 Moments ago, these men jumped out of their helicopters into these rice fields. They are blocking the exit from the village up ahead. So far, no Viet Cong tax collectors have tried to come out this way. Now, these troopers of the 101st Airborne Division will move up and try to flush the VC from hiding. This operation taking place near Tui Hoa is almost a daily routine. The Viet Cong send in squads of grain collectors and tax collectors. We send in protection squads to capture, kill or drive off the VC. If it appears there is going to be shooting, our troops try to keep the women and kids out of the way. This is the payoff. If the enemy is there, he will show now. In this case, we are too late. He is gone. Some distance away, it's a different story. These captives posed as new residents of the Hamlet, but their stories made the airborne infantrymen suspicious and they are being taken in for questioning. The circumstances of each prisoner's capture are written up on his tag. This information helps the G2 officers a great deal while they are conducting their interrogation. Keeping the prisoners blindfolded prevents them from seeing the route taken on the way to the American camp. At the base, the prisoners are removed from the truck after the blindfolds are taken off. Their next destination is a holding area where they will be interrogated at length regarding their military affiliations and activities. A concertina wire enclosure in an open field near headquarters effectively prevents these suspects from getting away. In addition to the wire, there is a guard. Now comes the questioning. The captives' papers are carefully scrutinized and then each prisoner is asked a series of pertinent questions. Whether he answers the questions or not, the prisoner is fed. And he finds American food is good. It is 20 July. At Flakou, units of the 25th Infantry Division prepare for another combat mission during Operation Paul Revere in the central highlands of Vietnam. A joint operation, Paul Revere began on 10 May under the command of Brigadier General Glenn D. Walker of the 25th Division and involved troops of the Republic of Korea Tiger Division as well as the U.S. 25th Division. Now, after inflicting heavy casualties on the regular North Vietnamese forces at Flamie to the southwest, the men of the 25th prepare to fly north and secure a new LZ in Viet Cong-controlled country. Finally, all is in readiness and the task force takes off from Flakou for the 96-kilometer flight to their objective in the highlands. As the helicopters fly over Can Thuong province, the countryside below seems deserted. Here and there, the jungle parts to reveal grassy meadows and low growth, but there is no sign of life. Once, they pass over some old bunkers built by American forces during an earlier search-and-destroy operation. The emplacements on the dirt road now abandoned as the war moves on. Then, they are at the objective, another of the grassy islands in the midst of jungle-covered mountain sides. There is no enemy fire and security troops begin scouring the area. In a short while, the first howitzer is brought in by Chinook helicopter and placed where the crew can get at it. Unloading of ammunition and other supplies is quickly accomplished. Another tube artillery piece arrives. Soon, troops of the task force will sweep the surrounding area and a 90-millimeter mortar is used to hit vantage points overlooking the valley corridor. The landing zone is now secure, and the buildup of weapons and supplies is rapid as this phase of Operation Paul Revere proceeds on schedule. These North Vietnamese prisoners of war were captured by troops of the U.S. First Air Cavalry Division during Operation Paul Revere II, which commenced on 1 August when the First Air Cav was added to Operation Paul Revere. Now, on 17 August at Phla Koo, Premier Ki and other dignitaries of the South Vietnamese government visit the joint U.S. and Korean forces engaged in the operation. A great variety of captured enemy weapons is displayed on this occasion. Premier Ki speaks to one of the enemy prisoners. Then, in the ceremonies which follow, Major General John Norton, commanding general of the First Air Cav, and Brigadier General Glenn D. Walker, commanding general Third Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, receive Vietnamese National Awards. There are awards too for many of the participants in the joint operation, including men from each of the military units, both American and Korean. Continuing the operation on 19 August, troopers of the First Air Cav secure another landing zone, codename CAT, and are surprised when a group of North Vietnamese surrender with their weapons. The prisoners are reported to have surrendered because of our