Taking the high ground (1 Viewer)

[Horus]

SSgt Thoms leads the charge to take what remains of Dong Ba Gate Tower overcoming stiff resistance, Hue during Tet '68



Steve

 

[villagehorse]

Well done Steve. Robin.

 

[Horus]

Well done Steve. Robin.

Cheers Robin :salute::

Not a lot left of that Gateway Tower after just about everything had been thrown at it including Naval Gunfire from miles out at sea !

Six Marines were killed and and I think over fifty wounded taking the Tower. I think that after the battle they found about two dozen bodies
of the stronghold's defenders.

Steve

 

[Panzer ace]

I really like the camera angle of the pictures, it is as if a combat photographer actually took them.

 

[Horus]

I really like the camera angle of the pictures, it is as if a combat photographer actually took them.

Thanks !:salute::

John Olson was the Combat Photographer who took the final assault photos at Dong Ba Gate. Nicknamed simply "The Hill" by the Marines mostly of Delta Company 1/5.

Dale Dye was also in Hue. Michael Herr mentions him in his famous book Dispatches !
Dye wrote a novel on the battle for Hue called Citadel in the UK and Run Between the Raindrops in the US, which if you read it, kind of explains why he's carrying a M1 Carbine with Banana Clip in this photo crossing the Perfume River !


Steve

 

[jason foote]

You nailed it again. Your dioramas and pictures really tell a story

 

[Panzer ace]

Thanks !:salute::

John Olson was the Combat Photographer who took the final assault photos at Dong Ba Gate. Nicknamed simply "The Hill" by the Marines mostly of Delta Company 1/5.

Dale Dye was also in Hue. Michael Herr mentions him in his famous book Dispatches !
Dye wrote a novel on the battle for Hue called Citadel in the UK and Run Between the Raindrops in the US, which if you read it, kind of explains why he's carrying a M1 Carbine with Banana Clip in this photo crossing the Perfume River !
View attachment 284407

Steve

Steve,

Excellent post and much appreciated for passing on that info and knowledge.

I plan on reading Dale Dye’s book now thanks to your post and recommendation.

Best,
Jason

 

[Horus]

Steve,

Excellent post and much appreciated for passing on that info and knowledge.

I plan on reading Dale Dye’s book now thanks to your post and recommendation.

Best,
Jason

Hi Jason

Copied from an internet article:

Captain Dale Dye, USMC, was wounded during the Tet Offensive in 1968. He had this to say about the M1 Carbine: “I certainly saw a bunch of carbines in Vietnam. I carried one for a while after trading an ARVN soldier two cartons of PX cigarettes for his brand new M2 and a couple of magazines. It was light and handy, but I quickly discovered what I'd heard from WWII and Korean War vets was true. The carbine round just didn't have enough stopping power compared to other weapons that were available, so I stashed it away and found myself an M16. There were some early frustrations with that weapon as well, but when it worked as advertised, the ammo knocked down what I hit.”

Steve