. >> you could feel the heat of that nepalm. it was so hot. often times the close and high explosive bombs would throw dirt and shrapnel inside the perimeter. >> air force, marine and navy fighter bombers bombbd and strafed the enemy just outside the base perimeter all through february and march. >> this might sound ghastly but there's something beautiful about an nepalm strike. it is whht you would call su blib. like standing on the edge of the grand canyon, beauty and danger mixed. >> b-52s kept up the punishing strikes around the clock. >> and we start pouring it on. the bombs fell. all the month of february and all the month of march. >> general westmoreland was determined not to lose khe sahn after being caught by surprise in the tet offense. >> you're going to khe sahn. your crew and you and another track to relieve a battery out there. all right? and you're going to start on with operation pegasus. >> joe ballardo was part of "operation pegasus" for khe sahn. he drove a duster, the m-42-a like that commanded by bruce geiger at the base.