Enemy mine.

One time late in the day two VC deserters , Hồi Chánh Viên , managed to get through the perimeter defences unscathed. They said an attack would be made on us with the assault force creeping forward in the night. Further, a heavy mortar barrage was to be placed after which a large VC force would overwhelm us. According to them, dawn was to be the time. Once notified the “Higher-Higher” were so impressed by the intel they ordered an immediate pre-emptive artillery strike which went howling over our heads. Keeping our heads down in case of “shorts” we watched the spectacle but shrapnel blow-back soon made us opt for listening rather than watching, anyway the noise was appalling. At daybreak there was a feeble reply by surviving VC in the way of a few mortar rounds and one dude who stood up defiantly blasting off a scatter of AK rounds, but a long burst of M60 rounds scattered him. In recognition and reward for their intelligence gift, the two deserters were sent off to join the “Kit Carson Scout” program, the Chieu Hoi program.