RCII

Describes the role of Marine Corps armor at Khe Sanh INTRODUCTION I wrote this article at the suggestion of LtCol Raymond A. Stewart, USMC (Retired), president and founder of the Marine Corps Vietnam Historical Tankers Foundation. Ray Stewart and the foundation promote the study of Marine tankers in Vietnam. Ray spent many weeks giving me…

Article describes how artillery is directed to support infantry in the field. A fire missi on starts with a call on the radio. Picking up the receiver, the battery Executive Officer hears the words that never fail to excite an artillery man: “Contact fire mission, battery adjust.” The Exec repeats the order to the guns,…

This article describes the harrowing experience of a young Marine during the Battle of Khe Sanh, and after. Date: August, 2025 In 1967, Ronald Ridgeway was a student at Sam Houston High School in Hallettsville, Texas.  In June, Ridgeway quit school and enlisted in the Marines. He was 17 years old and “wanted to get…

Ray Stubbe discusses the harrowing experiences of reconnaissance team DOCKLEAF with Robert Painter. DOCKLEAF was a reconnaissance team from Company B, 3rd Recon Battalion. Date: Spring, 1997 Author: Ray Stubbe and Robert Painter STUBBE: You were part of DOCKLEAF, weren’t you? PAINTER: Yes. STUBBE: That whole bunker that was hit on 24 January was DOCKLEAF, I…

Archer describes the C-ration diet of the Marines at Khe Sanh Combat Base during the Siege. Date: May 7, 2020 My recent blog piece about Ham and Lima Beans in Juices, aka Ham & MoFo’s, [Food for Thought] generated a lot of feedback (if you’ll pardon the culinary pun). It seems almost everyone has an…

This article describes the activities of JTAD (the Joint Technical Advisory Detachment) at Khe Sanh Combat Base. Date: Spring, 1998 Americans walking the jungles of the Khe Sanh area and neighboring Laos in civilian clothes, former NVA now loyal to us reporting on desk at CCN, Da Nang) when asked once if one could really…

U.S. strategy for the defense of the DMZ during the Vietnam War called for interlocking bands of artillery fire, and the firebase at Camp Carroll was the linchpin Date: 1997 American military commanders are taught to use generous volumes of firepower instead of manpower to accomplish their military objectives and to minimize their casualties. Thus,…

In this interview, US Army Captain Walter Gunn, Jr., senior advisor to the 37th ARVN Ranger Battalion, describes the contributions of the South Vietnamese Army unit in the defense of Khe Sanh combat base during the 1968 siege. [The insignia of the ARVN Rangers-a snarling panther with whiskers partly obscuring the five-pointed star of the…

Archer describes the C-ration diet of the Marines at Khe Sanh during the 1968 battle. My previous blog posting about sheltering in place at Khe Sanh in 1968 resulted in some interesting conversations. As millions all over the world are currently learning:  Each day consists basically of staying safe and deciding what to have for…

This “manual” (in cartoon format) illustrates both how to maintain the M16 rifle as well as how things have changed. Today, although the information is still valid, the images would be considered  inappropriate.   Source: The Khe Sanh Vet newsletter, Issue 7, November, 1988. Full text available online on the Khe Sanh Veterans website.