Laotian Chronicle 2/6
By Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Antoine Marquet
January 24, 2024
The discovery of this small town surprises me, but not my teammates who live in Thailand! Around 4:30 a.m., I am awakened by a dull thud, repeated with metronome-like regularity. I learn that it is the gong of the nearby temple, where we will meet some of the monks during alms collection. In place of the gong, we are treated to a speech delivered by a monotonous male voice in Lao, conveying societal, political, and undoubtedly conditioning messages to the population, who seem indifferent to this communist harangue. At the first light of dawn, stalls selling all kinds of goods line the streets. We find just about everything. Beautiful fresh vegetables plucked from their native soil, prepared dishes, tools, animals—one species in particular caught my gourmet's eye: dried rats, grilled rats… certain connoisseurs with exquisite tastes would relish them. The market visit was also very instructive: a calf had just been slaughtered right there on the ground. Butchered on the spot, it attracted a clientele of humans, but also dogs and cats. This surprised no one except us…
January 24, 2024
The discovery of this small town surprises me, but not my teammates who live in Thailand! Around 4:30 a.m., I am awakened by a dull thud, repeated with metronome-like regularity. I learn that it is the gong of the nearby temple, where we will meet some of the monks during alms collection. In place of the gong, we are treated to a speech delivered by a monotonous male voice in Lao, conveying societal, political, and undoubtedly conditioning messages to the population, who seem indifferent to this communist harangue. At the first light of dawn, stalls selling all kinds of goods line the streets. We find just about everything. Beautiful fresh vegetables plucked from their native soil, prepared dishes, tools, animals—one species in particular caught my gourmet's eye: dried rats, grilled rats… certain connoisseurs with exquisite tastes would relish them. The market visit was also very instructive: a calf had just been slaughtered right there on the ground. Butchered on the spot, it attracted a clientele of humans, but also dogs and cats. This surprised no one except us…
The guesthouse where we were staying was perfectly adequate but also surprising, and for good reason… the shower was located half a meter from the toilet bowl, a meter from the trash can and the sink, meaning everything flooded when it was turned on. We couldn't determine the purpose or reason for this system. Was it so that guests would have to clean the bathroom themselves with plenty of water, or was it due to a shortage of shower curtains in local stores? We were looking for a place to have a well-deserved breakfast and stopped at a ramshackle little café where the kitchen was hidden behind a slatted partition.
We ordered coffee and omelets, which were excellent, and had to go across the street to buy bread. The shop also sold skewers of thinly sliced bacon, which allowed us to make some rather tasty sandwiches—a welcome change from the usual grilled rats! Breakfast over—I had to switch to coffee and condensed milk because the tea tasted like grass steeped in hot water—we tried to find a way to get there, but taxis were nonexistent in the small town. Jean-Pierre, a skilled organizer and logistics expert, tried to negotiate with some motorcyclists, but we abandoned the idea because they only had two bikes, and the roads would have been difficult to navigate with those vehicles. Suddenly, near a fruit vendor, he spotted a kind of mini-truck. The fruit vendor told us it was her husband's truck. No matter, enveloped in a cloud of cigar smoke and with two coughing fits, Jean-Pierre sealed the deal: truck and driver were hired for two days for the modest sum of 1,500,000 kip, but don't panic, that's only 67 euros!
So we set off towards Khouang Khouei. Site of Cabaribère's battles and the source of the large valley he used to escape the Viet Minh. We will leave our research in Mouang Khoua for tomorrow, to locate the strongpoints established in April 1953.
We ordered coffee and omelets, which were excellent, and had to go across the street to buy bread. The shop also sold skewers of thinly sliced bacon, which allowed us to make some rather tasty sandwiches—a welcome change from the usual grilled rats! Breakfast over—I had to switch to coffee and condensed milk because the tea tasted like grass steeped in hot water—we tried to find a way to get there, but taxis were nonexistent in the small town. Jean-Pierre, a skilled organizer and logistics expert, tried to negotiate with some motorcyclists, but we abandoned the idea because they only had two bikes, and the roads would have been difficult to navigate with those vehicles. Suddenly, near a fruit vendor, he spotted a kind of mini-truck. The fruit vendor told us it was her husband's truck. No matter, enveloped in a cloud of cigar smoke and with two coughing fits, Jean-Pierre sealed the deal: truck and driver were hired for two days for the modest sum of 1,500,000 kip, but don't panic, that's only 67 euros!
So we set off towards Khouang Khouei. Site of Cabaribère's battles and the source of the large valley he used to escape the Viet Minh. We will leave our research in Mouang Khoua for tomorrow, to locate the strongpoints established in April 1953.
