These photos may clear up the fog. *

Hau Nghia A Province in Viet Nam carved out and created from several other Provinces for political reasons. It was disbanded and became a part of Greater Siagon after the fall of the Republic of South Vietnam. It had about a quarter of a million people when I was there in '69. The people where mainly Buddhist with ancester worship as a feature. Most homes had small shrines with pictures of the deceaced and burning incense. The terrain ranged from mostly rice paddies in the south (broken by bamboo hedge rows and small patches of forest), to the heavy jungle of the Ho Bo Woods boardering the Siagon River in the north.

FSB Pershing

Looking east (towards Cu Chi) from the 'Six Alpha' side of base. Note main gate road on bottom left of screen. Main LZ/PZ was just outside the main gate. The V.I.P. LZ/PZ was on the south side of the perimeter (Trang Bang side). FSB Pershing was built at the site of the destroyed village of Áp Châ Rây and remains of the village cemetery were just outside of the Fire Support Base. Pershing was the 2/12th's home from 1968 until February 1970 when the battalion moved north to FSB Kien. "B" Battery 1/8 Artillery was our support at Pershing. XT 517315 for all you map readers and FO types out there. *

Pershing from the air. [OK, so the above photos ain't the greatest - wadda-ya want for nothing! --Sarge]

Take a Trang Bang Road Trip! The next few photos, from my 'home movie' and other Vets pix, will take you on a VIRTUAL TOUR from Trang Bang, up "Six Alpha" (TL-6A) to FSB Pershing. You'll be riding on the top of a First of the Fifth 'track' (1/5 Mechanized Infantry M-113 Armoured Personnel Carrier). Hang on! All photos © 2001 by Bruce Holzhauer

Entering Trang Bang from the south.

You are on Highway QL-1, the paved highway out of Cu Chi. Remember the 'Interstate-1' signs?. You're headed northwest and just about to enter Trang Bang. You've just crossed the "Trang Bang bridge." FSB Stuart is to your right (out of camera frame). That's the track's drivers helmet on the left. Note the white structure in the background, that is the "Temple at Trang Bang." We weren't supposed to fire on it from FSB Stuart but we did. And nly if we took fire from it or there was a (signal) light on it at night. Behind you; the road leads to Cu Chi Town and Saigon. Ahead of you; the road leads to adventure. [HISTORICAL NOTE: What you are looking at is the exact spot that "the little girl in the photograph" picture was taken some years latter. Kim Phuc was struck by napalm dropped from A SOUTH VIETNAMESE PLANE and ran naked, with her arms outstreached in agony, towards photographer Nick Ut who snapped the picture.] *

Temple at Trang Bang (1969 photo)

© 2003 Jerrold Brooks

Downtown Trang Bang

You're gonna make a right here onto the road at the intersection of QL-1 and TL-6A (Six Alpha). Keep going straight, on that pavement, and you'll find yourself in Go Da Hua, then Tay Ninh City. But we're turn north. Trang Bang's Market is to your left [BBQed rat-on-a-stick anyone?]. The white building is the famous gas station. *

Six Alpha in Trang Bang

now, you are really in Ap Lôc Trác, a 'suburb' of Trang Bang ["Same-same!"]. Your heading north towards Pershing. It's mid-morning (note the shadows). Do you remember the little kids on the side of the road begging as your convoy passed? "GI numba one!, Give baby-san chop chop!" "Give baby-san cigarette!" And, my all time favorite; "F__k you, gee eye!" After "clearing" Trang Bang (on the left of the road) is the Regional Forces/Popular Forces Fort. Commonly known as 'Ruff-Puffs', we worked with these local Vietnamese many times. I'm sure veterans experiences varried, but I know of at least one time I found them to be excellant soldiers - read the Tropic Lghtning News story link off my HOME page titled 'AP Outfoxes Foes'. *

Rush Hour on Six Alpha at 'Check Point Alpha'. The gaggle of Vietnamese on the right are the "road vendors" that followed the American troops along 6-A. If you didn't see them around, it meant you were in a mined area, or were about to get ambushed. You could buy anything from these people. And, I do mean ANYTHING! Co. A's 1st Platoon [My platoon.] was "working" with 'The Mech' this day, and judging from the size of the crowd The Mech had a lot to trade. They carried tons of stuff inside those APCs.

'Soda Boy' Dave Musgrave aint buying.... he's busy cleaning his trusty M-14, as the convoy, from Cu Chi, passes a rice paddy between Check Point Bravo and Check Point Charlie. A/2/12 Inf., 1st platoon. June/July 1969.

Cowboys near Check Point Foxtrot. I corralled these three – water-buffalo herders and dirt poor – for a photo. The kid on the left "crashed" the photo. You can tell he's a 'city-boy' by his clothes. At least one of them knows the 'peace sign' drill.

Distances * •Saigon to Cu Chi - 15 miles •Cu Chi Base Camp to Cu Chi Town - 2 miles •Cu Chi Town to Trang Bang - 8 miles •Trang Bang to FSB Pershing - 4 miles (The 14-mile trip from Cu Chi to Pershing usually took about one hour.) FSB Pershing to Ho Bo Woods - 4 miles FSB Pershing to PB Dees - 3 miles

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