The photo is not good quality. It is copied from a video taken at the time but is the only copy that I have of the incident. I was not concerned with photo ops at the time.
I am the one viewed on the left as an Airman 2nd class. I had used up my camo helment cover early on as a bandage, thus the shiny head cover. Up on the right near the middle is a Patton tank equipped with a flame thrower. The tank belonged to the 25th IF. Large fuel tanks on top of the tank provided fuel for the tank flame thrower. This type of tank got a nickname as a Purple Heart box as it easily burned when it got hit hard enough often hurting the men deployed with it to support it. SP's were deployed to defend this tank as it awaited orders to proceed.
During Tet, I had been deployed on the East side of the base in Bravo Security Sector assigned to a MG position on the MLR.
During the hours of darkness, Bravo sector was heavily struck by enemy rockets, mortars and RPGs plus automatic weapons fire. We beat off several enemy assaults. Shortly after the Army arrived short of infantry support, SP's were pulled out of defensive lines and deployed to counter attack enemy forces all across the base. The unit I was now deployed to as a fire team crossed the air base clearing any enemy encountered. It took several hours to cross the approximated two mile distance frequently under fire. We cleared the enemy forces engaged against us and proceeded to the 051 bunker area where we deployed with the tank.
The bunker fell to SP ground assault shortly before we were photographed by a camera crew as we were deployed in a company line as shown in the picture. All of the men in the photo are Security Police except for the Tank crew. Then we preceded off base for the rest of the day engaged with any enemy force encountered.