The Second Battle of Mouang Khoua
January 29, 1954
The 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3rd REI), commanded by Major Cabaribère, was in Mouang Khoua to support the garrison's withdrawal. The battalion was engaged with three combat companies: the 6th Company under Lieutenant Riou (whom we knew as a colonel), the 7th Company under Captain Fonlupt, and the 8th Company under Captain Gansard. The 5th Company remained in Muong Xai, 80 kilometers away.
8:00 AM
At the 8:00 AM radio call, Commander Cabaribère received a message requesting that a company be sent to Kouong Khouei, south of Mouang Khoua, to act as a buffer during a subsequent withdrawal.
In the afternoon, he received another message ordering him to discreetly destroy any installations and equipment that could not be carried away and to leave Mouang Khoua the following morning at 7:00 AM. Cabaribère interpreted this encrypted message as: carry out the destruction at 7:00 AM.
Commander Vaudrey later confirmed that his message instructed him to leave Mouang Khoua at 7:00 AM.
5:30 PM
Captain Fontlup's 7th Company was in Kouang Khouei and reported that its deployment had been completed without incident. January 30, 1954
7:00 a.m.
Destruction of equipment begins at the three strongpoints of Mouang Khoua. These operations are taking longer than expected.
9:00 a.m.
A detachment under the command of Captain Menigoz of the 2nd BCL (Battalion of Light Cavalry), composed of the 8th Company of the 3rd REI (Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment) under Lieutenant Gansard, the 4th Company of the 2nd BCL under Lieutenant Monroe, and the auxiliary company of Adjutant Colegiono, leaves Mouang Khoua for Kouang Khouei.
12:00 p.m.
The destruction completed, the detachment under the command of Major Cabaribère, the detachment departed Mouang Khoua. It comprised the 3rd Company of the 2nd Battalion of Light Cavalry (2e BCL) under Lieutenant Banlier, elements of the Combat Command (CCB), and the 6th Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) under Lieutenant Riou. It was to be reinforced at Kouang Khouei by the 7th Company of the 3rd REI, whose reconnaissance mission was then completed.
5:00 PM
The Cabaribère detachment reached Kouang Khouei and established a temporary encampment for the night. Captain Menigoz's detachment had passed Kouang Khouei and reached Kouang Rip three hours ahead of the second detachment.
6:00 PM
Major Vaudrey and the 5th Battalion of the Foreign Legion (5e Tabor) made contact with Captain Menigoz's detachment at Kouang Rip.
To be continued...
The 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3rd REI), commanded by Major Cabaribère, was in Mouang Khoua to support the garrison's withdrawal. The battalion was engaged with three combat companies: the 6th Company under Lieutenant Riou (whom we knew as a colonel), the 7th Company under Captain Fonlupt, and the 8th Company under Captain Gansard. The 5th Company remained in Muong Xai, 80 kilometers away.
8:00 AM
At the 8:00 AM radio call, Commander Cabaribère received a message requesting that a company be sent to Kouong Khouei, south of Mouang Khoua, to act as a buffer during a subsequent withdrawal.
In the afternoon, he received another message ordering him to discreetly destroy any installations and equipment that could not be carried away and to leave Mouang Khoua the following morning at 7:00 AM. Cabaribère interpreted this encrypted message as: carry out the destruction at 7:00 AM.
Commander Vaudrey later confirmed that his message instructed him to leave Mouang Khoua at 7:00 AM.
5:30 PM
Captain Fontlup's 7th Company was in Kouang Khouei and reported that its deployment had been completed without incident. January 30, 1954
7:00 a.m.
Destruction of equipment begins at the three strongpoints of Mouang Khoua. These operations are taking longer than expected.
9:00 a.m.
A detachment under the command of Captain Menigoz of the 2nd BCL (Battalion of Light Cavalry), composed of the 8th Company of the 3rd REI (Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment) under Lieutenant Gansard, the 4th Company of the 2nd BCL under Lieutenant Monroe, and the auxiliary company of Adjutant Colegiono, leaves Mouang Khoua for Kouang Khouei.
12:00 p.m.
The destruction completed, the detachment under the command of Major Cabaribère, the detachment departed Mouang Khoua. It comprised the 3rd Company of the 2nd Battalion of Light Cavalry (2e BCL) under Lieutenant Banlier, elements of the Combat Command (CCB), and the 6th Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) under Lieutenant Riou. It was to be reinforced at Kouang Khouei by the 7th Company of the 3rd REI, whose reconnaissance mission was then completed.
5:00 PM
The Cabaribère detachment reached Kouang Khouei and established a temporary encampment for the night. Captain Menigoz's detachment had passed Kouang Khouei and reached Kouang Rip three hours ahead of the second detachment.
6:00 PM
Major Vaudrey and the 5th Battalion of the Foreign Legion (5e Tabor) made contact with Captain Menigoz's detachment at Kouang Rip.
To be continued...