3/3 RVN Ass’n Vol 1 Issue 5 01/01/2006
Page 8 Sea Tiger August 23, 1968
Near Dong Ha
3/3 Captures Enemy Guns
By SSgt. Don Willis
DONG HA –
Two enemy artillery pieces, which for months have harassed Marines at Camp Carroll, were silenced by Leathernecks of the 3rd Battalion, Third Marines.
The guns, two 75millimeter pack howitzers, were captured by “I” Co. about 5,000 meters northwest of Camp Carroll, near Dong Ha Mountain.
Led by Capt. Matthew G. McTiernan, (19886 Vermont Lane, Huntington Beach Calif.), “I” co, was participating in a joint 3rd Marine Division and Army of the Republic of Vietnam multi-battalion sweep in the Lancaster II area just south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ).
The weapons were discovered while the Marines were searching a large North Vietnamese Army (NVA) bunker complex. The guns were in well-camouflaged bunkers approximately 100 meters apart.
Enemy soldiers had apparently left the area in haste for the Marines also found some uncooked rice in the bunkers.
The Howitzers were positioned so that one could fire on the southwest half of Camp Carroll and the other could cover the northeast half of the base. They were so well entrenched and camouflaged that it was impossible to see their muzzle flashes from Camp Carroll when they were fired.
Weighing approximately 700 pounds each with a range of 8,500 meters, the guns had been a daily threat to Camp Carroll Marines. Firing volleys of two or three rounds each, the enemy gunners would hit the base almost daily.
Lt. Col. Vaughn R. Stuart (Haskell, Texas), 3rd Marines commanding officer, explained the NVA gunners would pick a certain area to shoot at, like the mess hall or post exchange.
Stuart said the Marines were apprehensive about moving in the open or in groups, because they knew the guns were out there and could hit anywhere on base. “It was a psychological thing,” he said, “but now that we have captured the weapons, you can see and feel a change in the morale here.”
Marines weren’t the only people harassed by the NVA gunners. The Army’s 2nd Bn., 94th Artillery Brigade, while stationed at Camp Carroll also felt the presence of the NVA guns.
When soldiers of the 2nd Bn., now based at Quang Tri received word that the guns had been captured, they sent a letter to Leathernecks of the Third Marines thanking and congratulating them for silencing the NVA weapons.
CAPTURED HOWITZER – Lt. Col Vaughn R. Stuart, commanding officer, Third Marines, attaches as sign to one of two NVA 75mm pack howitzers captured by Mairnes of his regiment. The NVA artillery pieces, which for months had harassed Camp Carroll Mairnes, were captured by “I” Co. Leathernecks during a sweep and clear operation northwest of Camp Carroll.
(Photo by Sgt J.G. McCullogh)
