17 MAR 68
Company C combat assaulted into a landing zone just north of Ap Dong (3) and this would be the area of search for the next few days.

At 11 am the 2-12th's Command and Control (C&C) ship spotted one VC body near a stream.

At noon Company C destroyed 3 bangalore torpedoes. One-half hour latter, at XT797088 just north of Ap Dong (3), Charlie company found 2 VC bodies and destroyed 50 pounds of rice and 38 pounds of TNT. They also captured one 122 mm rocket, seven rocket motors, and four fuses in the area.

Throughout the afternoon Charlie company moved south and after crossing a dirt road and some 800 meters south of the first cache found the bodies of 8 VC just north of the Rach Tra at 3:15 pm.

18 MAR 68
On this day the battalion searched slightly more to the east of the previous days area. After a morning combat assault, Companies A & B landed in the vicinity of Ap Binh Hoa (2) at XT8008. After a day of searching Company B had found 4 122mm rockets, 12 rocket motors, 2,700 lbs of rice and 3 60mm mortar rounds. Scattered throughout the area they found the bodies of eight VC in various places.

19 MAR 68
D Co. KIA:
SP4 Martin Biondo (22) of Kirkwood, MO died of wounds (DOW) received in Gia Dinh Province.

Companies A & D returned to the previous days search area near Ap Binh Hoa (2) making a morning helicopter assault into two different landing zones. Shortly before 11 am Company A discovered a dud 250 lb bomb near a dirt road and blew it in place (at XT803087). Nearby, Company D destroyed two grenades at 2:20 pm at XT804086.

20 MAR 68
The 2-12th combat assaulted to XT805075 near Ap Trung Nhi (2) and moved east towards the intersections of the Rach Tra [stream] and Saigon River bare;y a klick away from the landing zone. Shortly before noon Company C found one VC KIA and captured 1 .45 caliber pistol.

One platoon of Company D moved to and secured the Hoc Mon bridge.

21 MAR 68
On this date the 2-12th conducted a patrol and at 9:40 am (vic XT779082) Company A found 2 VC KIA near the intersection of two small streams just north of Ap Chanh (6).



OPERATION WILDERNESS
1 March to 7 April 1968


2-12th Inf participation; 22 March - 30 March [OPCON to 1st Brigade at Dau Tieng.
Wilderness mission was to conduct offensive operations in vicinity of Tay Ninh to Dau Tieng.

22 MAR 68
The 2-12th Infantry became OPCON to the 1st Brigade, 25th Division, and the battalion moved from the vicinity of XT7704 to Dau Tieng via Chinook helicopters.

2-12 Inf: Closed DAU TIENG 1345, became OPCON 1st Bde, that time. Battalion stood down for maintenance.

24 MAR 68
"2-12 Inf: Conducted refresher traing vic DAU TIENG Base Camp."
[SOURCE: HQ 25th Div, 1st Bde, WILDERNESS]

25 MAR 68
2-12 Inf: Conducted refresher training and local patrolling vic DAU TIENG Base Camp."

26 MAR 68
A Co. KIA:
PFC Larry E. Elmore (24) of Kansas City, MO perished in Binh Duong Province. [Dau Tieng area]

"2-12 Inf: Conducted local patrolling and refresher training vic DAU TIENG. A 2-12 established a night lager vic XT512448."
{SOURCE: HQ 25th Div, 1st Brigade, Operation WILDERNESS ending 8 April 1968]

Alpha's night laager was 2 miles SE of Dau Tieng, 1 mile east of Highway LTL-14, and 1/4 mile north of the stream.

27 MAR 68
A Co. KIA:
SGT Robert J. Frisk (24) of Woonsocket, RI perished in Binh Duong Province.

2-12 Inf: B Co conducted RIF from DAU TIENG to XT508446 where it joined A Co which had moved from its night lager [sic] postion at XT512448; RIF continued to XT510450 where night lager was established. C Co secured DAU TIENG Base Camp. Bravo moved 2 miles southeast. Alpha moved a few hundred meters west and meeting Bravo, the companies established a night laager 1/2 mile east of the highway, just north of the stream.

28 MAR 68
2-12 Inf: 3rd platoon C Co air lifted from DAU TIENG to secure downed helicopter, XT42335, returned to DAU TIENG after helicopter secured. A & B companies returned to DAU TIENG from night laager, and stood down for maintenance. D Co conducted refresher training vic DAU TIENG Base Camp.

