Plei Me

Camp under attack Plei Me Special Forces Camp, Oct 65. Looking Southeast. Photo by Jim Lavorell

CPT Tommy Thompson, XO Det B-57, coordinates air support during Plei Me seige. Great Story: Well, the story goes like this (personally witnessed by me (Galloway), sitting right there beside them): Tommy Thompson was handling the radios, calling in the air strikes, coordinating parachute drops of pallets of ammo and food (most of which landed out in enemy territory and not inside the camp) and dealing with various HQs. He constantly had two PRC25 handsets, one on each ear. Suddenly a huge grin came over his face. "Cholly (talking to Beckwith), man wants to talk to you." "Who the *** …

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Montagnard striker's wife and kids live right outside the wire. Taken at Plei Me

More shots of camp defenders — Montagnard forces, special forces troopers, and Vietnamese Army during a lull in the siege. Debris was everywhere

Camp defenders, buildings, and bunkers inside the wire of Plei Me were especially vulnerable to enemy mortar fire.

Re-supplying a surrounded force by air is a very difficult and sporty enterprise. Anti-aircraft machine guns which reach up several thousand feet are severe handicaps to accuracy. For once, air-dropped supplies land on target, right in the middle of Plei Me Camp

1st CAV Hueys on Plei Me Strip After the siege was repulsed, the strip was heavily used for evacuation of casualties, bringing in supplies and replacements. Hal Moore visited the Plei Me site in Nov 1995 and Dec 1997. The camp is overrun by jungle but portions of the hard packed strip are clearly recognizable

C-130 lands on dirt strip at Plei Me after siege ends. The strip of hard-packed laterite soil was outside the wire on the southwest side of the triangular fortifications.

Overhead view of camp

Looking west from remains of Plei Me airstrip with Chu Pong Massif in the distance (Hal Moore's handwriting)