Marine veterans of Operation Allies Refuge face their memories of the 2021 evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
First to Fight:
First Force Recon in Operation Hue City.
By Kyle Watts 2/1/2018
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A WHOLE NEW INTENSITY
Veterans and civilians alike assume significance in the battle for Hue City. The warriors who fought in that gruesome urban combat are respected and revered. Prior to the battle in the city, though, the Marines of First Force Reconnaissance Company waged a far less recognized or understood war in the surrounding jungle. Their role supporting Operation Hue City commenced weeks prior to the Tet Offensive in January 1968, and carried into the main conflict. Their fight adopted various forms for which their skill sets were uniquely suited.
“First to Fight” was their motto. It held true in the hills surrounding Hue, just as it did in every operation they supported. These Marines never held the spotlight, but their mission was vital, and always kill or be killed. Moving swift and silent on long range patrols, four to eight man teams observed the enemy from the shadows, set up ambushes, and called for fire from artillery or air support. What they lacked in numerical superiority or firepower they made up in stunning expertise, bravery, and creative action. A study conducted during the war discovered when patrols made enemy contact, 95 percent of the time Force Recon initiated contact. The study also concluded for every Force Recon Marine killed in action, 34 enemy were killed. This kill ratio was over four times higher than regular Marine infantry units.
For most people today, only Hollywood can create the scenes and situations Force Recon Marines faced in Vietnam. Whether dangling in midair while taking fire, jumping from a cliff into the back of a waiting helicopter, or diving into an underwater tunnel looking for the enemy, for them it was routine. It was their job. The jungles surrounding Hue were no exception.
First Force Recon Team Petrify at Camp Reasoner in Da Nang, November 1967. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
First Force launched patrols north towards the city from their base in Phu Bai, eight miles south of Hue. Through December 1967 and January 1968, the Marines experienced more and more contact with the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), and saw increased activity throughout the area. Some patrols were overrun and lost. Others were extracted under fire, barely escaping alive. Even so, the company maintained a rigorous patrol schedule.
“Operations took on a whole new intensity in ’68. We were very busy. In the bush for five or six days, back for a couple days, then right back out again. We never went into an area where it wasn’t expected there was enemy present. That was our reason for being there, so there were no patrols where you ever thought, ‘well this is going to be a cake walk,’” said Bill Hauxhurst, First Force veteran from late 1967 to early 1969.
TET
As the Tet holiday approached, recon Marines watched the NVA streaming into Hue. After the offensive was launched on January 31st, patrols became even more harrowing.
“Every day all we did was count literally hundreds of enemy troops moving into the city,” said Bob Buda, a platoon sergeant and team leader with First Force awarded three Purple Hearts. “We were trying to call fire missions and air support constantly.”
The battle now raging in the city made helicopter extraction for the recon patrols nearly impossible. Anything in the air was likely to be shot down.
Sgt Bob Buda (left) and Cpl Sam Carver (right) stand equipped with typical recon patrol gear. Buda also carries a corpsman's medical kit on his chest. Courtesy Bob Buda.
On one patrol, Buda’s team was detected by a larger enemy force. They ran from the enemy up the side of a mountain in a life or death game of cat and mouse. At the top, with nowhere else to go, the team called a helicopter for emergency extraction. The bird arrived to find the team standing at the edge of a cliff.
“The helicopter came in and hovered against the face of the cliff, which was an outcropping of stone in the mountain,” Buda recalled. “We were able to leap from the stone onto the tailgate of the helicopter one guy at a time to get out of there.”
One Marine missed the tailgate and fell over 30 feet through the trees below. Those behind him watched their buddy disappear into the foliage, thinking they had witnessed his death. Beyond their expectations, he appeared back at the top of the cliff by the time the helicopter started pulling away with the rest of the team. One of the escort Huey gunships swooped down to the cliff edge. When they felt the skids touch the ground, the crew grabbed the Marine into the helicopter. The entire patrol was extracted alive.
STUNNING EXPERTISE
Another patrol produced similar circumstances for Buda and his team. The eight man patrol ran into part of an NVA unit and initially maintained their position for the fight. It became clear the enemy outnumbered them at least seven to one as the gun battle progressed. The enemy closed close enough to lob grenades into their position. The Marines decided their only chance for survival was making it to the top of a nearby hill.
The team fought through the blocking enemy position, killing four NVA soldiers in the process. The dense jungle provided concealment as they moved towards the top of the hill, looking for a possible extraction site. The Marines had been on patrol over 18 hours and darkness was settling in. The last rays of sunlight provided the last possibility of hope for extraction from the jungle and the enemy force that now had them completely surrounded.
At the head of the column, Buda encountered a large trail. He posted security while the remainder of the team passed and moved up the trail towards the high ground. AK-47 fire sprayed in the Marines’ direction as they emerged from the jungle. The errant rounds revealed the enemy closing in, but not yet close enough to see. Buda took this opportunity to set his own ambush.
