On 11 March 1968, at 0245 Local, 20 PAVN Dac Cong commandos (Peoples Army of Viet Nam Special Forces) overran the covert USAF Commando Club radar site atop a mile-high mountain in far northeast Laos.

Commando Club was a covert mission of the United States Air Force based at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. The radar site they manned was in Laos 190 NM northeast and accessed on a two week rotating basis. These men were "sheepdipped" into civilian status as employees of Lockheed while working, and assigned to a special Air Force unit while at Udorn. They magically became civilians once airborne enroute to the mountain for duty in a combat zone without benefit of Geneva Convention Cards, military ID or weapons.

Prior to going operational on 1 November 1967 the facility was a special operation of SAC (the Strategic Air Command) at four locations in Vietnam and Thailand. Those units, called Skyspot, used the MSQ-77 ground-directed radar to guide B-52 bombers to their Initial Point and then the Bomb Release Point on Arc Light missions. Over time fighter-type aircraft would be retrofitted with the Skyspot beacon device.

The topography of the Commando Club location, a knob at the summit of a 5,600 foot mountain with sheer cliffs on three sides, required modifications to the existing hardware. This was done as Project Heavy Green. The manufacturer, Reeves Instrument Corp of Garden City, Long Island made the necessary modifications to hardware and produced two units for the Air Force now designated TSQ 8. These units were shipped to College Station, Texas, where 1st Combat Evaluation Group (SAC) technicians assembled them under simulated mountain constraints. They were then tested by transmitting data to Matagorda Island, Texas, via a radio relay aircraft. Certified ready, the second unit was shipped to Bergstrom AFB, Austin, Texas, for transshipment to Udorn Royal Thai AFB. Then began the arduous and dangerous task of transporting the vans and equipment crates by helicopter to the top of the mountain 15 miles from northwest North Vietnam in very contested territory. After Initial Operational Testing it was certified Operational Ready as the TSQ-81 on 1 November 1967 and Project Heavy Green became Operation Commando Club.

The operating and maintenance technicians were assigned to a special USAF unit at Udorn to preserve anonymity. Crews rotated every two weeks to the mountain, Phou Pha Thi – known as the Mystic Mountain by the Hmong and Lao peoples.

Once on the mountain they were tenants of the CAS (CIA) team of two men who advised the Hmong Army of Vang Pao. Hmong forces operated in small patrols observing the enemy with road watch teams, gathering intelligence in villages, and engaged in guerrilla combat operations with PAVN forces in Military Region 2. These forces, along with a small group of Thai PARU airborne forces, protected this strategic mountain and therefore the Commando Club operation. The Hmong combat operations against the invading North Vietnamese forces were supported with ammunition, medical supplies and food by Air America small aircraft using the STOL (short take off-landing) airstrip designated Lima Site 85. Laos had over 400 Lima Sites.

The North Vietnamese were conducting a massive military operation designed to win the war in the Spring of 1968. The major effort was launched throughout South Vietnam beginning on 29 January and known as Tet ’68; the second effort was the sweep through northern Laos aimed at regaining control of the Royal Lao Government Military Regions 1 and 2 along the border of North Vietnam. After initial success in MR 1 they positioned their multi-battalion forces to take the mountain and destroy Commando Club.

The primary mission of Commando Club was to provide precision guidance to USAF F-105 fighter-bombers out of bases in Thailand striking strategic targets in North Vietnam such as the Thai Nguyen Steel Mill, Phuc Yen MiG-21 base, bridges, and PAVN barracks.

As time went on and 1968 approached so did the ever increasing PAVN regular army. As they closed on the mountain the Commando Club unit was given authorization to direct strikes in northern Laos. In the beginning this was "left over" aircraft looking for an alternate to their primary target. That increased in number as the PAVN forces closed to within 12 KM of the mountain and Commando Club began getting aircraft for defense of their own position.

Meanwhile, a covert Assault Team comprised of 33 Dac Cong in two Assault Elements finished their training in North Vietnam and moved to their 90 day training base in Laos. From there they moved stealthily to the ascent camp at Houei Hok. On 10 March they moved to the base of the mountain and began their ascent via a secret path guided by a local. Arriving on top the mountain they rested until the time to strike at 0245. The 3,000 PAVN ground forces (two battalions of volunteer infantry) and one company of PAVN artillery and one Battalion of Pathet Lao artillery attacked the defending forces of 800 Hmong and some Thai PARU and a contingent of Royal Lao Forces. The enemy artillery and 122mm Soviet rockets were fired in large barrages followed by hours of inactivity and then resumed.

The Dac Cong had their own problems en route to the pre-attack site, losing the entire 13 man Assault Element 2. But with the element of surprise the 20 men of Assault Element 1 managed to reach their attack position on top the mountain.

Hearing artillery rounds exploding down the mountain, and having one round hit near them, the Radar Crew on crew rest went to a safe place. These five men went to a location 20 feet over the side of the mountain's western ridge behind the Ops Van (housing the radar system). These were Capt Sliz, Chief Etchberger, SSgt Daniel, TSgt Springsteadah, and SSgt Gish.

