Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with Peng Thuon

Peng Thuon: For example, if the shelling came down in the neighborhood of the Monk’s Hospital, the people would run over to the neighborhood of the Chinese hospital, to Tuol Tampoung. Then when the shells would come down in Tuol Tampoung, there would be chaos. Interviewer: And what was it like in the last few days before the end? Where were you and what did you see?

Peng Thuon: The battle started at one or two o’clock and went on until about five o’clock before the fortification was overrun. The Khmer Rouge first attacked from the Vihear Khuor Pagoda side, approaching the airport from the front and along the sides. They had to press the attack for a long time before getting in. Interviewer: When you were still at the airport, was there anything that was really amazing happening? What about when you ran, when people were changing into civilian clothes?

Peng Thuon: The corpses were all mixed up: some soldiers’ wives, some ordinary people, some Khmer Rouge . Those who survived jumped across the bodies to get past. But once they got past, there was shelling and everything was on fire. The whole place was on fire. The shelling was scoring direct hits on the hangers and the warehouses.