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14. Operation Kangaroo, Cam Vu Resettlement: December 1968–April 1969
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267 14 Operation Kangaroo, Cam Vu Resettlement December 1968–April 1969 Planning on the pacification counteroffensive had commenced in early October 1968. One specific Quang Tri Province project was founded on an area named Cam Vu, a rural village complex six kilometers to the west of Dong Ha. Eight evacuated hamlets had been identified for resettlement. The number of displaced people to be returned to their residences was estimated to be about six thousand. The people of these hamlets had been evacuated from their homes during the enemy Tet offensive in February 1968. They were presently in a temporary camp near Dong Ha township. Province officials believed that a relocation of the people back to their fertile, irrigated lands would be to the advantage of the people and the GVN. A local CORDS position paper for the project had been presented to the PSA on 5 October 1968. Due to the uncertainties of the security situation, a start date was not nominated. A timed phasing was written for the relocation project, based on a D-Day. That was the easy part. Gaining the necessary security and material resources was the challenge. On 3 December, Quang Tri CORDS advisors Cleary and Cummins took up the initiative for an operation in the Cam Vu village area. The village was seven kilometers to the east of the Cam Lo District headquarters, on the north side of the Cam Lo River, astride Route 88. Staff of Team 19 was supportive of the idea, particularly as the prime minister of Vietnam was to visit Cam Lo later in the month. At this point, due to security imperatives, we had to gain the support of the 3rd Marine Division and the ARVN. This required approaches to the 3rd Marine Division commander and Major Gen- 268 TEAM 19 IN VIETNAM eral Truong, via General Stilwell. The irrigation system in the Cam Vu area was designed to feed water from the Cam Lo River. The scheme had been financed by Australia under the Colombo Plan in the 1950s. I flew over the irrigation channels to familiarize myself with the land during an air reconnaissance on 16 December. Due to battle damage the channels were not in use and needed repair. However, the paddies in most places were being worked, a reflection of the resilience of the people. I also found the pump station. On closer inspection I discovered the pumps had been made in Australia . This gave me an added incentive to focus on the project. A Cam Vu planning conference was held in Quang Tri City on 18 December. A number of issues had to be sorted out before any commitment could be made. That afternoon a further aerial reconnaissance was carried out. All seats on the Huey were occupied by staff involved in the planning. The canals and roads were checked out from the air. The Blackcat landed us close to the pumps. Earlier, as a safety precaution, the site had been checked for booby traps, and declared clear. The inspection was very useful and uneventful. On 30 December the PSA briefed Major General Davis on the preliminary work we had carried out on the proposed Cam Vu Damaged fuel tank, Cam Vu, 1968. [3.91.8.23] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 02:17 GMT) Operation Kangaroo, Cam Vu Resettlement 269 project, in the context of the pacification plan for 1969. The general said marine engineers were to carry out a land clearing operation in “Leatherneck Square,” the area to the north of the Cam Lo River to the DMZ, the corners generally being Gio Linh, Dong Ha, Cam Lo, and Con Thien. The work was due to commence on 20 January , and any decision could not be made until the land clearing was near to an end. The general summarized the discussion by saying: “Resettlement would depend on the military posture at the time. The elements that caused the people to evacuate would have to be negated to validate a return to former areas.” During the second half of January and into February the land clearing operation proceeded, moving from west to east, above Cam Vu. The marine equipment was secured by the ARVN at night, and the operators flown in and out each day. An incident on 5 February gave us an insight into NVA reconnaissance methods. Aland clearing party uncovered a bunker occupied by two NVA soldiers. Their equipment included a Chinese radio, binoculars, paper , and pens. They had a listing of...