Last week while in Phonsavan, on my second day tour of the Plain of Jars area, we went to the Tham Piu Cave.
During the "Secret War" thousands of local residents often took shelter in caves. It was the only place to escape the incessant bombing. They set up hospitals and schools in the caves. The Pathet Lao used the caves as well to store weapons and medical supplies.
Tham Piu Cave is located 6 km north of Muang Kham. In November 1969 a single rocket fired from an aircraft caused the death of an estimated 374 people who had taken refuge in the cave. Their bones are still buried in the rubble.
I have not been able to find information about the attack, but doubtlessly, a Raven (the spotters that flew the single engine Cessna aircraft (low and slow) and ID'd ground targets for the fighter bombers) saw people coming and going from the cave, and they were ID'd as "bad guys". The coordinates of the cave were radioed to the ABCCC (Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center) aircraft (what my father flew) and fighter bombers were called and given the coordinates. The Raven them came in low and marked the target with white phosperous rockets (Willie Petes). Then the fighters came down and dropped their ordinance on the Willie Pete smoke markers.
I have read that two fighters shot rockets at the cave. The first fighter missed with both rockets. The second fighter missed with the first rocket but the second rocket went directly into the cave. 374 people were killed, almost all from falling rock debris from the ceiling.
Standing in the mouth of the cave and looking south over the surrounding countryside, I could visualize the inbound fighters, screaming in at hundreds of miles an hour, firing their rockets at the spot where I stood........
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