In the fall of 1970, the Viet Cong guerillas in the villages between Quang Ngai City and Hill 4-11 stepped up their activity against our troops by placing numerous mines in the road that supplied the firebase. There were numerous incidents and many deaths, both American and Vietnamese, because many vehicles were destroyed by command detonated mines. The 3rd/1st lost jeeps, deuce and a halfs, and a Duster. Finally, in November 1970, a truck which was part of a resupply convoy to Hill 4-11, with eight men and a "blivit" of gasoline on board, was destroyed, killing all onboard. Because of this and other severe losses, the Americal Division HQ resupplied the firebase solely by air for several months, avoiding the road entirely.
In the spring of 1971, the cost of using air assets for resupply was getting increasingly expensive. So, HQ decided to reopen the road, but first the VC villes along the route, a cluster known as Vinh Loc, had to be destroyed. To do this, the engineers sent in their huge Rome Plows (basically armored bulldozers) to clear out the hedgerows and berms. When the foliage became too dense, a flame drop was ordered to help clear out the area. Here is a series of pictures describing that operation:
