Show of Force
Naval and Air Force Bombardment
by David Dulin Dentinger
Company A, 2/12 Cavalry
After the grueling night march from the village of Thon La Chu on February 5th 1968, the battalion established a perimeter at the base of a very large hill named Nui Nha Nhan. Later that morning, after a short respite, we moved to a higher elevation on that same hill. This location was given the name LZ High. It was at that time that we received hot food, ammo, and dry socks. It’s amazing how one of the most simple of creature comforts — dry socks — can be appreciated!
Later in the day we watched as Navy guns, several miles away in the South China Sea, peppered an area just over a kilometer from our location. The sight and sounds of the shelling was much different than any other I had seen or heard. The familiar whistling of the projectiles was at a lower pitch and the explosions were much greater than Army artillery as the shells reached their target. We watched for about an hour as The United States Navy put on a spectacular fireworks show; they fired upwards of one hundred rounds.
Webmaster Note: The Navy CONGA (Combat Naval Gunfire Support File) records indicate on February 5th 1968, the USS Lynde McCormick, DDG-8, a Guided Missile Destroyer, fired eighty-six 5”/54 rounds at coordinates XT 704227 in support of the 2/12th Cavalry.
Afterwards, an air-strike was called in to the location -- less than one kilometer from our position on the hill. We stood at our high vantage point and watched as the F4-Phantoms dropped their mixed bag of ordnance: napalm, high explosives and cluster bombs. What a fantastic sight! The jets would dive out of the clouds from several thousand feet. As the airplanes reached a lower altitude, what seemed to be one hundred feet or so, they dropped their bombs; nosed up; accelerated and disappeared back into the clouds. The roar of the jet engines was almost deafening; what's more the sight was awesome. I could hear the familiar POP—POP—POP of small arms fire in the distance as the NVA, in a feeble attempt, tried to shoot the aircraft down. I can only imagine the RUSH that the pilots were experiencing as they performed their dive bombing maneuvers. The air-strike lasted an hour or so, with short breaks between each sortie. How anyone could survive that bombardment is beyond my comprehension; but many did.
I’d like to convey my appreciation to the Navy and Air Force for the magnificent Show of Force. After the previous few days the battalion was due some semblance of victory. Admission was free. All one had to do was show up.
Author’s notes – According to the Battalion Daily Staff Journal (DSJ) there were two air-strikes in one week’s time; one strike on the 5th of February and the other on the 13th. One of the strikes was not as extensive as the other. The air-strike that I described in this story may have been the strike on the 13th. However the description is accurate, even if the date isn’t. After all, it has been over 39 years.