Firebase Mary Ann and book "Sappers in the Wire"

[MORTARDUDE]

I finally got a copy of Keith William Nolan's excellent book , "Sappers in the Wire : The Life and Death of Firebase Mary Ann." I am amazed at all the detail. Since the IG came out to investigate right after the debacle, and Mr. Nolan was able to interview many participants, many small details are available and it is possible to track each soldier thru the whole battle. It presents a complete and invaluable view of the action. In reading about the very inadequate firabase security it was a miracle that there were not more American KIAs, and a testament to those who pulled together and kept the base from being completely destoyed. The NVA sappers were some brave dudes. It would have helped to have some comments from the enemy perspective as well. It also has some interesting info about ARVN culpability. All in all a necessary resource to understand how far the US Army had fallen from 1965 to this attack in 1971.
The final killed and wounded were American : 30 KIA ( including one Capt., 2 1st Lt, one SSgt, and 3 Sgt. ) 82 WIA ...NVA :
15 dead sappers were found...

Also, didn't someone on one of the boards have some experience with FSB Mary Ann ?

Larry

[chilidog]

Larry,
Montana Kid from the old board was a medic in that outfit. He left just a short time before that happened. He had a lot of friends that were still there. I had a hard time reading it. I had to put it down for a couple months before I could pick it back up and finish it. Nolan's book "Ripcord" is pretty much the same way. I have been reading on it for 6 or 8 months now. Maybe I will be able to pick it up and finish it pretty soon. It's hard for me to face what all of you went through at such a young age. Keith Nolan has given me a much deeper respect for all of you.

Thanks,
Chilidog

[MORTARDUDE]

Chilidog :

Many thanks. I knew someone was there. Does anybody know what happened to the Montana Kid ?

Larry

[chilidog]

Larry,
Montana Kid dropped off the old board a long while back. He was busy helping build a website for his btn and there were a couple wannabes flaming the board at the time anyway. He was also busy moving back and forth between Malta and Missoula. I lost track which one he is at now, but he went back into public defending; he liked it better. I checked in on him about a year or so ago and invited him over here. He said that he would check us out, but he was still busy with the btn site. I have his personal website marked on one of my old computers. I'll see if I can look it up for you if you want it.

Chilidog

[MontanaKid]

It's nice to be remembered.. You make me all "verklempt" I actually left country a year before the Mary Ann attack. So I would not have known many at Mary Ann, except for a few FNG/s of my later months who may have extended their tours. But I was still in the battalion when Mary Ann was first created, as a temporary fire base to support our battalion in an operation along the Song Tranh river area. I never did get out to Mary Ann, but as a medic in the battalion aid station at LZ Professional, I did help with casualties that the Charlie-Charlie had relayed to Professional... We did a little more advanced care than the company medics of D 1/46 had been equipped to do at Mary Ann, then transferred them to a dustoff for the flight to Chu Lai. We had one fatality, the first man from our battalion to die at LZ Mary Ann, that I and other medics shifted from a wrapped poncho to a regular "body bag." ironically, he was the last dead man I saw in Vietnam, I remembered reaching up to close his eyes, the last guy I did that for in Vietnam. Just a little guesture to give the guy dignity. I did that with all the dead I attended to, including enemy dead. Delta company was securing the new firebase and aiding in its construction when it was hit by mortars, causing the casualties I assisted with at LZ Professional.
The vets of Mary Ann meet regularly now at Fort Knox, KY on March 28, the anniversary of the Mary Ann attack. I've met with them once. Great guys. May 26th is now celebrated as "Torchlight" The name comes from the lit torch on our battalion crest. Our battalion is still active and now a basic training battalion at Fort Knox. They put on a moving celebration including an awsome night ceremony by torchlight, which include acknowledgement of the battalion campaigns in WWII and Vietnam. It has a ghost bagpiper playing an eirie lament as he walks just out of torchlight range in the dark. It's quite a lump in the throat for me.