A major turning point for My Thuy Phuong's people came in early 1968: the landing of Camp Eagle. With that event, American disruption of vil- lage life began to accelerate. As part of the U.S. Army buildup in the province, about two companies of American soldiers came to the village on January 28 and 29, 1968.1 The companies belonged to the 10lst Air- borne Division (Airmobile)-the "Screaming Eagles." The 101st came to share major combat responsibilities in Thua Thien/Hue with the Marine COrpS.2 There is no available information on just why the village was selected for Camp Eagle, nor is it clear who made the selection. It is clear , however, that the camp literally changed the face of My Thuy Phuong, and at its peak supported more Americans-10,OOO at a time-than there were Vietnamese in the village.3

Personnel from the 101st constructed Camp Eagle in a section of My Thuy Phuong called Gia Le 5, a sparsely inhabited area of rolling, sandy hills in the western part of the village. Before the camp, Gia Le 5 had a homes, many acres of vegetable gardens, and numerous graves. The people directly affected by Eagle were the two or three families who in Gia Le 5. Government officials ordered them to relocate, and gave one month to do so.

People spoke with resignation about relocation of the families, and loss the garden area to Camp Eagle, but anger replaced resignation when discussed another subject-the graves of Gia Le 5. Before construc- the camp, bulldozers destroyed many of the grayes. Neither