Old-Time Vietnam – The DMZ and the Rockpile
I guess people in Asia tend to think that those who speak fair English are from Singapore. Despite my initial introduction, Mr. T mistook me for a Singaporean a few times in our conversation. Although I did not insist on this point, I said that I identify as American. I did look Chinese to him, however, so in our chats I asked him questions about the Vietnamese people’s views on both China and America. Both present somewhat sensitive issues in Vietnam’s foreign relations.
The Rockpile
Soon enough, we came to an open view of the Rockpile.
The Rockpile is a rocky hill that rises above from the Cam Lo River bottom. At 240 metres in height, it provided a good vantage point for military purposes in the vicinity. Located about 16 km from the southernmost border of the DMZ and 26 km west of Dong Ha, the hill overlooks an area with “several major infiltration routes from North Vietnam and Laos.” At this height, the Rockpile also enables the observation of the South China Sea in the east. As such, the Rockpile has served as the outpost for anti-infiltration surveillance for the United States during the American War.
In 1966, the U.S. military launched Operation Hastings to drive out the North Vietnamese in the area and overtook the Rockpile. Between 1966-1969, the United States Army and the Marine Corps used it as an observation post and artillery base. In 1970-1971, the U.S. military patrolled the Rockpile, Dong Ha and DMZ areas. In addition, the hill was a good location to monitor movements around the Khe Sanh Combat Base, Ca Lu Combat Base, and Camp Carroll. It was also believed that the surveillance involved the interception of radio transmission from North Vietnam. The Rockpile had an official name as the Elliot Combat Base.
The operation of the observation post relied heavily upon helicopters, for the hill itself is inaccessible to human traffic. These helicopters would land on the top of the hill. The U.S. military also installed radars and metal detectors on the hill to detect the North Vietnamese army, especially because they often ambushed in the jungle. Once they discovered movements by the North Vietnamese military, they would bomb them.
One cannot miss the distinctive shape of the Rockpile. According to the Wikipedia, a Marine described the hill as “toothpick-type mountain stuck out in the middle of an open area with a sheer cliff straight up and down.” The plateau-like summit of the Rockpile enabled helicopter landing.
The Wikipedia has a very thorough introduction of the Rockpile. Please visit the link below.
When we stopped there, there was another group tour. Leading the tour was a young Vietnamese woman speaking good English. I gathered from their conversation that Mr. T was more knowledgeable. I was just thankful that I got to meet Mr. T for this tour. Because he lived the experience of the very war itself, he spoke with a moving conviction. Dates, places, people, stories, views, perspectives – coming from Mr. T they seem to bear a weightiness, a burden in the soul, that a young tour guide would not be able to convey naturally.
Sources
The Wikipedia on the Rockpile.