Extraordinary Marine at Cam Le Bridge 1968!
You Know You Are from USMC, ("D" Co, 1ST MP BN, FLC, 3rd MAF)
if you remember this -
with the temp 105 degrees; plus the humidity is up to about 85%, really hot and very, very humid.
The Battle Cam Le Bridge and the surrounding area! 23 August 1968
National Archives Photographs, Photog: GySgt Tom Bartlett, Defense Dept. Photo (Marine Corps) A191818
Secured- Cpl. Henry A. Casselli, 3rd MAF, returns to the northern side of the Cam Le Bridge following heavy fighting two miles
south of Da Nang. Units of the 1st Military Police, First Reconnaissance and elements of the 27th Marine Regiment stopped a
combination Viet Cong/ North Vietnamese Army company from crossing the bridge and infiltrating the city of Da Nang.
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Marines in skimmer boats (left) search banks of the river looking for pockets of VC and North Vietnamese.
While Marines in skimmer boats search banks of the river looking for pockets of VC and North Vietnamese.
We learned that those enemy troops attacking Cam Le Bridge were from the 402nd Viet Cong Sapper Battalion, and the 38th North Vietnamese Regiment and we did hear of three Dead Marine and a few more was wounded during the Battle that took place on the southern bank that night, of Cam Le Bridge.
Over the next several days we've been in skimmer boats search banks of the river looking for pockets of VC and North Vietnamese and sitting along the river acting as a blocking force as the Marines sweep the gooks up towards us.
As the sun began to rise the next morning, we were able to spot other Marines who were in the area and they began to receive small arms fired, 20 to 25 rounds, it was a short, quick firefight when a gunship came out from no where and fired at the fleeing Viet Cong guerrilla.
We did hear and see 500 lb. bomb dropped upon the enemy and learned that napalm was use on the southern end of the bridge and three tanks from Bravo Company, 5th Tank Battalion, were making their way up towards the bridge from the south which help to break off the attack on the bridge.
Other allied units in the area, was receiving sniper fire and small arms fired from the Viet Cong and their was a few skirmishes with the NVA . In the three day engagement the body count was over three hundred NVA/ VC was killed in the Battle Cam Le Bridge and the surrounding area around southern Danang.
That fated night of August 23rd 1968
Marines scramble up the embankment of Cam Le Bridge near Danang,Vietnam to continue advance on the Viet Cong. The Cam Le Bridge lies south of the Da Nang air base and is in the south eastern section of the city of Da Nang. A mile north of Cam Le Bridge will take you to the New Da Nang Bridge and the old French bridge nearby, " C " Company 3rd Military Police Battalion, is responsible for it protection. A single-span,deteriorated 400m bridge which was built by the French nearly a century ago, it linking National Highway No.1 and Highway No. 14B, the Cao Do Bridge, lies to the west of the Cam Le Bridge and was rebuilt when the Viet Cong destroy it with explosive.
My memories of that night was going up river in a small skimmer boat and here is what I remembered, the airport and Marble Mountain was getting hit with incoming rockets and a series of explosions lit up the dark night sky. I went back to my small Diving unit at the Da Nang River Bridge. The Scuttle Butt or rumor that I have been told was the Cam Le bridge was getting over run by the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
In the early morning hours, the ghostly shadow of men skimming the water's surface created by the incoming rockets,explosions and flares around us. We would set off TNT explosives every fifteen minutes around the new Da Nang bridge and the older French bridge to protect it from the Viet Cong divers.
Early that morning as the sun began to rise, we went up rivers and found a few dead water buffalo due to small arms fired from the Viet Cong and I remember going over to look at a dead NVA. He had green military fatigues, he did not have a weapon. Some one had already taken it, he did have ammo pouch that had magazines, AK ammunition. Up river other Marines scramble up the embankment to continue advance on the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army (NVA).
The Marines dove from their vehicle and returned fire when enemy automatic weapons opened up on them.
A small Marine security force "D" Co, 1ST MP BN, FLC, 3rd MAF on the southern bank of Cam Le Bridge was attacked by superior numbers of enemy troops of the Viet Cong forces of the 402nd Viet Cong Sapper Battalion and elements of the 38th North Vietnamese Regiment and with the help of other Marine units in the area these extraordinary Marines defeated the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese and the southern end of the bridge was back in allied hands.
Extraordinary Marine at Cam Le Bridges
The following list details the number of deaths reported by "D" Co, 1ST MP BN, FLC, 3rd MAF at the Cam Le Bridge, the fighting lasted well into the 23rd of August 1968 and resulted in a number of other US Marines and sailors killed and wounded from different units and sub-units from other areas who was involved in the fight for the Cam Le Bridge.
Vietnam has taken its toll in the lives of these extraordinary Marines at Cam Le Bridge. But its taken its toll on the families too. God bless all the young men and women that gave their lives in Viet Nam ... and all the ones who made it back home and all who still struggle with the memories.
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External links
Note! These are various links to other websites that have information on the Cam Le Bridge or Vietnam War
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