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Rach Kien had a special place in the story of the Vietnam War, one which most of us did not know about while we were there. When it was first occupied by the 25th ID, it had long been a Viet Cong stronghold, administered and populated by Viet Cong partisans. Because of this history, it was thought by US planners to be the perfect place to be turned into a model village to exemplify what life under the Saigon government and its American protectors could be like, and the Viet Cong would turn in their AK's and throng to become part of this paradise. If life were only so simple. Unfortunately the Viet Cong remained within mortar range at night and elusive during the day and the plan was soon abandoned. The 9th ID had its hands full in the endless Search and Destroy (not build) operation. A few painted desks and walls in the schoolhouse (later the 9th ID kitchen) were the sparse signs of this futile attempt. The New Yorker magazine and Life Magazine ran stories on Rach Kien. It drew the attention of such esteemed visitors as the author, James Michener (working for AFVN radio), the columnist Mary McGrory, the reporter Peter Arnett and no other than Daniel Ellsberg. He later became a household word after revealing the "Pentagon Papers", the secret documents detailing the history of the US involvement in Vietnam.
Daniel Ellsberg arrived in Rach Kien on December 23, 1966, the day after the 25th was dropped in, and stayed with them for 12 days. He was a Pentagon official who wanted to see the effectiveness of US troop penetration of the Delta, which heretofore had been the domain of the Viet Cong. Although he was a civilian, he spent his time in accompanying troops in patrols around Rach Kien. In his new book Secrets, he devotes a chapter to Rach Kien. It will bring back a few memories for those of us who knew it well. The whole book is valuable in the insights it gives to the process which put us there in the first place and kept us there much too long.
For a preview and highlights of the book, in cluding pictures of Rach Kien, click on the link below and go to "Photo Gallery":