Vietnam War Dictionary

Lima Site 85

Perched on the top of a 5,580ft mountain (Phou Pha Thi) in Laos, Lima Site 85 was a U.S Air Force radar site that was used to direct bombing in North Vietnam. Though situated in enemy territory the site was thought to have been impregnable because three sides of the mountain were near vertical and the fourth was heavily fortified. However, on the night of March 10th 1968 North Vietnamese sappers miraculously climbed the western face of the mountain and attacked the facility. Of the 19 American personnel at the site, only 7 were rescued alive by USAF and Air America helicopters. CIA trained Hmong tribesmen managed to hold the mountain for several hours, but were eventually overrun at 7:30am on March 11th.

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