Vietnamese Peasants Pics

LIFE Magazine's August 25, 1967 article
"TO KEEP A VILLAGE FREE"

The Duc Duc Resettlement Village
(aka Phu Da)

This CAP Team was located in the Duc Duc Resettlement Village, Vietnam. The peasant-farming village was also known as Phu Da.

Americans lived and served in Duc Duc for a number of years. It was slaughtered by the Communists in March 1971, seven months after the Americans were pulled out due to President Nixon's troop withdraw.

The reason why Duc Duc was burned to the ground can only be speculated. The Communist government still hides the truth. However, many people feel that these Vietnamese peasants were slaughtered because they supported their American friends.

On village security, Andy and Ed watch for Communist terrorist infiltrators. A major Communist attack on the village could come at any time.

The twins

Many times, the Communists would attack the American squad sized CAP Teams with hundreds of their best army troops as well as their most ruthless Viet Cong Terrorists.

It is said that less than half of the Marines and Navy Medical Corpsmen, who served in CAP, survived these attacks.

A Duc Duc Resettlement Village
father teaching his children a craft.

Left to right
Dan Wilson, John Combs,
Daniel Gallagher,
Andy, Gary Verheek

Preparing to move out on a day patrol "in and outside" the village. The patrols never were routine.

In spite of the heavy combat and the constant threat of being wiped out, morale was usually high in a CAP Unit.

Ed with one of his younger fans.

Big brother and sister at the family's
well.

During times of combat each Marine was an expert in each of the weapons. With a M-60 machine gun on his shoulder, Ed was usually CAP 2-9-2 radioman during the Americans' last days in the resettlement village.

Daniel F. Gallagher and Gary horsing around with four village militiamen.