“I pulled a claymore out of my pack and emplaced it on the side of the trail,” he said. “I rolled out the line and took a hidden position behind a tree while the rest of the team moved up towards the hill top.”
Buda lay 30 feet of wire behind him before the NVA patrol came into view. The enemy spanned the width of the trail, moving in ranks towards Buda’s concealed position. He waited patiently as the patrol moved into range. Sweat burned in his eyes and he tried to control his breath as he hid motionless. The enemy approached just feet from the claymore and Buda squeezed the detonator. The blast flung four NVA who were closest through the air. 700 steel balls shot out, shredding the flying bodies and others still on their feet. Ten enemy soldiers died instantly. The ensuing confusion gave Buda enough time to slip away and rejoin the rest of the patrol at the top of the hill.
The team leader called for emergency extraction. By the time helicopters were overhead, darkness had fallen. The Marines fought the enemy closing in on all sides. There was nowhere else to go. The patrol leader directed air support from the Huey gunships. This delicate coordination spelled life or death for the Marines. Friendly fire from the gunships posed a threat as dangerous as the approaching NVA. The Hueys made strafe after strafe, lighting up the jungle with machine guns and rockets. The Marines on the ground saw enemy tracers return skyward towards the helicopters.
A CH-46 Transport Helicopter extracts a Marine using a jungle penetrator. USMC Photo.
A CH-46 hovered into position over the patrol. Crew members poured out heavy machine gun fire from side doors as they lowered a hoist 60 feet down to the ground. The device, called a “jungle penetrator,” looked like a three pronged fish hook and was designed to lift one man. In situations like these, recon teams often loaded two or even three Marines at a time. Facing each other, leg over leg, the Marines clutched one another and the hoist as they rose through the air towards the belly of the bird. While the team lifted out, the gunships continued blazing paths through the jungle around their position.
Agonizing seconds turned into minutes. The helicopter stayed steady overhead while the team made trip after trip getting everyone aboard. AK-47 rounds smacked the side of the helicopter and tore through the trees. One Marine was shot in midair as the hoist lifted him skyward. Finally, the last of the team made it aboard, and the helicopters leaped into the air out of harm’s way. For his action remaining behind and setting his own ambush, Bob Buda was awarded a Bronze Star with Combat "V".
Into these perilous circumstances recon Marines unhesitatingly patrolled. They collected intelligence and monitored the enemy’s ingress and egress from the city. First Force conducted 35 patrols through the month of February, calling over 120 fire missions or airstrikes on enemy targets. Out of 180 Marines in the company, 34 were wounded and four killed.
Destroyed street in Hue. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
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HUE
Meanwhile, the streets of Hue raged in exceedingly more lethal conflict. The Vietnamese jungle presented grunts with unimaginable dangers and challenges, but the urban environment of Hue combined the deadliest parts of modern warfare in a close quarters battle that infantry Marines were not accustomed to fighting.
The simple geography of Hue presented its own challenges. The Perfume River cut through the middle of the city, splitting it in two. North of the river, the ancient Citadel was almost completely overrun. On the south side, Marines withstood the initial attacks from their base at the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) compound.
February dragged on and the infantry worked its way through the city south of the river. As their grasp tightened over the south side, commanders looked north into the Citadel. One bridge served as the primary river crossing. The Silver Bridge, as it was called by the Marines, stood over 1000 feet long and 30 feet wide. A single span closer to the north side had been blown, making it impossible to cross.
Aerial photo of Hue and Perfume River towards the beginning of the battle. The Silver Bridge, still intact, spans the river over 1000 feet across. The causeway can be seen over a smaller tributary just above the Silver Bridge. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
Marines overcame the obstacle by calling Navy LCUs (Landing Craft Utility) to ferry Marines and vehicles across the river. Intense fire from the north side forced the LCUs to follow the Perfume River all the way around the city and offloaded personnel at the Northeast corner of the Citadel. Marines then battled south through the Citadel back towards the Silver Bridge.
North Vietnamese dominance faltered on both sides of the river. Resistance continued throughout the city, but the Marines felt they had enough control to finally cross the Silver Bridge. Enabling this avenue of approach would provide them a huge tactical advantage and swift means of reinforcement.
A pontoon could be constructed for crossing the dropped span, however, the standing portion of the bridge presented great risk. A column of infantry or convoy of tanks would present a perfect target for enemy spotters monitoring the bridge, waiting to detonate explosives rigged to any other portion. The Marines had to know if more explosives were present. To get this intel, they needed a dive team. To get the dive team, they called Force Recon.
