I will never forget that night. I had just checked into HMM 361. I had been transferred down from HMM 161 in Phu Bai. Someone had finally concluded that in-country pilots had to be re-distributed among the squadrons so that whole squadrons didn't rotate back to CONUS at the same time. Anyway, that was my first night at Marble Mountain. What a welcoming party!
Phil Johnson

I remember that night very well. We were at first hunkered down in bunkers we had dug next to our strong back tents. We thought we were under morter attack, but soon realized that was not the case. Iwas in MABs 16 utilities and we were part of the Damage control team. We slowly proceeded to the airstrip where we determined that sachael charges had been used on the choppers. We had to remove sachell charges from the dead VC and police the area.
Quite a night.

Flew, with others, that night from VMO-6, Ky Ha, Hueys, to cover VMO-2's missions the next day. Arrived at dawn. Quite a site. They did a job on us but we kept supporting the ground Marines as if nothing had happened to VMO-2. I am sure that the VC were sorrowfully surprised that armed Hueys were at them the day after they got to VMO-2. They really did not like the gun ships!
Lanny

Wednesday afternoon

I was at Danang for the VNAF Sqd that day and visited my old Marine friends at Marble Mt for the Wednesday afternoon recreation party. Departed for the VNAF side late that evening & heard the explosions & gunfire late that night , think it was around midnite. They picked there time probably based on the days activity, understand they had a barber on the base that probably scanned the whole scene. SF PM

MMAF Sapper Attack

REMEMBER THAT NIGHT WELL SINCE I WAS PART OF THE REACTION PLATOON ON DUTY . MOVING DOWN FROM THE TENT AREA TO THE FLIGHT LINE WAS A NEW AWAKENING TO LIFE..STILL HAVE PICTURES OF ALL THE DAMAGE DONE THAT NIGHT

Our barbers I believe 3 out of 4 were killed that night, also some Raymond&Morrison construction workers had dug a trench by the flight line with bulldozers, which were used for approach to the choppers most of the sappers had worked for either the construction company or MAG 16, I remember there were questions about the trench the day before wondering what was going into the trench. What were they building?Don't suppose the questions got high enough.Avionics people did a great job that night as our defenders were lined up wrong, I believe Lt. Grinstead was in charge of security. the Chineze Nungs got what avionics left. I believe there were 42 of them.

Carl L. Rice

Yes the attack was close to 2400 hours, I believe I awoke about 1150 or so. It will always be special to me because the 28th was my birthday and another year in the Corps. I was the QC Chief in 361, and the evening before there was a write up about both collectives were stiff or words to that effect. I had a lookie see and discorved the bearings on the collective torque tube were worn out and needed to be replaced. Those were not common replacement parts and would more then likey take for ever to get. Wouldn't you know on the morning of the 28th we had spare parts all over the flight line. Yes, it was a hetic night to say the least.

S/F

Ernie Needham

27 Oct 1965

A memorable night, for sure! Paul Moore mentions coming over for a social event in the afternoon. Might have been H&MS-16 party on the beach and Paul may well have stopped for a refreshment with LeRoy Garrison, our maintenance chief. I have a couple pictures posted under H&MS-16 (#2275 & #2268) which show some of the social event activity. Bob Stoffey, in his book "Cleared Hot" gives a good accounting of this attack, but doesn't mention the H&MS-16 avionics personnel. Squadron sections took turns doing hangar guard duty at night and they were in the structure doing their turn when tracers started slicing through the roof. They retreated to a hole on the north side of the hangar and dispatched a squad of vc which was approaching the flight line on the south slope of the dune. I have pictures of the last body removed as well as discarded c-ration can grenades . Also have a photo of a damaged garbage barrel which was recipient of an errant grenade. Bob Greer's H&MS-16 photo #1331 reflects a sign which was put up later, giving credit to avionics for their action. A couple names rattle around in the cranial cavity, but am not confident to post them here. I believe they were put in for awards but never heard the outcome. I was on the same guard detail a couple nights before and have directed a few thank-you's skyward that I was not on guard duty the 27th. I went to H&MS-36 and HMM-363 shortly after.

Leroy Garrison

You are correct, H&MS afternoon recreation party. And I did visit Leroy Garrison & several others , names are a void with me after all these years!! Some old timers I remember the names but after 46 years with Marines so many of the later ones have slipped from the roster!! But not from my fond memories. SF PM