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Highway 13 ran from Saigon north through Lai Khe, to An Loc and Loc Ninh and into Cambodia. North of Lai Khe the highway was the location of numerous ambushes of troops and convoys, and became known as Thunder Road. The clearing of the jungle from each side of the highway, and numerous fire support nases and night defense positives along Thunder Road reduced the attacks on US and Vietnamese troops.

The highway from Lai Khe to Phuoc Vinh is shown as LTL1A on the maps. LTL1A ran from Lai Khe to Phuoc Vinh, a primary base camp of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. The highway from Lai Khe to river crossing shown in the pictures below was patrolled by units of the 1st Infantry Division. These units were stationed at FSB Jim and NDP Bandit Hill, and the patrolling included daily sweeping of the road with mine detectors. Convoys of tankers hauling aviation and diesel fuel and other supplies were escorted from Lai Khe to Phuoc Vinh several times a week.

gray line
highway south of Lai Khe
Highway 13 just south of the base camp. at Lai Khe, in late 1968.
paving highway
Paving highway 13. In 1969, the highway up to Lai Khe was paved. This made it diffult to plant mines in the road without vidual detection.
hardwood along highway
Hardwood trees collected from the jungle along Highway 13, in the vicinity of FSB Thunder 3.

bus on highway 13

A bus which traveled from An Loc south through Ben Cat to Saigon.
truck on highway 13
US made trucks supplied to the Vietnamese in US aid programs. This truck was used to haul supplies to Vietnamese towns along Highway 13.
buildings
A school and church in one of the small villages along Highway 13 near An Loc.
ox cart
Ox cart transportation along Highway 13.
village on hwy 13
One of several villages along Highway 13 between Lai Khe and An Loc.
bus stop at village
Bus stop at one of the villages along Highway 13.
FSB Jim
FSB Jim along Highway 1A, the road to Phuoc Vinh.
fsb Mons
FSB Mons I along Highway 1A, the road to Phuoc Vinh.
Cleaning our bunker
CH-47 Chinook delivering supplies to FSB Jim.
after monsoon rain
Delivering supplies to FSB Mons I.
BN commander
CH-54 Sky Crane trying to lift a damaged APC from near the jungle near FSB Jim.
sweeping for mines
Sweeping for mines on Highway 1A, near NDPBandit Hill.
near Bandit Hill
Village near NDP Bandit Hill, on Highway 1A.
FSB Mons
Late evening at FSB Mons.
Outer perimeter
Convoy on Highway 1A, approaching the Song Be River crossing, on its way to Phuoc Vinh - 1st Air Cav headquarters.
Sky Crane
Convoy on the way to Phuoc Vinh, crossing the Song Be River bridge.
highway
Along Highway 1A going towards Phuoc Vinh.
road to Phuoc Vinh
Road to Phuoc Vinh.
entering Phuoc Vinh
Entering Phuoc Vinh.
convoy
Convoy of empty tankers and other trucks waiting for return to Lai Khe and Saigon area.
children of Phuoc Vinh