29 MAR 68
"2-12 Inf: Conducted refresher training vic DAU TIENG Base Camp D Co assumed role as Ready Reaction Force for TAY NINH Base Camp. Battalion (-) helilifted back to TAY NINH."

30 MAR 68 - 2-12 Inf: OPCON to 199th LIB
2-12 Inf: Conducted airmobile movement to Go Dau Ha and FSB HAMPTON, XT400245 from DAU TIENG, closed 1229 conducted local sweep in vic FSB, and secured FSB during hours of darkness.

".... seven miles northwest of Saigon, soldiers from the 2-12 Inf located 24 warheads and 12 mortars for 122mm rockets. As the misssion continued, the infantrymen found the bodies of 11 VC killed in previous encounters. They also captured 2700 pounds of rice and three 60m mortar rounds.

31 MAR 68

2-12th Inf and Troop A, 3-4 Cav OPCON to 199th Light Infantry Brigade [199th LIB - 3-7th Inf and 4-12th Inf.], who were in turn under direct control of HQ 25th Division. The 199th remained OPCON through April 9th when they were released. 2/12th conducts RIF around FSB Hampton.

April 1968




April 1 to 3rd
Co's B&C CA to XT305308, laagering in a different NL each day after conducting RIF's of the area. The morning of the 4th, 1st Plt reports heavy activity to their front from their AP, and determines that the force is too large to engage. Once all AP's were back to the NL, the morning operation puts D Troop with their APC's on line with Charlie Co. to begin a sweep to the west. Bravo Co. is on the right flank. One of the APC's spots movement to the front. Pfc. Krause and Pfc. Schultz move forward and to the left. As they step onto the oxcart trail, all hell breaks loose. Schultz is hit immediately and I hit the ground...........read more from my eyewitness account (link above).

Medic Andy Wahrenbrock, 2nd Plt, Co. C wrote in his diary on April 4th "Went into old village, B & C plus Mech. Hit heavy contact about 10AM. Stayed in heavy contact until around 4PM. 10 to 15 WIA's and 4 KIA's for B & C & Mech. Worst fire fight yet".

4-5 APR 68 - Battle at Ap Bao Go

Task Force: B,C,D 2/12th, D Troop 3/17th are working together: 3/7th , 4/14th and A 2/12th are separate and operating to the north and west of this action.

B Co. KIAs:
SGT Lawrence E. "Ozzie" Osborne (20) of Peekskill, NY; and
SP4 David A. Rosenberger (21) of Orange, CA perished in Tay Ninh Province.
B Co WIA's:
2LT Patrick O'Brian (gut shot)
SP4 John Johnson
PFC Charles Allen
C Co. KIA's:
PFC David J. Schultz (21) of Kent, WA
SSG Tommy Knapp from Des Moines, IA perished in Tay Ninh Province.
C Co. WIA's:
2LT Hugh Vandervoort
PFC Kjell Solberg Jr.
SGT James Dixon
SP4 Carl Marlowe
PFC Barry Price (shrapnel)
PFC Arnold Krause (GS AK-47)
SGT John Spoores (GS AK-47)
D Co. WIA's
1LT Michael Syrne
SGT David Peterson
PFC Thomas Churchill
HHC WIA's
Medic PFC Kenneth " Doc " Blakely
Medic PFC Gary " Doc " Green
Medic SP5 Jerry " Doc " Swilley
3-17th KIA's:
SSG Richard Call from San Bernardino, Ca
SGT Heinrich Gerstheimer from Detroit, Michigan

BACK IN THE WORLD: On the 4th of April 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated.

5 APR 68
B Co. KIAs:
SP4 Rafael Martinez-Santiago (21) of Ponce, PR; and
SP4 Robert R. Thompson (19) of Hanford, CA are killed while outside the wire near yesterdays action.

Missing C Co MIA's from previous day's battle were found at 1620H. At 1850H C Co. is airlifted to XT1829. B Co while moving to
XT199280 received AW fire resulting in 1 KIA VC losses unknown. A dustoff was radioed in..

Total for two days, U.S. 8 KIA, 16 WIA's - VC 8 KIA, more graves located near by.

