I have looked at the Flight Archives and found this article from the event, it is amazing that they even got away
As the aircraft taxied away a number of the troops who had been unable to get on board opened fire. It was iiit by small arms fire and the trailing edge was damaged by a grenade."
and it seems like the other aircraft was right, it was a body on the wheel:
"When the aircraft arrived at Saigon the body of a soldier was removed from a wheel well".
No wonder it had a gingerly landing