Tank Patrol from Hill 10

Shortly before this photo was taken, four tanks, who were probably part of the 1st Tank Battalion stationed in Da Nang, left Hill 10 with Marines riding on top of them for a patrol through the surrounding area. The tanks were travelling from right to left. The tank patrol would be like a "ride in the park" for the Marines who were used to humping through the area.

Unfortunately, the first tank on the left was the only one that made it across the irrigation ditch that ran between the rice paddies. The second tank got stuck in the mud as it approached the irrigation ditch. The third tank tried to pull the second one back from the ditch and got stuck deeper than the second one did. After this photo was taken, the tank on the left backed up and tried to pull the second one out of the mud and only succeeded in getting itself stuck in the mud, also. The tank on the far right returned to the hill and a security perimeter was set up around the stuck tanks to protect them until a tank retriever arrived from Da Nang to free them from the mud.

The Marines in the forground have just returned from the hapless tank patrol.