Sam Powell
Vietnam Memories
This area looks very familiar to me, but the dates have me confused. I served as intelligence observer in 1969-1970 219th Military Intelligence Detachment, 2nd Field Force Vietnam (II Field Force). Smitty and I flew opposite days until Cambodia in May 1970, then I flew all missions there except May 15 when Smitty and pilot were shot down. Before that, since I was allowed a lot of leeway to explore I happened into this narrow valley with mountainside farming, small river below, Montagnards clearings, fish ponds, some light farming, and tunnels near the river, a perfect ambush alley. As soon as we came over the mountain ridge in our Birddog, more than a dozen campfires went out simultaneously. I just started taking pictures. I flew over this area many times before Cambodia, once finding an antenna. The next day I was placed in an air force FAC and we located the area for a hunter-killer team who blew up a shack. Late May I went back shortly. Etched in my mind is the brief image of a machine gun in a cave on the side of the mountain and me hollering pull up, pull up.
(My story and may not be related to yours. I enjoyed reading yours, though.)
Sam
Sam Powell <sampowell@aol.com>
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 20:57:05 (EDT)