COLLATERAL DUTIES
Scuba trained Marines conducted combat diving as a collateral duty. These unique missions came down infrequently when compared to their long range patrols. Less than one third of the Marines in the company obtained their scuba qualification. They were needed in combat before they could receive the full regimen of recon training. Dive teams supported both the Army and Marines, performing a wide range of missions. Bridge inspections were a common task. Teams also dove river bottoms in search of lost equipment or bodies.
Marines go over the side into San Diego Bay at scuba school in California, July 1967. Courtesy Dave Thompson.
The most unnerving dives came when infantry units chasing an enemy soldier would observe him jump into water and never surface. Often this indicated the presence of an underwater tunnel entrance that needed to be flushed out. Divers inspecting these tunnels either waited under the water for someone to emerge, or swam into the tunnel, expecting to surface in a hole full of NVA.
Nature itself presented many dangers facing Marines in the water. The enemy situation on the surface factored heavily as well. The greatest danger under water that could never be certain was the presence of enemy divers. NVA Naval Sappers occupied the waterways opposing the Marines. To arm themselves, divers kept their fighting knives close. Some Marines even carried privately purchased revolvers. Standard issue pistols were useless in submerged combat, but a revolver still operated. Stories surfaced of underwater gun battles, knife fights, and other horrors potentially awaiting Marines as they dove.
THE DIVE MISSION
Back at Phu Bai on the morning of February 24th, Captain Fred Vogel received the call ordering the dive of the Silver Bridge. As company Dive Officer, Vogel was no stranger to combat diving and the hazards involved. He oversaw the diving program in addition to his other duties and taking part in the long range patrols. His first order of business was to assemble a team of scuba trained Marines that were not already out on patrol.
Capt Fred Vogel prior to departing for Hue in February 1968. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
His first obvious selection was Sergeant Robert Hughes. Hughes held the role of Dive Noncommissioned Officer (NCO). As such, diving and maintaining the scuba gear for the unit was his primary responsibility. A giant of a man, with numerous combat dives under his belt, Sgt Hughes was the subject of several underwater horror stories floating around Force Recon.
“There is no one I would rather have as security underwater than Sgt Hughes,” recalled Capt Vogel.
Sgt Robert Hughes with civilians in Hue. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
Next Vogel found Corporal Dave Thompson. 21-year-old Thompson arrived in Vietnam only three weeks earlier and had just one patrol under his belt, but he was scuba trained. Thompson would later grow into his role as a recon team leader, and receive a Silver Star, but this would be his first combat dive.
Cpl Bob Buda was another scuba trained Marine not in the bush. The 19 year old had already seen action on 10 patrols around Hue, but like Thompson, this would be his first combat dive.
Vogel rounded up two more divers and a Corpsman. They assembled their personal gear in an unusual fashion. Cammie paint, tiger stripe uniforms, boonie covers, and 20 magazines of ammo were standard protocol for recon. On this mission, they would actually don a flak jacket and helmet for protection in the city. Sgt Hughes collected the scuba tanks, regulators, and rubber boat they would take on the mission.
The team gathered in the road by their truck. Capt Vogel noticed two extra faces in the group.
“Sgt Hughes, who are these two and what are they doing here?” he asked.
“He’s a truck driver, and he’s a parachute rigger,” replied Hughes.
His answer fell flat against the Captain’s raised eyebrow, still searching for a good reason why they intended to tag along.
“Sir, they joined the Marines to fight and I told them they could come with us.”
Vogel pondered for a moment. “Every Marine a rifleman,” he thought to himself. “Carry on Sergeant!”
The nine Marines loaded up and the convoy departed for Hue.
First Force Recon Dive team at MACV Compound in Hue. Front Left to Right: LCpl William Shaw, Cpl Edward Unkel, Capt Frederick Vogel, Cpl David Thompson. Rear Left to Right: LCpl Robert Schmitt, Cpl Robert Buda, HM3 Robert Schoelkopf, Sgt Robert Hughes, Cpl Clifford Dobson. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
THE CAUSEWAY
They reached the city limits without incident, stopping first at the city’s soccer stadium. As Vogel sought directions to the MACV compound, the rest of the team exited the truck. Unknown to them, the stadium had become a casualty collection point as well as staging area and helicopter landing zone.
“When we pulled into the area I looked across the field and all I saw were body bags and uncovered bodies uniformly laid out,” recalled Buda. He realized the dead were not enemy soldiers. They were Marines. “I hadn’t ever seen anything like that. I’d seen plenty of dead bad guys on patrol, and had a couple guys on my team killed from time to time, but to see that many just laying out there I was shocked. I still reflect on that to this day.”
They reached the MACV compound and immediately got to work. They discovered their orders now called for the inspection of eight different bridges, on both sides of the Perfume River, spread across the city. Their dive mission had virtually become an urban patrol, with diving included. They geared up and prepared to move out. A squad of Marines from 1st Battalion 5th Marines joined them to provide security. The grunts would help them navigate the city streets, and more importantly, secure the areas around dive sites as the vulnerable divers entered the water.
