This page is dedicated to all of our Forward and Aerial Observers...
Where Have All The Flowers Gone"
Marine Forward Observer Team
GySgt Doyle Sanders,
leaning against the rock,
his spotter next to him, about a
year after "Operation Desoto".
photo submitted by Doyle Sanders
photo taken by USARMY Ranger SFC Willard Langdon
GySgt. Sanders' letter that accompanied the above photo.
I was assigned to support the 37th ARVN Ranger Bn., commanded by Capt. Hoang Pho (later Col.) who I am still in contact with. I
don't know the other Marine in this photo, he was assigned to me at Hill 10 as my assistant F.O., he has the binocs. I had never
seen him before. I am the guy leaning against the rock. We are without our flak jackets as only ARVN officers wore them. So when
we humped in the mountains with them (ARVN) we did not wear them. We were supposed to wear them and 11th Marines, my
parent unit, made us wear them on my first outing with the 37th. and I lost a radio operator, LCpl Mark J Tamkus, who was WIA Sept
17, 1967 during Lien Ket 116. Because we were wearing the damn things, a sniper mistook me for an officer (as I was wearing
binoculars) but he missed and hit Tamkus.
The Carronade; I'll tell you what impressed me about the ship, it wasn't the rockets, it was the gun crew of the 5" 38. On Desoto, we
had a DD and a DE to support us as well. We were using the DD quite a bit but then it was pulled away from us and we started
using the rocket ships. When we first arrived, all we had were LSMR's and we were there before the arty (artillery) arrived as well,
so for several days NGFS (Naval Gunfire Support) from the LSMR's was the only real support we had because arty ammo was in
very short supply. We were used to the 5" 54 and it could fire rapidly, but we noticed that the 5 inch 38 mount of the Carronade was
nearly a match for speed, and as we found out later, accurate as well. It was our impression that it was as fast and better shooter
than the automatic 5" 54 gun on the DD.
One incident at night occurred. We had been getting shot at quite a bit and some of our fixed wing aircraft also. What we started
doing was plotting the location of the origin of the tracers toward us and the aircraft. These guys were firing red tracers also. We'd
call it in and the ship, not sure which, it was an LSMR type though, the sailors would plot it and another spot team would also, we'd
triangulate and the target fired on. This went on into the evening. At one point we had unfriendly movement to the front and I fired
the individual. I carried an automatic rifle, we still had the M-14 and I normally carried every fifth round a tracer which is standard,
but I had a magazine that was all tracer. It was my "...they're coming through the wire..." magazine. Well, this stream of red light the
area like an LA freeway at night, the gooner had been scared to death, and my friends with the other spot team and the ship are
plotting in the position of that stream of tracers. We still have movement, and they now know where I am and I can only whisper,
"Check fire, check fire, that's me!".
(Note: When Sgt Sanders refers to "LSMR's", he is making reference to the class of "rockets ships" whether LSMR or IFS. In
another letter with an accompanying "Action Report", the Carronade is mis-ID'd as an DD.)
A stroll through the elephant grass in "Tiger Country".
Photo submitted by Doyle Sanders
Photo taken by Willard Langdon
Duc Pho area of South Vietnam
This type of map was used for
coordinating the Naval Gunfire
and Rocket Support from our ships.
Forward Observers
