Ben Het and Vicinity
During this part of the trip, we visited the area where the Special Forces Ben Het base camp was located. This page contains photographs of the base camp and runway site (including a panorama of the area), sites along the road bewteen Dak To and Ben Het, the only erect Bailey Bridge left in-country and the Plei Kam area.
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The Ben Het base camp was located approximately 10 kilometers from the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia border. These photos provide a panorama of the base camp area as it exists today (nonexistent, except for a dirt runway). The Vietnamese Government has erected a notice that the location was also a spur along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Also, a very few Montagnards were found still living in this region.
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The area west of Dak To is considered "frontier" area and visits by anyone require the permission of provincial and police authorities. These photos show the local police station and road
Throughout Vietnam the U.S. Army erected "Bailey Bridges" to cross various rivers. At this time, only one of these bridges is still being used, and this bridge is between Ben Het and Dak To. These photos show this bridge and the surrounding area.
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Plei Kan is a community between Dak To and Ben Het. Nearby the Ho Chi Minh Trail cuts through the countryside. These photos show the Plei Kan countryside and the government signs denoting the presence of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
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