The causeway, where the dive team first attempted a bridge inspection. The dive was aborted due to the intense enemy fire taken from the pictured buildings on the north side. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
Capt Vogel elected to first inspect a causeway further east of the Silver Bridge. Unlike other bridges in the area, the causeway was a mass of solid concrete just a few feet above the water line crossing a smaller tributary.
The team approached the south side of the causeway and took cover in a house nearby. In the street, they noticed a sandbagged position surrounding a recoilless rifle. The infantry occupied the position to prevent unwanted company from the north. Cpls Thompson and Buda prepared to inspect the causeway. Without wetsuits, they would brave the chilly water in their skivvies.
On the north side of the tributary, less than 200 meters away, NVA soldiers occupied buildings overlooking the causeway. Movement on the far banks grabbed their attention. They watched in disbelief as they saw what appeared to be men, all but naked except for their flak and helmet, approaching the causeway. The novelty of it all must have worn off quickly when they noticed the men carrying rifles and opened fire.
Cpl Bob Buda and Cpl Dave Thompson, in skivvies and dive booties, prepare to inspect the causeway. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
Thompson and Buda hustled back to the house occupied by the rest of the team. Every Marine present returned fire across the river. Inaccurate mortar rounds fell in the buildings around them, and the deafening sound of recoilless rifles from both sides filled the air.
“I thought to myself, ‘man, I’m sure as hell glad I’m not a grunt!’” recalled Buda. “Grunts didn’t want to come to Force Recon because they through they would get killed on their first patrol. They didn’t realize that out in the bush we have superiority with cover, concealment, and surprise in our favor. These guys, on the other hand, go toe to toe with the bad guys face to face!”
With the current enemy situation, Capt Vogel determined diving the causeway was not possible. The team’s visual inspection revealed it was structurally sound and crossable. They broke contact, along with the security element, and moved back towards the MACV Compound.
THE SILVER BRIDGE
Vogel decided next to complete the main focus of their mission and dive the Silver Bridge. Given the length of the bridge, and number of pillars to inspect, two dive teams were needed.
The Marines suited up, or rather down, to enter the water. They stripped to their skivvies and put on their dive booties. These coral shoes protected their feet and fit snuggly into their fins. Each grabbed a life jacket, mask, regulator, fins and most importantly, their Kabar. Lastly, each heaved the enormous “Twin 90” scuba tanks onto their back. This 70 pound set of tanks was unheard of in civilian diving, but recon Marines trained with them and handled the load with ease.
From the south side of the river, the dropped portion of the Silver Bridge can be seen.
Vogel and Buda paired together as the first team. Thompson and Hughes went second. The grunts established a perimeter on a traffic circle just off the south side of the bridge. From inside the position, the divers looked across 50 meters of open ground between them and the water. They would navigate this on their own.
The divers sprinted from cover towards the water. With dive gear in hand, and the twin 90’s weighing them down, adrenalin pumping through their blood provided their only source of speed. The sight of movement and the men in the open drew NVA fire from the opposite side. Sniper rounds cracked overhead and kicked up the dirt. The Marines back in the perimeter returned covering fire over the diver’s heads.
“In the years since I’ve often wondered what the NVA thought. They had guys on the other side with binoculars watching, and they see these idiots running around in the middle of a battle wearing shorts and big scuba tanks coming down to the river. Clearly they would have known what we were doing, but it must have looked so incongruous to them,” Vogel mused. “It looked incongruous to me!”
MORTARED
The first shocking realization hit them instantly when they reached the river. The water temperature was only around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Without wetsuits, the Marines were chilled to their bones. Once submerged, the clarity of the water surprised them next. The Marines could see close to 20 feet. This factor alone would make it easier to inspect for explosives and detect any threats.
Five pillars suspended the Silver Bridge over the river. The center pillars extended over 50 feet below the water line to the bottom. Two divers visually inspected the pillars from a few feet away and investigated anything suspicious. The other two provided security for their buddy, constantly watching for booby traps, enemy divers, and any other dangers.
No explosives were readily apparent as the Marines searched from top to bottom. Swimming deeper, they began to see tons of ordnance spread across the river bottom.
“There were explosives and ammunition and weaponry all over, it was like an ammo dump! We saw tons of every type of projectile and thing you could dream of, but none of it was rigged to detonate on any part of the bridge,” remembered Buda.
An hour of diving revealed no threats to the structure. The divers swam back towards the south side of the river. While Vogel and Buda finished the inspection, Thompson and Hughes exited the water.
“I just got out and made it about halfway back to where our gear was in a small trailer. There was still small arms fire off and on, but that’s when they started mortaring where we were diving,” remembered Thompson.
