Claymore mines and Viet Cong Tunnels. The Combat Engineers in Vietnam.
August 25, 1966. Specialist Dan Crowley was among the handful of demolition experts assigned to a route clearing mission in support of Operation AMARILLO. His equipment load was the same as it had been numerous times before: a Claymore mine, TNT, C-4 explosives, blasting caps, time fuse, det cord, eighteen rounds for his M-79 grenade launcher, two hand grenades, and his Colt .45.
But this would be no ordinary mission.
The Viet Cong had just surrounded an American patrol along Highway 16. Crowley’s outfit – Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion – was among the smattering of units thrown together for this impromptu “relief force.” History would call it the Battle of Bong Trang.
In a war dominated by airmobile infantry, the combat engineers played a critical role in shaping America’s battlefield victories. They built obstacles, dug defensive positions, set landmines, performed various types of demolition, and could fight as infantry whenever ordered.
Fire in the Hole tells the story of Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion during their deployment to the Republic of Vietnam in 1965-66. Told from the perspective of four Charlie Company veterans – Dan Crowley, Larry Blair, Chuck Humphrey, and Jay Franz – this book provides an intimate, no-holds-barred account of the combat engineers in Vietnam.
I appreciate you taking the time to write and share this insightful piece. It was clear and concise, and I found the data to be really useful. Your time and energy spent on this article’s research and writing are much appreciated. Anyone interested in this topic would surely benefit from this resource.