BATTLE SUMMARY
THE BATTLE FOR THE BORDER CAMPS - BEN HET
On the morning of May 9th, Ben Het came under an intense combined arms assault. Prior to the attack, the NVA sent dogs through the defensive wire from the north to detonate antipersonnel mines and the infantry followed.
The fighting continued at close quarters with positions on the eastern perimeter trading hands several times. Late in the afternoon a small enemy force still occupied several bunkers within the camp. The defenders stopped one tank at the main gate with an M-72 LAW. An estimated 100 enemy were killed in the immediate vicinity of the camp. Due to the low clouds, TACAIR was not able to work, however, our TOW aircraft, "Hawk's Claw" was able to acquire and destroy several tanks quite easily.
After an intense fire fight, the attack on Ben Het was successfully beaten off, with the enemy taking very heavy losses. The situation was relatively stable at Ben Het on May 10th, and by 0900 hours May 11th, the defenders had eliminated the enemy still inside the camp and secured the entire perimeter. During the fighting, four bunkers and some of the perimeter wire had been destroyed.