7 APR 68
"On 7 Apr the 2-12thInf conducted a reconnaissance in force (RIF) from XT1829 to XT175293. At 1105 hrs in the vic of XT178295, Co. C received SA, AW and RPG fire. Fire was returned with org weapons, LFT & Arty. 3 US WIA evac at 1305 hrs."
[Source: ORLL HQ 25th Div period ending 30Apr68 AGAM-P (M) (18 Jl68) FOR OT RD 682244 31 July1968]

The area of contact (XT1729) was some 14 miles south of Tay Ninh Base Camp and in the swamp land just south of the Long Khanh forest, and within 800 yards of the Cambodian border. North of "the Angels Wing."

From the diary of Medic Andy Wahrenbrock:
April 7th - Hit again with sniper and RPG's around 0400 in the morning. Moved out with D and C Co'.s. Luckiest day yet. Walked into a regimental size ambush 700 meters long. They sprung in too early and we really lucked out. They hit us with RPG's and 75mm recoiless, mortars and automatic weapons. No one injured bad. We put in 800 artillery and 7 air strikes. Base camp about 900 meters long. Didn't get hit that night. 2 companies of 199th moved to our laarger sight.

April 8th - Went back in. Hit a couple of snipers. Two injured, moved on through and found some bodies and weapons etc. Lots of bunkers. (Flagged) sent in six heat cases (medevac'd). It started to rain around 1900 or 2000. Start of the monsoon. Haven't had a damn shower in 10 days now and I really stink. Our plt went from 23 to 16 men in two days. Two slight WIA's, heat and odds and ends........

MARCH 1968  OVERVIEW:

After the fighting east and south of Cu Chi in February, the battalion moved south to the Hoc Mon village area four miles northwest of the Tan Son Nhut airbase (Saigon) along highway QL-1 the main supply route to Cu Chi.   The beginning of March found Companies C & D engaged in a fierce battle on the outskirts of Hoc Mon. On March 13 the battalion moved north of Hoc Mon and established a night laager in a cemetery. For the next few days the battalion worked the area west of the Saigon River and north of Rach Tra (stream) that was a tributary of the Saigon River that fed the "Hoc Mon Canal."

Hoc Mon AO (Tet 68)

Hoc Mon...... (vic XT 7403)
Tan Thoi Trang...... (vic XT 7204)
Tan Hiep...... (vic XT 7405)
Cemetary (poss. Co. A & B base)...... (vic XT7500)
4Mar68 Battle (Co. D).....(vic XT760052)

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5 MAY 68
From Mike Smith, A Co 2-22nd: "Two 81 gun tracks and our FDC track arrived at a culvert in the main road east of Trang Bang at dusk 5/5/68. There was a "Dragonwagon" M-88 tank retriever parked north of the culvert off the road. I now assume it was the C 2-12 we hooked up with. We put an APC to the west, one to the east and FDC command in the center of the perimeter. It was raining when we arrived, and shortly after the hasty bunker constructed by the 2-12 collapsed on their command group, RTO, CO, & 2 others. I was on the 50. Cal to the east, so was not able to be part of the quick excavation. Wet sandbags can kill. The dust-off came in at dark and lifted them off. Our 1st Lt. Sorgee was in command of C team bravo, as 6. Weird shit, the dust-off is gone then a car comes up the road, stops, and is confronted. He needs gas, I tell him all we have is diesel. Seems like a nice guy beating curfew and low on fuel. He has a candle on the dashboard next to a Virgin Mary. I am Methodist and think, good Catholic man, our side. Retrospect. The tank hauler trailer was there to bridge the culvert if they over ran us and blew it. The NVA sighted or confirmed sighting on that dashboard candle. When it started, they were around the entire perimeter. Their 75 Recoilless first hit the gas tank of the big truck and back lit the field. It was a mess. It was a coordinated attack across the A.O. We fired all our 81's in an arc to the west. Set a rice hull stack on fire, it back lit them, but limited the vision of dust-off and resupply choppers. Choppers came in and resupplied all. We ain't talking shit, we fired over 100 rounds and were resupplied and fired 50 rounds of that. I grabbed bandoleers of M-16 and went hole to hole to the legs. It did not stop. The sweep of the area in the morning found the hulls of at least 50 rounds of 75mm. We had to sweep the road to Trang Bang. Then legs got on the tracks and we went to the village east. There was a split in the road. The ARVN fort was at the point. They had about 80 NVA KIA's in a pile out front of the wire, but they would not come out and sweep the town. I was the pivot man and the 2-12 spread out. We are one man about every 10m., but this is a town. I step in the house closest to the fort. It was Vietnam NY.,NY. All glazed tile floors. Problem was they kept their prize water buffalo in the same family space. The people left, the NVA killed the animals, so no cattle a mooing, and I was sliding through clotted blood on glassed tile. We got to the back of the town, mounted up and went to another...."

