The evacuation of the Bandito Bravo and Charlie Company casualties was still in progress when Colonel Davison, the 199th LIB’s acting commander, attempted to land his C&C ship at the racetrack. Lieutenant Starrett recalled that the enemy fired RPGs at Davison’s helicopter as it made a final approach to an LZ set up in the infield. The enemy gunners aimed their rockets at a gap between the grandstands. As the rockets exploded in the infield, Starrett radioed the pilot directing him to land closer to the winners circle area near the stands. When Colonel Davison landed safely, Starrett asked the Colonel’s permission to use the C&C ship to evacuate some of the wounded to 3d Field Hospital.
After giving his OK, Davison ran toward an ACAV that was buttoned-up and idling in front the grandstands. According to Starrett, the ACAV was “just sitting there and not returning fire at the VC RPG gunners, who were firing into the racetrack from across the avenue.” As the rounds exploded a few yards in front of the ACAV, Davison climbed onto the track and banged on the commander’s hatch until it opened. According to Starrett, “The Colonel then proceeded to give the cavalrymen a pep talk.” The ACAV commander, taking his cue from Davison, quickly put his .50 caliber machine gun into action against VC across the avenue. Standing on the deck of the ACAV, Colonel Davison continued to pick out targets for the machine gunner for several minutes before heading for the Cottonbaler TOC for an update on the situation.
While the 199th LIB commander received his briefing, Bravo and Charlie Companies, 5/60th Mech were rolling at maximum speed toward the racetrack. Meanwhile, atop the grandstands, Smaldone’s Alpha Company grunts were in an intense firefight with VC concealed in buildings across the avenue. Two Alpha Company grunts were wounded in the exchange. Lieutenant Starrett grabbed a couple of headquarters troops and ran a resupply of M60 ammo and M79 rounds up the stairwells of the grandstands to the embattled Alpha Company grunts. Moments later the Bandito mech infantry companies rolled into racetrack in the nick of time. The VC broke off their attack. As darkness approached, the Cottonbalers and Banditos settled in for the long night ahead.
Cholon—2–4 February 1968
The 3/7th Infantry task force continued to clear the neighborhoods around the Phu Tho Racetrack on the 2d and 3d of February. Only light contact was made with VC units in and around the racetrack during this period. The VC units operating in Cholon had “gone to ground” in the face of overwhelming US firepower. Local Force VC commanders awaited reinforcement by main force VC and NVA battalions. They were never told that the Communist high command (COSVN) had, for the moment, decided not to commit additional units to the fight. Under relentless pressure from US and ARVN forces, the local force VC commanders switched tactics and ordered their troops to blend in with the civilian population and fight only when cornered.
At the request of the South Vietnamese Joint General Staff, General Ware began shifting the responsibility for clearing Saigon, including Cholon, to the Vietnamese. A realignment of the Capital area of operations was agreed upon. The Vietnamese armed forces were assigned responsibility for searching and clearing Saigon, and US forces began to move to the districts around the city to prevent Communist reinforcements from reaching the capital.
The ARVN 5th Ranger Group was assigned the mission of clearing Cholon, and on 4 February Gibler’s 3/7th Infantry terminated its operations and returned to Binh Chanh to fight in its former area of operations. Bravo and Charlie Companies of the 5/60th Mech returned to control of their parent unit. The Cottonbaler battalion’s efforts to seize control of the Phu Tho Racetrack and surrounding neighborhoods were successful. No one anticipated that the battalion would have to return to Cholon within a few days.
AO South Uniontown—0100 hours, 2 February
It was shortly after 0100 hours on 2 February. Specialist Bob Archibald, still carrying a small piece of shrapnel in his right leg, squinted as he looked down the road trying to focus on the scene unfolding before his eyes. Through the dense smoke that covered the hilltop, he could just make out a column of infantry approaching the Charlie Company perimeter.
Archibald wrote: “The thing that impressed me the most was the walking red curtain of gunship tracer rounds protecting them as they came up the road to us. I can still see the jets dropping the napalm just outside our lines.” Ten minutes later, a relief column entered Charlie Company’s perimeter ending a long night of fighting.
