Mike Force at Ben Het

 Im Jay Gearhart, & I served with 2nd Plt 15th engr Co (LE) 299 cbt engrs from Jan 69 thru Aug. 70. Elements of my Plt were sent from our basecamp at Dak To to the Special Forces camp at Ben Het in early Feb. of 69.When we arrived at Ben Het we had know real knowledge of the CIDG force there. We were put on the permiter trench line to strengthen the permiter with the Tribesmen & there families living just behind us.Even though they had vastly different coustoms & traditions they were a pleasure to be with.
 Being a combat engineer we had know prior expierence living & fighting with the Yards. It didn"t take long, even though we didn"t communicate very well with them ,to find out how trustworthy , brave ,& honerable they were. Unlike the ARVN's, who in my opinion, were basicly worthless,these people were the best. If the ARVN army could have been made up of a majority of these tribes people the war would have had a different ending.