Ben Het 'n Lovin' It

I was the last American advisor at Ben Het, leaving the camp on 1 October, 1972. By that time, the force at Ben Het was a single battalion of Montagnard Border Rangers. From about November, 1971 until my departure, the advisor effort had been reduced to just two Americans. Even so, during the Easter Offensive, we were able to withstand yet another seige of Ben Het, from early April, 1972 until 9 May, 1972, when the NVA finally launched a tank led, two infantry regiment sized assault on the camp. Three days later, when the dust settled, we still held the camp and the NVA had moved on, leaving three more junked PT-76 tanks for Ben Het's armor graveyard. I guess I'd like to thank all of those stationed there before me for the fine fortifications you left us to defend; especially the plumbing genius who installed the flush toilets on top of the main hill--the last toilet that hadn't been smashed by the artillery fires from May, still worked when I left in October. Nice job guys. A final note for closure--on 14 October, 1972, Ben Het was finally overrun, for the only time in the war, and the 95th Border Ranger Battalion-my battalion-ceased to exist. Ben Het 'n Lovin' It--ain't that the truth...