Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for MAG-12

For date 680520


MAG-12 was a US Marine Corps unit
Primary service involved, US Marine Corps
Quang Tin Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Chu Lai
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Marine Pilots Spur Surrender of 9 N. Vietnamese Near Hue." Chu Lai (OSI) - The MAG-12 debriefer looked twice as he read the report on the mission flown by A4E skyhawk pilots, Majs. John A. Herber and Thomas F. Lewis. It read "100 per cent target coverage, 100 per cent of the target destroyed, and nine North Vietnamese Army soldiers captured." All it took was a show of Marine air power and the NVA soldiers, with hands held high, walked into U.S. Army lines and surrendered. The Marine attack Sq. 311 pilots were on a bombing mission in support of Army units engaged in close combat with NVA northwest of Hue. A low overcast hampered an immediate attack by the Chu Lai based Skyhawks which flew over the target for 15 minutes. "I think that's one reason they surrendered," said Herber, 35, of Bethell, Wash., the flight leader. "While waiting for the ground troops to mark their position and the Army controllers to mark the enemy positions, we circled under the overcast in plain sight. It may have gotten on their nerves." "I's be hesitant about fighting, too," said Lewis, 30 of Pisgal Forest, N.C. "The NVA were surrounded by the Army and above them were two Skyhawks with 20mm cannons, 250 and 500-pound bombs, waiting for them to give away their positions. What else could they do?" Those who decided to stay more than likely wished they had surrendered. Once the enemy positions were spotted, the Skyhawks made a series of passes dropping their bombs. Flying through intense automatic weapons fire, the Skyhawks strafed as close as 20 meters away from the U.S. troops who started to tighten the circle on the NVA. A total count of enemy dead could not be obtained immediately due to smoke and fire in the area. However , the controller informed the flight that it was credited with nine prisoners captured.

The source for this information was 6805pss.avn supplied by Les Hines


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023