Lucy421 : photos : Quang Ngai 2000 : 1d - SW end of Nui Dau and FSB Debbie. Mess hall was at base near highway. Nui Dau ("Mulberry Hill") is now all overgrown, with some excavation going on near road going up the hill from near QL-1. On account of our guide's reservations and other obstacles, I couldn't try going up the old road, which of course I wanted to do.- powered by SmugMug

Photos taken in June 2000

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Lucy421 > ROADS INTO THE RICE BOWL - When I returned to this area in June 2000, I was especially interested in revisiting the areas south of Highway QL-1 and the old French Railroad Tracks. I have arbitrarily numbered roads we attempted on this map segment. We went in #4 and walked to the base of Nui Dau (site of FSB Debbie). We then tried to walk north from the highway on #3. Excavation was going on at the base, and there didn't seem to be a way (approvable by our guide) to go up - I was also unsure about whether there might still be BTs. Next we attempted to drive south on #3 (yellow) but couldn't drive beyond the railroad tracks. After consulting with locals, we drove back to #1 (green) , which goes in to Xuan Thanh, but that was not open. Finally we drove in #2 (red), which was my first thought to begin with. We barely got past the tracks but then were able to drive to near the north end of Hill 56, from which we walked south to about where the red ends. Our guide said I couldn't go further because children were following us. Both Hill 56 and Nui Dau were completely grown over. Otherwise, the whole area looked very familiar from 1970.

Lucy421 > Nui Dau 1a - start of pan southwest, taken from QL-1. Location of FSB Debbie.

Lucy421 > Nui Dau, FSB Debbie, 1c, pan right continued. Thumbnails show large view. To right of this photo into next photo is area where B-4/21 was usually set up with mortars and perimeter guard.

Lucy421 > 1d - SW end of Nui Dau and FSB Debbie. Mess hall was at base near highway. Nui Dau ("Mulberry Hill") is now all overgrown, with some excavation going on near road going up the hill from near QL-1. On account of our guide's reservations and other obstacles, I couldn't try going up the old road, which of course I wanted to do.

Lucy421 > RB 1 - Continue panning right, SE, SSE, etc. across QL-1 from Nui Dau (Debbie). The hill (or stretch of hills) here is called "Horseback" by locals. Succeeding shots pan around the Rice Bowl south of QL-1 and back and were taken from someplace along the highway, I'm guessing at about BS845327, though I didn't have my GPS at the time. Possibly one could get something out of comparing these photos and the topographical map, in terms of identifying features in the photos. Feel free to add comments.

Lucy421 > RB 2 - Panning right from here. Foreground: southbound railroad track still in use, built by French.

1d - SW end of Nui Dau and FSB Debbie. Mess hall was at base near highway. Nui Dau ("Mulberry Hill") is now all overgrown, with some excavation going on near road going up the hill from near QL-1. On account of our guide's reservations and other obstacles, I couldn't try going up the old road, which of course I wanted to do.