psychological warfare leaflets. Soon after the landing zone has been secured, the troops are resupplied by aerial drop from a C-130. Elsewhere on 19 August, a peculiar accident plagues another unit of Paul Revere troops. Several kilometers north of LZ CAT, at a forward artillery position, Major General Norton hears that the rotors of a Chinook helicopter blew flames from a campfire onto a stockpile of 105 mm howitzer ammunition. Some of the rounds exploded, while others were scattered over a wide area. Three men were injured in the blast and considerable damage done. The problem now is the partially damaged ammunition. The dangerous items of munitions must be removed. One of the battery officers carefully picks up a damaged round and hands it to one of the men. The soldier cradles the round in his arms for greater stability, then, in a hair-raising trip, picks his way across bumpy terrain for several hundred meters until he reaches the site selected for demolition of the faulty rounds. At the dumping grounds, he is relieved of his burden by a lieutenant who has prepared a place for the shell. Throughout the area, men continue to pick up and transport the dangerous rounds to the disposal pit, a nerve-wracking experience even for the calmest of men. Mission accomplished in this unexpected incident during Operation Paul Revere II. Eighty kilometers east of Saigon, members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade search the village of Zahuan Loc for suspected Viet Cong guerrillas. Part of Operation Toledo, the search is taking place on 31 August. Residents of the village, which is just outside the 173rd's forward command post at Zajah Ray, are individually checked. This man is being held as a suspected member of the Viet Cong paramilitary. Two weapons were found hidden in his home. Completing their search without further incident, the airborne troopers pull out and return to the armored personnel carriers which have been providing security on the perimeter of the village. As in every operation, medical aid is provided for the population of the village. The med cap and dent cap programs conducted by American military forces in Vietnam are in sharp contrast to the Viet Cong terrorist tactics which are designed to deprive villagers of whatever little they may have. Aside from gifts of food, there is nothing which is more appreciated by these people than medical assistance. The children are always brought forward first while the adults patiently await their turn for treatment. Meanwhile, at the 173rd's forward command post at Zajah Ray, helleborn assault troops fly in for regrouping and a night's rest before being sent on a new mission during Operation Toledo. The operation which began on 10 August has taken troops of the 173rd into the provinces of Phuoc Tui, Long Khan and Bin Tui. In the first 20 days of the operation, search and destroy missions have been carried out from the area around Vung Tau to within a few kilometers of Saigon, but little contact has been made with the enemy. Now on the 1st of September, the Sky Troopers are once again being prepared for action. The men from the first wave move off the landing zone. With the landing zone clear, the second wave of airborne infantry begins arriving. This phase of Operation Toledo is to be carried out in battalion strength and the incoming air traffic has to be controlled with precision to avoid accidents on or above the landing zone. As each helicopter touches down, the soldier passengers immediately scramble off so the chopper can take off and make room for more oncoming aircraft. Then, all up and down the airstrip, the men move off the landing zone and go to join the troops along the perimeter. At the staging area alongside the field, men of the various units are regrouped and form up for the brief march to Bivouac area where the battalion will spend the night. Soon, the airborne assault troops are headed for a good night's rest. Tomorrow, they will descend upon another sector of the 2nd Corps area as Operation Toledo continues. On August 19, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge arrives by helicopter at the village of Hoa Loi that is about 64 kilometers west of Saigon. This village, a DC stopping point, was sealed off the day before in a joint operation by elements of the 1st Infantry Division and the Vietnamese Army. As explained to Ambassador Lodge, the village is now undergoing a pacification program. The program starts with sealing off by airborne troops and then all males from 18 to 45 are separated for questioning by the Vietnamese National Police. At the same time, the other villagers are taken to a secure area where a hamlet festival has been organized by the American troops. Lieutenant Colonel James