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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-05786 to 363-05797.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-05786 to 363-05797
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Title
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Article about Le My village and Fox Fort fortness
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Description
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Original title: "Le My and Fox Fort", Keever's title: "Fox Fort: Used by Japanese in World War II, then French colonialists, now U.S. Marines' company base", article about Le My village and the history of nearby Fox Fort, the fortness of stone situated miles away from Danang airbase. Missing page 8
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AI Usage Disclosure
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
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Transcript
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deepe
fort article 6 of 8-article series
page 1
august 18, 1965
LE MY & FOX FORT
LE MY, FOX FORT, SOUTH VIETNAM-This majestic fortress of stone,
situated
miles northwest of the strag strategic Danang airbase it
seeks to protect, graphically depicts the similarities and differences
between the American military position and the disasterous French military
position a decade ago.
(More)
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Leepe
fort article 6 of 8-a rticle series
page 2
august 18, 1965
The fortress, omplete with a labyrinth of underground tunnels,
was built and used by the Japanese fo5 forces during World War II;
then occupied by the French forces during the French Indo-China War
from 1946 to 1954.
1976
Today, the American Marines call it Fox Fort. It is the operational
base area of Foxtrot Company of the 2nd Battall Battalion, 3rd Regiment
of the III Marine Amphibious Force. Ironically, earlier this month, the
fort flow the Confederate flag, a symbol of America's own Civil War.
(More)
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pe
1
fort-article 6 of 8-article series
page 3
Inside the fort, as American priva tes and sergeants haste hastily
erected screened in mess halls in preparation for the upcoming mono monsoon
the American captain and company commander explained, "The
Viet Minh (Communists) during the French Indo-China War blew this fort
season,
to smithereens by barra ging it with 300 mortar shells in one mimite,
according to what the villagers tell us."
Asked whether the Viet Cong Communiste could do the same, he pondered
a nd answered, "Yes, but they would have a much more difficult time of it."
(More)
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deepe
fort article 6 of 8-article series
pece 4
Here, at Fox Fort, the American Marines, in general, are using
the same tactical military principle as the French. They use the fort
a s an operation base--or as the Marine captain explained, "a rest camp"
from which to unleash a myriad of small-unit patrols into the tangled jungle
hillsides.
These patrols are sent out daily, and more significantly,
nightly in an attempt to ward off Viet Cong units who might attack the
Ma rine positions here, who ma night attempt to attack the important
Danang airbase.
(More)
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deepe
fort article 6 of 8-article series
page 5
Under the French, their small-unit patrols were repeatedly ambushed and
wiped out and perhaps most significantly, the patrols did not secure or
pacify the surrounding villages, which the Communists used for food supplies,
for gathering intelligence on French troops movements and for acting as a
physical shield to them in battle.
Today, only 600 meters from Fox Fort, the small village taxis called
Phone Phuoc bang to the ve, "the Viet Cong in at night and rest around
the Catholic Church," according to the American captain "Most of the
young men from that village have already gone into the mountain with the
to fight with the Viet Cong."
(More)
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deepe
forta rticle 6 of 8-article series
pa go 6
Similar to the French military position,
the American Marine patrols
"protect the village only as long as the Marines are there," ine the
words of one Vietnamese village chief, "but not after they are gone."
Likewise, the Marinen ex patrols do not crush the Viet Cong political
infrastructre within each village. This is considered the responsibility
of the Vietnamese government and its forces. armed forces.
Severa 1 months ago, shortly after the Marines moved into their
postions within the Le My complex of villages, en estimated two
Viet Gang hard-oore companies attacked two of the Marine positions guarding
village bridges. "We beat the hell out of them," the American captain
explained.
(More)
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deepe
fort-article 6 of 8-article series
page 7
"The sergereant sergeant had just finished checking the lines and came
back to his hole," the American copta in explained.
