Summer 1967

Our battalion spent the month of July on special duty at Camp Radcliff, the base camp of the 1^st Cavalry Division located at An Khe. Our primary task at Camp Radcliff was providing base security and conducting combat operations in the area surrounding An Khe. This special duty coincided with a change of command of our Battalion Commander, with LTC John Stannard replacing LTC Jack Dashiell.

 

BRAVO ON PALACE GUARD AT AN KHE
USO SHOW AT AN KHE

Thanks to Fred Fish for the above Photos
We returned to Bong Son on 2 August and a few days later our battalion was placed under the operational control of the 3^rd Brigade, 1^st Cavalry Division. Our new mission was to deploy north to Quang Ngai Province, I Corps Tactical Zone, and conduct a reconnaissance in force in the Song Re Valley.

The Song Re Valley is located 32 miles southwest of Quang Ngai City, and was known as a Viet Cong stronghold. This operation was to be the first major reconnaissance in force into this valley and recent reconnaissance aircraft had been subjected to heavy antiaircraft fire. The reconnaissance in force operation commenced on at 0737 hours, 9 August with the air assault of Bravo Company into LZ Lou. The mission of Bravo was to secure LZ Lou for use as a forward base for our battalion command post and firebase for C Battery, 2^nd Battalion (105), 19^th Artillery. C Battery was operational on LZ Lou at approximately 0900 hours and they provided preparatory fires in support of the air assault of Alpha Company into LZ Pat at 0935 hours.

155 MM HOWITZER AFTER ROUND COOKED-OFF AT LZ LOU

Thanks to Fred Fish for the above photos

The actions over the next few hours would reveal that LZ Pat was not only surrounded by two Vietcong units, but also by a company of the NVA 107^th Air Defense (AD) Battalion equipped with 12.7mm (50 caliber) Chicom antiaircraft guns. The 107^th AD battalion had recently deployed from North Vietnam to Quang Ngai Province and the 3^rd AD Company was deployed to the Song Re Valley in June. Enemy units had constructed well-concealed bunkers and firing positions in the hills overlooking LZ Pat.

Alpha Company came under intense enemy fire from the moment they landed in what has been described as “in the middle of a hornet’s nest”, and this lasted for four hours. Enemy antiaircraft fire quickly destroyed two Huey helicopters and damaged five more. In addition to helicopter crew losses, Alpha Company had six men killed and twenty wounded. Enemy forces were subjected to a heavy pounding with a total of 42 tactical air sorties delivering a large number of bombs, napalm and aerial rockets. In addition, C Battery fired over 900 rounds of 105mm shells, and gun ships expended 576 aerial rockets. Two of our helicopters were shot down and the command and control helicopter with our Battalion Commander and Operations Officer, which was circling overhead to help coordinate artillery and air fire support, was hit by enemy fire and had to withdraw from the battle area. For a complete report on the LZ Pat operation, see the Alpha Company web page  http://mysite.verizon.net/k8mia^†

The battalion conducted combat operations in the Song Re Valley until 18 August, and on this date we were air lifted to LZ MOBERLY, a Special Forces camp in the valley south of the combat area where we spent the night. The camp had a small airstrip and during the morning of 19 August, our battalion was air lifted by Caribou to LZ English.