Kit Carson Scouts - Early Days

Early Days

Early tactics for the two scouts were the identification of Viet Cong guerrillas and cadre among the civilian populace. Both Kit Carsons offered narrative insights about how the Viet Cong moved and interacted with civilians within the areas where Tam and Chanh had previously operated as enemy combatants. The scouts additionally proved adept at identifying booby traps, caves and tunnels and caches of enemy weapons. These two early Kit Carsons also were found invaluable in their abilities to conduct tactical interrogations in the field and thereby gain immediately useful information before newly-detained prisoners were sent to the rear from their point of capture.

The third American recruited to the program in Chu Lai was Pfc Richard Gualano, who arrived in Vietnam in early December 1966. Pfc. Gualano, like Sells, was in the first class and a graduate of the Marine's Del Mar Vietnamese language school. The arrival of Pfc. Gualano allowed for the formation of two Kit Carson Scout teams. Each team was part of the battalion's intelligence gathering section. Both accompanied combat Marines from the battalion's four rifle companies during patrols, ambushes, sweeps and larger operations. Sells later gained added responsibility recruiting new scouts from the Chieu Hoi centers in Quang Ngai City and DaNang to be trained and deployed with other U.S. Marine units in I Corps.