A collection of photo illustrated war and post war vignettes, short stories, war nightmares, war poetry and travel writing by a Vietnam combat medic. Site includes war related videos and documents. There is some harsh language.
One summer night in Cambodia Delta 1/7 Cav had perimeter guard on LZ Ranch. Around 2:30AM a dozen sappers crept past the trips, Claymore’s and barbed wire and killed Mike Dawson with a Chicom. Moving forward they hurled satchel charges into bunkers, gunned down GI’s with AKs and Chicom’s, until they themselves were annihilated. All the while the gun crews fired HE and beehive directly into the woodline. Hours later five body bags flapped in the rainy wind as medevacs hauled twenty-six wounded away. The dead sappers were tossed into bomb craters and bulldozed trenches, then covered with earth.
As noted elsewhere, former Copra pilot Richard Magner, and Delta 1/12 Cav grunt Bob March collaborate with colleagues in Vietnam to locate NVA mass graves. In Vietnamese culture the spirit will not rest until the body is properly buried. In May and June 2023 Richard spoke with Medic, Delta 1/7 Cav Mike Derrig and Bravo 1/7 Cav Robert Kon in hopes of pinning down where on Ranch the NVA were buried. Bob interviewed 1st/21st FA Martin Corcoran and Delta 1/7 Cav Carl Lee. Based on their recollections, Nguyen Xuan Thang in Vietnam assembled aerial overlays which suggested at least 2 mass grave sites on Ranch. In the 2024 dry season excavation crews explored other areas on or around the LZ.
On May 19, 2025, fifty-five years and three days after Ranch was overrun Richard provided the following excavation update, sent to him by Thang, and which Richard edited for clarity:
“Searches were conducted at Ranch on March 18th and 20th, 2025. Mr. The’s K72 team dug along the eastern perimeter border for 3 days, an area of about 300 square meters, using metal detectors. The cloth cover of an NVA helmet was found on the mostly decomposed helmet. No human bones were found. A few Budweiser cans were found, many M16, M60, and M79 rounds. Many boxes of 7.62mm and 12.7mm ammunition.
“Regarding the lack of human bones, perhaps the digging of water storage ponds for agriculture compromised the remains, or the remains are completely decomposed due to burning. The land now seems to be ownerless; the people grow invasive plants without knowing who the landowner is. The local authorities do not know either.
“These are the coordinates of the area they have been digging: 12.0896,106.7767; 12.0886,106.7784.
“The two blue streaks [on the aerial map overlay] are the areas that have been excavated for exploration. The streak on the right is where the conical hat fabric was discovered. The streak on the left has a pond that the people previously dug to store agricultural water. Mr The has moved the excavator to search other locations nearby (about 20km away). When there are new clues, he will return. Team K72 is splitting into many small teams to search many places simultaneously. As far as I know, they are also looking for bodies buried in the ditches along the east side of the Loc Ninh AF runway.
“Thang said Mr. The’s K72 team has ceased digging at LZ Ranch until new information surfaces.” _________________
Top image / On 13 May 1970 a grunt sits in a Cambodian field that will become LZ Ranch. Photo – Chuck Gibson, Bravo 1/7 Cav.
Excavating LZ Ranch 2025 Update
One summer night in Cambodia Delta 1/7 Cav had perimeter guard on LZ Ranch. Around 2:30AM a dozen sappers crept past
the trips, Claymore’s and barbed wire and killed Mike Dawson with a Chicom. Moving forward they hurled satchel charges into bunkers, gunned down GI’s with AKs and Chicom’s, until they themselves were annihilated. All the while the gun crews fired HE and beehive directly into the woodline. Hours later five body bags flapped in the rainy wind as medevacs hauled twenty-six wounded away. The dead sappers were tossed into bomb craters and bulldozed trenches, then covered with earth.
As noted elsewhere, former Copra pilot Richard Magner, and Delta 1/12 Cav grunt Bob March collaborate with colleagues in Vietnam to locate NVA mass graves. In Vietnamese culture the spirit will not rest until the body is properly buried. In May and June 2023 Richard spoke with Medic, Delta 1/7 Cav Mike Derrig and Bravo 1/7 Cav Robert Kon in hopes of pinning down where on Ranch the NVA were buried. Bob interviewed 1st/21st FA Martin Corcoran and Delta 1/7 Cav Carl Lee. Based on their recollections, Nguyen Xuan Thang in Vietnam assembled aerial overlays which suggested at least 2 mass grave sites on Ranch. In the 2024 dry season excavation crews explored other areas on or around the LZ.
On May 19, 2025, fifty-five years and three days after Ranch was overrun Richard provided the following excavation update, sent to him by Thang, and which Richard edited for clarity:
“Searches were conducted at Ranch on March 18th and 20th, 2025. Mr. The’s K72 team dug along the eastern perimeter border for 3 days, an area of about 300
square meters, using metal detectors. The cloth cover of an NVA helmet was found on the mostly decomposed helmet. No human bones were found. A few Budweiser cans were found, many M16, M60, and M79 rounds. Many boxes of 7.62mm and 12.7mm ammunition.
“Regarding the lack of human bones, perhaps the digging of water storage ponds for agriculture compromised the remains, or the remains are completely decomposed due to burning. The land now seems to be ownerless; the people grow invasive plants without knowing who the landowner is. The local authorities do not know either.
Three additional photos from the excavation of LZ Ranch
“These are the coordinates of the area they have been digging: 12.0896,106.7767; 12.0886,106.7784.
“Thang said Mr. The’s K72 team has ceased digging at LZ Ranch until new information surfaces.”
_________________
Top image / On 13 May 1970 a grunt sits in a Cambodian field that will become LZ Ranch. Photo – Chuck Gibson, Bravo 1/7 Cav.
Recollections of Ranch Overrun
Chief of Section Mike Dunn’s Overrun in Cambodia, Artillery Under Fire
Army Magazine, 2024 American Vets Help Vietnamese Find Vietnamese Remains