Ho Nai Village—1500 Hours, 1 February
Captain Tonsetic was concerned about his company’s latest mission. Charlie, 4/12th was attached to the 2/3d Infantry after the heavy fighting in Ho Nai village on the night of 31 January. The Charlie Company grunts were exhausted. After the heavy fighting north of the village, Charlie Company spent the afternoon of 1 February searching Ho Nai village for VC. No one in the company had had more than an hour or two of sleep over the preceding two days.
LTC Carper, the 2/3d battalion commander briefed his company commanders and Captain Tonsetic on his plan for the night of 1–2 February. He started by briefing the company commanders on the latest intelligence. One VC battalion was still unaccounted for, and it was highly probable that it was located north of the Long Binh base complex and Ho Nai Village.
The 2/3d commander outlined his plan. Three rifle companies from the 2/3d were ordered to dig in and defend Ho Nai village, while Charlie, 4/12th was directed to move two kilometers north and establish a night defensive position. Pointing to a piece of high ground on his map, the Old Guard Commander said, “That’s where Charlie Company will dig in, and block any enemy movement through the area.” Tactically speaking it was a good plan. A company-size strongpoint on the high ground would provide early warning of another enemy attack through Ho Nai village, and it would also interdict any east–west movement of enemy units attempting to reinforce the attacks on Bien Hoa. Nonetheless, the Charlie Company commander had doubts whether his two depleted platoons of infantry and five ACAVs could successfully defend the hill against a battalion-size attack. LTC Carper told Captain Tonsetic that he would try to get Charlie Company’s 1st Platoon released from its mission at the POW compound.
The Charlie Company grunts trudged northward in a double column up the dirt road, reaching the designated NDP shortly after 1800 hours. The jungle was bulldozed back about 75 yards from the center of the perimeter. The road continued on down the northern slope of the hill toward the Dong Nai River. Charlie Company’s 3d and 4th platoons set up a 360-degree perimeter around the military crest of the hill. The five ACAVs from D/17th Cav were positioned around the perimeter to support the infantry. The ground was rocky, making it all but impossible for the grunts to dig in. They scraped away the topsoil and filled a few sandbags to complete their fighting positions before wolfing down a supper of cold C rations.
Captain Tonsetic was concerned about artillery support. Over the past 24 hours, artillery fire missions had poured in to the firing batteries, and the FDCs were forced to prioritize the missions. The Captain wanted his company’s 81mm mortars on the hill. Firing from the company’s perimeter, the 81mm’s could engage targets out to a range of 4,000 yards, and as close as 50 meters to the perimeter. However, Charlie Company’s mortars were at FSB Concord.
The Captain radioed his battalion CO, LTC Mastoris, to request that Charlie Company’s 81mm mortars be flown in immediately. The Warrior battalion commander agreed to send one of the mortars. The other two were needed to defend FSB Concord. The 81mm mortar, along with 60 rounds of ammo, were flown to Charlie Company’s NDP just before dark. Platoon Sergeant Jaynes had the mortar set up in a matter of minutes. He hoped that 60 rounds of ammo would see the company through the night.
At dusk, Lieutenant Tuber’s 1st Platoon rolled into the perimeter with five ACAVs and two jeep-mounted 106mm recoilless rifles. Weary from their fight at the POW compound, the 1st Platoon grunts were rushed to positions along the perimeter.
Charlie Company—NDP, 2030–2400 Hours, 2 February
At 2030 hours, a group of VC were spotted crossing the ro
ad about 150 meters north of Charlie Company’s perimeter. Almost simultaneously, enemy automatic weapons fire was received from the south and west. Captain Tonsetic ordered his lone 81mm mortar to fire on the group north of the perimeter, while he called for artillery and gunship support to silence the enemy positions to the west. The mortar was not completely dug in, and the crew was exposed to heavy incoming fire. One of the men recalled that the gunner was laying on his back adjusting the elevation on the mortar, while the other gunner lay beside the tube preparing each round for firing. The gunner would then raise his body just enough to drop a round down the tube. The mortar rounds impacted 150 meters north of the perimeter with bright flashes and thunderous explosions, scattering the enemy in all directions. However, the preplanned artillery fires that the Captain plotted to the west of the perimeter required significant adjustments to get the rounds on target. Meanwhile, Jayne’s mortar fire and .50 caliber machine-gun fire from the ACAVs broke up the attack from the north. However, the supply of mortar rounds was running low.
