All Hell Broke Loose The Attack on Fire Support Base Thunder III March 31, 1970, Republic of Vietnam By Leonard J. Johnson
All Hell Broke Loose The Attack on Fire Support Base Thunder III March 31, 1970, Republic of Vietnam
By Leonard J. Johnson Š2016 Leonard J. Johnson
Book editing & design by Claudia Johnson
Thunder 3 fire support base with QL13, known as “Thunder Road,� in the background. The base is viewed here from eastnortheast.
Bunker where Lenny Johnson was sleeping when attack occurred.
There were many events that occurred during the twelve months that I was in Vietnam that come to mind on occasion, but the one that seems to be there most of the time just below the surface began on my father’s birthday, March 30, 1970. When I arrived in country June 2, 1969, I was assigned to Co. B of the th 554 Engineer Battalion as the company executive officer and headquarters platoon leader. My company commander (Commanding Officer, CO) was Captain Don Pecic. He had rotated out later in the year and was replaced by Captain Bob Fennell. Bob was real easy going. He cared about the men’s morale and welfare. I would like to say that we were close, but by the time he got in country I had (without knowing it) learned not to get too close to anyone. We worked well together. The battalion’s mission at this time was to build a two-lane asphalt highway parallel to the existing dirt road, QL-13, beginning at Lai Khe, our base camp, and going north to the village of An Loc. This entire area was infiltrated with the Viet Cong, Viet Cong sympathizers or the NVA. B Co.’s job was to clear the right-of-way for the road, to shape the cross section and to compact the sub base. As the construction of the highway progressed north, we moved our earth-moving equipment and men from base camp out to a series of fire support bases (FSB) that were spaced approximately 5km apart along the way. This reduced the time required to get started in the mornings. These FSB’s were called Thunder bases because of the thunderous sound that was made when artillery was fired from them. These FSB’s were named Thunder I, Thunder II, etc. The remainder of the company remained at Lai Khe to support the construction effort. This consisted of administrative activities, payroll, food, supplies, repair and maintenance, etc. The company commander moved to the field to manage the roadwork, and I stayed at base to take care of the other work. One of my duties as company executive officer was pay officer. Payday was the last day of the month. Late in the afternoon of March 30, 1970, I traveled from Lai Khe to Thunder III with more than $43,000 in Military Payment Certificates (MPC) to pay the men that were staying there. 1
The officers and senior NCOs there lived in a large L-shaped bunker constructed of heavy timbers, plywood, sand bags and sheet metal roofing. At the intersection of each leg of the “L” was a large room that served as the operations center/orderly room and the company commander’s sleeping area. After chow I paid the men. Everyone was happy and laughing and talking. Some were drinking beer, and some guys were playing poker. Around 10 p.m. I found an empty room along one of the hallways and went to bed. At 2:05 a.m. on March 31, 1970, all hell broke loose! The whole world shook violently. I was jolted out of my cot by an earth-shattering explosion. I don’t know if I was blown out of bed with the mattress on top of me or if I instinctively rolled out of the bed and pulled the mattress on top of me. There was a loud buzzing in my ears, it was pitch-black dark, and I was disoriented. I struggled on the floor to get my boots on. Through it all I could hear a continuous series of explosions somewhere outside the bunker. At some point I began to hear voices – men screaming and moaning and crying.
Bunker after attack as viewed from inside looking out the door toward where Lenny’s jeep was parked. The Captain was killed in this room. Lenny was sleeping down the hall to the right.
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I finally felt my way to the door of the room and looked to my right where there was a fire burning in the ops area and I could see everything in disarray: table/chairs turned over, maps, drawings, books and papers everywhere. I could see the company commander lying on his back still in his cot. The area was smoky, and the smell of cordite was very strong. As I worked my way toward the ops area, I saw Warrant OďŹƒcer Sevedra who seemed to be startled and confused also. I made my way toward the captain. One of the NCOs that was there said that Capt. Fennell had been hit in the back of the head and was unconscious. The company medic had been called. I saw a small stream of blood down the back of his neck. I remember laying my ear to his chest, and he had a heartbeat. At this point everything seems like a blur; everything started to happen at once. The noise was horrendous. We had explosions going o inside the compound. We had rounds coming in from outside the compound. We still had wounded and burned crying and screaming. We had fires from the explosions. We had mangled sheet metal that had been blown from the bunkers. This photo shows sandbags blown outward (away from the building), an indication that the explosives were placed inside the building.
