 Forty-eight kilometers northwest of Saigon, armored personnel carriers of the 25th Infantry Division move across the rice paddies of Haanjia Province, launching Operation Kahala on April 16th. The armored column is momentarily halted as the tropic lightning troops encounter small arms fire from the unseen enemy ahead. They fire back at spots from which it seems the enemy fire is coming. The at Kong positions have been abandoned when the men of the 25th reach them. However, each hole and tunnel is shot up before searching it. The APCs continue moving up, threading their way through a hodge podge of thickets, bamboo clumps and weeds. Finally, they emerge from the underbrush into an open field. Here, the troops set up a forward CP and take stock of captured enemy material. The day's sweep has netted nearly eight tons of rice taken from various Viet Cong storage facilities hidden in the undergrowth. Much of this rice, once a gift from the U.S. to the Vietnamese poor, wound up in the hands of the enemy. Aside from the rice, Vietnamese communist uniforms, helmet liners and web belts were taken. Tunnels in which the enemy supplies were hidden were destroyed. The uniforms are burned. Two Viet Cong were killed, but the main force escaped. Continuing the sweep the following day, the APCs cross more rice fields. It's rough going in spots and the APC ambulance gets a shaking up as it climbs over a steep dyke. There is no resistance when the men of the 25th enter this village and a house-to-house search begins. Tunnels used as shelters are investigated and found to be empty. Residents of the Hamlet are questioned regarding the whereabouts of the Viet Cong but say they know nothing. The troops are not satisfied, however, since the VC had retreated in this direction and the village is in Viet Cong territory. The intensive probe of the village goes on and it is noted that all of the young men are missing. Only women, children and old men remain. And so the search moves to the outskirts of the village. Homemade hand grenades and several weapons were abandoned by the fleeing Viet Cong. With discoveries like this, the searchers redoubled their efforts. This propaganda sign was located in a bunker hidden in the brush. It depicts Viet Cong soldiers wiping out an American armored column while confused US pilots dropped bombs on the American forces. Another sign is a VC morale booster. Shows men and women of various professions as equals under the Viet Cong flag. One prisoner was taken in the swift envelopment of the area. The Viet Cong suspect had not been armed when he was seized. He is interrogated at length by interpreters. Finally, he admits he is a Viet Cong messenger from the nearby village. They untie him so he can eat. A dinner of fish and rice pleases the prisoner and he tells of a tunnel in back of his house where five armed Viet Cong are hiding. The tunnel is a long winding affair and it yields nothing. It is decided to blow it with a grenade. The infantrymen keep watch in the area as the tunnel collapses but no Viet Cong appear. The informant will be turned over to brigade intelligence. On the third day of Operation Kahala, traffic lightning troops enter another village. The peanut farmers and their families seem unconcerned continuing with their daily chores as the mechanized units move in. The soldiers dismount and begin searching the area. While checking through the small graveyard outside the village, one trooper locates some Viet Cong uniforms hidden in the brush. Here is evidence that the Vietnamese communists use the village. The entire area will have to be thoroughly searched. In short order, new defense positions are located and examined. They are unoccupied and devoid of any supplies. More armored personnel carriers move in around the village. Underground shelters are searched and incriminating documents are located in some of the houses. Upon completion of the village search, the troops burn down these dwellings. Then they move on to the next objective. On the final sweep of the five day operation, the units moved toward another village reported to be a Viet Cong field headquarters. The APCs opened up a path through the rough spots. This time the occupants of the village are taken by surprise. Several armed VC are trapped and taken prisoner. In addition, several suspects are also rounded up and held for interrogation. The enemy captives are tied up and taken to the APCs for transport to the rear. As operation Kahala concludes, the 25th reports 27 bunkers and 40 tunnels destroyed. 