Looking northward at the hill top fire base at Nui Pho Tinh that rises in the background above the ruins
of an old French church.  The inner and outer walls of the church were marked with bullet holes from
innumerable fire fights.

The firebase, located 5 km East of Binh Son, Vietnam, was opened in May 1970.  Until 8 Nov 70, two
105mm howitzers from D Btry, 1st Bn 14th Arty were located there.  The mortar men from E Co.
1st Bn 6th Infantry remained there until later in 1971.  A typical ammunition report from the firebase
indicated the following numbers of mortar rounds on hand:  179 rds High Explosive, 75 rds White
Phosphorous, 166 rds Illumination, and 88 rds CS gas for the 4.2 inch mortars; and 104 rds HE,
139 rds WP, and 80 rds Illumination for the 81 mm mortars.

Map of Vietnam, 1:50,000  Edition 1-AMS, Series L-7014, Sheet 6739-1 Binh Son

Soldiers from the Third Platoon, C Co., 1st Bn 6th Inf, standing on top of Nui Pho Tinh, gather around
their commander on Thanksgiving Day, 26 November 1970.  Just that same morning at 0750, those
same soldiers were engaged in a short fire fight with twenty Viet Cong at BS 648 907.  For additional
information about that combat action and related photos see this story .

After enjoying their Thanksgiving meal and getting resupplied, these soldiers moved off the northwest side
of the firebase after dark.  Overloaded, and trying to make his way down the slope, one soldier fell, rolled
down the steep slope several times and injured his back.  When the medivac helicopter arrived at 2340
hours, several Viet Cong were engaged only 100 m to the west of the LZ.  And it was still Thanksgiving Day.

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