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It seemed no one was doing anything – stunned mostly, overwhelmed by the noise and the screams and the smells. At some point we realized that we were being attacked or fired upon from the perimeter, and we needed help. We needed to call for fire support, and we needed medical help. My jeep was parked just outside the door of the bunker, so I made my way out to the radio on the jeep to call for support. My driver had removed the radio’s microphone to keep it from being stolen, so I had to go back into the bunker to find the mic or another radio. I don’t remember where or how I found a microphone, but I remember hunkering down beside the jeep’s right tire and attempting to reach help. The explosions were continuing. Dust and dirt and wood and shrapnel were flying everywhere. I remember that there are two distinct sounds associated with one explosion: the first is the big “boom” from the explosion itself and then immediately after there is a loud “whap” sound of the debris and shrapnel hitting buildings and equipment. By this time the other officers, 1LT Wilson L. Dickerson and 1LT Kirchoffer, and NCOs were getting out to the troop bunkers to identify the wounded, assess the damage and organize a defense. I had contacted support and dust-off (med-evac ship) was on the way. The medic had evaluated the captain and reported that he was still unconscious and he was fading. I again put my ear to his chest and the heartbeat was very faint. The explosions had finally stopped, and there were no more rounds coming in from the outside. There were several others wounded in their bunkers. Wounds consisted of severe burns, mangled legs/feet, hearing loss, etc. The CO’s heartbeat was practically gone. Perimeter defense was established. When the med-evac ship arrived the pilot could not tell our exact location or see well enough to land. We positioned some of our vehicles (jeeps, 10T tractors, etc) so their headlights could be seen by the pilot and provide enough light for landing. 1LT Dickerson was in contact with the pilot and “popped” a flare so the pilot could see where to set the chopper down. The ship came in with its lights off and did not turn them back on until it had lifted off and was approximately 200’ in the air. Several (14 to 18 ?) badly wounded soldiers were evacuated as well as the company commander who had died. At some point I realized that with the captain gone, I was the ranking officer and therefore was in charge of the company. 4
Daylight revealed the devastation. After looking around we determined that sappers had crawled in through the barbed wire perimeter near the area where the equipment was parked. Explosive charges made from ¼ lb. charges of TNT had been placed on the shifter mechanism of much of the construction equipment. This small charge was enough to disable the equipment. The fuses on these charges were long –maybe 12-18”. As the infiltrators moved across the compound placing explosives on various other pieces of equipment (generators, etc) the fuses got shorter and shorter. When they reached the troop bunkers, the fuses on the explosives were very short. These charges were also wrapped with nails, wire and other pieces of metal. The vent screens on the bunkers were cut, and the charges were pushed through into the area where the soldiers were asleep. Some charges fell onto the floor while others fell right into their cots. Because of the decreasing length of the fuses on the explosives, all the charges had gone off at approximately the same time. It seemed the whole world was exploding all at once. In addition, after the sappers went out through the wire on the other side of the compound, they began firing RPGs back into the compound to add to the chaos that was occurring. Many of the charges did not go off. After collecting these “duds” we realized the different length fuses. The charge that was placed in the ops center was much larger. This was fairly obvious when comparing the resulting damages. It was also obvious that the charge had been placed inside rather than outside the bunker because all the sandbags and siding were blown out and away from the structure. Most of the bunkers were damaged as well as the mess hall, much of the equipment and other smaller structures. There was plywood, twisted sheet metal, sandbags, charred wood and timbers everywhere. Many of the men were wandering around pretty much dazed, talking about who had been wounded, what had happened, where they were, etc. Because we had no cooking capability, breakfast was brought from base camp. The remaining men were assembled and canvassed to identify any “walking wounded” and to see who needed to go back to base camp for treatment. 5
I was amazed to see another 20 to 25 who needed to or wanted to go back. I was further amazed to see that several of these were some of the more senior, more experienced NCOs. I questioned one of these who said his “ears were ringing and hurting,” but it was the look in his eyes that told the real story. It was fear. By mid-morning the battalion commander and other headquarters staff officers arrived for a first hand report. Everyone was asking what happened, where was this person or that one, who did what and when, etc. Later in that day we got instructions from battalion HQ to get back to work and to get busy and get our minds off what had happened. After this event we started providing our own security, we placed floodlights around the perimeter and basically got on with the mission. A day or so later a memorial service for Captain Fennell was conducted by the battalion chaplain at Thunder III. This service was attended by most of the company as well as the battalion commander and his staff. Also in attendance was the commanding general for all engineer soldiers in Vietnam, Major General John Dillard.
