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These photos were taken by Frank Heiny during his time with the 15th Public Information Detachment as a 19 year old combat correspondent.
Reconnaissance by fire.
Watching while artillery pounds a VC target, a rifleman from Delta Company, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry waits in the treeline. The 2d Brigade troops were on a search-and-clear mission northwest of Saigon.
Checking local village.
Somewhat confused looking villager.
What child doesn’t enjoy a treat.
Drawing fire during sweep operation.
Soldier in deep thought.
Fellow combat correspondent with the infantry.
Young child at a local orphanage whose only toy was a bar of soap.
Tropic Lightning medic examining villager during MEDCAP operation.
Preparing wounded soldier for medivac.
Giving a fellow soldier a helping hand during sweep.
Young villager waving the Vietnamese flag during civil action event.
Troop extraction
Villagers receive x-ray exams during MEDCAP event.
Civil action event with local village leaders.
Second Brigade soldier being extracted after sinking in mud during a combat sweep.
Tropic Lightning troopers from the 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry Wolfhounds load captured mortar rounds and rice on waiting choppers. The 2d Brigade soldiers found the large cache near Fire Support Base Reed II.
Deeply camouflaged during operations.
25th Division infantryman
Young villagers enjoyed having their photos taken.
Sweep during monsoon season.
Under fire near Cu Chi.
Forward observer conducting reconnaissance.
Tropic Lightning soldiers conduct sweep during monsoon season.
SP4 Frank Heiny at age 19 covering action in Vietnam.
Rome Plows from the 501st Engineer Company (Land Clearing) of the 62d Engineer Battalion working in the Tropic Lightning's 2d Brigade area of operations flatten trees and brush and continue to roll.
Tropic Lightning soldier giving a buddy a lift during a sweep.
Religious services at Cu Chi base camp.
Village survivor emerges from burnt out home following air strike.
Second Brigade Headquarters’ “office dog.”
“Little Boy Bau” spends time with Tropic Lightning civil action officer after being fitted for prosthetics at a Saigon hospital.
Second Brigade Commander Colonel Eugene M. Lynch enlists the aid of ARVN Captain Nguyen Ding Dao, Fire Brigade liaison officer, to chat with a young student from the Phuoc Hiop school at the recent district festival near Bau Dieu. The student, who became affectionately known as “Little Boy Bau” was a multiple amputee as a result of Viet Cong boobytrap.