1) This page; Maps & AO
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25th Infantry Division Area of Operation (AO) The Divisions AO was an area northwest of Saigon. It (roughly) covered an area 30 by 75 miles – north of the Vam Co Dong ["Oriental River"] to the Cambodian border "Fishook" area; and west from the Hoc Mon / Phu Cuong line near Saigon to the Cambodian border in Tay Ninh. The AO included such famous places of battle as the Michelin Rubber Plantation; the Ho Bo Woods; the Boi Loi Woods; War Zones C & D; the Iron Triangle; the Angel's Wing; the Dog's Face; the Fishook; the Trapizoid; the Citadel; and the Tunnels of Cu Chi. THE TERRAIN was generally flat – with rolling hills. In some areas the differences in height were almost inperceptable. The land formations ranged from tilled (and abandoned) rice paddy, scattered jungle, rubber plantations, scattered small villages (and a few towns of reasonable size) to full blown tripple-canopy jungle. Interspersed throughout were numerous streams and the Saigon & Vam Co Dong rivers. The volcano shaped mountain Nui Ba Den could be seen from almost all of the AO. It jutted up from the flatness of the rice paddies in a most memorable way. North of Dau Tieng were the mountains of Nui Ong and Nui Tha La – commonly known as the "Razorback Mountains." Generally speaking, the AO was farm country in the south and jungle in the north. THE WEATHER IN OUR AO was often discribed as "being two ways; Hot! And damned hot!!" The average daily high was 89° – but could range to 105–107°. Most days, of any given month, one could expect the temperature to be over 85°. The average low; 76°. The record low was 57°. "The rainy season" was from May through October – with an average monthly rainfall of 10 to 13 inches. The rest of the months were concidered to be "the dry season" – January and February the dryest.

25th Inf Div Area of Operations

The red lines are roads. Shaded area line on left is Cambodian border with "the Angel's Wing" and "the Parrott's Beak" discernible.

Highway 1 runs from Saigon through Trang Bang to Go Da Ha, turns west into the Angels Wing at Bavet, Cambodia.

Highway 22 runs north from Go Da Ha through Tay Ninh City and on to Cambodia.

Cambodia

The battalion was at Mimot (Minot or Mimut on some maps). Battalion rear was near Katum, Viet Nam.

Xuan Loc

The battalions AO in late '70 early '71.

Political & Administrative Maps [Map # 1: The 2/12ths AO from mid 1968 to early '70]

No roads on this map of the political boundries.

The three darkest lines are the boundries of the Provinces; Binh Duong(upper right); Hau Nghia (lower left); Tay Ninh(upper left). Provinces = U.S. States.**

The next darkest lines demark the county-like areas – called Districts – of Cu Chi and Trang Bang in Hua Nghia Province. Phu Hoa District is in Binh Duong Province.
**Note where the three Provinces come together at the "Mushroom."

The faitest lines denote Hamlets, and are not named on this map.

The 2/12th's AO in 1966-67, part of '68, and again in 1970.

Once again, the boldest lines on this map denote the Province boundries. In the center is the boundry between Tay Ninh and Binh Duong Provinces.

A good part of the Ho Bo Woods, south of the Mushroom, is in Binh Duong Province. The District of Khiem Hanh included the Boi Loi Woods in Tay Ninh Province. The District of Trang Bang in Hau Nghia Province also included a part of the Ho Bo's. Dau Tieng and the Razorback Mountains were in the Tri Tam District of Binh Duong Province. Casualty data was listed by Province and not district.

The Trang Bang–Saigon Corridor

During Tet of 1968 the 2/12th was tasked to protect Saigon by operating in the Hoc Mon area (Gia Dinh Province).

Ho Bo Woods

Note the aptly named 'Mushroom' area (vic XT5832) of the Siagon River, and the location of the current tourist trap commonly known as 'the Tunnels of Cu Chi' (XT599319).

This map shows the 'western' portion of the Ho Bo which was double and tripple canopy jungle from XT55 east to XT58 [Reserve Forestiere de Cachuc (translation: Forest of Cachuc.]. From XT58 east were a series of (destroyed) rubber plantations near the village of Ho Bo.

FSB Pershing to PB Dees

DEES (XT556228) [Patrol Base Dees was also refered to as "a Hard Spot."]

PERSHING (XT519255)

Trang Bang to PB Lorence

TRANG BANG (vic XT4919)

STUART, FSB (XT499197)
This Fire Support Base near the Trang Bang bridge is Stuart III. Stuart I was located near the Ho Bo Woods. Stuart II was located just south-east of Trang Bang. Stuart III is the fire support base most commonly refered to as "Stuart." [Stewart is a common misspelling.]

