which I cut out and kept, describing the attack on Đà Nàng. It states in the opening that one Air Policeman, standing guard near the south end of the field, was killed when the suicide squad sprayed his post with small arms fire. I was surprised at how yellow the headline article came out. Guess something 43 years old is going to show it's age. Not like you and I!
Also have some pictures from the Bangkok Post of the damaged and destroyed aircraft. Since these are old newspaper articles and obviously in delicate condition, I will send a copy. I don't have a scanner and am new to the computer. Also, have not gotten to my slides out yet as job search is "Number One" at the present time. By the way, my best buddies are Marines and am looking forward to possibly becoming an associate member of their local shooting team.
My Club Cards I had laminated last year as they were getting pretty frayed. I was surprised at how yellow the headline article came out since I asked to have it done in color because of the Stars and Stripes on the front. Guess something 32 years old is going to show it's age. Not like you and I! Have no aerial pictures of the Air Base, just some of the coast and villages we flew over during takeoff. Was on the site this afternoon enjoying the pictures since they were so familiar. You really have done a great job on the Web Site! Wife and I were at fellow Viet Vet's home this evening for a swim and that sort of did us in.
Robert C. Potter
Pacific Stars and Stripes Newspaper, dated Jul 2, 1965, pages 1 and 24
VC Attack Đà Nàng
ĐÂ NÂNG, Republic of Vietnam (UPD— A small communist suicide squad raced into Đà Nàng AB early Thursday and used hand grenades to destroy three American planes.
Under cover of a mortar barrage, the Viet Cong killed one air policeman and damaged several other planes. Five other Americans were wounded slightly during the attack.
The air policeman, standing guard near the south end of the field, was killed when the squad sprayed his post with small arms fire. The attackers destroyed two U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules transport planes and one F-102 jet fighter. One other Hercules transport and two other F-102s were damaged.
American authorities at first believed the planes had been destroyed by the mortar fire. But investigation proved the Viet Cong squad penetrated the defenses of the base to pitch their grenades.
(Continued on Back Page, Col. 3)