A few minutes later, a pair of gunships arrived overhead, followed shortly by a C-47 “Spooky” flare ship. Flying in a high orbit over the rocky hillock, the C-47 illuminated the area with flares. Tonsetic radioed his platoon leaders to mark their locations with strobe lights, as he directed gunship strikes on the enemy. The helicopter gunships pounded the jungle with machine guns and rockets on the west side of the perimeter, while the Air Force C-47’s Gatling gun hosed down the enemy to the east.
Small-arms fire continued for the next hour as the enemy probed the perimeter looking for a weak spot. Spooky and the gunships were shooting at anything that moved outside the perimeter. At 2300 hours, the battle began to intensify on the east side of the perimeter. A barrage of RPG fire slammed into the perimeter, showering the ground with shrapnel but missing its intended targets, the ACAVs. One of the RPG teams moved forward to get a better shot and scored one direct hit on an ACAV, seriously wounding six members of the crew. An M79 gunner on the perimeter lobbed a 40mm round on the RPG team before they got off a second shot. Spooky shifted its fires closer to the perimeter, and was soon spraying the jungle with a wavy stream of red tracers like a garden hose. Each burst of the C-47’s Gatling gun sounding like a buzzsaw.
With Spooky and the gunships on station, Captain Tonsetic radioed for a dust-off for the six seriously wounded troopers. The chopper arrived a few minutes before midnight. On his first attempt to land, the pilot was driven off by a barrage of enemy fire. After the gunships shifted their fires to cover the dust-off, the pilot made a second attempt to land. In the darkness, he started to touch down outside the perimeter. Tonsetic radioed the pilot, telling him to abort the landing. The pilot pulled pitch and took off through a hail of enemy fire that ripped through the medevac chopper’s tail boom.
Undeterred, the dust-off pilot returned and landed inside the perimeter on his third attempt under heavy incoming fire. A medic who was helping to load the wounded aboard the ship was hit, and was himself pulled aboard by a crewmember. After the wounded men were on board, the pilot lifted off under intense fire. Despite sustaining several more hits, the dust-off ship cleared a tree line and raced to the 93d Evacuation Hospital in time to save the men on board.
The battle continued unabated. Tonsetic was concerned about an all-out attack on the eastern side of the perimeter. All of the 81mm mortar rounds had been fired, and the Captain knew his men were running low on rifle and machine-gun ammo. He radioed LTC Carper for assistance. Carper ordered Charlie Company, 2/3d, and another platoon of ACAVs to move north and reinforce Captain Tonsetic’s embattled company.
Charlie Co. Night Defensive Position—0100–1400 Hours, 2 Feb.
A Forward Air Controller (FAC) and two U.S. F-4s were on station over Charlie Company’s night defensive position at 0130 hours. Captain Tonsetic requested that the high-performance aircraft strike the enemy positions in the dense jungle 100 yards east of his perimeter, using a south to north approach. Seconds later, the Phantoms soared in at treetop level dropping napalm canisters. Cliff Kaylor, Captain Tonsetic’s radio operator, recalled “a blast of heat as the napalm ignited.” The grunts on the eastern side of the perimeter saw several VC run out of the burning jungle. Their uniforms were on fire and the men were screaming as the Phantoms began a strafing run. Firing their 20mm automatic cannon, the jets roared over the jungle and started their afterburners. The air strike broke the backbone of the enemy assault, although the perimeter continued to receive sporadic fire.
With the night sky illuminated by flares and the burning napalm, the Charlie Company grunts saw the point element of their relief force approaching from the south. Ten additional ACAVs accompanied the relief column. Gunships flew along the flanks of the column firing at the insurgents. The relief column suffered only two casualties during their approach. After the Old Guard’s Charlie Company entered the perimeter, a medevac was called to evacuate the casualties.
Moments later, a wounded enemy soldier stumbled into the Charlie Company perimeter and was taken prisoner. Specialist George Hauer, one of the Charlie Company medics, began to apply a pressure bandage to the man’s gunshot wound. Nearby, two Charlie Company grunts began to rebuke Hauer for treating the enemy soldier. Hauer reminded the men that his job was to “treat all the wounded, both friendly and enemy, in accordance with the Geneva Convention.” The wounded VC was put aboard the same dust-off with the Charlie Company wounded.
