U.S. jets bomb Ho Chi Minh Trail - Mar 03, 1965 - HISTORY.com

The Hồ Chí Minh trail (also known in Vietnam as the "Trường Sơn trail") was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia. The system provided support, in the form of manpower and materiel, to the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (called the Vietcong or "VC" by its opponents) and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), or North Vietnamese Army, during the Vietnam War.
It was named by the Americans after North Vietnamese president Hồ Chí Minh. Although the trail was mostly in Laos, the communists called it the Trường Sơn Strategic Supply Route (Đường Trường Sơn), after the Vietnamese name for the Annamite Range mountains in central Vietnam.[1] According to the United States National Security Agency's official history of the war, the Trail system was "one of the great achievements of military engineering of the 20th century."
Parts of what became the trail had existed for centuries as primitive footpaths that facilitated trade. The area through which the system meandered was among the most challenging in Southeast Asia: a sparsely-populated region of rugged mountains (500–2,400 metres (1,500–8,000 ft)), triple-canopy jungle and dense primeval rainforests. During the First Indochina War the Việt Minh maintained north/south communication using this system of trails and paths.
In 1959, Hanoi established the 559th Transportation Group under the command of Colonel (later General) Võ Bẩm to improve and maintain a transportation system to supply the NLF uprising against the South Vietnamese government.[3] Originally, the North Vietnamese effort concentrated on infiltration across and immediately below the Demilitarized Zone that separated the two Vietnams.[4]
As early as May 1958 PAVN and Pathet Lao forces had seized the transportation hub at Tchepone, on Laotian Route 9. This had been accomplished due to the results of elections in May that had brought a right-wing government to power in Laos, its increasing dependence on U.S. military and economic aid, and an increasingly antagonistic attitude toward North Vietnam.[6] The 559th Group "flipped" its line of communications to the western side of the Trường Sơn mountains.
By 1959, the 559th had 6,000 personnel in two regiments alone, the 70th and 71st,[8] not including combat troops in security roles or North Vietnamese and Laotian civilian laborers. In the early days of the conflict the trail was used strictly for the infiltration of manpower. This was due to the fact that Hanoi could supply its southern allies much more efficiently by sea.[9]
After the initiation of U.S. naval interdiction efforts in coastal waters, known as Operation Market Time, the trail had to do double duty. Materiel sent from the north was stored in caches in the border regions that were soon retitled Base Areas, which, in turn, became sanctuaries for NLF and PAVN forces seeking respite and resupply after conducting operations within South Vietnam.

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Thanks for the article and reminder of our efforts in Vietnam. Most of all, thanks for your brave and selfless military service and your support of our military men and women, veterans, and their families.

My terrific step father, a US Marine WWII Sergeant was in Pappy Boyington's BLACK SHEEP Squadron and other units, including Infantry and Artillery, in the Pacific war. He got me hooked on becoming an Army pilot and soldier.

I was an enlisted infantryman, aviation warrant officer and commissioned officer (Transportation Corps and Aviation Branch) in the US Army from 1967 to 1991. I served in the 121st Assault Helicopter Company (Tiger UH-1D Slicks and UH-1B Viking Gunships) and the 235th Aerial Weapons Company (AH-1G Cobra Attack Helicopter Company) in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 as a Warrant Officer Pilot. I was wounded seriously on the 28th of March 1969 flying a Huey gunship, with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), broken back, shattered ankles, broken jaw, broken right hand, severely lacerated neck, and terribly whip lashed neck, in a B Model Huey gunship. One leg is now shorter than the other and I lost some brain cells but I am still working, enjoying grandchildren, fishing, writing, and walking. I retired from the Army in 1991 as a Lieutenant Colonel and then worked 23 years in aerospace, hospice, and law enforcement.

Now I am a 100% military combat service connected disabled and a full-time writer and editor. And I also work part-time as a volunteer Patient Adviser, Jobs Assistance Officer, Veterans Service Officer (VSO), Customer Service Council Member, High Reliability Council (Quality) Member, Safety Committee Member, and Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) Instructor for the terrific Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and AUSA here in Charleston, SC.
For the past three years, I have been helping to lead the effort to raise funds to build a FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON, in Charleston, SC, to support the families of troops and veterans, who are inpatients in the terrific Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center here. I have written an all five-star reviewed, non-fiction, military history, 416 page with 46 combat pictures, and action book titled BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE) to help raise money to build FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON. Thus far, the book, my speeches, and book signings have raised over $60,000.00 for FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON.

Since this is the 50th Commemorative year since the Vietnam War, I have to share this soldier’s story of sacrifice, tragedy, and closure that was in the Albuquerque Journal - The Sunday Journal (http://www.abqjournal.com/.../a-salute-to-a-fallen....) with you folks. On 19-21 Feb 2016, I flew to Albuquerque, NM, on my own dime, to meet with the surviving two members (his older and younger sister) of my old friend and comrade, Warrant Officer 1 and Army Pilot Gerald (Jerry) D. Markland, who was killed-in-action (KIA) in III Corps, in Vietnam on 28 December 1968.

Jerry and I were close friends in basic training and flight school together and we deployed to Vietnam together. Jerry and I tried to drink all the beer and eat all the steaks in San Francisco on our way to Vietnam ---- and it is a good thing Jerry did that.