Back under the water, the first dive team shook as the explosions vibrated down. They looked up to see bubbles like a shaken soda can, and hear the boom rumble through the water as the mortar rounds exploded on the surface.
“That’s one thing the NVA messed up. They should have used delayed fuses,” Vogel remarked. “Coming down straight into water like that might as well have been a brick wall. If they had used delayed fuses it might have gone down far enough to knock us out. Fortunately they didn’t think that far ahead.”
The divers hugged the bottom of the river. The explosions above rumbled in their ears and chest as they swam until they surfaced under the bridge for cover. At the divers’ signal, the grunts back at the traffic circle opened up with everything they had. Vogel and Buda reached the perimeter unscathed.
With everyone back safely, they doffed their gear and returned to their flaks and helmets. They had successfully confirmed nothing was rigged to drop more of the Silver Bridge. The Infantry could now plan a crossing in force.
Capt Fred Vogel in dive attire, pictured just after returning safely to land following the dive of the Silver Bridge. The 3 other divers are also seen around the gear trailer returning to standard combat gear. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
THE CANAL
Even though their primary mission was complete, they still had lots of work to do. It was around 1600, and Vogel wanted to inspect one more bridge before darkness fell. He decided to cross over into the Citadel where several bridges required inspection.
The team moved quickly across the top side of the Silver Bridge, and over the makeshift pedestrian crossing erected at the downed span. They turned right and headed through the Dong Ba Market. Their target bridge crossed a canal lining the east side of the Citadel. The distant sound of gun fire and explosions grew louder and louder as they drew near. Similar to the causeway, infantry Marines already occupied defensive positions at the bridge. They were engaged in a battle with the NVA across the canal. Capt Vogel assigned Cpl Buda to inspect the bridge with him. He planned to conduct a visual inspection, having left their gear trailer back on the south side of the city.
The canal separated the opposing forces by a mere 70 meters. Prior to the team’s arrival, the raging battle knocked out a friendly tank at the western end of the bridge. The team took shelter in a house at the corner of the intersection where the tank burned. The smell of cordite filled the air as the volume of gun fire swelled.
The third bridge inspected by the team, seen from the building where they took cover while under intense fire. Pictured in the foreground is the destroyed tank that Capt Vogel and Sgt Buda hid behind as they attempted to inspect the structure. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
Vogel grabbed Buda and they crawled out of the building. They reached the destroyed tank and dropped behind the tracks for cover. Amidst the roar of gun fire, rockets, and mortars exploding, they could hear rounds cooking off inside the burning tank. Bullets pinging off the tank’s side prevented them from moving closer.
“I remember thinking, ‘what in the hell am I doing?’” said Buda. “I’m a recon guy, I’m supposed to be out in the jungle hiding in the bushes! Now I’m hiding behind a burning tank? I hadn’t ever even seen a tank before in Vietnam! Burning tanks, guys shooting at each other with freaking cannons, are you kidding me? There’s no future in this!”
The two Marines returned to shelter with the rest of the team. Attempting any type of inspection at this point was a death wish.
The forces on both sides continued pouring fire across the canal. One enemy soldier in particular harassed the Marines from a second story window. He would pop into the window, fire his automatic weapon, then drop out of sight. He maintained this routine over and over, pinning the Marines down in the house, and chipping away at the walls around them.
“One of the Marines with us had an M-79 grenade launcher with the stock cut off,” remembered Thompson. “He used it like a giant pistol.”
The Marine picked a concealed spot and waited for the NVA soldier to show his face again. As soon as he did, the Marine sent one grenade at him. The perfect shot soared straight through the window and detonated.
“I’m sure the last thing that brave young boy from Hanoi saw in his life was a rapidly expanding grenade round with USMC written all over it,” said Vogel. “We continued taking mortar fire but no more automatic weapons fire from that building.”
In the battle’s lull, the team broke contact and returned to the Silver Bridge. They crossed back to the south side and decided to continue their mission in the morning.
The building where the dive team took cover and the destroyed tank near the 3rd bridge inspected. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
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DAY TWO
That night at the MACV Compound, the team ran into a Marine Sergeant named Dale Dye, who invited them to his hooch for hot chow and war stories. Today Dye is the founder of Warriors, Inc., and star in numerous Hollywood features such as Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, and Band of Brothers. In Hue, he was a Combat Correspondent with the 1st Marine Division, fighting for his life with the grunts and thankful to be alive.
“I had commandeered a civilian house about a block away from the MACV compound,” said Dye. “We had it made at that point; a flush toilet, actual beds, a liquor cabinet, and everything else a bush beast could want.”
Dye combined several types of C Rations into a helmet and prepared the food over a fire. For recon Marines used to living off little in the jungle, this full, hot meal was a welcomed treat.
