© Copyright Michael Dan Kellum 2010
Cam Sa Raid, aka The August 4 Caper
Super 8 Footage Shot
By Cpl. Dwight Williams, HML-167 Crew Chief
Marine Cpl. Dwight Williams, 21, of Pensacola, Florida in 1970 was the crew chief of 1stLt. L.M.
"Larry" Thrasher and HML-167 commanding officer Lt.Col. Douglas A. "Doug" McCaughey's
Command and Control Huey on August 4, 1970. Williams and Cpl. John T. "J.T." Bouley, 21, of
Harrisville, Rhode Island, the Huey's doorgunner, shot numerous still photos of the action
during the Cam Sa Raid, aka The August 4 Caper, south of Da Nang, South Vietnam.
Williams captured some of the action in a roughly 90 second Super 8 clip of the battle and
aftermath while circling the battleground in the Phong Ha-Quang Ha (1) area just below the Old
Cau Ha Combat Base in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps' area of operation.
Unfortunately there is no sound to the footage. Some portions of the film was used as part of
the Vietnam's Helicopter Heroes film narrated by Martin Sheen.
After reading the included condensed version in Leatherneck magazine's May 2011 issue on
this website from Michael Dan Kellum's Book II, American Heroes: Grunts, Pilots & "Docs,"
Chapter 12, pages 279-292, you will have a better understanding of what you are seeing on the
shaky handheld Super 8 camera in the vibrating Huey aircraft.
Basically, Williams started filming after 63 Marines and Vietnamese from 3rd Platoon, Golf Co.,
2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment; 2/1's S-2 (Intelligence section) scouts; and 3rd
Counterintelligence and Interrogation Team were already on the ground rounding up fleeing
Viet Cong leaders and their bodyguards. You can just make out some of the VC running while
Marines and their Vietnamese allies attempt to surround and overtake them. Some VC are
shown surrendering by putting their hands up or lying down on the ground when they realized
it was unhealthy to try and outrun the 2/1 force or the two overhead Cobra gunships and Huey
C&C bird. A VC is shown attempting to run out of the targeted battle zone while a Cobra
gunship expertly puts exploding rockets at his every turn preventing his escape.
This is rare raw footage of actual combat in Vietnam.
In the final movie shots the Marines collect the bodies of the VC who elected to try to flee or
fight it out with the Marines and Marine aircraft. The bodies are dragged to a central location
and lined up...12 altogether. Twelve other VC were captured and taken in for interrogation. The
operation lasted a grand total of 25 minutes and not one Marine or Vietnamese ally was
injured.
"Larry" Thrasher and HML-167 commanding officer Lt.Col. Douglas A. "Doug" McCaughey's
Command and Control Huey on August 4, 1970. Williams and Cpl. John T. "J.T." Bouley, 21, of
Harrisville, Rhode Island, the Huey's doorgunner, shot numerous still photos of the action
during the Cam Sa Raid, aka The August 4 Caper, south of Da Nang, South Vietnam.
Williams captured some of the action in a roughly 90 second Super 8 clip of the battle and
aftermath while circling the battleground in the Phong Ha-Quang Ha (1) area just below the Old
Cau Ha Combat Base in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps' area of operation.
Unfortunately there is no sound to the footage. Some portions of the film was used as part of
the Vietnam's Helicopter Heroes film narrated by Martin Sheen.
After reading the included condensed version in Leatherneck magazine's May 2011 issue on
this website from Michael Dan Kellum's Book II, American Heroes: Grunts, Pilots & "Docs,"
Chapter 12, pages 279-292, you will have a better understanding of what you are seeing on the
shaky handheld Super 8 camera in the vibrating Huey aircraft.
Basically, Williams started filming after 63 Marines and Vietnamese from 3rd Platoon, Golf Co.,
2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment; 2/1's S-2 (Intelligence section) scouts; and 3rd
Counterintelligence and Interrogation Team were already on the ground rounding up fleeing
Viet Cong leaders and their bodyguards. You can just make out some of the VC running while
Marines and their Vietnamese allies attempt to surround and overtake them. Some VC are
shown surrendering by putting their hands up or lying down on the ground when they realized
it was unhealthy to try and outrun the 2/1 force or the two overhead Cobra gunships and Huey
C&C bird. A VC is shown attempting to run out of the targeted battle zone while a Cobra
gunship expertly puts exploding rockets at his every turn preventing his escape.
This is rare raw footage of actual combat in Vietnam.
In the final movie shots the Marines collect the bodies of the VC who elected to try to flee or
fight it out with the Marines and Marine aircraft. The bodies are dragged to a central location
and lined up...12 altogether. Twelve other VC were captured and taken in for interrogation. The
operation lasted a grand total of 25 minutes and not one Marine or Vietnamese ally was
injured.
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