Vietnam Veteran Doug Miller Reflects on the Dangers of January 1970 Combat Operations
ASHLAND — As the calendar turns to January each year, Vietnam veteran Doug Miller is transported back more than five decades to a time and place that remains etched into his memory — January 9, 1970, in the jungles of Vietnam.
Miller, who served with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry — known as the “Black Lions” — recalls that every mission carried risk, but few were as perilous as entering and clearing enemy base camps.
“In Vietnam, all operations and missions had dangers involved,” Miller said. “But the most dangerous for an infantry unit was entering enemy base camps and clearing bunkers.”
During that year, Delta Company experienced more killed and wounded in action during base camp clearing operations than in any other type of encounter. The enemy’s mastery of the terrain and ability to camouflage bunkers often meant American troops didn’t realize they had entered a base camp until it was too late.
“Many times, we found ourselves already in a base camp before we knew it,” Miller recalled. “The bunkers were so well hidden you wouldn’t see them until you had walked right up on them.”
If the camp was occupied, contact came suddenly and violently. Enemy fire at close range could pin soldiers down with little warning, trapping them in exposed kill zones.
“It was difficult to work your way out and find cover,” Miller said. “Our plan was usually to pull back and let artillery or tactical air strikes work the area. Eventually, we would have to go back in and finish the mission.”
Even when a base camp appeared empty, danger still lurked. Booby traps left behind posed a constant and deadly threat. Miller vividly remembers one such incident just days before the new year.
“On December 30, 1969, while clearing a base camp, we sustained one KIA and three WIA from a booby trap that had been left behind,” he said.
Once security was established, the work was far from over. Each bunker in the complex had to be cleared individually — a slow, tense process requiring absolute focus and courage.
More than 50 years later, Miller’s memories serve as a powerful reminder of the daily dangers faced by Vietnam-era soldiers and the sacrifices made by those who served. His reflections honor not only the men of Delta Company and the Black Lions, but all veterans who endured the realities of combat far from home.
As Miller remembers January 9, 1970, his words stand as both a historical account and a tribute — ensuring that the experiences, losses, and bravery of Vietnam veterans are never forgotten.
