barrages were called in at the slightest excuse and caused tremendous damage. Shells could not discriminate between insurgents and friendly locals, who suffered a lot of 'collateral damage'. And US forces have traditionally had a problem with 'friendly fire': killing their own troops and those of their allies, rather than the enemy's.
On 7 September 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced that a huge fortified barrier sixty miles long was to be built two miles south of the DMZ in an attempt to stop Communist infiltration. It would be called the McNamara Line. A cratered area 700 yards wide, called the Trace, had already been bombed flat in preparation. This ran along the northern edge of 'Leatherneck Square', the area that the Marines had been told to hold against NVA infiltration from the North. Beyond it the Green Berets and the cidgees had tried to hold a line, but their camps had been overrun. These were retaken by the Marines who began stringing barbed wire, creosoting bunker timbers, and filling sandbags to fortify these forward bases.
The NVA decided to smash the McNamara Line before it even got started. They attacked at the forward base at Con Thien, which was fourteen miles inland and two miles south of the DMZ at the northwest corner of Leatherneck Square. It overlooked one of the NVA major infiltration routes. If they could take it, the NVA would overlook the major US logistics depot at Dong Ha and the way would be open for Quang Tri province to be overrun by the 35,000 NVA troops massing to the north of the DMZ.
Although the DMZ was supposed to be inviolable, neither side respected its demilitarised status. The NVA infiltrated directly across it, and in July 1966, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff authorised the bombardment of the DMZ and limited incursions, provided that no public disclosures were made. It was feared that occupying the DMZ – or indeed, any part of North Vietnam or Laos – would invite the Chinese to intervene as they had done in the Korean War. From December 1966, it was permitted to return fire across the DMZ. Pre-emptive fire, including air strikes, was allowed from February 1967. Then in May, a sweep by the Marines and ARVN through the southern part of the DMZ, up to the Ben Hai river, cleared 13,000 people from the area to permit the unrestricted bombing of NVA positions.
On 2 July two companies of Marines were sweeping around to the north of the Trace, well outside the DMZ, when A Company tripped two claymore mines, taking heavy casualties. B Company then came under heavy mortar fire, forcing them out into the open where they were hit with artillery and flame-throwers. The NVA swarmed forward to finish them off but were repelled by air attacks using napalm. The Communist artillery bombardment continued, though. Two of the tanks carrying dead Marines off the battlefield were damaged by mines. The LZ where the wounded were being mustered was hit by artillery and mortars, adding stretcher bearers and medics to the casualty list, and fifty of the wounded had to walk back to Con Thien. Meanwhile three more companies were committed to the action, only to be forced back to Con Thien at nightfall. Only twenty-seven of B Company walked out of the action.
Con Thien then found itself under siege. Enemy mortars zeroed in on the LZs and the relief companies had to go without water for thirty-six hours. Three thousand NVA troops surrounded the firebases, but air strikes and artillery kept them at bay. More NVA troops engaged the Marines to the south of Con Thien and a huge force was spotted crossing the Ben Hai river. Marine positions to the east of Con Thien were hit by 1,500 rounds of artillery fire. The NVA 90th Regiment made costly 'human wave' attacks in an attempt to overrun their positions. Communist soldiers climbed over heaps of their own dead to get close enough to hurl grenades and fused blocks of TNT. An NVA bunker to the southwest of Con Thien was cleared which cut NVA activity
On 7 September 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced that a huge fortified barrier sixty miles long was to be built two miles south of the DMZ in an attempt to stop Communist infiltration. It would be called the McNamara Line. A cratered area 700 yards wide, called the Trace, had already been bombed flat in preparation. This ran along the northern edge of 'Leatherneck Square', the area that the Marines had been told to hold against NVA infiltration from the North. Beyond it the Green Berets and the cidgees had tried to hold a line, but their camps had been overrun. These were retaken by the Marines who began stringing barbed wire, creosoting bunker timbers, and filling sandbags to fortify these forward bases.
The NVA decided to smash the McNamara Line before it even got started. They attacked at the forward base at Con Thien, which was fourteen miles inland and two miles south of the DMZ at the northwest corner of Leatherneck Square. It overlooked one of the NVA major infiltration routes. If they could take it, the NVA would overlook the major US logistics depot at Dong Ha and the way would be open for Quang Tri province to be overrun by the 35,000 NVA troops massing to the north of the DMZ.
Although the DMZ was supposed to be inviolable, neither side respected its demilitarised status. The NVA infiltrated directly across it, and in July 1966, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff authorised the bombardment of the DMZ and limited incursions, provided that no public disclosures were made. It was feared that occupying the DMZ – or indeed, any part of North Vietnam or Laos – would invite the Chinese to intervene as they had done in the Korean War. From December 1966, it was permitted to return fire across the DMZ. Pre-emptive fire, including air strikes, was allowed from February 1967. Then in May, a sweep by the Marines and ARVN through the southern part of the DMZ, up to the Ben Hai river, cleared 13,000 people from the area to permit the unrestricted bombing of NVA positions.
On 2 July two companies of Marines were sweeping around to the north of the Trace, well outside the DMZ, when A Company tripped two claymore mines, taking heavy casualties. B Company then came under heavy mortar fire, forcing them out into the open where they were hit with artillery and flame-throwers. The NVA swarmed forward to finish them off but were repelled by air attacks using napalm. The Communist artillery bombardment continued, though. Two of the tanks carrying dead Marines off the battlefield were damaged by mines. The LZ where the wounded were being mustered was hit by artillery and mortars, adding stretcher bearers and medics to the casualty list, and fifty of the wounded had to walk back to Con Thien. Meanwhile three more companies were committed to the action, only to be forced back to Con Thien at nightfall. Only twenty-seven of B Company walked out of the action.
Con Thien then found itself under siege. Enemy mortars zeroed in on the LZs and the relief companies had to go without water for thirty-six hours. Three thousand NVA troops surrounded the firebases, but air strikes and artillery kept them at bay. More NVA troops engaged the Marines to the south of Con Thien and a huge force was spotted crossing the Ben Hai river. Marine positions to the east of Con Thien were hit by 1,500 rounds of artillery fire. The NVA 90th Regiment made costly 'human wave' attacks in an attempt to overrun their positions. Communist soldiers climbed over heaps of their own dead to get close enough to hurl grenades and fused blocks of TNT. An NVA bunker to the southwest of Con Thien was cleared which cut NVA activity
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