Engineer Memoirs
This means that we are dependent on a water line of communications for all our heavy
equipment and our heavy construction supplies, not having the airlift capability. Given
the priority system in Vietnam, these water movements are very time consuming. For
example, the traffic management agency is allowed 20 days in which to complete a
normal water movement. If you consider the number of movements required and the
length of the various jobs, you pretty soon come up with the fact that half your time is
spent waiting for movements.
There is no simple solution to this problem because the transportation people in
Vietnam don't have the resources to support water movements all over the country.
The engineers have to take their turn. One solution is to plan further ahead. But the
military situation changes, and engineer plans have to be changed accordingly. There
is no question in my mind that this is greatest challenge in the delta, providing adequate
support.
Air is important for support in the delta, and air has been a problem. I think air has been
a problem for the engineer troops all over Vietnam. They don't enjoy a sufficient
priority to have enough air support. Either they're in organic aircraft for command and
control, or in lift for heavier supplies. We've made various improvements; we've shared
aircraft with other units, particularly the Saigon Support Command. But there is no
question about it, we could do a lot
more if we had more air than we now
have.
Operation Speedy Express is an
example of the effect of support.
When you are given a priority, what is
the best you can do? The construction
work there, while interesting, was not
a great challenge in itself. The
relatively short time allowed and the
difficulty of laying on all the
movement incident to Speedy Express
made this mission a much greater
challenge to the group staff in the way
of planning and coordinating than
other operations which we have
conducted.
At the other end of the scale is the
LOC [lines of communication]
program, a much more deliberate
Mekong Delta, Lines of Communication.
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