54 Viet Cong were killed. Friendly casualties were light. High over Binh Duong province, these helicopters are en route from Ben Hoa to the Thay Ninh area, about 88 kilometers northwest of Saigon. Vietnamese troops are commencing Operation Green Eagle. As the assault aircraft approach the landing zone in the early morning hours of April 5th, a cloud of tear gas and white phosphorus released by the choppers creates a barrier protecting the landing zone. While the first wave of Hueys moves into landing position, gunships lay down suppressing fire. Despite these tactics, enemy ground fire is quite heavy and several of the assaulting helicopters are hit. The landing zone is a massive activity as the American aircraft touch down momentarily and the Vietnamese troops come swarming out. Incoming fire speeds the men on. Before taking off again, one helicopter crew hastily checks for damage resulting from enemy ground fire. Back at the Ben Hoa complex, the ship is completely checked and serviced, preparatory to its return to action. The aviation mechanics here provide all classes of maintenance. Even helicopters which have crashed are brought here for repair or salvage. Keeping the fighting choppers in operation is a full-time job. Out on the flight line, the choppers return from the first phase of their support mission in Operation Green Eagle. After refueling and rearming, they will commence phase two picking up the Vietnamese troops. Mortar aerial delivery, a new field expedient method for hitting the enemy with mortar bursts has been devised by the 173rd Airborne. At Ben Hoa on 5 April, a UH-1D helicopter is being loaded with 81 millimeter mortar shells. Dropped from the air, mortar shells strike Viet Cong locations that are difficult or impractical for ground mortar crews. On 14 April, General Harold K. Johnson begins a Far East tour in Korea. General Dwight E. Beach, a Tharme commander, joins him for a meeting with Korean President Chung Hee Park in the presidential residence in Seoul the following day. The generals also visit Defense Minister Sung Yoon Kim. Later, General Johnson addresses personnel of 1st Corps, commander by Lieutenant General Andrew J. Boyle. At Camp Casey, headquarters 7th Infantry Division, he confers with Brigadier General Robert B. Smith, Assistant Division Commander of the 7th. The purpose of General Johnson's tour is to observe present capabilities of the Army in the field. At headquarters of the Republic of Korea's 26th Division, General Johnson meets with its commander, and with the commander of the 6th Rock Corps, Major General Hee Duck Kim. They watch a karate demonstration given by men of the Rock Division. A karate fighter concentrates his body into the moment of impact. It takes years of training to develop this skill. Karate experts are among the world's fiercest fighters. This oriental technique of self-defense dates back to the days of Genghis Khan. On the following day, Saturday, 16 April, General Johnson talks to the men of the 2nd Infantry Division, Major General John H. Chiles commanding. The party later returns to Seoul, where General Johnson talks to members of KMAG, headed by Major General James H. Skelton. At 8th Army Support Command headquarters, commanded by Brigadier General H. G. Davison, an award is presented to a member of the 55th Aviation Company. From a hilltop nearby, General Johnson looks over Pusan Harbor. Back in August 1950, as a battalion commander in the 1st Cavalry Division, he had fought in defense of the Pusan perimeter. Toward the end of the day, General and Mrs. Johnson make their farewells at Kimpo Air Base. The next stop is Okinawa. That night, they arrive at Kadena Air Force Base and are greeted by Brigadier General James S. Billups. The next day, General and Mrs. Johnson attend Sunday services. The general pauses in his brief Okinawa tour for an awards and decoration ceremony. He then inspects a large warehouse complex before departing for Vietnam for a visit of several days. Visiting the Kushi area with Major General Jonathan O. Seaman, 2nd Field Force Commander, he is briefed by Major General Fred C. Wyatt, 25th Division Commander. General Johnson talks with the men of the Tropic Lightning Division and spends much of his time in the field with the troops. He discusses Operation Helping Hand. 25th Division units are distributing goods donated by residents of Hawaii. He is briefed at a forward tactical operation center on the five-day sweep Operation Kahala. General Johnson tells men of the 25th about the nation's pride in the Army and the Army's pride in the achievements of soldiers serving in the Republic of Vietnam. On 15 April, a truck mobility test is conducted in Thailand. This is Staff Sergeant Ray Goddard of the U.S. Army Special Photo Detachment Pacific. Today we are at the Bang Poo vehicle testing