keywords: vietnam war, battle at khe sanh, artillery strikes, napalm attack, general william c. westmoreland, b-52 bombers
Synopsis: Documents Army, Air Force, and Marine activities during battle of Khe Sanh. Shows air strikes, artillery, machine gun fire, and mortars firing; damaged aircraft; helicopters landing and taking off carrying casualties... (read more)
Gen Westmoreland addressing troops; B-52Ds taxiing and taking off from U-Tapao, and B-52D bomb bay camera showing 500 lb bombs being salvoed. Army troops loading and firing M-107 175mm self-propelled howitzer from revetment, then howitzer turning to fire in another direction.
Marines in sandbagged position on perimeter, changing barrels on .50 cal machine gun, machine gun firing. Long shot of men in trench, then moving across field. Marines making purchases from sandbagged PX module. Series of scenes of Gen William C. Westmoreland, addressing officers and troops in field. 1st Cavalry troops firing M-102 105 mm howitzers.
Series of scenes in fire control tent, showing officer on radio and troops checking calibration charts to direct artillery fire. Series of night scenes of flares descending and flashes of gunfire on horizon. Close up from fixed camera in B-52 bomb bay, showing doors opening, 500 lb GP bombs being salvoed, then doors closing. B-52D engines starting in revetment at U-Tapao, Thailand. Series of day and night scenes of B-52Ds taking off at U-Tapao. B-52D taxiing, wing passing over camera, then tailaway of B-52D.
Marines coupling hose to fuel bladder, then opening valves and fueling UH-1H. USMC M-76 amphibious cargo carrier driving through frame to right. Series of scenes of casualties on stretchers being placed aboard UH-1H and CH-46B. Men removing long crates from CH-46B. Series of scenes of CH-53A carrying heavy cargo (truck, trailer, and netted crates) on sling, seen from bottom hatch of CH-53A, then depositing cargo on ground. Cargo chutes descending toward DZ. Series of scenes of Marines filling sand bags, then stacking them around communications van.
Smoke rising outside perimeter. Firetruck foaming burning vehicle. Marine 0-1 aircraft taking off. Demolished UH-1 in revetment. CH-46 in revetment, showing battle damage. Long shot of CDS drop from C-130. F-4s dropping napalm and GP bombs. UH-1 lifting off and flying away. Series of scenes of Marines removing mortar rounds from canisters in sandbagged position. Burning CH-46, with C-123 taxiing through frame to right in foreground, then firetruck moving in and foaming CH-46.
Artillery spotters watching fire through binoculars. CUS drop from C-Three Marines running across field and coming through wire into perimeter. Ohio State Flag atop bunker. .50 cal MG gunner and spotter in bunker. Series of scenes of M-29 81 mm mortar being fired. A-1 aircraft dropping napalm. Sequence showing men boarding CH-53A in revetment, takeoff (scene from inside CH-53A), then troops deplaning at Khe Sanh. Series of overall pan shots of Khe Sanh and airstrip. ELS of aircraft making rocket-firing pass. Marines digging in trench.
Series of scenes of F-4s and A-1s aircraft dropping napalm. Sequence showing USMC M-101 105 mm howitzer being loaded and fired. Men patching holes in leaky fuel bladder. Series of ELSs of air strikes outside perimeter. USMC 0-1 spotter plane parked in revetment. 34) Long shot of CDS drop from C-130 through overcast. 0-1 spotter plane taking off to left and initiating evasive action. Series of scenes on airstrip; CH-53A being loaded with causalities, lifting off, and disappearing in overcast.
