South Viet Nam: Making Contact

Nothing so underscores the elusiveness of the enemy in South Viet Nam as the frequent battle communique: "Initial contact was light." In order to engage the Viet Cong, Americans and South Vietnamese have stepped up their "search and clear" thrusts into Communist-held territory, using flame throwers, gas and explosives to flush the Viet Cong from their tunnels, leveling whole forest areas to chop snipers from the trees. Turning the tables, crack Marine sharpshooters are now carrying hunting rifles equipped with telescopic sights able to zero in on guerrillas from afar. B-52s have begun making tandem runs over Viet Cong tunnel areas, first with deep-penetration bombs that bore into the earth, then with a second wave of conventional bombs that destroy the surfaced enemy. Whenever and however he can be found, the Viet Cong is suffering increasing casualties. Last week nearly 1,500 were killed in several actions, at the expense of light to moderate casualties for the allies.

No Elbow Room. The U.S. unit that found the going toughest was the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division, newly arrived from Hawaii. Assigned to the Cu Chi plain 20 miles northwest of Saigon, the brigade found itself encamped atop a veritable anthill of Viet Cong tunnels, in choking grey dust sometimes two feet deep. Enemy snipers and 60-and 81-mm. mortar crews penned the 4,000 men of the 2nd inside a perimeter only a mile long and 4,000 ft. wide—normally base-camp elbow room for only an 800-man battalion. Passage in and out was safe only by helicopter or 100-vehicle heavy convoy. The Viet Cong had peppered the area with so many mines that almost any casual step could prove fatal; scores did in the first week at Cu Chi.

After nearly two weeks under virtual siege, Brigade Commander Colonel Lynnwood Johnson (whose men call him "The Big Puu"—Hawaiian for mountain—in tribute to his 6-ft. 5-in. stature) struck back. "I'm going to level those woods into a golf course," he said, waving his long arm at a dense patch of scrub spitting heavy Viet Cong fire. In three days his troops painfully pushed their perimeter out 2,000 ft. in each direction, followed closely by bulldozers slapping down trees and demolition and chemical teams fumigating and firing tunnels. By week's end, the 2nd Brigade had its breathing room—and 70 confirmed Viet Cong dead—in its first grim testing of the war. It may also have the war's second Medal of Honor winner: Specialist Fourth Class Daniel Fernandez of New Mexico, who died after jumping on a grenade to shield its blast from five buddies.