"He looked up and saw
three or four shil silhouettes of bushes-but the bushes were moving. He
opened fire. Then the corporal exfim near him opened fire-and killed
two Viet Cong directly in front of him with his rifle and killed a third
with his trenching tool.
"This was a
"The Viet Cong were exceptionally well camouflaged and wore wreaths
on the upper part of their body and hond," he continued.
hard-core North Vietnamese unit in black uniforms and carrying machineguns
and automatic weapons.
However, the captain explained, the Communist units had spent three
days in a nearby village--within the Marine perimeter-becfre before they
attacked. While the Marines, had intelligence reports of their presence,
"we sent patrols out but they didn't hear or see anything. One villager
Exp said that one of the North Vietnamese unit commanders had even walked over
the bridge we were protecting--before the attack-but we didn't even know that."
(More)
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deepe
fort article 6 of 8-a rticle series
page 9
Only one Marine was wounded; an estimated 12 Viet Cong were killed and
15 were wounded. Since then, the Viet Cong have disengaged from he Marine
position but they haven't been defeated. "During the past three weeks,
ou
patrols have enou encountered nothing of importance," one Marine captain
explained.
(More)
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deepe
fort article 6 of 8-article series
page 10
"The Viet Cong grossly under-estimated the firepower of a Marine corps
squad," the captain explained.
The attack incident also illustrates the important differences between the
American Marines and the French troops. Unquestionably, the Mai Marines
are "more aggressive" in their patrolling, as one villager who had seen
both armies explained. "And the Americans have tier more troops; they do
the patrolling better; they have more of everything than the French-more
weapons with more firepower; more artillery and airplanes,"
However, reliable military sources indicate that the only tactical
weapon the Americans possess which the French did not is the helicopter
which has given the Americans quicker reaction time and greater mobility.
(More)
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deepe
fort article 6 of 8-article series
pade 11
outlying
Almost all tlf of the American positions at this time
lie under the protective cover of artillery, mortars and quick-reaction
airpower, which was not consistently true for the French troops. Some
American positions are also covered iy by the firepower of the S U. S. I
Seventh Fleet patrolling off Dena nge
(More)
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deepe
fort article 6 of 8-article series
page 17
However,
asa colonialist power, the French government had much
more control over the government, police and intelligence agencies in Viet Nam
than the Americans do ourrently.
"Now one of the most disturbing things," one Marine captain explained,
"is that the Vietnamese government is letting free the people we think
are Viet Cong. When we go out on patrol, we carry an intelligence listing
of the Viet Cong in the area. We caught one man on our link Viet Cong list
and turned him over to the Vietnamese government as a suspect and they turned
him loose.
"This was a man that the villagers said had detonated a mine that killed
two Marines riding in a jeep. Our intelligence listing described him as
Mr. Luca mx Viet Cong who planta mines. But they turned him loose. Wrh
We have enough trouble getting people without having to beat the bush for them
again."
(More)
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deepe
fort-article 6 of 8-article series
12
page 13
One American Marine battalion commander, south of the Danang airbase,
explained, "We've probably brought in 1000 Viet Cong suspects since we've
been here but the Vietnamese government releases 90 per cent of them.
Sometimes,
the Vietnamese government returns these suspects to their home
Brea even before we clear out of the area. It's make the troops mad. We
think more of these people are Viet Cong.
"The only basis we have of bringing in suspects is if they do not have an
identity card, or if the Vietnamese troops with us think he's suspicious, such
as being of military age. We recognize using the identity cards as a basis
isn't a satisfactory way of determining who'se Viet Cong. But it's the
only way we've found so far,"
"If they
The young Ma rino troopers, however, have another criteria.
shoot, they're Viet Cong," one of them explained. "If they don't shoot
they're government forces or tired Viet Cong.
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Date
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1965, Aug. 15
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Villages--Vietnam (Republic); United States. Marine Corps; Fortification
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Location
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Lệ Mỹ, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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21.5043; 105.2868
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B187, F5
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Format
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dispatches
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Collector
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
