Operation Toan Thang 43
Toan Thang 43, 2nd Brigade's first phase of operations in Cambodia, was conducted in Base Area 707, north of the “Dog's Face.”
On 9 May 1970, the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, was airlifted deep inside Cambodia while the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry secured the roadways north from the border.
The following day the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry and the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry were airlifted north of a heavily wooded area while the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry took up positions south and west of the same area. The 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry, rumbled into position east of the woods, enclosing the area.
Inside was believed to be a major enemy headquarters. As the four units closed the sides of the box, they received sporadic contact with enemy trying to escape. The units soon began to report finds indicating the area had housed a large base camp with sophisticated material like that used for a headquarters type operation. The 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, uncovered what appeared to be the headquarters of the base camp complex. First they found a mimeograph machine, two brand new generators, 86 M-1 carbines, three .30 caliber machine guns and three typewriters. Next came two unused 75mm recoilless rifles with carriages, 38 cases of .30 caliber ammunition, 100 81mm mortar rounds, four cases of 3.5 inch rockets, four cases of Soviet made mines, one 60mm mortar tube with bipod and one .30 caliber water-cooled machine guns. There were also 11 bicycles, 11 cases of AK-ammunition, 100 60mm mortar rounds, nine rocket-propelled grenade rounds and 40 hand grenades.
In another part of the complex, the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry discovered what was evidently a hospital complex. Large quantities of medical supplies were found in complexes similar to battalion aid stations.
The search of the area continued for the next week. More and more of the same type caches came to light. But now one thing became most significant-rice. Rice had been found during the early operations, but nothing of such monumental quantity. Moving rice became a new and imposing challenge to Tropic Lightning.
On 14 May 1970, about 17 miles north of Thien Ngon, Charlie Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry found 170 tons of rice, packed in 220 pound bags. The next day the first cache was virtually duplicated when Bravo Troop located an additional 15 sacks, each containing the same number of bags. Within five days, the 25th Division cavalrymen had collected more than 400 tons of rice. Then the backbreaking labor began. Because the rice was found in triple canopy jungle, choppers were unable to get in to pick it up. Much of it was found in jungle to dense for armored personnel carriers. The rice had to be carried by hand to clearings where it was loaded on anything available: a truck, armored personnel carriers, tanks almost anything going to the rear.
The 25th soldiers worked hard evacuating the stockpiled rice. As one soldier put it, “Charlie will at least have to tighten up his belt for quite a while.”
The third phase of the division's Cambodian campaign saw the 1st Brigade travel northeast through Vietnam to Base Area 353, west of Base Area 707, where the 2nd Brigade had been operating. Working side by side, the two brigades operated massive search and reconnaissance operations over a large part of the area referred to by president Nixon as “The Fish Hook.”
On 17 May 1970, the 1st Battalion (Mech) 5th Infantry searching a heavily wooded area uncovered one of the largest communication caches of the war. Included were 135 bunkers, 57 hootches, 10 classrooms, and several tons of radio and electronics equipment. Continuing their search, infantrymen swept through an enemy hospital complex composed of 50 hootches, 130-150 bunkers and three kitchens.
The third phase of operation saw two additional units, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry and 4th Battalion (Mech), 23rd Infantry, enter Cambodia to replace units that had seen heavy action.
The 4th Battalion (Mech), 23rd Infantry, and 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry tactfully handled a cordon and search operation in the city of Memot by arranging a medical civic action program, including games and food distribution while troops searched for suspected enemy caches of equipment, weapons and food.
The residents of Memot had been told by loudspeaker that with the exception of one person per family, they were all to gather in the town square. The U.S. troops, escorted by a resident, searched each Cambodian house and yard while the families were being entertained and given medical treatment. Where enemy weapons or materiel were found, suspicious persons were taken for questioning.
The search of Memot uncovered many small enemy caches. Among the items found were two 75mm Recoilless rifles, five 20mm magazines loaded with ammunition, a Remington Springfield .30 caliber rifle, three British rifles, 25 anti-tank mines, 188 rifle grenades and 125 pounds of medical supplies.
By 29 June the last 25th division units had pulled out of Cambodia. They were happy to be out. Contact had been heavy, comforts scarce and the monsoon season was quickly gaining momentum. But the men knew that something had been accomplished and they had participated in a significant event of modern history.
The commanding general of the 25th Division, Major General Edward Bautz Jr., lauded the men of Tropic Lightning: “Your dedication, courage and skill have deprived the enemy of staggering quantities of weapons, ammunition, and supplies. You have deprived him of the use of sanctuaries inside of Cambodia, temporarily halting and challenging the communists to undertake the costly and time consuming job of rebuilding. You have captured volumes of important documents that have provided a clearer and more detailed picture of the enemy system of command, control and support from inside Cambodia.
“A partial list of communist arms, ammunition and equipment which Tropic Lightning captured and destroyed inside Cambodia includes more than 700 individual weapons just under 150 crew-served weapons, and over 45 tons of ammunition.”
“You have captured or destroyed more than 1.500 tons of rice, more than 5,600 pounds of communication equipment, 56 vehicles, and almost 1,600 pounds of documents. More than 13,000 pounds of medical supplies will never again be used to sustain the enemy.”
“There can be no doubt that the cross-border operations of Tropic Lightning and its sister divisions have dealt the enemy a severe blow and have brought the war much closer to a successful conclusion.”
Units returning to Vietnam resettled themselves throughout the extended area of operation, including War Zone C. within the next few months, division units moved south from Katum and Thien Ngon as ARVN, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, units moved in.
The returning units took little time to lick their wounds. Mech units took maintenance stand downs to clean the red Cambodian clay from the workings of their tracks and then off they went to new assignments. But the pressure was off. Any place in Vietnam would seem a vacation after Cambodia.