By Robert Wheeler
Christmas for me has traditionally been a time of joy and enchantment celebrating with close family the birth of Christ and the appearance of Santa Claus, but one that stands out in my memory was far removed. On Christmas Eve, 1964, instead of singing carols and wrapping gifts, I was working as Aviation Officer for the Third Corps, Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) at Bien Hoa in South Vietnam helping plan an air assault on the village of Tay Ninh. At 3:00 on Christmas morning, instead of checking the Christmas tree, I was preparing to pilot a UH1 helicopter in the assault of Tay Ninh, close to the Cambodian border. This helicopter carried a special public address system through which an ARVN psychological warfare officer could talk to people on the ground. This was a pacification mission, part of operation Hop Toc in which inhabitants of a particular area were instructed to assemble at a certain place where they would be protected from Viet Cong activity and damage from combat. Then ARVN soldiers would be landed by helicopter to sweep the area capturing or killing people that did not comply.
The timing was just right. As we approach Tay Ninh the sun was peaking over the eastern horizon behind us placing a beam of light on the top of a lone mountain that appeared as a sparkling beacon on the western horizon to the front. A beautiful and peaceful Christmas morning soon disrupted with the explosive “softening up” of the area by the gun ships. Then my psywar chopper flew low over the area instructing people on the ground to move to the village square.
Then the assault began. D model Hueys landed RVN soldiers on the perimeter and they swept in towards the village center capturing or killing anyone encountered. It was assumed that all friendly Vietnamese had moved to the village center.
We were lucky. No helicopters were lost and casualties were few. My helicopter received only minor damage from a few bullet holes and one arrow from a cross bow. I felt blessed with good fortune as I arrived back at the cubical I shared with another U S soldier in the small rubber plantation hut we called home. After Christmas dinner I could think about the occasion and say “Merry Christmas” to the picture of my wife and daughter.