We would not have had cause and means to create this book were it not for Reginald Brockwell, who alone kept this story alive over the decades since 1969. Reg also reviewed our final draft, offering numerous suggestions and correcting a number of errors.
We are also indebted to each of the men and women quoted in this work, with whom we have spoken, or who wrote to us, or who shared written accounts of their recollections. In this respect, we are particularly indebted to Major Al Dykes, USAF (Ret.), who saved and shared hours of tape recordings of radio traffic over and around Firebase Kate. These became the basis for the Appendix in this book, and were also useful in helping us to create a timeline for the narrative.
Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Pries, USA Special Forces (Ret.), spent countless hours transcribing the taped conversations between myself and the Spooky/Shadow gunships.
Steve Sherman was enormously helpful in my first effort to put memories and fact on paper, aside from maintaining, at his own expense and energy, the world’s finest and most complete unofficial archive of Special Forces personnel and activities in Vietnam.
Rita Cann of the National Personnel Records Center provided numerous unit morning reports and many other useful records.
Pat Rolfe transcribed dozens of recordings, creating text from digital files both rapidly and accurately as she learned to love the language of war.
Nelson and Maryellen Koon welcomed Wolf into their home, gave him a wonderful meal, and provided a comfortable bed for an overnight stay.
Likewise, Rocco and Diana DeNote offered Wolf the hospitality of their home, as well as sharing several hard-to-find documents relating to events on Firebase Kate.
Ben and Janet Gay welcomed Wolf into their home, fed him, and later helped guide him back to more-populated parts of Virginia.
Al and Pat Dykes hosted Wolf’s stay in their off-the-beaten-path hometown.
Mike and Elizabeth Smith welcomed Wolf with a fabulous meal and warm hospitality.
A special thanks to Dean Fait of the Art Place in Rock Island, Illinois, who created computer-readable disks containing volumes of research and interview transcriptions. Dean enormously facilitated the distribution of research material, which greatly accelerated the flow of information to shorten the time required to complete the project.
While this book was still in its conceptual stage, our literary agent, Doug Grad, shared his industry-tested guidance about its nature, voice, scope, and authorship. He was also relentless in finding the right home for it, and fearlessly negotiated our contract with New American Library.
Our editor at New American Library, Brent Howard, offered sage counsel and marketing savvy, as well as innumerable other helpful acts as he turned a manuscript into a book.
We are indebted as well to the women in our lives: Mary Albracht offered encouragement, proofreading, and support and comfort while her husband relived the perilous events experienced on and around Kate, and the space to participate fully in the project. Tomi Wolf provided her father the vital support that freed him to work on this project, and encouragement when the complexities of completing a book seemed overwhelming. Sage advice and emotional encouragement were provided in unlimited doses by the Munchkin Queen.
While this book is therefore the product of the efforts of many people, we alone are responsible for any errors, mistakes, or misstatements.
Captain William Albracht, USAR (Ret.),
Moline, Illinois
Captain Marvin J. Wolf, USAR (Ret.),
Los Angeles, California
Index
The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.
A-1 Skyraider, 164
Abbott, CW2 James L., 204, 205, 276
Abrams, General Creighton, 192, 220
AC-47 Spooky gunship, xiii, 96, 163–70, 226, 232, 233, 237–38, 249, 254
transcript of recordings, 297–343
AC-119G Shadow, 120, 158, 166–68, 202, 224, 226, 232, 249, 254
AC-130H Spectre gunship, 207
Adam, Captain Klaus, 37–42, 74, 79, 156, 267–68, 282
Adam, Ursula Viera-Vazquez, 38–39
Aerial reconnaissance, 16–18
Afghanistan, 34
Agent Orange, 291
AH-1 Cobra, 103
A1H Skyraiders, 223–24, 227, 231
Ahearn, WO John, 174, 176–79, 249, 268–69
Alamo, the, 219
Albracht, Bob, 15, 46–48, 51, 57, 59–60, 62–63
Albracht, Captain William, xii–xiv, 273
basic training and, 51–53
birth of, 45
brother Bob and, 47–48
at Bu Prang, 62–63
Bu Prang attack and, 253–54
childhood of, 46
commissioned second lieutenant, 57
education of, 46–47, 59
enlistment of, 49
escape and evasion from Kate and, 231–40, 243–48
family of, 294
joins Mike Force, 263–64, 292
on Kate, 81, 85–92, 95–97, 99–105, 107–12, 119, 120, 135, 136, 138, 141–42, 144, 146–50, 155–58, 161, 167–70, 173–82, 185–96, 209–15, 219, 222–27, 229, 250–51
medals awarded to, 254, 256, 293, 295–96
media interview of, 254–55
at Officer Candidate School, 54–58
parachute training and, 57–58
Albracht, Captain William, (cont.)
