A tale of a secret base and a fight for survival

This military tale takes place in northern Laos in 1968.

We were not supposed to have troops there, but the U.S. did and kept it a secret from the public.

Stan Sliz was a radio operator on Top Secret Lima Site 85 where he guided F-4s and F-105 fighter bombers with ground control radar bombs.

The site was overrun on March 11, 1968. They had been sleeping but were awakened by the sound of small arms fire, so they snuck down the mountain to a little hole that was set up for two people, but there were five people in it.

Etch was watching the trail above and whispered to Stan that there were people coming. Stan replied that when they got close enough to shoot, and so he did.

Almost immediately, all heck broke loose, the NVA were firing at them with AK-47s and throwing grenades, the first burst killed Hank, then a grenade came in. Stilz threw Hank's body on the grenade to save the rest of them.

Sliz was wounded in the thighs and said the pain was unbearable and John was also wounded, but they kept on firing, as it was a matter of life or death. Then for some unknown reason, there was a lull in the fighting.

Sliz got through on his radio for help, and an aircraft came in and shot up the NVA. They were later evacuated by helicopter that lifted them out one by one by a cable through the jungle canopy. They were the only four survivors of the entire group on the mountain.

Roger Gregory is a Vietnam veteran, serving in the 1st Infantry Division, and is a business owner in Priest River.