Vietnamese boy who hung out with the American soldiers, about age 9, given the name “Bill.” Lenny was not sure if he was an orphan.
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Everyone was tense and excited as we weren’t accustomed to having such high-ranking dignitaries visit our base of operations. As company commander, he spent some amount of time talking with me, getting my “take” on what had happened. He asked where I was during the attack, what actions I had taken, who had been responsible for security, what changes I had implemented, how many had been wounded, what equipment had been lost, etc. He asked what I needed to secure the compound and carry on the mission. I remember being quite blunt in my responses. I told him I needed replacements for the men that were lost out of the field, I needed replacement equipment for that which had been damaged, I needed generators; I needed large floodlights; and I needed to upgrade the perimeter bunker system. I think the battalion commander and his staff were a little anxious about what I might say to the general. It’s not everyday that a young company grade officer is debriefed by a major general. I remember that while he was all military he was also very attentive to what I told him and seemed genuinely interested. He asked if I was scared during the event, and I told him “bet your ass.” That was probably a foolhardy and brash response but what was he going to do, send me to ‘Nam? He seemed to think for a second and then smiled and said, “I’ll bet you were.” He talked briefly with the battalion commander and left. A few days after this we started receiving all of the things I had requested and more. A few weeks later we got word that General Dillard’s chopper had been shot down somewhere up north and he was killed. He was the fifth and last general officer to be killed in Vietnam. I’m saddened by his death now but at the time it seemed like “just another day in the park.” I was left in charge of the company for maybe six weeks until another company commander could be assigned. He was a West Point graduate, William Obley. Damaged transmission selector disabled the dozier by enemy placing small charge on the equipment.
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“…we got instructions from battalion HQ to get back to work and to get busy and get our minds off what had happened.” – Lenny Johnson
Lenny’s Bronze Star
The Bronze Star recognizes acts of heroism performed in ground combat. It may be awarded for individual acts of heroism, merit or meritorious service in a combat zone. The Bronze Star is the fourth-highest individual military award. When awarded for acts of heroism, the medal is given with the “V” device. This is a miniature bronze “V” authorized to be worn on certain medals and ribbons. The Bronze Star was established in 1944 and was designed by Rudolf Freund. The Secretary of Defense or other high-ranking military commanders may award the Bronze Star Medal to deserving applicants.
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Citation: Bronze Star Medal By direction of the President the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device is awarded to:
First Lieutenant Leonard J. Johnson, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, for Heroism not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. First Lieutenant Johnson distinguished himself while serving with Company B, 554th Engineer Battalion. The unit was involved in the restoration of QL-13, one of the major lines of communications in South Vietnam and was operating out of Fire Support Base Thunder III. At approximately 0205 hours on 31 March 1970, the fire base came under attack by enemy rocket and mortar fire in conjunction with a ground attack which breached the perimeter. Enemy forces managed to penetrate the outer defensive perimeter at two points. Satchel charges were thrown into numerous bunkers and emplaced on various pieces of equipment and above ground structures. Explosions occurred igniting fires in many bunkers and hurling shrapnel and debris throughout the area, inflicting many causalities and making it extremely hazardous to be exposed. First Lieutenant Johnson, maintaining composure during the initial chaos, continually exposed himself to shrapnel from explosions as he maintained radio communications throughout the night while calling in and directing medivac helicopters and gunship support. First Lieutenant Johnson organized an eective defense to preclude further penetration and causalities as well as organizing recovery teams to evacuate the wounded. He displayed exceptional courage and showed little regard for his own welfare. First Lieutenant Leonard J. Johnson's heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. – Awarded under the provisions of Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962.
Awarding of Bronze Star
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Awarding of Purple Heart The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded, killed or has died after being wounded. The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington – then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army on Aug. 7, 1782. The medal carries his likeness and coat of arms. 12
Lenny’s Purple Heart
Company B Area
Lai Khe Base Camp, Viet Nam,1969-70 13
Building of Thunder Road from Lai Khe to An Loc, 1969-70 554th Engineer Battalion, Lenny was in Company B
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In Memory of Capt. Bob Fennell Fennell Commendation Service
Fennell Memorial Service
Robert Harry Fennell Captain B CO, 554TH ENG BN, 79TH ENG GROUP, 20TH ENG BDE, USARV ENG CMD, USARV Army of the United States Ebensburg, Pennsylvania Oct. 14, 1942 to March 31, 1970 15
"... The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit directs whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over his left breast, the figure of a heart in purple…” – Gen. George Washington, August 7, 1782