Info Sheet - Daniel "Dan" Miller
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Dan sent in Area of Operation map information for the F Troop area (below) and also had these comments:
The NVA basically controlled everything outside the lines I indicated. Spencer and I had flown out on Easter Sunday, spent one night at Marble Mountain, and flew into a basically deserted Phu Bai on Monday. The rest of F Troop arrived piecemeal over the course of the next several days. We did manage to recon north of Dong Ha but not for long. It quickly became apparent that any previous Cav tactics would not serve us well here. Get above any tree line and a .51cal was the least of your worries. 23,37,and 54mm anti-aircraft were in abundance. Not to mention the SA-7 Strela that killed my best friend John Petrilla.
Once we got sent North the only other aviation assets North of the Hai Van pass was the 8th R&R (?). Their U-8's were not much good for Cav and resupply efforts. Those of us in the lift platoon flew our ass off trying to play assault helicopter company
F/4th only base of operations during the Easter offensive was the old "Liftmaster" area at Phu Bai and then Tan My. As I recall we moved to Tan My because on occasion things blew up around us for no apparent reason. The NVA had 130mm artillery capable of reaching us but mercifully no forward observers to direct that fire.