parents of, 46, 56
planning escape from Kate, 214–15, 220, 223–27, 229–30
with Secret Service, 293–94
solo reconnaissance by, 243–44
training Royal Thai Army and, 15, 60
transcript of recordings by, 297–43
weapons carried by, 85–86, 147
Albracht, Don, 46
Albracht, Germaine, 46
Albracht, Leander, 46, 56
Albracht, Mary Beth, 46
Albracht, Nancy, 46
Alvarez, SP4 Rafael, Jr., 276
Ambush Hill, 30, 86, 87, 95–96, 100–2, 136, 214, 224, 230–33, 235–38
AN/GRC-46 radios, 65–66
An Khe, 50, 124
An Lac, 29, 112, 269
AN/PRC 25 radios, 96
Anderson, Colonel, 31, 36
Antiwar protests, 3
Arbizo, Staff Sergeant Santiago, 29, 69, 79, 89
Arc Light Mission Golf 476, 177, 178
Army of the Republic of [South] Vietnam (ARVN), 2–6, 14, 80, 123–26
First Airborne Division, 19, 126
23rd Infantry Division, xiii, 19, 20, 126, 158, 190–92, 200
Special Forces, 28
Artillery, history of, 23–25
Artillery forward observers (FOs), 62
“Artilleryman’s Vision, The” (Whitman), 84
ARVN (see Army of the Republic of [South] Vietnam)
Australian Special Air Service, 14
Ayres, B. Drummond, Jr., 259
B-52 bomber, 175, 177, 178, 237
B-40 rocket, 117
Bahnar people, 15
Balaklava, 22
Ballistics, discipline of, 25, 68
Baltzly, Ed, 55, 58, 60
Ban Don (Trang Phuoc), 28, 29, 69, 79
Báo Dai, 12, 124
Barham, Captain Lucian “Luke,” 29–30, 41, 69–70, 78, 80, 86, 89, 90, 120, 269–70
Barnes, SP4 Francis “Butch,” 156, 270
Barthman, SP4 Peter, 275
Battle for LZ Kate, The (Brockwell), 273–74
Battlefield communications, 24
Beckwith, Colonel Charles, 124
Beehive rounds, 119, 143, 157
Beers, Ethelinda, 208
Ben Het, 26, 29, 116–17, 261
Berlin blockade, 163
Binh Dinh province, 16
Binh Thuan province, 16
&nb
sp; Black, Carol Marks, 134, 135, 270–72
Black, CWO Nolan, 133–35, 142–44, 146–50, 249, 270–72
Black, Laura Kristina, 134, 135, 271–72
Blake, SP4 Robert E., 276
Bledshaw, SP4 Johnny D., 276
Bomb damage assessments, 109, 179, 267
Bore sighting, 113
Bowers, Colonel Francis, 34, 191–92, 210
Bowie, Jim, 219
Brockwell, First Lieutenant Reginald, 32, 34–37, 153–54, 188–89, 191, 192, 272–74, 289–90, 294
Brydon, Major William J. “Bill,” 196, 214, 233, 274
Bu Prang Special Forces Camp, xi, 9, 15–16, 19, 20, 28, 32–37, 62–63, 79, 81, 89–91, 96, 101, 112, 114, 125, 126, 143, 145, 146, 158, 173, 176, 178, 189–91, 196, 201, 202, 233, 248–49, 253, 259, 261, 285, 286
Bu Prang town, 10, 12, 18
Buddha’s Child (Wolf), 3n
Bundros, SP5 Gregory, 276
Buon Ma Thuot (BMT), 10, 18–20, 34, 62, 80, 115, 125, 126, 145, 158, 174, 178, 201, 220
C rations, 68, 69
C-4 explosives, 89
C-47 “Gooney Bird,” 162–64
C-119 Flying Boxcars, 163–64
Ca Mau Peninsula, 177, 178
Caldwell, Sergeant Mike, 187, 193, 275
Cam Ranh Bay, 108, 284
Cambodia, xi, xii, 2, 9, 10, 14, 17–19, 36, 68, 79, 86, 89, 90, 101, 178, 188–89, 200
Camp La Rolland, Cambodia, 188–89
Canada, Sergeant Clyde, 143, 150, 249
Cannon, development of, 24
Cardigan, Earl of, 22
Central Highlands, 1, 10, 12, 62, 66, 132, 200
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 12, 13, 18, 60
CH-47 Chinook, 26, 113–14, 186
CH-54 Sikorsky Flying Crane, 26
Cham people, 10, 12, 14
Childers, Captain Charles, 196
Childs, Rudy, 99, 110
Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG), xii, 12–14, 20, 28, 35, 70, 71, 78
Claymore mines, 88–89, 144
Close, SP4 Edward J., 276
Cobra gunship, 103, 110, 186
Cole, CW2 James C., 201, 205, 275
“College Colonel, The” (Melville), 228
Collins, CW2 Robert, 275
Collins, Lieutenant Colonel, 192
Colt Automatic Rifle (CAR-15), 85, 147
CONEX containers, 31–32, 99
Conscientious objectors, 48
Coonce, WO1 John “Jack,” 135, 136, 276
Corcoran, Lieutenant General Charles A., 16, 220–22, 255–56, 260
Cosmos, WO1 Charles “Pete,” 204, 276
Craig, SP4 Jesse, 276
Crane, Lex, 55, 58, 60
Crites, Lieutenant, 169
Crockett, Davy, 219
Dak Lak Province, 10, 174, 268
Dak To, 19
Davison, WO John “Les,” 135–37, 186, 201, 203–5, 240, 249, 275–76
DC-3, 162
De Sio, WO1 David J., 276
Degar Highlands Liberation Front, 13
Degar tribes, 10, 12, 15
Delaune, Lieutenant Colonel Elton J., 34, 154, 155, 174, 210, 288–90
Demilitarized Zone, 15
DeNote, Staff Sergeant Rocco, 81, 186, 189–90, 192, 220, 222, 277, 298, 299
Diem, Ngo Dinh, 12, 13
Dien Bien Phu, xii, 37, 86
Donovan, CW2 Kenneth, 199–202, 204, 206–7, 249, 259–60, 275, 277–78
Draft, US, 3, 27, 47, 48, 134, 135
Draft dodgers, Vietnamese, 5
Drang River Valley, 18
Duc Lap Special Forces Camp, 9, 18–20, 32–34, 35, 36, 69, 112, 133, 136, 154, 191, 200, 201, 259
Dykes, Captain Al, 162–70, 173, 207, 230, 237, 249, 278, 297, 298
EC-47s, 16–17, 163, 207
Eisenhower, General Dwight D., 162–63
ELINT (electronic intelligence), 16
Enuol, Y Bham, 14
F-4 Phantom, xiii, 108, 109
F-100 Super Sabre, xiii, 108, 109, 142, 174
FADAC (Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer), 66, 225
Falcon gunship, 135–38, 176, 186, 203, 206
Farlow, SP4 Richard, 276
FDC (see Fire direction center)
Fenlon, WO1 Dennis, 206, 275
Field guns, development of, 24
Fire direction center (FDC), 32, 34, 77–78, 100, 118, 155–57, 188
Fire direction specialists, 25
Firebase Annie, 31, 32, 36, 65, 67, 156, 174, 268
Firebase concept, 34
Firebase Dorrie, 36, 282
Firebase Helen, 36, 191
Firebase Kate
air support for, 96, 100, 103, 107–8, 111–12, 141, 142–50, 158, 161, 166–70, 176–80, 188–89, 195, 223–24, 249
ammunition shortage on, xiii, 144, 146, 150, 186–87, 195, 213, 257
ARVN and, xiii, 190–92
attack on, 95–105, 107–20, 123, 137, 141–44, 146–50, 155–58, 167–70, 174–82, 186–96, 209, 211, 212, 250
bomb damage assessment of, 267
building, xi–xii, 29–32
communications on, 65–66, 166–67, 225
cross-border strike and, 189
escape from, xiii–xiv, 231–40, 243–48
food on, 68–69
geography of, 30, 86, 87, 89
operational chain of command on, 34–35
perimeter breached, 175–76
perimeter defenses of, 87–89
planning escape from, 214–15, 220, 223–27, 229–30
recon expeditions from, 69–71
recreation on, 71, 89, 90
registering of guns on, 67–68
reinforcements for, 112, 116, 120, 141
replaced howitzer, 114, 119
rescue plan for, 192–94, 196, 211–13
sanitation and hygiene on, 70, 72, 90
size of, 65
supplying, xii–xiii, 80–81, 144, 146, 150, 186–87, 202–3, 206–7, 275–76
troop rotation on, 81
underground FDC built on, 77–78
water on, 185–87, 213
weapons on, xii, 26, 31, 34, 67–68, 86, 188
weather and, 66, 71–72
wounded on, 98–100, 102, 104, 105, 109–10, 135–38, 147–49, 179, 187, 194, 195
