Others

Here are responses by others:

I met a guy at the annual Kokomo, Indiana Vietnam Veterans reunion in 2003 who told me an amazing story of his experience when the ammo dump blew. I asked him to write the story and send it to me so I could put it on the site. So far I have heard nothing, so I will tell the story as best I can. If he sends me his version, I will replace it. It's just too good not to tell.

He was wounded in the field during the day. His injuries were not life threatening but severe enough that he was medivaced to 3rd Surg at Dong Tam. Immediately after the first ammo dump explosion rocked Dong Tam, those working at the hospital began quickly moving the patients to the bunker. The cots were stacked 3 high in the bunker and this young man was in the top rack. The concussion from the next explosion threw him off of his cot and onto the floor splitting his head open on impact. He said he was medivaced out of Dong Tam much sooner than his original injuries would have required. Talk about a really bad day!!!

I have always had the greatest respect for those who worked in the hospitals. I thought his story said volumes about the fact that the medical staff never hesitated to risk their own lives to save their patients. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the nurses and all other medical personnel who took such great care of our wounded.
Emily

It's quite an experience to find a site focused on that ammo dump hit. Gosh, does bring back memories!
Rob

I also looked at the photos of the ammo dump when it blew up. I was in a ditch across the road from the dump all night. My platoon leader and I spent the night there.
H. Jones

In answer to your question about "Where were you when the ammo dump went up?", I was on Bunker 7, located between the ammo dump and the Mekong River. We manned the bunkers every night for base camp security. Quite a night! ........ Well, suffice to say it was a busy night. <grin> And I am proud to say I won the Silver Star that night for running around while it was all going on, checking the various positions.
Skip

Somehow landed on your website just like I landed in Dong Tam replacment company a day or two before the dump went up. Quite a shock to be knocked out of bed ,come out, and think all of Dong Tam was about to be overrun. Later I got assigned to 4th 39th at F.B.Danger that turned out to be a great deal more dangerous than Dong Tam ever was. The occasional visits by the Donut Dollies always helped to add some reality to a crazy world. Thanks. Enjoyed your site and the photo's
Glen Porter

I was sitting on a 50 gallon oil drum when the ammo dump when up outside the comm bunker . The force knocked me off, i hit the ground and then i ran back into the comm bunker . I do have a piece of one of those rounds that went off that night . It was stuck in the wall of the comm bunker wall and still hot after about 3 hours . I cut a piece of wood off of the comm bunker ,,,made it into a round piece of wood ........painted the 9th infantry patch on it........ and drilled two holes into the lead ....& drove two nails into the board . When i got home ,,i put it on the wall and that's where it is as we speak . Every time i think things are bad ,,,all i have to do is look at that patch with the lead nailed to it .....and then i think twice about how LUCKY I WAS AND IS NOW . You see ,,that piece of lead was stuck in the wall about 2 feet from where i was sitting " HEAD LEVEL "
Ted

On the night of the ammo dump explosion, I remember standing in the doorway of the bunker, trying to look out and see what was going on, and then bam one helluva boom and I got blown back in the bunker. I do remember the concussion was really hard it hurt .But that was about all I remember that night.
Don Wills

I went to the same bunker used by the donut dollies and was there the night the ammo dump went up. I remember being nearly knocked out of my bed from the shock wave from the ammo dump explosion. My room was so full of dust that I thought the building must have collapsed. When I got down to the bunker someone told me my eyes were as big as plates.
Stetson Hall

I was in Dong Tam in 68-69 with the 17th Air Cav...a doorgunner on Huey's. I remember the ammo dump's minor explosions for 2-3 days leading up to the huge single explosion. Our sargeant told us this minor stuff was hand flares and small arms ammo going off. On the third day the sargeant frantically ran through the company area screaming about the main ammo dump about to blow. I ran up on the top landing of the hootch and watched a huge white ball rise up from the ground in the near distance. And then the white ball dissipated. I ran down and got in the bunker just in time. One of our guys was standing in the bunker's doorway when the concussion hit him and threw him out of the bunker at the other end. It blew him all the way through both doors. This was the 1969 TET. Do you remember the sapper attack on the JP-4 Aviation gas tank that same TET? All the flood canals filled with burning gas. We were hit with mortar and rocket every hour, on the hour for weeks in a row. We parked every spare vehicle on the burm to stop Charlie's view of us working on our helicopters. They were sniping at us. Charlie snuck in at night a few times and ran around firing aimlessly at anything they came in contact with. I remember the 205's and the quad-50's roaring all night long. We were bunked right next to a 105 battery. Constant outgoing. Many stories, huh. I finally got wounded on one assault mission at night, my friend with me much worse. A mortar hit right between two of my friends as they were sitting in the hooch one night. Of all the assault helicopter company's at Dong Tam, it seemed Charlie hated us the worst. He knew exactly where we were bunked. Well, I'm glad you survived as well to tell the stories to those who missed out. Best regards.
Robert