The Marines rose with the sun the following morning and prepared to inspect all remaining bridges. Their second day in Hue proved significantly less eventful. Periodic sniper fire kept their heads down and the occasional mortar landed in the distance.
Five more bridges were inspected throughout the city. The enemy situation at each location prevented divers from going into the water. All bridges were inspected visually from the ground. Some were already destroyed completely, while others appeared structurally sound.
Civilians are seen crossing one of the bridges. In the center of the bridge lies one of the many bodies littering the city. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
As the team patrolled throughout the city, one consequence of the battle seemed omnipresent.
Buda remembered, “There were dead civilians that hadn’t been policed up littered everywhere. That was unusual. We didn’t see things like that. The carnage of a city battle was unique to us. There were bodies all over the place.”
Day two ended with their mission complete. All assigned bridges were inspected with no evidence of rigged explosives. The team spent one more night in Hue and returned to Phu Bai the morning of February 26th.
EPILOGUE: WHERE INDEED DO WE GET SUCH MEN?
Less than one week later, Operation Hue City officially concluded. The NVA retreating into the surrounding hills were not home free. The Marines of First Force waited for them in the jungle.
One month of fierce fighting had passed before friendly forces controlled the city again. For recon Marines, the battle began in the jungle weeks earlier, and intensified as 1968 progressed. The 35 patrols conducted in February became 45 in March, 53 in April, and climaxed at 64 during the month of July.
The intelligence they risked their lives to secure proved an unfortunately underutilized resource. The Tet offensive launched at the end of January came as a surprise, despite Force Recon’s numerous reports of increased activity and the enemy massing around Hue. Their specialties in warfare like patrolling and diving have been largely forgotten and undocumented in the shadows of the main infantry actions.
The destruction in Hue. In the foreground, Sgt Hughes is seen running for cover, as mortars began to fall near the team. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
Cpl Buda questions a monk at a Buddhist temple in Hue. Courtesy Fred Vogel.
50 years later, these Marines maintain their calculated, silent professionalism. They are not the type to boast in their stories or accomplishments. For some, the dangers faced in the jungles and waters of Vietnam are still very real threats. Rare forms of cancer or other illnesses have been traced back to an exposure during their time in country. For all, every threat they faced, every patrol they survived, replays in their memories as they reflect on their youth.
“We went into Hue because this was the greatest battle of the war, a defining moment in our history, and we wanted to be part of it,” Vogel reflects today. “Those other eight Marines on our team were magnificent. My biggest concern was holding them back. How am I ever going to get these guys back alive when they're aggressive to the point of madness? Men like Bob Buda, Dave Thompson, Sgt Hughes, and the others. Where indeed do we get such men?”
“Bob Buda always said, ‘it’s a good patrol if no one got killed,’” remembered Thompson. “I may not remember all my patrols, but no one can ever forget the bad ones. We went through a lot of purple hearts, friendships that will never end, and more brothers than any normal family.”
Author’s Note: First Force, First to Fight. Thank you for your inspiration, and allowing me to take part in your history. May these words pay tribute to your fallen and your service. It has been my great privilege getting to know you. Semper Fidelis.
Originally published in Leatherneck Magazine, February 2018.
What a great story! Thanks for sharing this! Bob Buda was one of my dad’s best buddies. My dad, Cpl Joseph Lyons was part of First Force Recon. He served in Vietnam from Jan. 68 until he was killed on patrol June 5, 1968. Sammy Carver was with my dad on his last patrol. I am good friends with Bob Buda and many of dad’s buddies that made it home. It is amazing what these guys did and went through over there! Love our Force Recon Marines! God bless you Kyle for honoring these men and sharing their stories!
Kimberlee, thank you for your kind words, and for your feedback on your connection to this story. Your father, and all the Marines who served with Force Recon, are a very special group of people. Some of the finest I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with. I truly appreciate your comment, and hope the families of other veterans involved in or connected to this story will feel the same way!
Hi Kyle. My fathers (USMC 1966-1969) cousin, PFC Gilbert Thibeault, was in the 1st Force Recon and was killed in Feb 29, 1968 along with SSGT Leed. Looking for some more info on him and the men he served with to share with my father.. Thank you
My name is CPL Steven Cicalese and I was on that hill with PFC Gilbert Thibeault and SSGT Leed. We watched the Battle of Hue from our hill top. During the second day they RVN tried to set up a machine gun on a near-by hill to kill us but we raced our M-60 machine across our hill and shot first and maybe killed one as they retreated out of sight. The third day the whoosh of mortar shells came and PFC Thibeault was fatally wounded. Wikle and I worked together one of us trying to get PFC Thibeault breathing and the other throwing hand grenades at sounds on the hillside to keep the NVA out of our positions. I tear up even today when I think of our failure to save PFC Thibeault.
