Monday, April 3, 1972
ARVN Kills 87 After Red Attack
Vietnamese spokesman reported one killed, and 14 wounded in the attack. A barrage of 107mm fire followed the attack and was aimed at three other paratrooper bases in the area, resulting in light casualties. In other fighting in the highlands, one U.S. airman was killed and two others wounded when five 122mm rockets hit the Phu Cat Air Base early Friday in the Binh Dinh Province. Friday afternoon, one American was wounded when an Army Chinook helicopter crashed after being hit by ground fire 23 miles northwest of Kontum City. In the air, U.S. Air Force B52s flew eight missions during the period ending noon Saturday, two of which were in Quang Tri Province aimed against Communist troop concentrations and base camps areas. Five bombing runs hit staging areas in Kontum Province and one hit a base camp area in Thua Thien Province. Air Force and Navy fighter-bombers combined to fly 31 tactical air strikes in South Vietnam Friday and Saturday. The U.S. Command said 25 of the strikes were in support of ground operations in I Military Region. Also on Saturday, the U.S. Command confirmed reports that an Air Force F4 Phantom downed a MIG21 late Thursday. The MIG was sited heading toward Laos in the area of the Ben Karai Pass. The Command also said that 17 Army and one Air Force unit have commenced to stand down. The Command said 1,960 personnel will be affected.
"ARVN Kills 87 After Red Attack", by S&S Vietnam Bureau, published in the Pacific Stars and Stripes on Monday, April 3, 1972 and reprinted from European and Pacific Stars and Pacific Stars and Stripes, a Department of Defense publication copyright, 2002 European and Pacific Stars and Stripes.