Tom Menke (right) served as advisor with the provincial Intel and Recon Platoon from Oct 67-Dec 69.
Here he is overlooking Phouc Tuy Province from the Long Hai Hills with his best friend Rot, a former VC.
The Long Hai Hills was a Viet Cong stronghold full of well defended bunkers protected by mines.
The enemy in Phouc Tuy Province consisted of two battle hardened regiments, the 274 and 275, each of three battalions and a support weapon battalion.
The VC in Phouc Tuy Province also consisted of the 2445 Provincial Mobile Battalion and four district companies of guerillas
"Taken from our base in the Long Hai Hills looking northeast toward Dat Do. Rot (a Montengard).had a great sense of humor and was my best friend. He was later kidnapped by the VC and lost forever, except in my memory."
Tom Menke
Tom was an advisor with the provincial Intel and Recon Platoon ( pictured above ) from Oct 67-Dec 69. His job gave him the opportunity to move about the province on business during the day and nighttime.
While searching the tunnels near Duc Thanh he spent an uncomfortable night in a nearby small VC foxhole.
A large amount of leeches thrived in the woods around Duc Thanh even in the dry season. Walking along trails glancing at the man's back in front of you looking for the tell tale sign of a large wet spot appearing on his shirt. A light tapping on his back would inform him of the attached leech.
Tom's most exciting operation was their attempt to rescue an alleged US POW out of the woods in the northeast corner of the province near the old abandoned village of Thua Thich. There were 1200 NVA and VC troops nearby watching their movement through the elephant grass. This was later verified from documents captured by the Australian Task Force.
No contact was made with the VC until they entered the POW camp. The VC withdrew under fire. A search of the camp produced no POW's. A disappointment to all involved in the operation. The abandoned camp was burned before departing.