site approximately 20 miles south of Bangkok. With me today is Major Roger Boris and Captain Norrie of the Thai Army. Major Boris, would you please explain to us exactly what ARPA is and some of its functions? ARPA stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency. Its field unit located in Thailand is one of its many field units throughout the world, engaged in the process of studying remote area conflicts. Sir, could you possibly go into a little detail on what you are going to be doing here today in testing these vehicles? One of the problems that we've encountered in Thailand has been the problem of mobility. In the dry season, the standard Thai Army three-quarter ton truck located right here is a pretty good vehicle. But in the wet season, it gets stuck in the jungle trails, rice paddies, and soft-slaw areas. Today, we will be testing out in the Bang Poo soft-slaw area to show how the mobility of a standard truck can be increased by just equipping it with a different size tire rather than going to a completely new vehicle. This three-quarter ton Japanese-made truck, a standard vehicle of the Royal Thailand Army, bogs down after traversing only 40 feet of mud on standard tires. A modification of the truck's tire system is the mounting of four extra standard nine-inch tires using only 15 pounds of air pressure. Its progress is slow and it nearly stops several times. The same type of vehicle using a 20-inch-wide low-pressure TerraTire easily traverses the same tidal flats which so rapidly immobilized the vehicle with normal tires. After the mobility tests, the TerraTire rut recorded only four inches. The precise soil resistance is determined by a penetrometer and the information carefully recorded. The standard tire made a rut 15 inches deep. Next, on a planned course, one truck with TerraTires and one with dual standard tires run back and forth over their own tracks, testing traffic ability. The TerraTires experience little difficulty, but the truck with the double standard tires stops under the added weight of the mud caked on the wheels. I think the results of today's testing will clearly show the increase in mobility and soft-saw mobility that can be obtained with both the dual wheel and the TerraTire. The standard tire could not enter the test course, the dual wheel vehicle was able to make 11 passes before becoming immobilized by lack of engine power, and the TerraTire equipped three-quarter ton in the background is still moving after 16 passes. Telling Major Boris, in addition to the tests here, what other tests are planned for these vehicles? Well, after the traffic ability tests, we'll move up north into the rice paddy areas, test through the rice paddies, and continue on into the jungle, test on remote jungle trails, and that will finish up our testing on the tire concepts. At the Thailand Armed Forces Preparatory School in Bangkok, tests are given twice a month for Thai officers and enlisted men to determine their proficiency in English. I am Major Edward Conway, map training officer in the Army Advisory Group, which is a element of the military assistance command Thailand. This is an English language lab that we have introduced into Thailand and the auspices of the military assistance program to Thailand. It's only one of several language labs that we've introduced in the country. This one is located at the Armed Forces Academy's Preparatory School. At the present time, we are going to test a group of candidates for bonus training. Specifically, we're testing candidates for the next courses that will start at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in August of 1966. This test, given 20 April, is supervised by the Army Military Assistance Program's English language officer, and conducted by the Linguistic Advisor for the U.S. Army Advisory Group. 12 Royal Thai officers are tested on their comprehension of the English language. Each of these specially chosen officers passing the language qualifying test will be sent to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Others qualifying at other sessions go to a variety of U.S. Army schools. Meanwhile, at Chonburi, Thailand, on the same day, guests arrive at a training area 80 kilometers southeast of Bangkok to observe a demonstration. The Korean Embassy Military Attaché in Thailand, Colonel In-Woo Lee is greeted. Colonel James Moore, Chief Army Advisory Group, JMAG, and Colonel Stanley White, Chief Operations Division JMAG, join Colonel Lee. The Royal Thai Army 18th Korean Rotation Company, also known as Little Tiger, a name it earned during the Korean War, has undergone extensive training. The men will replace the 17th Rotation Company