Camp Evans

Ammo Dump Explosion
at
Camp Evans

May 19th 1968 - Ho Chi Minh's Birthday Party!
by Larry Russell, RLO, Masher 15

I was cleaning my .45 Cal Grease gun, it had jammed while shooting at the NVA that had shot my ship out of the sky. I had spread a towel out on the top of a sandbag covered trench and had the gun in pieces. I was dressed in Ho Chi Minh sandals, fatigue pants and a white t-shirt. The covered trench ran parallel to the flight line, and was the closest bunker to my tent. It was getting close to the time when we normally received a couple of 122mm rockets. We were now used to getting rockets every afternoon, or evening. There I was skinny, dumb, and happy - as I had escaped death again! I was shot down earlier in the day and the gun failed me when I tried to shoot back at the SOB's that blew me out of the sky - but that's another story.

Suddenly, and by now almost instinctively, I heard the distant crack of a 122 heading our way - then the whistle as it was getting closer - by then I was in the trench, sitting on the dirt, with my back up against the wall. Crrrrackk crraaack!! They impacted pretty close, on our side of the camp. I expected maybe another volley. I could hear the sirens and perhaps a couple of birds cranking - maybe gunships to find the *(&^%^* rocket launch site. Started hearing more explosions - but no shrill sound of a rocket. Then more explosions - and varying kinds of explosions. By then we realize the ammo dump had been hit and it was blowing up.

The division had an overstuffed ammo dump! We had just finished up the A Shau mission and had brought back tons of ammo we didn't use, adding it to the tons already there. And I mean TONS of ammo!

I heard the sound of a siren, from a ways off, getting closer and closer - must have been a fire truck from the fixed wing side of the runway. Then we heard and felt a huge explosion - the earth shook - the sandbags groaned and dust covered everything. The the siren sound abruptly changed pitch and it sounded like it was going away about twice the speed it had been coming. I can picture a keystone cops like scene of the 1st Cav firemen racing to the rescue, balls to the wall, then BOOM! - same firemen doing a 180 - eyes as big as grapefruits - un-assing the place. HA ! I also vaguely remember some music playing - think it was Colonna's Akai playing Italian marching music or something.

That wasn't the biggest boom we'd hear that night. Yes - night, as it has been cooking off for hours now and I was still in the trench, now wet from perspiration (fear not heat, as it was now getting cold). We heard machine gun fire along the perimeter and somebody said "we must be getting a ground attack" Oh great!

About that time, another berm cooked off and all of a sudden I could see a brilliant white light UNDER THE SANDBAGS !! Now I'm in a trenchline that is about 20 feet long by 4 feet wide by 4 feet deep, on top of that is a psp roof with a layer or two of sandbags on walls of sandbags about 2 feet high. The explosion lifted the sandbag walls and roof - hit me with the light and promptly returned to it's original place. Mommamia that was somea bigga boom!

Then I started to hear grumbling from the end of the trench line - then I began to smell and feel the CS gas that was filling the trench up. No one had gas masks! I pulled my wet t-shirt off and covered my face. I slowed my breathing way down and tried to keep calm. It was working until someone on my left got sick and hurled everything he'd eaten that week.

I must have decided to venture out of the trench - maybe looking for a gas mask - when I found myself low crawling into the door of my sections tent. The tent was now partially blown down and I was having difficulty crawling over the debris. My heart skipped a beat and I was horrified because I had just unknowingly crawled up onto a dead body!!! My first thought was that it was one of my guys, so I quickly turned him over. I was doubly horrified when I saw that it was an NVA soldier! Or so I thought - because, supposedly, no indigenous people were allowed on base after hours and we'd heard the firefight on the greenline earlier. Turned out to be an ARVN who had been working in the ammo dump. That's another story for later.

From there I made my way further and further from the still exploding ammo dump (it's probably midnight by now). Wound up in a huge TOC that belonged to the 228th, then as I was sitting there in nothing but fatigue pants and Ho Chi Minh sandals, some Major came in asking for RLOs as we might have to defend the base camp from a ground attack. Can't believe I raised my hand, and I thought I had finally found safety.

I'll let others tell their side - maybe Jerry can tell us exactly how many birds we lost that night. Thank God almighty that none of us got killed - I bent over and kissed my ass goodbye several times that night (and day). Of my two tours in Vietnam, that night stays with me the most. Uncle Ho's birthday!

The pictures below are linked to a larger image, suitable for printing. They are large files so be prepared for a long download, if you are using dial up. If you would like a CD of the images, just let me know and one will be on the way.

Camp Evans. Who can find our company area and the ammo dump?

Company Area BEFORE, notice the fine living quarters, no hard buildings, no sidewalks, NO OFFICERS CLUB!

