Aug. 17, 1961 - For the second time in a month, the South Vietnamese army (pictured) registered a victory over the Communist guerrillas known as the Viet Cong. The South Vietnamese leader in each battle was Col. Huynh Van Cao, commander of the Seventh Division. Lieut. Col. Frank Clay, United States military advisor, praised Col. Cao's deployment of his forces for the second victory. "Colonel Cao's plan was like a hammer and anvil," he said, "and the Viet Cong were caught on the anvil." The South Vietnamese trapped 450 Communist soldiers in an area southwest of Saigon blocked by canals. They reported more than 100 Communists killed.
