Doug Miller, Vietnam Veteran, Remembers a Night That Marked the New Year in War
December 31, 1969 – January 1, 1970
As the calendar turned to a new year more than five decades ago, Vietnam veteran Doug Miller remembers a night etched permanently into his memory — a night marked not by celebration, but by loss, vigilance, and survival in one of the most dangerous areas of his unit’s operations.
Delta Company was operating in the same hostile region where, just one day earlier, the platoon had suffered devastating losses. Ellis Marlin had been killed in action, while Theo Young, Mike Howard, and Frank Piccirillo were wounded. The impact was staggering. Once a full-strength rifle platoon of roughly 40 soldiers, 1st Platoon was now reduced to just 16 men.
“We were hurting,” Miller recalled. “You don’t just lose manpower — you lose brothers.”
The area surrounding the village of Ben Chua was well known among U.S. forces as a stronghold for the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong. It was a place where danger was constant, and every step carried risk.
Late in the afternoon on December 31, 1969, 1st Platoon selected a trail for a night ambush position after noticing fresh signs of enemy movement — distinctive “Ho Chi Minh sandal” prints. The crude footwear, fashioned from recycled rubber tires, was commonly worn by enemy soldiers and often signaled recent activity along supply routes.
As daylight faded, the platoon quietly moved into position. Claymore mines were carefully emplaced to cover the kill zone, with additional mechanical claymores positioned along the trail. Their location was reported to the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and coordinated with artillery units — known as the “Red Legs” — stationed at Fire Base Kien.
The men established a watch schedule and remained at 100 percent alert until darkness fully settled in.
Throughout the night, Miller remembers seeing and hearing “Night Hawk” helicopters patrolling the skies above. Equipped with infrared night vision and electrically powered miniguns capable of firing 4,000 rounds per minute, the helicopters provided close-in support and responded swiftly to any targets of opportunity.
Then, at approximately 5 a.m. on January 1, 1970, the silence was shattered.
“One of the mechanical claymores detonated,” Miller said.
The platoon immediately checked the area, bracing for contact. Instead, they found the remains of a rabbit that had accidentally triggered the device.
“It wasn’t a good start to the New Year for the rabbit,” Miller said with a somber hint of battlefield humor — the kind soldiers relied on to cope with constant tension.
For the men of 1st Platoon, the moment offered brief relief but little comfort. The dangers remained, the losses were fresh, and the war was far from over.
As dawn broke on January 1, 1970, Doug Miller marked the beginning of a new year in Vietnam with a sobering realization.
“I still had 217 days left in-country,” he said.
More than half a century later, those days — and the memories of those who didn’t make it home — remain vividly alive.
