Welcome to the "Virtual Tour" of Tu My Ville which was located near Fire Support Base Hill 4-11. Tu My was a relocation ville for people who originally lived in and around "The Horseshoe" area and in the area near FSB Hill 4-11. This ville was setup to keep the VC away from them. However, it didn't seem to work too well because the District Chief, Major Hoa, said the village "was full of VC."
Your tour guide for Tu My ville is Dave Eckberg. Dave was the S-5 and Medical Platoon Leader for the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry from August, 1970 to August 1971.
Enjoy your visit to Tu My Ville!
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
Here is a view of Tu My Ville as seen from the southwest. The ville was divided into two sections with a road down the middle from north to south. The larger section seen to the east or right side is the area that housed the Vietnamese refugees. The smaller western section housed the Montagnard refugees. The two groups didn't mix too well.
The village was surrounded by two defensive earthen berms with punji stakes in the trench between them. The two triangular structures within the village were defensive positions for the RF/PF (Regional Force/Popular Force) troops who lived in the village and provided some measure of protection, much like a national guard.
The road that comes into the picture from the right and goes around the corner of the village and off to the left leads to FSB Hill 4-11.
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
As seen here from the south gate of FSB Hill 4-11, Tu My Ville is on the horizon. From a very early age, the small children of Tu My would take the family's water buffaloes out to graze. Here is a child about 10 years old who is herding his animals back to the village. He controls them with just a small stick.
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
This is the trench, with thousands of punji stakes, around the village.
Photograph by Dave Eckberg
Within the village, the inhabitants dry their rice on square pieces of canvas.
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