Flight line BEFORE. This is the main road into Evan.

Another BEFORE (My tent is the first small round tent on the left) It was dug four feet into the ground with a diameter of about 10 feet (all dug by two RLO's!) It also had 3 feet of sandbags as an outside wall. The tent to the right was a ground level tent with just the sandbags for protection. We used a refrigerator to prop the center pole up so that it would give us more headroom! (plus cold beer!) The dust is from one of out bird landing to the west for parking.

Inside one of the section tents (BEFORE)- I think that's Mel taking a siesta (face down)

BOOM!

This picture was sent to me by Dick Detra, it was taken by Sgt Larry Grey of the 188th AHC "Black Widows" AT LZ SALLY! Which was about 5 miles south of Evans. He said it was taken on the morning of May 21st. Don't think that's right. I remember the rockets coming in right before chow on the 19th - Uncle Ho's birthday. To me it looks like the sun is to the left - which if the camera was from the south, it would make it late afternoon. If it was in the morning as mentioned the right side would be lighter???? He said the entire base camp at Sally shook from the shock waves. HA! He has no idea what SHOOK really was!! Was Sally to our north or was that Sharon?

One minute it was there - next day it looked like this...........Notice the metal poles that hold the fence up - they were standing tall in the BEFORE pictures. I am standing in the company area looking across the road at what was left of the left side of the ammo dump. Notice we are looking down.

This shot is more towards the north. White line in the middle is the fixed wing landing strip. Ammo dump to the right.

This shot is on eastern edge of our company area (notice road) looking towards D company and Bn Hqs birds. They were as close to the ammo dump as we were but down a slight depression - so I think they fared better. We were slightly above the ammo dump - getting all of the concussion and shock wave. Ammo dump to left.

Looking towards the air strip.

Flight section row - recognize anything?

Still smoking.

Our first luxury - a real live shower with warm water (if you were first) Sad to say it wasn't that old. Came in handy when the Cav got the shi-s from some contaminated ice. I think Mel was in the shower when the 122's came in. Our second luxury was the 30kw generator we stole-swapped-borrowed??? from the Seabees.

My tent is on the left (remember the two round tents) it didn't burn, the concussion blew the tent into the 4 foot hole we dug, the tent on the right (ground level) did burn - see how the bags are burned in the center and not on the outside. Don't remember whose tent it was but had to be another RLO. I keep remembering that only mine and the CO's tent didn't burn.

More carnage! Everyone had to watch where they stepped because the place was peppered with unexploded M-79 rounds - and bomblets from cluster bombs (Why were they in our ammo dump?) Someone from B Co. got injured that way.

Now here's a hootch that didn't burn! I'm looking over the carnage!
(small pic only)

Not sure but I think this was a few days after - the explosion was EOD getting rid of damaged ammo. I don't see any aircraft in any of the revetments but the generator appears to be running again...........yea! That means my refrigerator is running again!

Flight line after most of the ships have been hooked away.
If you zoom in or look at the big picture you'll see an H model missing a tail boom, a tail boom about 50 yards to the front missing an H model. Look closer and I think you'll see a pile of ashes in a revetment with part of a tail boom sticking up.

One minute a proud H model - next day trash................

Ditto - Look at the engine cowling near the tailpipe!

Think this was a hangar queen before the boom - wait! We're the Cav, we didn't have hangars! A lot of rounds crashed down through the aircraft - a lot of green houses were broke - blades cut in half. Unexploded artillery shells wound up inside the ships!

Off to Red Beach then Conus

Another one.

And again - See what we were working on first! Looks like they're getting the shower back on line!

Red Beach

If you'll look close - you'll count almost 50 H models and a dozen or so hooks.

The motley crew a day or two after. (small pic only)

TADA! The wild wooly Good Deal Guys

Can you identify anyone?

Another shot with me in it this time.

I have more photos, just can't put my hands on them right now. Some great shots taken by someone in the 1st of the 9th. They're night shots of the explosions. Imagine a forth of July fireworks display - but not in the air. Great shots! Gotta find them. I thought the ammo dump cooked for 36 hours - is that right? If so I lost a whole day somewhere.............have no idea where I slept the next few days - can not remember where I stayed after the new tents were put up. Looking for pictures of the restored company area. I remember Seabee's came in and built us swanky wooden frames for our NEW GP medium tents (swanky for the Cav). Anyone have pictures between Ammo dump and when we departed south for Quan Loi - many months later?

Welcome home bros - Larry Russell, Masher 15

Tet-Tet 68/69

NOW

Any one else have pictures - please send them to Dave for editing and then send me a narrative so I can post it on our site! Get Dave's email address from the group on yahoo. I'll not post any email addresses on this web site!