We used grenades as firing our weapons would have made us easy targets. SSGT I had heard was killed by a sniper. It was pitch black except for the lights of a fight, I remember a piece of metal burning red shooting through our parameter. Both Wikle and I were wounded. It was suggested in a report from a helicopter pilot later that we engaging at least a platoon of NVA. We were getting very close fire support which may be why we were not over run.
I heard that we would have to wait for morning to be extracted which meant in my mind that I was dead. For some reason the certainty of death made me feel at peace. Anyway copters did come for us that night, some crazy Army pilots. Thirteen Marines, 2 dead and 4 wounded, but able to make life difficult for some NVA by calling in Artillery on their heads, if only for a few days.
I served a short time with Robert Buda before he came home. I have a picture of him. Was a very good recon marine. Thank you for your nice comments
I worked with Cliff Dobson in 1995-1996. He asked me about being in the Marines and when I mentioned that I spent time with 2nd Force Reconnaissance Co we made an instant connection. Great Guy
Thank you for your feedback! We have been hoping to have the opportunity to find and speak with more of the veterans involved in this dive mission! If it might be possible, and you have a way to contact him still, please contact us through our contact page!
Did you know my brother Ssgt James G Wheeler? He also was Recon but I dont know which unit
He served in Battle Griffin in the 90s sadly passed away in 2004
Anyone who knew him I’d love any photos or memories of him thank you Semper Fi
Hi Anastasia, I wish I could be of more assistance, but that is not a veteran I know, or one that I have heard mentioned by any of the veterans I’ve had the opportunity to speak with. If I am able to come across anything regarding his service, or find veterans who served with him I will certainly keep you posted! I wish you the best in your continued search, and thank you for your comment.
Kyle, I’m curious if you have ever heard the last name Alexander? I was assigned to 1st Recon Bn in January 1971. I met SSgt Alexander while on security at Dong Den radio relay station. He mentioned to us young Marines that he had been in country for 44 months. If I remember correctly he was on a team that was in northern Laos, saying they were the first Americans this Laotian tribe had seen. With camo face paint they thought all Americans were green and black. He was a bush Marine. Heard he retired from 2nd Force as a Master Sgt in 1989. Semper Fi brother.
Hello Sam,
Sorry to say I have not. Sounds like he would have some incredible stories! Most of the Recon Marines I’ve interviewed served with 1st or 3rd Force Recon from 1967 through 1969. I will certainly have to ask them if they have any knowledge of this Marine. Thank you for reaching out!
Hello Hay, My name is Armando Alonso, I was with 2nd Force from 1982-1991. Do you have a first name for Alexander? sf aa
Many Thanks, Skipper! This retired Corpsman sincerely appreciates and enjoys your skill in helping Us remember and honor the past & present Brothers-in-Arms. Celer, Silens et Mortalis: Always By Your Side.
Semper Fidelis
I served in 1st Force from Nov 67-Nov 68 and knew the above mentioned Marines. I went to Communication School with Cliff Dobson and served as a radio operator in team Swift Scout. The team was ambushed on 5Feb68 going into Hue. Great warriors one and all. Larry Quigley
Hi Larry. My fathers (USMC 1966-1969) cousin, PFC Gilbert Thibeault, was in the 1st Force Recon and was killed in Feb 29, 1968 along with SSGT Leed. Looking for some more info on him and the men he served with to share with my father.. Thank you
Larry, I was with Swift Scout and in that ambush. It was to be my last firefight in Vietnam
BYW I Was a corpsman
Hello Kyle, and thank you for your service Marine. As well, many thanks for writing such a great account regarding the services of the 1st Force Reconnaissance folks and for passing it on to us. This story can be added to many others that have paved our way (All Marines) into history since the first enlistment took place at Tom Tavern. You are correct, the folks in the reconnaissance units are good not only in combat ops, but also at keeping the sobriety and humbleness when it comes to what they have done and performed in combat ops and special operations taken place under non-combat times. I recall Sgt Bob Smith, from 1st Force Recon and a good friend of mine, currently leaving in Okinawa, Japan, telling me about similar combat diving operations in Vite-Nam. I served 6 years with 2nd Recon BN and 9 years with the 2nd Force Reconnaissance CO. I retired as a MSgt in 93. I can relate quite closely with similar events in your story and I appreciate very much, how you have preserved such events by putting them on paper. Semper Fi, aa
Hello Mr. Alonso,
Thank you very much for your comment and positive feedback! I appreciate you taking the time to read these stories!
Forever shall I strive to uphold the tremendous reputation of those who have gone before me.