Firebase Martha, 36, 191
Firebase Mike Smith, 284, 288, 290
Firebase Susan, 31, 32, 36, 65, 67, 68, 156, 174, 268
Firebase Swinger, 29
Flight school, 130–31
Forward air controllers (FACs), 62, 143, 147, 150
Foster, First Lieutenant Walter, 276
Franco-Prussian War of 1870, 23
French, in Vietnam, xii, 12, 37, 86
Friendly fire, 4, 176
Frye, Mary Elizabeth, 140
Galloway, Joseph L., xi–xiv
Gay, CWO Harold Benjamin, 115, 130–33, 135, 142–44, 146–50, 249, 279
Geneva Accords of 1954, 12, 135
Geromin, SP4 Warren, 72–73, 78, 112–13, 115, 148–49, 194, 233, 247, 248, 279
Ghost soldiers, 5
Gia Nghia, 104, 107, 112, 126, 146, 174
Giáp, General Vo Nguyên
Gillikin, SP4 Larry, 275
Gooch, Sergeant First Class Jimmy, 76, 284
Graft, in ARVN, 4, 5
Gulf of Tonkin, 15
“Gunga Din” (Kipling), 184
Gunpowder, invention of, 23
Guthrie, Wilbur, 144–47, 149, 150
H-34 helicopter, 129
Hall, Colonel Charles, 35–37
Hare, Phil, 295
Harrell, WO2 Denny, 136–38
HC-47, 163
Healey, Colonel “Iron Mike,” 254, 257
Hearne, WO2 Maury, 143, 148–50, 249
Helmich, Major Gerald R., 224, 227, 279–80
Henry V (Shakespeare), 266
“High Flight” (Magee), 198
Hill 875/Dak To, Battle of, xii
Hitch, First Lieutenant James A., 206
Hmong people, 15
Ho Chi Minh Trail, 17, 19, 163, 188
Hon Tre Island, 62
Honest John rockets, 74–75
Hopkins, Kenn, 25, 30, 31, 71, 73, 91, 97–98, 108, 113–19, 141, 142, 154–55, 157, 192–94, 211, 248, 280–81, 284
Houghtaling, Sergeant, 28, 113, 168–69, 173, 177
Houston, Sam, 219
Howitzers, 24, 31, 34, 67–68, 73, 76–77, 86, 97–98, 101, 107, 113–14, 119, 225
Hue, 20
Huey gunship (see UH-1 gunship)
Ia Drang, Battle of, 18–19
Ia Drang Valley, xii
Indian Wars, 34
Indirect fire, concept of, 24
Ingram, WO1 Larry D., 276
Jarai people, 15
Jesuits, 11
Johnson, Lyndon B., 3, 14
Johnson, Marlin, 174, 269
Johnson, Peewee, 225
Johnson, SP4 Bob, 32, 66–67, 69, 77–78, 99, 118, 155–56, 214, 220, 224, 236–37, 239, 247, 281
Kadel, SP4 David E., 275
Kampuchean people, 14
Kate (see Firebase Kate)
Kennedy, John F., 292
Kerr, Lieutenant John, 25, 65, 67, 68, 77, 78, 80, 87, 91, 99, 108–11, 119, 120, 141, 146, 147, 155–57, 173, 177, 248, 282–83, 290
Kerry, John, 189
Khe Sanh, siege of, xii
Khmer Krom people, 15
Khmer people, 10, 12
Khmer Republic, 270
Kinh people, 10–12
Kinnard, Major General Harry, 124–25
Kipling, Rudyard, 64, 128, 160, 184, 242
Klein, First Lieutenant Tom, 154, 289
Kontum province, 16, 20
Koon, SP4 Nelson, 73–75, 77–79, 96, 98, 113, 115, 118, 120, 137, 138, 154, 155, 157–58, 187, 192, 194, 210–11, 225, 226, 230, 235, 237, 246–48, 283–85
Korean War, xiv, 31, 33, 222
Ky, General Nguyen Cao, 3, 5, 14
Lam Dong province, 16
Laos, 2, 10, 14, 17, 18, 101
Larson, Lieutenant General Stanley “Swede,” 125
Lartéguy, Jean (Jean Pierre Lucien Osty), vii
Lattin, Major George, 107, 109, 111, 188, 249, 273, 285–86
Law of the Jungle, The (Kipling), 64
Leaves of Grass (Whitman), 84
Lillie, Gordon W., 222
Long Binh, 61
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 106
“Lost Legion, The” (Kipling), 242
Lott, SP5 Douglas Hugh, Jr., 143, 150, 249
Abandoned in Hell _The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate Page 33