Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #26 Posted May 1, 2013 I was an Army photographer with the 221st Signal Company and part of a four-person team at Kham Duc when the sappers attacked in August 1970. I have a few photos people might like. I’ll post a few and will put links below to my dropbox for others. Just click and help yourselves. I’d appreciate a photo credit since they were shot with my camera and film, not Uncle Sam’s. Some show bits of the 1970 sapper attack but others show what was left – in 1970 – of the original base. I also have film of the aftermath of the sapper attack. Not very pretty, but some people might be interested. It has been posted on Youtube. You can find it by search for something like sapper attack kham duc 1970. Since it was posted some relatives of the dead sappers saw it. They are asking for help in locating the grave. My recollection is that the bodies were dumped in a bomb crater way outside the wire. A few guys from the 155 battery have been helping. I’m wondering if anyone else can help? Kham Duc old base photos: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20823370/Kham%20Duc%201970%20Photos%20by%20Chris%20Jensen.zip Photos of sapper bodies after 1970 attack: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20823370/sapper%20attack%20kham%20duc%201970.zip Aerial photo of 1970 base being established. Craters where three 1970 vets think the sappers were buried are marked. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20823370/aerial%20shot%20kham%20duc%20with%20burial%20craters.pdf Map drawn by GI and apparently sent to Vietnam Veterans of America which passed it to the Vietnamese government. I got it from a Vietnamese. Three of us think the location marked on there is wrong and we’ve marked the location with an X. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20823370/221%20map%20update%20X%20shows%20burial.pdf That’s it. Regards, Christopher Jensen (SP5 retired) Bethlehem, NH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #27 Posted May 1, 2013 I'll post some of the photos of Kham Duc from when I was there in August 70. Regards, Chris Jensen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted May 1, 2013 Share #28 Posted May 1, 2013 Wow, first hand accounts, it does not get much better than that. Thank You Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #29 Posted May 1, 2013 Apologies for all the messed-up posts. I'll figure this out eventually. Chris Jensen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #30 Posted May 1, 2013 Photo from August 1970 at Kham Duc. Photo by Chris Jensen of the 221st Signal Company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #31 Posted May 1, 2013 Ruins of Kham Duc in August 1970. Photo by Chris Jensen. 221st Signal Company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #32 Posted May 1, 2013 Kham Duc ruins. Photographed in August 1970 by Chris Jensen of the 221st Signal Company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #33 Posted May 1, 2013 Ruins of Kham Duc. Photographed in August 1970 by Chris Jensen of the 221st Signal Company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #34 Posted May 1, 2013 Kham Duc in August 1970. Photo by Chris Jensen of the 221st Signal Co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #35 Posted May 1, 2013 This was taken at the ruins at Kham Duc in August 1970. The ammo belt was draped there and looked to be in good condition. No idea how that happened. Photo by Chris Jensen of the 221st Signal Company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-40Warhawk Posted May 1, 2013 Share #36 Posted May 1, 2013 I also have film of the aftermath of the sapper attack. Not very pretty, but some people might be interested. It has been posted on Youtube. You can find it by search for something like sapper attack kham duc 1970. Regards, Christopher Jensen (SP5 retired) Bethlehem, NH Would this be it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCRrHZdvom8 Thank you for posting, this is very interesting to hear someone who was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jensen Posted May 1, 2013 Share #37 Posted May 1, 2013 Yup. Regards, Chris Jensen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcroninp51 Posted February 19, 2014 Share #38 Posted February 19, 2014 Hello all, My dad Lt Col Timothy J Cronin recieved the DFC when he flew into Kham Duc on May 10th of '68. He did not remember the name of the base but I found his comendation and looked up Kham Duc only to find out that was a major battle. He always said he flew in under heavy morter barage because the C-130's were big targets. They had to evacuate the plane and the crew went into a ditch. A guy on both sides of my dad and one guy that ran into some sort of cement tube and called for the guys to get in there but they did not. A shell hit the ditch and the guys on both sides of my dad got hit as well as the guy in the tube was hit with schapnel. He took care or made sure they were taken care of and said I'm getting out of here and got back in the plane with an illegal (short) crew and got out. He said he was either going to get praised or demoted because of the short crew. He recieved the Presidential unit citation for flying in and out of the Siege of Khe Sahn. He flew in P51D's in WWII with the 334th Eagle squadron in Debdon England from early '44 till New Years day and as well as F-94B's in Korea. I have been trying to fing info on his career and was wondering if anyone here remembers something like his description of that day. