Messages Between a Green Beret and a Covey FAC
submitted by: Alva Leon Matheson
Billy,
I flew out of Khe Sanh from early March to April 15, 1967 and then transferred to Dong Ha to FAC north of the DMZ. There is one SOG debrief at Khe Sanh that I remember distinctly. A SOG Special Forces sergeant pointed to a trail in the southwest corner of the North Vietnam map and said, “There were 156 North Vietnamese troops that passed this point last night.” When someone asked him how he knew that, he responded, “I counted the boots and divided by two.” Needless to say I was impressed and decided right there that I didn’t want to change jobs with him. Do you remember that?
I also heard that sometime before I arrived at Khe Sanh, during a Hatchet Team Operation in Laos, we lost two U.S. Special Forces members. After several unsuccessful attempts to recover the bodies (ground fire too intense) the decision was made to destroy all evidence of any U.S. personnel being in the area, by saturation bombing. They (7th Air Force) wanted no body parts of Americans being found in Laos, since we were not there. I was also told that if I got shot down in the Laos Tigerhound area, my wife would be told that I crashed in South Vietnam.
I was not in on the operation but in early April ‘67 after a B-52 Arclight strike in Laos, a BDA team was put into two bomb craters at the beginning of the bombed area early one morning. Our forces had to fight all day just to get the team out of the same craters.
I still remember the sign that greeted every- one arriving at Khe Sanh:
“BUILT BY SEABEES PROTECTED BY MARINES ENJOYED BY AIR FORCE”
Denny,
Please call me Billy, as all my friends do that. I thought I had transmitted a note to you in answer to your fine input, but when I look at the Sent section of my e-mail, I don’t see the dispatched note. So, if this is repetitive, Denny, forgive me.
I will bet $$$$ that you and I were in the same bunker in Khe Sanh for that debriefing. Our Recon lads (I ended up as the Recon Co SGM of CCS then CCN), were a bit arrogant, and for a reason. The statement “I counted the boots and divided by two,” is a classic, and I will surely include that in my accounting of SOG and SOG support operations. Best response I could have ever thought of, and I am proud of that lad. I was at Khe Sanh during that period, for in 1965 I had been WIA by GSW (gunshot wound) pretty badly, and my right leg was a might screwed up at the time. On my return to Vietnam, and SOG (1966) Colonel Bull Simon (Chief of Op 35 SOG) had relegated me to Khe Sanh, with a snarl, “Get your ass to Khe Sanh, and I don’t want to hear from you for at least six months.”
Great guy was Bull Simon, who went on to greater fame on the Son Tay raid, etc. Anyhow, Denny, I sort of honcho’d the launch site, due to my leg problem, and flew so many hours with the fine Covey lads from Khe Sanh, I couldn’t even keep up with the hours.
We flew day and night. We called airstrikes, we took hits, we practically sat on Charlie’s head, and shot at those bastards (on occasion) with a 9 mm Browning. Tossed hand grenades at them, in bottles, with the pin pulled, and any other harrassing actions we could dream up. I know you know the drill, so I am preaching to the choir.
If it were not for you lads, our SOG teams would have been zero. There could have been no mission, period. Hillsboro was instrumental in saving our bacon at least 100+ times. Hillsboro was like GOD to the Recon Teams (RTs) on the ground. What happens when the s*** hits the fan; “Call GOD,” and call him quick. I have never, ever known Hillsboro to be too busy to respond immediately.
Can never say enough good about the assets and support air personnel.
Counted the holes in a CH-53 Jolly Green Giant, which came into Khe Sanh for an emergency landing, having attempted to pull some people (RT’s) out of the fire. On return, I counted the holes in that bird, and stopped counting at 80+. Small holes, big holes, and dents too,
WOW!!
So, Denny, you can see what I am doing. I am going to produce an accounting of all of this fine action. I spent 7.5 years in the action, and was shot out two times (GSW), once in 1965, and again in 1968, just to return again. My sphincter was quite excellent at squeezing my esophagus at times, but we made it. I would do it again, if the need be, but would hope for a better ending, as the U.S. lost its resolve.
I will not belabor as to how we could have won the war, but we surely could have, with the proper initiative.
Please keep in touch Denny, and I shall surely do so.
Billy Waugh, SGM (RET) Recon SGM FOB-1, CCN, CCS, 1966 - 71
(with some time in the Mobile Strike Forces in 1968.)