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Interstate 9 open to Khe San courtesy of 11^th eng. Bn. Co. A Your highway taxes at work.

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As part of the psychological warfare used against the NVA we put up these signs. This one was placed along Highway 9 between Ca Lu and the Ruo Quan River crossing. Supposedly many of the Vietnamese are superstitious so we were warning them that we were dealing them the death card

One of the most vulnerable areas was in a gorge where Highway 9 crossed the Ruo Quan River about half way between Ca Lu and Khe Sanh called the "Hairpin". This was evident by the two bridges which had been blown out when the Vietnamese were fighting the French. After the first bridge had blown out a Bailey bridge had been erected, but the center support was later blown out making it useless to vehicles. The majority of the planks had been removed torn up and taken away, but there remained one row which allowed it to still be used as a foot bridge by the Montagnards when traveling to and from market in Quang Tri.

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The engineers had extended the road up river and placed a portable bridge at the crossing. The road was then reconnected on the opposite bank. The bridge would be placed the day before a Rough Rider convoy. Lima Company would stand security throughout the night