and be attached to the 7th Infantry Division as part of the United Nations forces in Korea. At the range area, the visitors observe the firing of the U.S. M-14 rifle. The officers follow with interest the performance of the men who will soon be serving in Korea. The group is next escorted to the M-60 machine gun range. The Thai gunners demonstrate their proficiency. After the demonstration, the Thai officers and men are addressed by Colonel Lee. All of the men of the company are volunteers. They will depart Thailand for a year in Korea on or about 15 June. In mid-April, a shipment of typhoid serum donated by CARE arrives at Santo Domingo Airport in the Dominican Republic. Destined for the National Hospital in San Cristobal, the serum is loaded aboard a U.S. Army helicopter. The airlift to the 82nd Airborne Division Camp in San Cristobal, 40 kilometers away, begins. The serum is urgently needed to fight a typhoid epidemic spreading through the San Cristobal area and was requested by the Dominican Minister of Health. At the Army base, the new 1,000-dose shipment is turned over to Dominican hospital authorities. Earlier, U.S. Army Medical Service had contributed another 1,000 doses. Immunization is required for 20,000 cases and CARE is shipping additional serum. Just outside of Santo Domingo, meanwhile, a shipment of U.S. Navy water tanks was being picked up by Army engineers who will establish pure water points for the populace of Santo Domingo. Now headed for the Army engineer's camp, these tanks will soon replace the city's old water system, which is contaminated and considered to be the chief cause of typhoid. At the engineer base, the 1,200-gallon cube tanks are prepared for use. A water fill hole is cut in the top and a drain-off pipe attached to the bottom. Still more tanks arrive at the depot to be used in the program to combat the critical water situation. 16 kilometers from downtown Santo Domingo, a tank is installed at one of two points supplying water to the Inter-American Peace Force and several civilian hospitals. 26,000 gallons of potable water are consumed daily by the IAPF. Originally, the water is taken from a river, filtered and stored until needed. It is then transported by tank truck. The storage tanks are protected by a barbed wire barricade. Water is drawn off by hoses connected to portable pumps. The water is then distributed on a 24-hour basis, providing the citizens of Santo Domingo with 200 to 300,000 gallons per day. Deliveries to the rebel section of the city are hazardous. In two cases, the water truck and the cameraman's jeep were stoned by hostile Dominicans after the water had been delivered. In many localities, the tanks of purified water have been painted with initials of political parties and anti-American slogans. Several times, the words, yonky go home have been painted on the trucks themselves, but the water is welcome. It is April 24 in the Dominican Republic, one year after the revolt that overthrew the junta of Dr. Donald Reed Cabral. Here in the international zone and along the main supply route leading into Santo Domingo, everything seems peaceful. Elsewhere in town, thousands of Dominicans demonstrate with anti-American slogans. Throughout the country, preparations are steadily being made for the June 1st elections. Approximately 150 kilometers west of Santo Domingo, a radio station to relay the election returns is being constructed. Two helicopters from the 283rd Aviation Company stationed at Camp Randall ferry building materials from this road to the top of the hill. This will be the first election and first constitutional government to be installed since Juan Bush was elected in 1962. A completely different type of radio station provides entertainment and news for the 8,000-man inter-American peace force in the Dominican Republic. Seven enlisted men have operated this AFRTS station in Santo Domingo since last August. It is the only armed forces station broadcasting news and programs in four languages, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Guarni, which is a Paraguayan Indian tongue and requires a guest announcer. The disc jockeys are as international as their audience. For news, the ticker provides the stories which are edited in the time-honored radio way. The operation is much like that of a small commercial radio station. Originally on the air 18 hours a day, the station expanded to a 24-hour operation on one April. A 25,000-album record library has been built up over the past nine months. Music reminds the lonely soldier of home. I'll go like this, it's the eighth of the year. I miss the long-awaited one. Oh, rolling, rolling. With this, it's the eighth of the year.