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted February 21, 2014 Share #39 Posted February 21, 2014 Hello all, My dad Lt Col Timothy J Cronin recieved the DFC when he flew into Kham Duc on May 10th of '68. I have the official USAF history of the airlift evacuation of Kham Duc: if you father flew in on May 10th, then his aircraft was one of those which brought in 600 Americal Division troops and supporting artillery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrenchfootJoe66 Posted February 21, 2014 Share #40 Posted February 21, 2014 Great thread. Thanks a bunch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcroninp51 Posted February 28, 2014 Share #41 Posted February 28, 2014 Thank you Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recyrus Posted January 21, 2015 Share #42 Posted January 21, 2015 I know this is an old post but my late father-in law was the pilot of the A1-H Skyraider,Col. James Swain. that was shot down at Kham Duc on May 12. The incident is briefly mentioned in the wikipedia article. He was rescued and survived the war. Hi Larry, I am familiar with the story of your father-in-law, Lt. Col. James Swain and him being shot down at Kham Duc. My husband, Ray Cyrus, a door gunner with the 176th AHC, believes he is the door gunner who rescued him. Fitzsimmons was his pilot. Ray remembers his chopper following the A1 down to the ground and that your f-i-l had a real bad foot injury and couldn't walk. Ray doesn't remember cutting him free of the parachute but remembers the foot injury clearly. I'm surprised he remembers it -- it's been 47 years! Letty Cyrus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted January 21, 2015 Share #43 Posted January 21, 2015 Hi Letty, Please thank your husband for his service. In the event Larry does not see your post , go to his post and hold your cursor over his name and a menu pops down and you can pick to send him a message. Regards, Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry G. Posted January 23, 2015 Share #44 Posted January 23, 2015 Hi Larry, I am familiar with the story of your father-in-law, Lt. Col. James Swain and him being shot down at Kham Duc. My husband, Ray Cyrus, a door gunner with the 176th AHC, believes he is the door gunner who rescued him. Fitzsimmons was his pilot. Ray remembers his chopper following the A1 down to the ground and that your f-i-l had a real bad foot injury and couldn't walk. Ray doesn't remember cutting him free of the parachute but remembers the foot injury clearly. I'm surprised he remembers it -- it's been 47 years! Letty Cyrus Hi Letty, Cannot thank your husband Ray enough for the extraction and rescue of my Dad Lt Col James N. Swain, Jr. He was able to walk me down the aisle the following May 3,1969. We had a tape from the forward ground observer that recounted his being shot down and extraction. My Dad never talked much about the Vietnam war. I do remember him talking about the great chopper guys who flew in to get him before the bad guys did! My Dad was later sent to Athens, Greece for a 5 year tour after that he retired and died in 1998 at the age of 78. He loved being a pilot. Again please thank your husband Ray for me and my 3 brothers. Jamie Swain Giovinco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capricorn47 Posted January 6, 2016 Share #45 Posted January 6, 2016 I have the official USAF history of the airlift evacuation of Kham Duc: if you father flew in on May 10th, then his aircraft was one of those which brought in 600 Americal Division troops and supporting artillery. kd1.jpg kd2.jpg kd3.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capricorn47 Posted January 6, 2016 Share #46 Posted January 6, 2016 Bob, I was the Loadmaster on Col. Boyd's aircraft that went into Kham Duc May 12, 1968. I have a few pictures from that day, one is of Maj. Bucher's plane after it crashed with black smoke rising from behind the hilltop that was chopped down to aid in takeoffs. I saw his plane take the hits and watched it go behind the hill. Sam Kerro [email protected] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy vs Spy Posted January 6, 2016 Share #47 Posted January 6, 2016 Great thread guys, thanks for sharing. Regards Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_bish Posted January 7, 2016 Share #48 Posted January 7, 2016 great thread, its an honour to have so many people who took part contributing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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