-
derivative filename/jpeg
-
363-02081 to 363-02087.pdf
-
Digital Object Identifier
-
363-02081 to 363-02087
-
Title
-
Article on the people sniffer
-
Description
-
Original title: "sniff." Keever's title: "'People-Sniffers' Help Allies Detect Communist Units. "Article by Keever on the people sniffer, a US military machine used to detect enemy Viet Cong troops in difficult terrains
-
AI Usage Disclosure
-
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.
-
Transcript
-
--------------------
- Page 1
--------------------
AN.
zczc sag
yy nnm
sniff 1 (normass/deepe)
Long
TAN AN, SOUTH VIETNAM, SEPTEMBER 23-The "people-sniffer" here is
becoming a significant
Battle FELD
tactical tool for detection of large and samll
small Communist units.
The sniffing machine is used daily here and has produced consistently
good results in assisting American commanders to find elusive Communist
units. But it still is considered far from a quick-fix technological
breakthrough for magically winning the war.
Searching for and finding Communist units has been one of the biggest,
time-consuming problems of Americanm waging this sub-conventional war; fighting
them was a secondary problem.
Now, the "people-sniffer" is becoming a
an American unit's
standard part of the Allie American al American's electronic inventory
for tracking down Communist units, rather than committing x Allied units
to sweep vast areas before locating them.
-more reuter
--------------------
- Page 2
--------------------
zczc sag
yy nnm
sniff 2 (normass/deepe)
Twenty-five miles south of Saigon, Tan An is the provincial capital
of Long An province--the gateway leading to the s lush Mekong Delta-and is
the headquarters of the 1st (first) bri Brigade of the U. S. Army 9th Division,
which probably more than any other unit has dex developed the battlefield
use of the detection device.
" one American
The "people-sniffer" looks "like a Hoover vacuum cleaner,'
officer explained, "but, is, of course, painted Army green and it functions
T
in much the same manner.
*
T
The detection machine is placed in a helicopter
with two tubes attached to the helicopter's ski-like Huye' Huey's ski-like
runners. The bu tubes, like a vacuum cleaner alur s slurping up dust, intakes
the air over likely Communist areas. Then, through a complex electronical
process, the machine measures the ammonia emitted from human bodies--and from
water fu buffaloes, too--who are either present at the time or in the previous
six hours.
--more reuter
--------------------
- Page 3
--------------------
zczc sag
yy nnm
sniff 3 (normass/deepe)
The body chimi chemicals are then electronically separated from the
air and the amounts are registered the varying amounts are registered on dials
on a zero to five sa scale. Number five is ca a "hot reading" over a likely
Communist base or transit area away from village populations. andmism If
the other the reading dovetails with other intelligence, indicators or
RADAN
visual aenim indicators, then American reconnaissance or infantry units
are sent in to search the area.
The "people-sniffing" helicopter has a dangerous mission--f flying contour
reetops
right above the ground or the scrub-like nipa palms to suck up the air. A
number of these helicopters have been shot at and hit--in fact, then many times
the helicopters are hit by Communist gunfire before the "people-sniffer" has
PRESENT
time to wax register that the Communists are there. But, a "hot reading"
on the sniffer, plus getting shot at from the ground, is generally enough
indication there are enough Communists in the area for American troops to land
for a sweeping. The "people-sniffing" helicopter is always accompanied
by four gunships covering gunships which attempt to suppress the Communist fire.
--more reuter
--------------------
- Page 4
--------------------
zczc sag
yy nnm
sniff 4 (normass/deepe)
N
The sniffing machine seems to be more effective in the lowland rice-paddy
areas sprinkled with man-tall nipa palms, than in the northern highlands--
such as are around Khe Sanh were it wa where it was also employed--where the
house-tall jungle te trees are further from the ground trod by human traffic.
"Right now, the people-sniffer is not a technological break-through
that will win the war for us by itself," one American officer explained.
"But, it is a tactical tool to gather more intelligence information on where the
Communists are . This means the kk commanders have a pretty good idea
where the enemy is before commiting committing American units. In the past,
the American units had to spend hours--sometimes days-tracking down the
Communists without having much idea of where they were and it was a very
time-consuming and exhaustive process./ in this waist-deep rice paddies.
The
people-sniffer just helps to pinpoint where the Communists are or have
been in the past six hourg" Before troops Tre Committed."
more reuter
--------------------
- Page 5
--------------------
ZCZC sag
yy nnm
sniff 5 (normass/deepe)
an
The officer explained, however, that especially-trained American
soldier-technician had to make subjective judgments in reading the dials
of the machine.
"The people' people-sniffer doesn't tell you go or no-go," he said-reffe
The
referring to whether or not reading was so clear-cut that as to warrant
sending in an American unit for searching.
"And the machine doesn't make any distinction between people and water
buffalo. And it doesn't make any distinction between one person and 500 people.
But the Army is now working on a new model that will quantitatively make the
some sort of distinction between a few people and alot of people."
--more reuter
--------------------
- Page 6
--------------------
zczc sag
yy nnm
sniff 6 (normass/deepe)
He added in jest:
"When the Army comes up with a model that will tell us the difference
between the goodies and the baddies, then the people-sniffer will win the
"
war for us, he said, referring to differentiating between Communist and
non-Communists.
areas,
The "people-sniffing" helicopter is usually flown over thinly-populated
such as the waste swamplands and nipa palm areas, in which
prior intelligence information has indicated a likely 100 likelihood
of Communist movements or presence. If a "hot reading" turns up
from a sniffing run, then several more helicopter passes are made to
pinpoint the area. Often a smaller, four-seat, light observation
helicopter then descends so low that its backblast blows aside the nipa palm
leaves for eyeballing under under the branches to "eyeball" under the
branches for bunkers or foxholes.
---more reuter
--------------------
- Page 7
--------------------
Long Ar
ZCZC sag
yy nnm
sniff 7 (normass/deepe)
NON-POPULATED
If the area looks suspiciou appears visually suspicious, a number of
ways are often used to end induce Communist troops movement or groundfire.
Sometimes, the helicopter gunships employ "reconnaissance by fire" by
blasting in
small
1) rockets which are not powerful enough to pierce
mud-/ and concrete Communist bunkers.) Or sometimes the the light observation
helicopter drops smoke grenades or a hand-sized cannister of E-158 repeat E-158
non-lethal
c/ c/s repeat C/S, a come cross between tear gas and vomiting gas. If
significant number of Communist troops are flushed iff out
any
by these methods, then American infantry units are quickly heli-dropped
to engage them.
(Hank: Tomorrow I'll cable a sequel to this story on "making the donut"
encirclements once a Communist unit is detected by the peoplesniffer.
CABLE
I might
file one other short piece too fro that I picked up in Long An. I'll also
try to get a mailer off to you. If all is quiet in the Saigon area after that,
what do you think of a hasty three of or four day trip to I corps the week
beginning September 28? I understand it is heating up quickly?" Regards
Bev).
-- end reuter
-
Date
-
1968, Sep. 23
-
Subject
-
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; United States. Army. Chemical Corps; Strategy; Tactics; Guerilla warfare; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Technology
-
Location
-
Tân An, South Vietnam
-
Coordinates
-
10.5383; 106.4051
-
Size
-
20 x 26 cm
-
Container
-
B10, F39
-
Format
-
dispatches
-
Collection Number
-
MS 363
-
Collection Title
-
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
-
Creator
-
Keever, Beverly Deepe
-
Collector
-
Keever, Beverly Deepe
-
Copyright Information
-
These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
-
Publisher
-
Archives & Special Collections
-
Language
-
English