Jerry and his crew of four, including the Aircraft Commander, the pilot (Jerry), and two door gunners, were flying an armed UH-1B Model Huey smoke helicopter laying smoke so the Command and Control (C&C) Helicopter in the 187th Assault Helicopter Company could land among 25th US Infantry Division troops, in a heated battle with a North Vietnamese Army Regimental size or larger force, in a rubber plantation. Unfortunately, Jerry’s aircraft was riddled with intense small arms and fire from three 51 Caliber heavy machine guns, set up in a triangular trap, for the unsuspecting helicopter, as it laid smoke directly in front of the enemy’s dug in positions, in the forest and jungle along the plantation.

Jerry was shot in the head and may have survived the wound had the aircraft cyclic controls had not been shot out. The aircraft flew uncontrolled into the rubber trees at 120 knots, tumbled, rolled, was torn to pieces, burst into flames, and two of the crew (WO1 Jerry Markland and the Door Gunner, Specialist Stephen Ponty) were killed in the crash.

I had been looking for Jerry’s family for 47 years to tell them what a great guy, officer, and pilot Jerry was but had been unable to find them (his sisters had married names by then and one parent had moved away). It turns out, that Jerry’s sisters had been looking for someone (like me) who could tell them more about Jerry’s military service, flight training, combat service, his last mission, and the day he was killed. I myself was seriously wounded and nearly killed on 28 March 1969, and it took me about seven months to get back to duty and flying and a year to start looking for Jerry’s family. With no internet, back then, I had no luck until 15 September 2015.

I dedicated my latest non-fiction, action-packed and military history book, BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE), ISBN 978-0578-15637-8 to Warrant Officer Jerry Markland and the other 41 members of my flight class who gave the last full measure in Vietnam. Chapter 9 of the book tells the story and details of Jerry’s last combat mission and his demise. All 2015 profits from the sale of the book went to FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON and $1.00 from each book sold in 2016 and 2017 also goes to FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON. I had a message in several places in my book, BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE), to all readers asking them to please help me find this family.

On 15 September 2015, an old Army pilot comrade sent me Jerry’s older sister’s married name and contact information. I contacted her the same day, sent her 10 free copies of the book (as she requested), and set up a visit for 19-21 February 2016. The Markland’s older sister and her husband immediately donated $1000.00 to FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON! The Markland family was thrilled to find out a book had been dedicated to their brother and that chapter 9 of the book told the story of Jerry’s last mission in detail.

The visit was a joyous, emotional, sad, healing, and once-in-a-life time event ----- really the visit was a born-again, miraculous, and momentous event! An event I shall never forget. The wonderful Markland family and I got a huge amount of closure to Jerry’s death and the tragedy from the visit. The Markland family adopted me as their new BROTHER and treated me like a king and we all cried and laughed together, and the wonderful Albuquerque Journal - The Sunday Journal Reporter and Columnist Mrs. Gutierrez Krueger covered the story, interviewed the family and me for two hours, and had supper with us last Friday (19 Feb 2016) night.

I recommend you read the story at http://www.abqjournal.com/.../a-salute-to-a-fallen.... In my opinion, Jerry’s and his family’s story is OUR STORY, the story of the sacrifice all troops, veterans, and their families, who suffer the loss of their soldier or the serious wounding or injury of their Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Coast Guardsman, or Airman or Merchant Mariner. It turns out Jerry mom divorced her husband of more than 25 years within a few months of Jerry’s body behind returned to NM. She had been against Jerry joining the Army and Jerry’s dad, a WWII Fighter Pilot, who had been seriously wounded flying himself, had encouraged Jerry to join the Army and go to flight school. Jerry’s parents loved each other but Jerry’s mom could never forgive his dad for encouraging Jerry to become an Army pilot. Jerry’s parents died with broken hearts and the family was traumatized like only a military family understands.
The Albuquerque Journal story is hard to read and looking at the pictures is difficult without becoming emotional.

Best regards,

Larry

LTC (Retired) W. Larry Dandridge

Chief Operating Manager, Editor, Writer, and Author with Tigers, Vikings, & Vipers Publishing LLC
236 North Ainsdale Drive, Charleston, SC 29414, Home and Office Phone: [login to see] ; Cell Phone: [login to see] ; FAX: [login to see] ; Personal Email: [login to see]

Web Site: https://www.tvvpublishingllc.com/ and bladesofthunderbookone.com

Blades of Thunder Book I of II, ISBN 978-0-578-15637-8 (paperback), eISBN 978-1-4951-3906-2 (eBook)

P.S. All 2015 profits from the sale of BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE) went to FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON, SC! Also, one dollar from the sale of each book in 2016 and 2017 will go to FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON! The Fisher House Charleston will be a comfort home with 16 bedrooms and private baths. The guests staying there free of charge, for as long as necessary, while a family member is being treated at the RHJ VA Med Center, and will share a common living room, dining room, kitchen and laundry room where they will be able to form friendships based on mutual experiences and need for support during a stressful time. BLADES OF THUNDER BOOK ONE is available through AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, and many other sources. You can also order a signed and personalized copy of BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE) by emailing me at [login to see] or calling me at [login to see] .

Please help me build FISHER HOUSE CHARLESTON. To make donations to Fisher House Charleston, go to http://fisherhousecharleston.org/ and donate on line or make checks payable to Fisher House Charleston, Inc., PO Box 829, Johns Island, SC 29457.

very historical day