I was at Phu Bai with 1st Provisional Rifle Co MAG 36 and then TAD to CAG (CAP) 1 Alpha (311) just prior to Tet kicking off. We had heard that somebody was trying to get 52’s in prior to Giap’s NVA entrance to Hue, but it didn’t happen. One morning a day or so before 5th Marines went into Hue, we were in an ambush down the river by a Catholic orphanage in Hung Tui. Then at dawn we got the word to alter our position to better deliver fire on a sampan of VC / NVA coming towards us. There were about 60 of us with Marines and Popular Forces. Some Marine, and I don’t know where the heck he came from, was pumping his arm to double time. . . I never knew that 1st Recon was in the area. Maybe that guy was Recon?? The night before this episode 3 of us were “moving like we had a battalion behind us” and managed to scare the NVA / VC LP away from the orphanage. Charlie liked to get into the orphanages: hostages, medical and food supplies, recruits, and they were often the only 2 story structures made of cement offering observation, cover and concealment. . . I never realised that Recon was out there!! Interesting that they didn’t give them the arty and air support that they called for. I often think that we could have gotten rid of the enemy forces before they ever got into Hue, and reading this only makes me feel more that way. Sempter Fi.
Fine article on Marines whom performed great deeds routinely.
Whenever-Wherever-However
1st Force 67/68, 70/71
I have a friend who was a corpsman with the 1st Marine Force Recon unit in and around Hue City all through Tet. He received 2 purple hearts and other decorations for his service in this battle. Do you know of anyone publishing anything about the work of these corpsmen?
As a Marine at A3 in the DMZ during Christmas cease fire 1967 we watched as convoys and NVA troops moved down between A3 and Con Tien in that 24 hour cease fire were told they were going to try and take Leather Neck square, wrong call rest is history.
Sir, You’re one hell of a writer. Having served with 3rd Recon Bn. from 67 to 69 and being a Scuba School grad. Apr. 69, Subic Bay, P.Is. You managed to capture details and the feel of being a Recon Marine. In Viet Nam whether 3rd or 1st Div. Force and Bn Recon teams were given the same missions. Each had both jump and scuba qualified Marines. What wasn’t mentioned was that you had to volunteer for Recon and if you were selected you had to complete Recon School or OJT in Viet Nam when there were not enough volunteers. Luckily I was assigned to Echo Co. in Dec. of 67 after initially trng. as an 0341, 81mm mortarman. On Dec. 31st the entire company of new volunteers and veteran recon cadre flew to the NTA of Okinawa for 6 wks of intensive recon school. We returned and went right out into the bush. We operated out of Dong Ha and the Quang Tri combat bases. Our Recon teams had been reporting hundreds of NVA entering VN from the H C M trail for months before Tet. Unfortunately the powers that be including Genl. Lew Walt refused to believe the reports. This led to Khe Sanh being put under siege. Just as 1st Recon’s sightings allowed the VC and NVA to gain entry to Hue. I hope you continue writing about Marine Reconnaissance as you’ve done a better job in my opinion that anyone so far.
Semper Fi,
Larry Mullane
Larry, did you ever know Bob bjornlie?
Hi Larry. My fathers (USMC 1966-1969) cousin, PFC Gilbert Thibeault, was in the 1st Force Recon and was killed in Feb 29, 1968 along with SSGT Leed. Looking for some more info on him and the men he served with to share with my father.. Thank you
Any of you Force Recon guys ever hear of a Major Picket ?
I was First Force 68-69. Was at Camp Reasoner at Danang for about a month. Then An Hoa for several months. Then Hill 834 outside Danang. Some of the best men I could have served with
Hi Hal. My fathers (USMC 1966-1969) cousin, PFC Gilbert Thibeault, was in the 1st Force Recon and was killed in Feb 29, 1968 along with SSGT Leed. Looking for some more info on him and the men he served with to share with my father.. Thank you
My best friend was SSGT C.W. (Wayne) Hatton. He was 1st Force C section Recon Marine in Nam for over five years. Did you know him ? He was there 65 or 66 till 71. I’m trying to find any info as to what he experienced.
is fred still alive ?
Ya know, nobody even mentions the TET attack of 1965 on the helo base next to us on one end and China Beach on the other side. As the Viet Cong attacked the helo squadron a Sea Bee group kitty corner from us thought they were being attacked when in actuality it was the Helo group defending themselves from the Viet Cong and catching lots of rounds…Of course the Helo Group returned fire on the Sea Bee’s. I was in a fighting hole with My team leader Sgt. Blanton. We were half between our front gate and the road…Just the two us. I worried the V.C. would come down our road thinking it was a better way to get to the Helo Group. Throughout the night we held our position without firing a shot. Everybody talks about Hue…which I participated in also with my team. But I’ve yet to hear anything at all about the TET attack of 1965. What’s up with that?
Enjoyed the article enormously. Spent the first two weeks of TET 68 at Hue, WIA three times. Worked with a USMC ITT team in and around the MACV Compound and did some POW interrogation work there.