Darkness began to envelop the fire base at Phu Loc VI. The marines of Mac’s squad inspected their gear, checked weapons, counted grenades, and distributed ammunition. They darkened their faces and joked back and forth to cut the tension. When it was dark, Mac led his men to the ambush site. He took the long way around, avoiding any roads or trails. Mac didn’t want to get his squad killed before they could get into position. The marines walked through the rice paddies and worked their way back to the road, nearly a mile south of the fire base entrance. Mac located the spot he had picked out during the day patrol and set in his men. They faced the road from a small hill about thirty yards away, with a clear field of fire in all directions.
Mac positioned his machine-gun team in the center of the squad. A rifle fire team was on each side of the gun, with Mac and the radioman next to the gunner. When the ambush was sprung, the gun would open up first. Every third man would remain awake during the night. No one expected the Vietcong to come walking right down the road so near the marine base, but enemy movement had been spotted in the area recently.
It was 2:00 A.M. when Mac felt something on his shoulder. He was awake at once and instinctively reached for his pistol. The marine next to him was pointing down the road.
“VC.”
Mac could barely see the silhouettes in the darkness. A dozen Vietcong were walking down the road, laughing and talking as they walked. Mac glanced over at his machine gunner and realized he was asleep. Mac would have to spring the ambush himself.
“Fire!” Mac yelled, as he squeezed off several pistol rounds at the Vietcong.
The firing only lasted thirty seconds, but it seemed like much longer. There was no return fire from the enemy. As a matter of fact, the Vietcong took off running when the first shot was fired. Mac waited silently, listening for sounds of movement. His radioman looked up.
“Mac, the lieutenant is on the horn.”
“This is Mac, over.”
“What have you got out there, Mac, over.”
“Be advised we have ambushed a squad-sized enemy force coming down the road, over.”
“Understand, Mac. Are there any casualties, over.”
“Negative, lieutenant. Request some light over the kill zone, over.”
The flares popped overhead and the marines saw several bodies lying in the road. At first light, Mac took a fire team to examine the bodies. One of the enemy dead was a woman. As Mac came closer, he noticed her long black hair. There was a bullet hole in her chest, just above the heart.