Air Force, II corp, Phu Cat Air Base. Kinda volunteered for Nam in a round about way. Got a little too cozy with this E-8 daughter and he musta had some connections and wanted to put an end to my shenanigans and was shipped to SEA.
Phu Cat had no army, marines or roks on its perimeter. We ran our own patrols and I was one of 12 or 15 mortar guys. We had 4 pits. Got hit by a 122 which was minor but it really messed up my hearing.
After I got home I got interested in the POW issue since I realized it could have happened to any of us. That was the time I found out a buddy from high school had been captured at fire base Mary Ann when it was over run in '71. The cool thing about this story is one of the guys in his squad GOT HIM BACK!!! He's alive today with a POW VA card and 100% disabled as he was shot up pretty bad. But I'd never heard of this happening before. Anybody else?
Phu Cat
BTW, It was not very well known at that time that the AF was trying to create a combat unit. Today's Security Forces I think to some degree are an outgrowth of what happened at Phu Cat. Our CO brought this up at past reunions but I've never seen anything in writing about it.