At first light, the company’s grunts scanned the area around their perimeter. Smoke from the burning jungle and damaged ACAVs hung low over the hillock. The air was polluted with the odor of cordite, napalm, and burnt human flesh. Three dazed and terribly burned VC wandered into the perimeter and were taken prisoner. A patrol was sent into the battered jungle to the east, and they radioed back that they’d found more than fifty bodies burned beyond recognition. Other Charlie Company grunts swept the area just outside the perimeter to claim the weapons laying beside enemy corpses. Almost every Charlie company grunt now carried a captured AK-47 in addition to his assigned weapon. Nowhere had the VC actually breached the perimeter, but some bodies were found within 25 meters of the company’s fighting positions..
Charlie Company spent the remainder of the morning on the hill, patrolling in the vicinity, and finding more weapons and bodies, taking one additional prisoner. At 1330 hours Charlie Company was released from operational control of the 2/3d Infantry and ordered to return to FSB Concord.
An hour later, the ACAV column with Charlie Company’s infantrymen on board rolled into the firebase. They were met by LTC Mastoris and Sergeant Major Moon. As the exhausted Charlie Company Warriors dismounted the tracks, the Warrior commander began shaking hands with his men as his Sergeant Major distributed cases of beer to each platoon. During three days of intense combat, Charlie Company had played a key role in repulsing the enemy attacks on Camp Frenzell-Jones and the POW compound near Bien Hoa. Two Distinguished Service Crosses, three Silver Stars, and numerous other awards for valor were awarded to the men of Charlie Company for their heroism during the Tet Offensive of 1968.
CHAPTER 12
COTTONBALER HOT LZ
Binh Chanh District—4–5 February
The 3/7th task force completed their movement from Cholon to Binh Chanh District on the evening of 4 February. The Cottonbalers and the two attached 5/60th mech infantry companies needed rest and recuperation after four days of heavy urban combat, but the fighting was far from over. The rifle companies of the Cottonbaler battalion were ordered to establish platoon-size night ambush positions throughout AO Haverford. Lieutenant Bill Trotter, Bravo Company’s 2nd Platoon leader, later wrote, “It was so dark that we had to move in a file formation with each man holding on to the LBE of the man in front.” The exhausted grunts moved into night ambush positions and waited for dawn.
While the rifle companies sent out their ambush patrols, Lt. Colonel Gibler and Major MacGill planned the next day’s operations. The battalion’s new missio
n was to block and disrupt the enemy infiltration routes into the Saigon area to prevent reinforcements from reaching the city. Two highways, QL-4 and 233, ran through the district. These roads ran from the Mekong Delta to Saigon, and were used to infiltrate men and supplies into the city prior to Tet. The mission of interdicting enemy infiltration along road networks was assigned to the attached 5/60th mechanized infantry companies.
The insurgents also used the Kinh Sanh Canal that ran through the northern portion of Binh Chanh District. This canal was used by the enemy to move men, weapons, ammunition, and other supplies into Saigon. During daylight hours, the men and supplies were hidden in small base camps and villages along the canal. At night, sampans loaded with men and supplies slipped silently up the canal headed for the city. Intelligence reports pinpointed the village of Tan Nhut, as a major enemy waystation along the canal. Gibler and MacGill planned to cordon and search the village. The plan called for Bravo Company to conduct an airmobile assault just east of the village before moving overland to establish a cordon and conduct the search. In the event of a major contact, Alpha, and Charlie Companies were on call to reinforce Bravo Company. Major MacGill requested an airmobile assault helicopter company from Task Force Ware. He wanted the company available from 0730 hours to 1700 hours on 5 February. MacGill’s request was approved, and the tasking was given to the118th Assault Helicopter Company stationed at Bien Hoa. The 118th was nicknamed the “Thunderbirds.”
February 5th started badly for the Cottonbaler battalion. Shortly after midnight, the Cottonbaler TOC received a call from the Binh Chanh advisory team that their compound was under heavy mortar attack and needed assistance. Major MacGill ordered one platoon from Charlie Company with a team of medics to evacuate the casualties. When the Cottonbalers arrived at the compound, they found three ARVN KIAs and six WIAs. They evacuated the casualties to FSB Zinderneuf for further treatment.
Days of Valor Page 21