Wallace of the 1st Infantry Division, who is in command of the operation, briefs the ambassador. Our part in this operation was to provide the coordinates around the city yesterday afternoon in order to prevent any DC suspect from escaping from the city and also to provide security for the conduct of the hamlet festival today. Among those attending the briefing with Ambassador Lodge are General Seaman commanding General Second Field Forces and General Thuong of the Army of Vietnam. At the time, my ant-only infantry battalion attached to it was a troop of the 1st Battalion of the 4th Capitol. The hamlet festivals, known as Lum Son, play a dual role in the pacification program. First, they keep the villagers in a separate area while the rest of the villagers being searched for enemy troops and supplies. Second, they create an atmosphere of mutual trust and goodwill by providing food, medical aid, and entertainment. I take that one of the square, put it in my hand, I set, I got two little round balls. Right? You're gonna go like this again, I got one little round ball to one square. Right? You take that and go holy smokers. And you got one little square again. After the briefing, the ambassador personally examines the Lum Son in action. Mess tents prepare food for both the occupying troops and the villagers. Following his visit to Hoa Loi, Ambassador Lodge flies on to another hamlet where pacification was completed in June. Bung Rowe Bay, secured by the 101st Airborne during Operation John Paul Jones in late July, is the scene of an effort to develop this natural harbor into an important supply point for units in the Tui Hoa area. While the 101st secures the area from vantage points above the bay, a task force composed of several engineer units works as quickly as possible to complete harbor facilities which will help relieve demands on Camron Bay and Natrong to the south. The 39th Engineer Battalion has the responsibility for building the ramp for the main pier and two LST ramps at the shoreline as well as the staging area on the beach. Because the hot, humid climate affects the setting of concrete, the ramps are poured and smooth in the late afternoon and evening. The pier itself is being built by a port construction company. It is a tide-flexible pier made of cubical pontoon sections. On another part of the beach, men of the diving section connect units of a flexible pipeline which will enable oil tankers to unload without docking at the pier. From a barge in the bay, the completed pipeline is pulled out by winch to where it will be sunk and secured on the bay floor. A marker buoy keeps the head of the oil pipe afloat. Next step is the setting of the mooring buoy, to which the tankers can be secured while unloading. A huge anchor, which in turn is attached to a concrete block weighing several tons, is positioned and lowered into the water. Then everyone stands clear as the ropes holding the heavy chain are cut. When the system is operational, petroleum will pass from the ship to the beach by pipeline, up along a railroad cut and through the mountains by way of Babano Railroad Tunnel, eventually reaching the Tuihua Tank Farm. Highway 1 lies only a few kilometers inland from the bay, but construction of a road to meet it is perhaps the most challenging task for the engineers. Often, charges are set to blast away outcroppings barring the way. Then, the bulldozers get back to work, carving a steep path out of the rugged escarpment. Progress is rapid, and the route begins to take shape, promising to open Bung Ro Bay as an important new supply point in Vietnam. On the Long Tau River, 40 kilometers southeast of Saigon, salvage operations get underway for the American cargo freighter Baton Rouge Victory, which ran aground and sank to its main decks after striking a BC mine on 24 August. The twisting Long Tau River is the favored shipping route to the port of Saigon, and on a number of occasions this year, Viet Congorellas have attacked passing cargo vessels in an attempt to block the vital supply channel. The Vietnamese officials ordered the area closed to shipping until salvage crews complete raising and removal of the 8,500-ton freighter to Vung Tau for repair. The rehabilitation center for crippled children in Santa Domingo operates with funds contributed in part by soldiers of the Inter-American Peace Force. The only center of its kind in the country, the clinic currently treats over 2,200 cases. At present, the center consists of one crowded room containing examination booths, offices, and a gym for special therapy. A small overworked staff, headed by Dr. Alfredo Contreras, treats the young patients, most of whom are victims of polio, cerebral palsy, or deformities of the legs. In the brace