125th ATC arrival at Dak To - June, 1967
About 10 men from the 125th Air Traffic Company arrived at Dak To on June 16, 1967. The airfield had been unused for some time, and the area was overgrown.
We were told to NOT spend the night in the Special Forces camp, between the runway and the river. They had sent out a recon patrol and it had not come back. A second patrol, sent out to find the first one, was also attacked, but they managed to get back to camp. Instead, we had to set up our GP medium tent across the runway from the SF camp.
On that first night, some time after midnight, the Special Forces A camp was attacked. We saw dead and wounded to be evacuated the next morning. We spent the rest of that first night crouched in a ditch, waiting for an assault that, lucky for us, never came. Over the next few days, groups of helicopters started bringing in troops and equipment.
Many years later (50) I found an after-action report that mentioned that night:
On 15 and 16 June an element from DAK TO Special Forces Camp had engaged a company size NVA force approximately 1400 meters southwest
of their camp and had incurred heavy casualties including two USSF (United States Special Forces) personnel MIA (missing in action) in this contact. Early on the morning of 17 June the DAK TO camp received mortar fire and at TAN CANH, the 42d ARVN Regiment's Headquarters was hit by mortars and, at the same time, became the first installation in the II Corps Tactical Zone to receive 122mm rocket fire.
We were told to NOT spend the night in the Special Forces camp, between the runway and the river. They had sent out a recon patrol and it had not come back. A second patrol, sent out to find the first one, was also attacked, but they managed to get back to camp. Instead, we had to set up our GP medium tent across the runway from the SF camp.
On that first night, some time after midnight, the Special Forces A camp was attacked. We saw dead and wounded to be evacuated the next morning. We spent the rest of that first night crouched in a ditch, waiting for an assault that, lucky for us, never came. Over the next few days, groups of helicopters started bringing in troops and equipment.
Many years later (50) I found an after-action report that mentioned that night:
On 15 and 16 June an element from DAK TO Special Forces Camp had engaged a company size NVA force approximately 1400 meters southwest
of their camp and had incurred heavy casualties including two USSF (United States Special Forces) personnel MIA (missing in action) in this contact. Early on the morning of 17 June the DAK TO camp received mortar fire and at TAN CANH, the 42d ARVN Regiment's Headquarters was hit by mortars and, at the same time, became the first installation in the II Corps Tactical Zone to receive 122mm rocket fire.