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The 1970 Raid on a War Zone D POW Camp
by Bob Bennett
The raid was a joint Ranger and Blue Tiger raid. As I recall, we were with at least two Ranger teams and one other Blue Tiger platoon. Ranger 6 had overall command of the operation, with Blue Tiger 6 in command of the Blue Tigers.
I believe that the Ranger unit was the Delta Rangers [Company D (Ranger), 75th Infantry]. I do not have any direct notes on either the exact date or which Ranger unit it was, but my photo slides are dated 2-70, meaning that the operation took place in either in January or February 1970. The Delta Rangers were OPCON to the 3/17th Air Cavalry from December 1, 1969 to February 8, 1970. They replaced Co. D (Ranger), 151st Infantry (the Ranger unit we worked with during most of 1969) which stood down on November 20, 1969. The raid date could not be later than the first week of February, because after February 8, 1970, the Delta Rangers were OPCON to the 199th Infantry Brigade. On March 18, 1970, they returned to II Field Force, Vietnam control and went to Nhon Trach11. If the raid did take place in January, 1970, Ranger 6 was MAJ Richard W. Drisko, and Blue Tiger 6 was CPT William R. Condos, Jr.
The POW camp was in the far northeast quadrant of War Zone D. See the Blue Tiger AO map to find the general area of the raid. The location came to the Rangers from Intel at BHTAC (Bien Hoa Tactical Area Command).
Because the location was known from intelligence sources, we went directly to the site. We didn't have to search around for it. It had been vacant 2-3 days when we arrived, so whoever found it first must have scared them off.
The camp was deserted when we arrived. It had maybe ten thatched structures, on stilts, with covered pits dug under each one as "cells".
A Blue Tiger trooper inspects one of the hooches.
From the Bob Bennett Collection
The main floor of the hooches was elevated off the ground. According to POW Marc Cayer's statements,the VC cadre slept on this level at night and the POW's were stored here during the day.
Since there are no doors visible on the rooms at the rear,
the rooms may have served as quarters or offices for the VC cadre.
From the Bob Bennett Collection
At night, the POW's were stored in pits under the hooch. The pits were rancid smelling. The stench told us that the prisoners (Americans) must have been kept there, since no one could live voluntarily in such filth.
(http://www.bluetigersite.com/vietnam/pow.html)
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