shop, Mr. Olaf Hansen of Denmark, a United Nations employee, is teaching seven Dominicans, who are themselves physically handicapped, designed in construction of braces, shoes, and other appliances. Fully 60% of the center's new cases are leg deformities. This is due to poor nutrition and or the lack of prenatal care. Until recent times, the physically handicapped Dominican child was considered a loss and was given no education. To counteract this, the center is beginning a school to be run by a government-paid teacher. Brigadier General Robert R. Linville, commanding General U.S. Forces Dominican Republic, arrives at Santa Domingo's Quisquea Stadium to attend the baseball tournament playoffs of six U.S. Forces-sponsored teams of Dominican youths during the weekend of August 26, 28. The Junior League tournament gets underway with U.S. Forces and Dominican National Police officers in attendance, along with a goodly turnout of team supporters. General Linville shares the spotlight with Police Chief General Alvarez in throwing out the traditional first ball. The teams, for Dominican boys 18 to 20 years old, are supported and coached by various U.S. Army units. Essential equipment and some uniforms have been supplied by these units. The teams playing in the seven-game tourney come from villages and suburbs of Santa Domingo. U.S. Major League professional rules are in effect in all games. Following the Sunday afternoon championship game, trophies supplied by the U.S. Army are presented to the winning Royal Hondo team by Colonel Daryl G. Wood, commanding officer of the 16th General Support Group and Colonel F. P. Field, Chief of Staff. The most valuable player award goes to Miguel Montanue, first baseman for the championship team. Looks like a good time was had by all. The School of the Americas, located at Fort Gulick in the Canal Zone, boasts one of the most unique mess halls in the Army. More than 200 Latin American students, hailing from 18 different nations, study technical skills and leadership techniques at the school. And, though the normal diet of a Bolivian from the Andes and a Venezuelan from the coastal jungles is far different, they all find familiar and tasty food awaiting them at chow time. The man responsible for this feat of catering is mess steward Sergeant Ramon Santana. Although the mess is taken from the Army master menu, Sergeant Santana, with 18 years of experience behind him, manages to add a Latin American flavor to a variety of his dishes. Operating with a staff of four cooks and 10 KPs, Sergeant Santana often finds himself preparing veal cutlets in a vinegar and onion sauce, or substituting rice for potatoes. Salads and tropical foods are served as much as possible. Preparing meals for such a mixed group of nationals is a difficult assignment, but the Sergeant and his staff are more than equal to the task. His mess has won the Fort Gulick Command Award for four months running. In July, a Brazilian Air Force plane arrives in Rio de Janeiro with officers who are members of the Inter-American Peace Force, stationed in the Dominican Republic. These officers will spend their leave in Brazil, while Brazilian officers may fly on U.S. Air Force planes to visit Puerto Rico. Leaving the airport, the party has a short drive through a city that is almost 500 years old. Although theirs is not an official visit, they will make some courtesy calls before going on with their sightseeing trip. They meet General de Alameda, staff president of the Inter-American Peace Force. In another office, Lieutenant General Vonderle, Brazilian Chief of Staff, welcomes Army Lieutenant Fred Fascist Jr. and Captain Mike Maloney to Rio, and congratulates them on being able to take part in the exchange program. During their stay, the Allied officers also visit the city of São Paulo. In this industrial center, the party tours several modern factories. This automobile production and assembly line is one of the newest and most efficient in the world. Nestle's products and the Sandbrough Company are some more examples of a nation rapidly expanding its production facilities. Two of the pleasures of a stay in Rio are a late breakfast, followed by a swim at the famous Copacabana Beach. Even though in July it is winter in Brazil, Captain Maloney and Lieutenant Fascist are willing to brave the elements. Quite possibly, the water seems warmer when shared with their charming companions, two young ladies who are also vacationing in Rio. Their leave is soon over, and the officers must return to their duties in the Dominican Republic. Similar exchange trips took place once a month from April to September 1966. During this period, more than 40 officers of the Inter-American Peace Force participated in the program.