Đức Dục massacre

Quảng Nam Province

Regional Force Company and the 123rd Popular Force Platoon, with a handful of United States Army advisors, fell back to the district headquarters compound and made a defense. Soon, the PAVN had them completely surrounded and enemy infantry had reached the perimeter defensive wire . The cloud ceiling, down to 600 feet (180 m) or 800 feet (240 m), prevented fixed-wing air support from coming to the aid of the defenders.^[1]

HML-367 at Marble Mountain Air Facility were directed to Đức Dục and found it through the clouds by the fire in the villages. As the helicopters approached, they contacted the Army advisors by radio. The advisors said via radio that the district compound was in danger of being overrun and gave the Marines clearance to fire at targets anywhere around their perimeter. The Army advisors also stated that they would be unable to direct air strikes from the ground, as enemy fire had forced them under cover. The helicopters engaged the PAVN/VC and were met with heavy automatic weapons fire. The helicopters remained in action for four hours until the PAVN/Vc broke off the attack and fell back northwestward toward the Thu Bồn River, where they began wading the river and paddling across in boats. The gunships pursued the PAVN/VC and were credited with four confirmed enemy dead, a probable ten more killed and six boats destroyed. The fighting around Đức Dục continued for the next several days. Units of the ARVN 51st Regiment , sent to reinforce the RF and PF garrison, made repeated contact with the PAVN.^[1]