Palace Gate

January 31, 1968. A cold, dense fog had settled over the city of Hue, South Vietnam. Guards posted at key points around the lightly defended American military advisors' compound stared out into blackness. Nothing could be seen or heard until the blinding flash and shocking concussion of an exploding rocket tore through the fog. A hail of rocket and mortar shells was followed by a ground attack. It was soon obvious to the heterogeneous group (Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force personnel) inside the compound that a large group of people outside the compound wanted to kill them. The Tet battle for Hue was on. The Americans battled for their lives. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Richard Brown had two jobs: leading Forward Air Controllers responsible for the area between the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and DaNang, plus advising General Truong, First ARVN Division Commander, on Air Force support. He lived in the Hue MACV compound and remained in the city during the first seventeen days of the battle. The author began his military career during World War II as a fighter pilot in the Fourteenth Air Force, China, under the command of General Claire Chennault. Called back to active duty during the Korean War, he remained in military service until the end of his duty tour in Vietnam. Curious as to how communism could "benefit" common man, he returned to China in 1980 and Vietnam in 1988.