The Sea Swallows: Campaigning in the South Vietnam Delta with Chinese Catholic Exiles

In 1967 a MACV team of five U.S. Army soldiers replace a Special Forces A Team as advisors to a Chinese Catholic enclave deep in the delta of South Vietnam. The Chinese, exiled Nationalists from mainland China and led by their priest, occupy an armed camp called Hai Yen previously established with the aid of the CIA, surrounded by the Viet Cong, and isolated from South Vietnamese government support by fifty kilometers. Father Hoa, the charismatic spiritual and military leader, is replaced by a Vietnamese officer who has doubtful control of the troops. The American team s mission - to assist in military operations and civil government nation building programs - is hampered by the lack of combat and logistical support, distrust between the Chinese and Vietnamese, and understanding the cultural difference between the East and the West. Overcoming these difficulties and fighting a determined and tenacious enemy on a daily basis bring challenges the Americans could not have anticipated.