LORENCE, Patrol Base (XT519219)
[Lawrence is a common mis-spelling.]
The patrol base was named in honor of PFC John E. Lorence of Delta Company, 2nd BN, 12th INF, KIA 8JUN69.]

The Citidel

The Citidel was a well known enemy stronghold of broken jungle, hedgerows and farms north of Trung Lap. Efforts to suppress enemy activity in this area continued throughout the war.

FSB Pershing

Fire Support Base Pershing (XT519256) and the enterance road to Pershing. Just to the east of Pershing is "Dry Lake."

PB Dees

Named in honor of Co. E KIA Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Dees.

That little dot, in the crease, next to the "D" is the location of Patrol Base Dees(XT555227) – sometimes refered to as "hardspot Dees." Just to the south o Dees is "Round Lake"(XT555222).

Patrol Base Dees was company size (100 +/- men) with no artillery within. Established in May69 and torn down in Dec (+/-). Dees was straight-leg all the way – you marched into and out of it. It was supplied by air, no roads led to it... no trucks, no jeeps... just helicopter support. Hell, I don't even remember "the Mech" coming around.

a close up of the above; clearly shows "the three hootches in a row" that stood just outside Dees. For a time, we used a well here for a shower. We took so much fire from these hootches that they were eventually destroyed.

Fire Suppor Base Stuart (III)

Fire Support Base Stuart III (XT497195) – sometimes misspelled 'Stewart' – sat asside Hwy 1 and between the Trang Bang bridge and the temple.
The Trang Bang Bridge (XT501194).
The Trang Bang Temple (XT496196) at the bend in the road.

[NOTE: See Allen Suydam's photos (on Ray Cassidy's http://212veterans.org website) for some great pics of FSB Sturart – and maybe a flashback.]

FSB Kien (XT52149)

Located south of Dau Tieng & norh of the Saigon River's 'Mushroom' area.

Fire Support Base Kien started its life as Fire Support Base MAHONE (III). It was renamed Kien by a 1st Division colonel. In FEB70 we – the 2/12th Infantry – took over this 'combined operations' base from the 1st. When we got there, there were American and Vietnamese (ARVN) sides to the base. I sure hope Alpha company took over the ARVN side – as THIS PLACE WAS A DUMP when we took over!

ONION ~ The geographic map landmark known as the Onion is on this map the (yellowish) cleared area on the right of the photo that looks like an upside-down scallion.

FSB Kien [Mahone III]

The bold blue line on the left is the Saigon River.
The thin blue line is the stream Rach Cam Nom.
Directly accross the road LTL-14 is the village of Xom Ben Tranh. Since the FSB was co-habited by ARVNs, the village had a lot of dependants in it. It was dirt poor.
LTL-14 leads north-west to Dau Tieng; and south-east to The Mushroom.

FSB Kien / Trapezoid / Onion / Boi Loi Woods

This is a map of an area approximently 45 NW of Saigon, and just south of Dau Tieng. The blue line running thru the map is the Saigon River. Other blue lines are streams and tributaries.

Near the end of February 1970 the 2/12th moved north from FSB Pershing in AO Rapier [see map below] to FSB Kien. Kien was located south of the famous rubber plantation of Michelin outside of the city of Dau Tieng (Tri Tam), Binh Duong Province.

FSB Kien (XT52149)

The "Tapezoid" [Most of the upper right on this map,] was a nickname for the geographic area between the southern edge of the Michelin and the Iron Triangle.

The "Onion" -- southeast of Michelin Rubber Plantation --was a nickname for a bamboo and swampy area surrounded by dense forrest. It LOOKED like an onion on our colored maps. [see http://community.webtv.net/eileencampbell/MAPS2 for another view of Onion ] NOTE: US Army map Series L607 SHEET 6231 has 'Onion' & 'Mushroom' designitions switched... wrongly printed.

The "Mushroom" -- 12 miles north of Trang Bang -- was mangrove swampy area named for its shape.

The "Boi Loi" and "Ho Bo" Woods were jungle.


Other points of interest on this map.....

near the right-hand neck of the Mushroom was the vlllage of Ben Suc which Colonel Alexander Haig's First Infantry troops airassaulted into during a famous "Iron Triangle" operation early in the war. [Remember General Alexander Haig? When Ronald Regan was wounded in an assination attempt Haig declared "I am in charge here at the Whitehouse." :-) ]

[Across the river from the village of Ben Suc (and near the "cap" of the Mushroom) is the now famous Tunnels of Cu Chi tourist trap.]

©2006 by Bruce Holzhauer