The Non-radar Crew, who provided essential support services such as Radio Operator/Maintenance; TACAN Maintenance; Crypto Technician; Teletype Repair Technician and Data Computer Technician, were scattered around the site but mostly inside the Maintenance and Comm Vans. They were: TSgt Holland, TSgt Kirk, SSgt Starling and SSgt Davis. TSgt Hall had not been seen in several hours. SSgt Husband was at the generators investigating an unusual sound he thought might be indicating trouble in the gear.

The operating Radar Crew was in the Ops Van and upon hearing a noise in the vicinity of the van Lt. Col Blanton, the commander, MSgt Calfee the crew chief, and TSgt Shannon the Plotting Board Operator went outside to investigate. They were immediately facing an enemy force of five cells of Dac Cong under the command of Lt Truong Muc. As Blanton reached for his Lockheed ID card shots were fired. Blanton fell dead, Shannon fell mortally wounded, Calfee went down but disappeared from sight. The other two men on the crew, Radar Technicians SSgt Worley and A1C Price, realizing what was happening outside went for the rear exits.

The Dac Cong engaged the men and some of the Commando Club men fired back with M-16s and small arms clandestinely provided by then-Major Richard Secord, the 7th Air Force Liaison with CIA at Udorn. Several men were hit immediately by grenade shrapnel and AK fire. Time moved on and some of the men were decimated - Holland was missing an arm and was in agony.

The 20 men of Dac Cong Assault Element 1 had split into 4 cells - 16 men attacking Commando Club, and one cell of 4 attacking the CIA helicopter pad and command post.

The Dac Cong discovered the crew rest Radar group over the west side cliff and opened fire with AKs and grenades. Gish and Springsteadah went down dead. Grenades came down on the other men as they crouched under an overhanging rock next to their buddies. Shrapnel hit Daniel from head to toe - uncountable wounds. Sliz was on the ledge, wounded, next to Springsteadah and looking dead. Daniel kicked numerous grenades off the ledge with his foot and pushed others with his M-16. One grenade was just beyond reach and he pushed Gish's dead body on it. The blast blew Gish off the ledge but it saved Daniel, Sliz and Etchberger. Etchberger crossed the small path to use cover behind rocks on the other side and returned fire. Daniel saw a Dac Cong inching over the rocks and fired - "I hit him right between the eyes!" he told me in 2017.

The battle on top raged. SSgt Husband moved from spot to spot, as did SSgt Starling, out of ammo and hiding from the enemy. At one point two Dac Cong were heading toward Husband when shots rang out and the Dac Cong went down dead. According to a later Husband interview the two enemy Dac Cong were shot by a wounded Calfee sniping from under the vans.

Dawn is breaking and Husband, on top, hears voices. Daniel, on the side of the mountain, using somebody else's survival radio, tells Sandy A-1E he needs help - "Bomb the mountain, there's nobody left up there". Air America is in the area with a helicopter and they swoop in towards the cliff. Etchberger gets Daniel and Sliz (who wasn't dead after all) up the hoist when suddenly Husband barrels down the path and leaps on Etchberger. They ascend together into the chopper and the aircraft began rising above the vans and banking away from the mountain.

Sliz and Daniel are out of it from loss of blood, Husband is safe and just then Etchberger is hit by one AK shot out of the nine that sprayed the underbelly of the chopper. He dies en route to a safe haven at Lima Site 36. Starling is left on the mountain alone but the helicopter aircrew was told by Husband and they notify Jolly Green 67. He and his partner, were on hi-lo orbit waiting for a safe entry to the LZ. That happened an hour later when Jolly 67 picked up Starling at 0900.

The three survivors and the deceased CMSgt Etchberger were dropped off 31 NM southwest at Na Khang, Lima Site 36, where they were placed on a fixed wing aircraft for transport to Udorn and medical aid at the hospital.

And that concludes their day, 11 March 1968, heroes all.

I spent every day with Commando Club from 1 November 1967 until this day five months later doing my job as Senior Director at TACC-North Sector on Monkey Mountain, I Corps, Vietnam. We had digital links and a secure voice circuit for daily combat support with Commando Club and with our immediate boss - Blue Chip, HQ 7th Air Force at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon.

I know this story from those five months, and from the past 11 years working with Col. Gerry Clayton the Skyspot Commander during the war and my internet friend from 2005 until he died in 2013. My literary partner, Debra Morris of Texas, worked with Gerry for many years before Gerry introduced us. Mrs. Morris is the Primary Next of Kin to MSgt James Henry Calfee who was serving as Lt. Col. Blanton's Crew Chief during the attack.

Honoring the men of Commando Club,
Hand salute.

Willi Pete
William R. Peterson
Vietnam, Thailand, Laos 1967 -1968
Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood
Vietnam War Commemoration Chairman
Denton, Maryland