This ammo dump contained eleven thousand rounds of ordnance that began burning.  Red-hot artillery and recoilless rifle rounds were hurled into nearby trenches.  CS tear gas was ignited and filled the entire area with gas as thick as fog.  About 10:00 A.M. the fire set off a large quantity of C-4 plastic explosives and other explosives.  At the airstrip all navigational aides were destroyed or damaged, living quarters for the Marines air group were destroyed, the control tower was rendered inoperative, and the runway was cratered.  All this on the first day of incoming rocket, artillery and mortar attacks that would continue for the next 76 days.

In a sense both sides besieged each other.  The Marines could only be supplied by air and could not have evacuated the base without sustaining unacceptable casualties.  The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) were trapped by their military and political goals, whatever they might have been, and by the greatest application of U.S. air power directed at them in history.

The mess halls were immediately secured.  In the atmosphere of flying metal it would not do for two hundred Marines to congregate in one place.  C-rations were issued and the men took their meals in their bunkers.  The rat population began to take off and Khe Sanh took on the look of a "shanty slum on the outskirts of Manila".  Continuous aerial bombardment, shelling and digging and bulldozing of positions filled the air with red dust.  Smoke filled the air, smoke from incoming, from diesel generators, from burning latrines, from burning ordnance and from trash fires.  Water was restricted and few were able to bathe regularly.  The monsoon rain served to drive the rats inside the bunkers.

By March 6, Saigon reported that NVA strength around Khe Sanh had been reduced, from a former level of possibly 35,000, to a level of 6,000 to 8,000 NVA troops.  On April 9, for the first time in weeks, not one shell crashed into the combat base.

Army units entered the base, the first to arrive by land in months.  They stared at the Marines in disbelief; some wore beards, all needed haircuts, all were exhausted, their clothes were filthy and tattered.  The 1st Calvary had the attitude that they had "relieved" the Marines of Khe Sanh, that they had "broken" the NVA siege.  The Marines largely ignored them.

In June 1968, it was announced that Khe Sanh was being abandoned.  The Marines proceeded to dismantle the base, slashing sandbags, blowing up their fortifications, filling in trenches with bulldozers, hauling away everything of possible use to the enemy.  The last Marines left on July 6.  In their leaving, both sides turned the base over to the rats, whose population likely expanded still further now that the monsoon had ended, air and artillery strikes ceased, and there was no human population to harass them.  The rats were free to police the remaining ration scraps within the base and the huge quantity of body parts that must have lay without.  And when this food supply was consumed they too would depart Khe Sanh.

Highway Marker on Highway 9 East of Khe Sanh

Two Bru Montagnard mountain tribal old ladies, and their packages, are given a ride by the man and woman on the motorcycle.  My guess is that they came from the village pictured next and were going to the town of Khe Sanh to sell their produce.

Bru Montagnard village North of Highway 9.  It does not appear there is any road of significance serving this village.  I have been led to believe that the Vietnamese government does not provide much support for these tribal mountain folks.  Maybe its best that their heritage and time honored traditions have not changed much.

Nothing remains of the Khe Sanh combat base except the grade which supported the "Marston Matting" which formed the runway and several rounds of ammunition.

Looking North toward Hill 950 on the far left and Hill 1015 in the center.  I was informed that initially Khe Sanh was established to support the radio relay station "Hickory" which was atop of Hill 950.  Otherwise Khe Sanh had no particular military significance.  I will bow to others who have flown in and out of there while the place was under siege to give me their version of the military importance of same.

The Area of Tacon Point Built By
U.S. and Sai Gon Puppet

Built 1967, air field and well constructed defense system Co Lung (town) Dong Ha (county) Quang Tri (province). U.S. and Army Puppets used to monitor the movement andtried to stop assistance from the Northinto the battle of Indo China (3 countries).  After 170 days and nights of attack by surrounding
Liberation Army, Tacon (Khe Sanh) was completely liberated.
The Liberation Army destroyed the defense systemfor the battle of Indo China.
112,000 U.S. and Puppet troops killed and captured.197 airplanes shot down.
Much war material was captured and destroyed.Khe Sanh also another Dien Bien Phu for U.S.

    Left to Right Standing:
Dennis Mittleider, served with the 3rd. Marine Division in Vietnam.  His son was also in
    the Marine Corps and was serving as a Security Guard for the Embassy in Hanoi, Troy
    joined us for a few days of our tour of Vietnam.  Troy was a splendid Marine as are all
    those chosen for Embassy duty.
Jay Lillie, Colonel USMC(Ret), was an A-4 pilot with MAG-11 at Chu Lai.
John "Ace" Hunt, Former Cpl. USMC, "Ace" had three H-46's shot out from under him
    in Vietnam.  He fell out the side crew door of the fourth from 600' above Marble Mt..
    In spite of his scars and pain, "Ace" kept up the whole trip.
William "Bill" Maloney, LtGen, USMC(Ret), Bill was the former CO of MAG-36 in the
    Chu Lai area.
    Left to Right Kneeling:
Marion "Struk" Sturkey, former Capt. USMCR and author of "Bonie Sue a Marine Corps
    Helicopter Squadron in Vietnam.
Beth "Honorary Marine" Lilly, wife of Col. Jay Lillie, she also proved her metal and won
    the nickname of "Honorary Marine" on the trip.
Frank "The Candy Man and/or Uncle Frank" Gulledge, Jr, Maj. USMC(Ret)

Article by,
    Franklin A. Gulledge, Jr., Major USMC(Ret)