March 31- Nhi Ha Cemetery and May 6, 1968 Battle Memorial

After saying our goodbyes at the kindergarten, we drove a very short distance to the cemetery, where Vietnamese soldiers who perished at Nhi Ha are buried.  

 

Nhi Ha War Veterans Cemetery
                                   

 


 We arrived about the same time as the cemetery/May 6 Battle Memorial caretaker, whom I met last year. She recognized me instantly. But, a white boy in rural Nhi Ha really stands out!

With Cemetery Caretaker   

Visible beyond the fence from the cemetery is Jones Creek, a dominate feature during the fighting at Nhi Ha. The cover provided by the creek's bank was a significant factor for my squad during the nightmare that was May 6. 


At Jones Creek

May '68 photo: NVA Artillery Pounding Our Position at Nhi Ha. Jones Creek in Foreground:

Jones Creek-NVA Artillery

 After walking about the cemetery, we continued on to the May 6, 1968 Nhi Ha Battle Memorial, where I paid respects to my comrades of 2nd and 3rd platoons of Co. A, 3/21 Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade who gave their lives that day.  That was a brutally tough day in a world of tough days. The memorial below lists the NVA killed in the battle. 



From the memorial, I can visually recreate the days of fighting that took place in and around Nhi Ha. It’s a sobering place for me. Haunting. 



On departing the memorial, Nhung and I struck off for Dong Ha, but we didn't get far before turning around. Stay tuned for details in the next blog. Khanh and I will be visiting several familiar faces this afternoon. Busy, busy!!
 






Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 1, 2025 at 6:41 PM

    I can imagine how you must have been flooded with memories. And today you were surrounded by a completely different environment, creating new memories. Thank you for all you do!

    ReplyDelete

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