David W. Finsel, Jr., Korean
and Viet Nam Veteran
David W. Finsel, Jr., Korean
and Viet Nam Veteran
PART III in a series
From the summer of 1956 until December 1960, David Einsel, now a Captain, was involved in measuring and analyzing radiation at various atom bomb test sites. Near the end of this period, his assignment was observing how ordinary combat soldiers would operate in the vicinity of a nuclear weapon.
Dave was then assigned to West Point to teach general chemistry. They received the last available two- bedroom apartment on campus. Dave and Elva were caught up in a busy social life. They met many people who became well-known, among them Frank Borman, the astronaut, General Westmoreland, Superintendent of the Academy, General Eisenhower, President Kennedy, and General Douglas MacArthur. He remembers a quote from MacArthur’s speech, ” But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, ‘Only the dead have seen the end of war.’ Duty, Honor, Country.”
Dave was promoted to Major in June 1961 and the family moved into larger quarters. He and Colonel Gillette developed a new elective, physical chemistry, He was posted at West Point until July 1964.
He and the family next moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to attend Command and General Staff College for a year. Then they were sent to Fort Benning Georgia in July and discovered that he had been secretly assigned to the 1st Calvary Division that was scheduled to leave for Vietnam in two weeks. On August 22, he left in an Advance Party in a C-130 from Warner-Robbins Air Force Base. Twenty thousand soldiers were to follow. They purchased a home in West Springfield, Virginia, and Elva, Susan and Mary Catherine moved there.
Dave, now Lieutenant Colonel, arrived at Nha Trang, Vietnam and flew on to An Khe where he was part of a survey group charged with developing a Division Base Camp. For one month, Dave and seven hundred others, using knives and machetes, removed jungle brush. The result was a large cleared area for the landing of helicopters and engineering equipment. His was the first full Army division to come to Vietnam.
For 90 days the camp existed on K-rations. Finally a PX was set up where one could buy stockings, lipstick and other amenities. They lived in tents, on cots surrounded by mosquito netting. They dug fox holes for protection from mortar fire. A large circle of cleared forest was laden with anti-personnel mines and claymore mines. Two separate circles of barbed wire with trip flares gave more protection. With his chemical background, Dave was given the task of keeping the encroaching jungle from invading the cleared areas. The final solution was herbicides sprayed from helicopters.
The Division’s first major engagement was the battle of Ia Drang. A whole North Vietnamese Division ambushed them and there were heavy casualties. Only helicopter reinforcements saved the day.
In discussion with other officers on how to prevent future ambushes and casualties, Dave suggested that they secure large canisters filled with tear gas. Friendly troops would be provided with gas masks and the gas would be distributed by helicopter along the battle lines. A few days later, the 2/12th Battalion ran into elements of a North Vietnamese Division. Within ten minutes a circle of tear gas was laid around them. The shooting immediately stopped and many North Vietnamese soldiers were captured, with their maps, ammo and guns. Some men in the 2/12 Battalion had problems with their masks. The next day the Battalion Commander ordered drills using their gas masks.
Another problem was partially solved when the Viet Cong fired on the GI ’s, then quickly hid their equipment and became a “friendly villager”. Using the new technique, our troops delivered a load of tear gas on a village, forcing the villagers and the Viet Cong to vacate immediately, exposing and capturing the Viet Cong and his equipment. Dave became very busy lining up canisters and tear gas from all sources including hurried shipments from the States. This technique allowed the GI’s with their gas masks to move rapidly into enemy held territory and discover a bonanza of information.
Around the first of April, 1966, Dave briefed Secretary of Defense McNamara and General Westmoreland on the use of the tear gas. Although Westmoreland favored its use, political pressure from home demanded its immediate cessation. It was thought to be “chemical warfare” and pictures of the enemy were distressing.
Dave said, “We did cease and the casualties on both sides immediately went back up, That decision ignored all rational military advice of the time and was, in effect, a cave-in to enemy propaganda.”
While stationed at An Khe, Dave met Major Bob Sanabria. With much pleasure they discovered that Bob’s wife was Audrey Benner Sanabria, Dave’s classmate from Columbian. He also met Bob Hope, Ann Margaret, and Martha Ray. Martha Ray told him that she remembered Tiffin as having one of the finest vaudeville theaters she had ever performed in.
On another occasion Dave was host to Moshe Dayan, the Israeli general who was commander in the six-day war in 1967. Many journalists also visited, among them Howard K. Smith, Peter Arnet, and Morley Safer.
On one occasion, the three Einsel brothers met in Saigon. Captain Willis was a pilot, retrained from flying B-52s to C123s. Major Henry was the port transport officer at Da Nang. A two-week trip to Bangkok, Thailand, for R & R. was another respite.
In June, 1966, two Brigades of the Division were out on an operation. Dave was left in Camp at An Khe with the Third Brigade. General Wright and Dave as his deputy G-3 were in charge of the camp. Suddenly at 1:00 AM, infiltrators blew up the ammunition dump. A petroleum supply point went up in a huge blaze. The enemy destroyed several helicopters and landed mortar rounds throughout the base. Dave scrambled to a foxhole and then crawled to the operations bunker. The communication outpost on the top of Hong Cong Mountain had also been attacked. With help called in from the infantry, the artillery, the air force, and the return of one of the Brigades, a counterattack was launched and the internal defenses of the base were secured.
Next week I will conclude this four part series of the Army career of David Einsel and end with his return to live among us here in Tiffin.
– Percy