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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-05402 to 363-05406.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-05402 to 363-05406
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Title
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Article about operations in North Vietnam
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Description
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Original title: "Clandestine", Keever's title: "South Vietnamese Special Forces Officer Describes Clandesine Missions into North Vietnam," Article about clandestine guerilla operations by the South Vietnamese army inside North Vietnam's borders, published for North American Newspaper Alliance
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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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- Page 1
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Beverly Depe
64A Hong Thap Tu
Saigon Vietnam
Clandestine--page I
July 7, 1967
R. 7/17
5
SAIGON--The young South Vietnamese Special Forces officier snuffed
out his filter cigarette and quietly told of his three clandestine
guerrilla operations behind the lines into North Vietnam.
He
He said the operations for sabotage and target spotting for
American bombing raids had been conducted for several years--and hence
were not considered an escalation of the war against North Vietnam.
said a few American Special Forces personnel accompanied the South
Vietnamese troopers and both Vietnamese and American helicopters were
used at times.
He said on his first mission in 1965 he was into para-dropped into
the mountains on Hon Gay island, a rich coal mining island 25 miles
Northeast of North Vietnam's principal seaport of Haiphong.
"The main mission was to create panic in the area, especially among
the Chinese pepulation by hitting a Chinese Communist target. There
was about 150 of us, including frogmen skilled in demolition work.
At night-time, we moved out of the mountains dressed like North Vietnamese
fishermen.
(More)
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- Page 2
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Deepe
Clandestine--page 2
"The frogmen got into the water and attached a lip mine to the
bottom of the Chinese Communist cargo boat and adjusted the timing device
That gave us enough time to get out of the area and
for 15 minutes;
back into the hills.
Fifteen minutes later the Chinese Communist boat
exploded and sank. We got a later report that several Chinese Communists
got killed. We went further back into the mountains and were collected
by helicopter and taken to the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet off the North Vietnam
coast. The American commander of the ship welcomed us to the big American
Even the
vessel and the U.S. sailors hugged us and took us to the bar.
Am erican officiers me addressed the Vietnamese enlisted men by
The Americans treated us very well, put us
That was very funny to us.
in a luxury lounge and we ate alot of food.
we didn't have any casualties." He said the purpose of his second mission
HEADED
was to observe North Vietnamese troop movements moving Southword and then
to radio to a high-flying American U-2 aircraft,
yes sir.
We were very happy too because
in which in turn called
in American fighters and bombers to hit the North Vietnamese troops.
(More)
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- Page 3
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Deepe
Clandestine--page 3
575
"We were dropped by helicopter into a mountain peak south of
Vinh miles north of the demilitarized zone). From the peak we could
watch two North Vietnamese divisions--the 324B and the 325th--moving
and cold to
towards the DMZ. We were each given a map and compass and
climb to the top of the peak and stay there as long as possible to
observe North Vietnamese convoys moving south.
"We walked several hours to the foot of the mountain and then
rested. Then we climbed up the mountain.
The slope was so steep and
The first
the jungle so thick we could travel only 300 yards a day.
CURAP
night we had to
them All
ourselves around the trees and cling to the
time; otherwise we'd have fallen down the slope. We slept with the
tree in front of us and our back pack in the rear.
"The second day we reached the top of the mountain and we
felt great. We had radio contact all the time with the American
aircraft; with our binoculars we could see the trails in the daytime
and during the night we could hear the constant drone of North Vietnamese
trucks moving south.
"The fifth day of the mission we received
supplies. We just
sat there with our binoculars and watched the troop movements and
reported them, and adjusted the American bombing attacks onto the target.
At night we couldn't see much, but we could hear the North Vietnamese
trucks moving all the time. That was a two week mission up on that
mountain peak, and then our unit of about 150 men was picked up.
We
had several American Special Forces people with us who radioed to the
American U-2."
Cmore)
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- Page 4
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Deepe
Clandestine-page 4
Wind
Early 1967,
His third mission was more dangerous and costly.
Again roughly
150
150 South Vietnamese Special Forces troopers, with American counterparts,
were helicoptered into a landing zone just north of the demilitarized
zone near the Laotian border. The landing zone had been liberally
peppered with American bombing raids before the helicopters landed.
"It seemed safe enough when we landed," the Vietnamese smiled.
"It was lunchtime and we started eating.
soldier climbed up to where we were. I stared at him and he at me.
For a few seconds we were both confused.
Then one North Vietnamese
Then the North Vietnamese
asked in Chinese for the secret password. My friend understood and
spoke Chinese and he answered, but gave the wrong password.
The North
My friend and I
Vietnamese soldier started firing, but missed.
returned fire, but missed, because there were alot of trees and bamboo
around.
Then more North Vietnamese started shooting up towards us on
the mountain peak. We dropped our lunches and we all jumped into a
big B-52 bomb crater near the helicopter landing zone.
Then the North
"If we looked over the edge of the crater the North Vietnamese
would shoot at us. So, we didn't look over the rim of the crater.
Once in awhile we'd throw hand grenades down on them.
Vietnamese started burning the forest at the bottom of the mountain
and the smoke was coming up in our faces. We called the people st
upstairs (in the cirling American aircraft) that we were under attack
and wanted to be pulled out.
(More)
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- Page 5
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Deepe
Clandestine--page 5
"One armed American UH-IB (Huey) helicopter moved in to pin
down the North Vietnamese below us.
That helicopter was shot down.
The ground.
On
When night came, the helicopter was left home. The next dawn
the
American sent in a Chinook (a larger helicopter) to pull out the
About
downed one. The Chinook was hit also, but not shot down.
20 more American helicopters came in to help the Chinook and after firing
at the North Vietnamese enough to silence them, the helicopters
landed to pick us up and the downed helicopter.
successful
"That was a very short operation and not a very sucessful one.
Two Americans and six Vietnamese were killed.
Each of the Special
Forces carries his own nylon bag to carry out our dead. We always
bring out our dead because the North Vietnamese cut off their heads
and tie them to tree limbs to wave around in the wind."
Finishing his story, the 28-year-old Vietnamese slipped out
into
the Saigon night to enjoy his five-day leave before his next clandestine
mission into North Vietnam.
-30-
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Date
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1967, Jul. 7
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Guerrilla warfare; Vietnam (Republic). Quân lực; Vietnam (Democratic Republic); Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, Vietnamese
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B188, F6
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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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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
