During September, October, and November of 1967 local Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army (VC/NVA) infiltrations significantly increased. On a regular basis, Detachment A-502 (DET A-502) ambushes were making more and more contact with the VC and the 18B NVA regiment. Most of the enemy contacts and infiltrations were from the west along the Song Cai River that flowed from the high western mountains eastward, to the city of Nha Trang. The city of Nha Trang was B1 Front of the Communist Military Region 5. Det A-502 casualties were significant. SFC Noe, Det A-502 Medic, was killed in action on the night of Nov. 1, 1067 in a local ambush. SFC Reynolds, Det A-502 Weapons Sergeant, was seriously wounded Nov. 3, 1967, in an early morning village battle. A bullet ripped through the entire length of his left arm seriously handicapping him, resulting in a Medical Discharge. Intelligence collected by SSG Berry, Det A-502 Intelligence Sergeant, reported that the enemy (NVA/VC) was conducting pre-attack reconnaissance, and in fact were building ladders for assaulting buildings and to carry away their wounded. We learned that the enemy plan was to attack on New Years Eve triggered by loud explosions. Accordingly, all the forces at Camp Trung were at full strength and on alert. On the night of Dec 31, 1967 several U.S. Special Force advisors, a Company of CIDG, and myself left the Camp Trung Dung and went East halfway between the city of Dien Khanh and the city Nha Trang. Our plan was to set off loud explosives at midnight and then wait to ambush the enemy who responded. At 12 o'clock midnight the loud explosive bang echoed throughout the Song Cai River Valley but no enemy came out. Lying in the rice paddies, we waited and waited until at dawn, and then we gave up and returned to Camp Trung Dung.

    We had it right, but we misinterpreted the attack date. The forthcoming attack was not to occur on the "Western New Year Eve" of Dec 31, but was to be on the "Lunar New Year" of Jan 30-31, 1968 "TET 68".

    Beginning on January 30, 1968 a nationwide one week cease-fire had been negotiated in Vietnam for the Lunar New Year Holiday, a tribute to the dead "TET". Around midnight, when the cease-fire was to take affect, the air around the city of Nha Trang was filled with sustained gunfire and explosions. Enemy forces from the 7th and 8th Battalions of the 18B Regiment were inside the city overrunning the Khanh Hoa Province Headquarters, the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Sector Headquarters, and were attempting to free captives held in a POW facility. They rode in the city in lambrettes and bicycles, some in dressed in civilian clothes and they were everywhere! We did not know it then, but the massive NVA/VC surprise attacks in 28 targeted cities throughout Vietnam would mark the beginning of the Communist 1968 TET Offensive.

    In the early morning hours of January 30-31, 1968, the first day of the Lunar New Year "TET", a small ambush from Det A-502 was located half way between Camp Trung Dung in Dien Khanh and the city of Nha Trang. Our ambush had made and was in contact with a large enemy force occupying a village. The resulting firefight continued on and off till daylight. This enemy multi-company unit was deployed on both sides of the main road leading to Nha Trang. The NVA mission was to block reinforcements from entering Nha Trang. With only 2 U.S. Special Forces Sergeants, one VN Special Forces sergeant, and about 20 CIDG, there was not much more for the ambush to do except to hold their position and stay in contact with the enemy and to wait for reinforcements. Back at Camp Trung Dung, I assembled what troops that were available and prepared them to reinforce the ambush at first light. In that TET was to be a one-week cease-fire, we had only one Company of CIDG in camp, some in the local area, but many of the CIDG were on leave for the holidays. Never the less, we loaded those troops that we could muster and myself, along with a newly assigned American Special Forces Lieutenant, into a truck and drove to the ambush location to reinforce them and to evaluate what was happening. Along the way we were ambushed from both sides of the road with bullets hitting the truck and smashing the windshield. As the truck skidded to a stop, the Lieutenant and I frantically bailed out of the cab as the CIDG jumped out of the back of the truck and into a nearby trench. A short distance away in the middle of the flat open rice paddies I could see our friendly forces pinned down and taking cover in a small cemetery. The enemy forces were inside a village about 100 meters in front of the cemetery. The cemetery was about 50 foot square and was surrounded by a three-foot high cement wall. I decided we should run there and consolidate our reinforcements with the other CIDG inside the cemetery. Unfortunately, the Lieutenant had broken his arm / shoulder when we jumped out of the truck. The driver, and the Lieutenant, and several wounded CIDG would have to drive back to Camp Trung Dung. (The Lieutenant went to the hospital but never returned to Det A-502). The 3-foot cement wall around the cemetery would save our lives the rest of what would be a very long day.