Vet's Day Explosion - 1969
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This story took place on November 11, 1969 at the Cu Chi base camp. If not that date, it was very close. In fact, whatever date it was, it occurred at just after 1100 hrs.
It was just another day for me at the Cu Chi Base Camp. I was now mostly working in helicopter maintenance, overseeing a group of about 20 men. Although I had been told by my superiors that I didn't need to do the work duties myself, I would still contribute my knowledge and mechanical skills with my crew.
We had rolled out a "Slick" from the hanger that had gone through one of its one hundred hour P.E. inspections and were putting on some final touches just before the upcoming test flight. I was up on the head assembly area of the helicopter, and was sitting straddling one of the blades. It may have been I was doing some safety wiring, or applying slippage marks, or just doing some preflight inspections, ... I don't remember for sure.
But, for certain, the last thing on my mind was Veterans Day and what had happened on that day back when a ceasefire was called to end WW1. That time was at 1100 hrs., November 11, 1918. Thank goodness, those soldiers who were fighting in that war would not have to go through another winter of trench warfare and all the death, destruction, chemical gases, mud and slime and disease they had suffered in years previously.
Now I know that the 1100 hours on November 11, 1969 at Cu Chi was not on the same time standard as it was back when WW1 ended. However, the incident is a good reminder of that year and all the years that Veterans Day has been observed in my memory. This is one of the reasons that Fred Reese and I started this reunion. Thank you to Veterans for the sacrifice given.
When fighting in a war, many war materials go to ruin. There may be bad rockets, bad ammo, bad mines, bad bombs, etc. Our 25th Inf. Div., had such items, and they needed to be disposed of. The way that this disposal could be carried out quickly was to "blow these items up." I do not know how long the gathering of these ruined materials had been going on, and I did not have any knowledge this explosion was going to happen. I don't know if it was secrecy that kept me from knowing, or if I had not received a briefing???
Like I stated before, I was straddling a chopper blade. All at once, a huge explosion sound thundered, a hard blast of wind rushed by, almost pushing me from where I was seated. Every piece of metal on our hanger shook and rattled. The earth vibrated. I looked back from which the sound and wind had come from, and there it was, a huge mushroom cloud going upward, with smaller explosions within the cloud.
The first thought that went through my mind was that North Vietnam had dropped a bomb, meant for the Cu Chi Base Camp and had slightly missed. I was thinking there would be another, that life was about to be over. In those split seconds, I was like a cowboy jumping on a horse and riding off in all directions at the same time. I slid down the blade to clear the helicopter cabin area, jumped to the ground, and yelled for the guys to head for a bunker, but while yelling out those instruction I was thinking the bunker was not going to do much good for what might be next. I went running toward the hanger and saw some higher authorities running out and looking at the mushroom cloud, and somehow it was explained to me as to what was going on.
The Engineers had just blown up all the "bad stuff." "Whew!!" What a relief!" But, for sure I will always remember Veterans Day because of that day back in Cu Chi, 1969. ...Kc