Bong Son was our base area and was also known as Cav Country. Here we were very familiar with the terrain, the tactics of various enemy units operating in the region and the way of life of the local inhabitants. Although we frequently deployed to distant areas to combat large-scale enemy units, our return to Bong Son was like coming home. Bong Son to us included the small market town of that name located close to LZ English, and the vast hinterland of rice paddies that stretched from the mountains to the South China Sea. The local economy was based on rice farming and scattered throughout the Bong Son plains were countless small hamlets where farming families lived. Bong Son is very picturesque and the beauty of the rural scenery and our fascination with the local inhabitants was captured in numerous photographs by members of Bravo Company.

AERIAL VIEW OF BONG SON LOOKING EAST TOWARDS THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. Thanks to Chris Decker


HAMLETS AND RICE PADDIES Thanks to Tom Beach


RICE PADDIES SEPARATED BY DIKES Thanks to Tom De Young


SMALL HAMLET Thanks to Tom Beach


BRAVO PATROL MOVING ALONG RICE PADDY DIKE Thanks to Tom Beach
Dikes were also the main paths connecting hamlets and were used for taking agricultural produce to the market at Bong Son. These dikes were dangerous because of open exposure with no cover to sweeping fire by the enemy from tree lines. Small mines and booby traps/punji traps were often emplaced by local guerrilla soldiers or as ambush sites along the dikes.


TYPICAL HOUSE IN A HAMLET Thanks to Tom Beach


WELL CARED FOR HOUSE WITH MANY POTTED PLANTS Thanks to Tom Beach


PROSPEROUS RICE FARMERS HOUSE Thanks to Tom Beach

NEWLY SEEDED RICE PADDY Thanks to Tom De Young


POUNDING RICE KERNELS Thanks to Tom Beach


MAKING MOON CAKES Thanks to Tom Beach
This photo was taken close to time of the TET festivities in late January 1968 and these special cakes were probably made for selling at the Bong Son market.


GRAZING ANIMALS WITH HAMLET IN BACKGROUND Thanks to Tom Beach


HEADING FOR THE MARKET AT BONG SON Thanks to Tom Beach


ROAD CLOSE TO BONG SON Thanks to Tom Beach


FAMILY TOMB NEXT TO THEIR FARM PLOTS Thanks to Tom Beach


OLD FRENCH PLANTATION Thanks to Tom Beach


CROPS AROUND ANCESTRAL BURIAL MOUNDS Thanks to Tom Beach


THE FAMOUS MULE Thanks to Tom Beach
As we transported all our equipment by air, it had to be small and lightweight. The Mule was developed to meet these requirements and Bravo Company supply folks used them to transport supplies to the helipad. Here they were loaded on our supply chopper and flown out to our field location.


OUR LOG CHOPPER Thanks to Tom Beach

EXTRACTION ON RIDGELINE VICINITY OF BONG SON Thanks to Tom Beach




BRAVO ENROUTE TO COMBAT ASSAULT Thanks to Tom Beach