 Its exact importance is still debated upon as many claim that its strategic advantage was not all that the Marines had built it up to be and that the NVA never really wanted to control it, however the mountain's mere location inherently brought several benefits.The Rockpile is located at the junction of five major valleys less than 10 miles away from the hotly contested DMZ and held a commanding view over the surrounding area including several key infiltration routes.The mountain's height made it ideal for observation as it was possible to see ships in the South China Sea approximately 20 miles to the east, while what was called "Ghost Mountain" in Laos was visible to the west on a clear day.