6 MAY 68
C Co. Laagered with 2-22 HQ at XT 483194 and at 0315 receives 30 rounds of mortar fire. 2-22 performs counter mortar along with artillery in direction of incoming. Flame 6 reports 2 WIA, space no dust off required.  At approximately 0345 C 2-22 receives 50 rounds mortar inside their perimeter and counters with 50 caliber and counter mortar at XT 589150. They call for a dust off for one litter and one ambulatory. At 0410 Cu Chi base comes under mortar attack suffering 15 to 25 casualties. At 0433 2/14 spots 50 to 75 VC in front of their location at XT 698158. At 0600 Cu Chi subsector and Bau Tri report ground attack at their locations. C Co. is regulated to conducting local RIFF. C 2-22 makes contact with the enemy receiving SA and AW fire at XT 629126 at 1000. A 2-22  arrives to support. Contact is broken at 1430 and C 2-22 reports 12 VC KIA; U.S. 7 WIA's. Contact resumed at 1545 with SA and AW fire. Results were 1 VC KIA and 1 U. S. WIA. A 2-22 reports 2 U.S. KIA's.

7 MAY 68
At 0420 2-22 reports 4 rounds of RPG's,  negative damage. C 2-12 reports 4 minor WIA's.  At 0941 3/11 sweeping area of contact  yesterday reports locating 13 graves. D 3-22 is in contact at XT 670103 and reports one KIA. C 3-22 is called in for support along with elements of the 3/11. When contact is broken D 3-22 has one KIA one WIA; 3/11 has one WIA and one lost tank. VC losses are five KIA. While C Co. remains at the NL, other elements of the Battalion A & B 3-22, A 2-22, A 2/14 are in contact. 2/14 is at XT651238, B 3-22 is XT563167. B reports 9 BC KIA and A reports 17 VC KIA. 3/11 and  C 3-22 are at XT657111: C 3-22 is reporting 4 WIA and and 3/11 reports 1 KIA and 1 WIA. At 0350 2-22 HQ at XT 458194 receives 49 rounds of 82 MM. Results are 10 US WIA's.

8 MAY 68
At 1350 C 2-12 leaves NL and conducts RIF to XT488185 to XT 491173 with negative results. A 2-22 is under contact at 2105 with two squads of VC at location XT 582160. C 2-22 reports same situation as A Co. C 2-22 reports three WIA's one litter and to amatory and calls for dust off.

11 MAY 68
C Co. is split up into 4 units along with A and C companies of the 2-22 Mechanized Infantry. Out of this we are made into 3 maneuvering teams comprised of APC’s (M113’s) and infantry. There are four platoons in each team, 16 for example represents 1st platoon; the 6 represents the platoon leader. My platoon, 3rd is assigned to TM C. We will be operating between Cp's located from Go Dau Hau south below Hoc Mon."  (source: Arnold Krause)

Team A (TM A): A Co 2-22, plts. 16, 36, 46 and C Co 2-12 26;
Team B (TM B): C Co 2-12 16, 46 and A 2-22 26 and C Co 2-22 36;
Team C (TM C): C Co  2-22 16, 26, 46 and C Co 2-12 36

The purpose is to patrol and provide security along Highway QL-1 between Tay Ninh, Go Dau Hau and Hoc Mon. TM A will be stationed at FSB Stuart ( Trang Bang ), TM B near Ap Bau Dieu, about halfway between Trang Bang and Cu Chi and TM C south of the junction at Hoc Mon. All teams conduct road sweeps with engineers on MSR then proceed with alternate sweeps in their areas of assignment with negative results and return to their NL's. As A side note more contact today by C 3-22 resulting in three VC KIA's location XT 738168.

12 May 68
TM C receives warning shots at XT 565180, and locates new bunkers in area. Team takes in the custody to women for children after locating fresh mortar site 4 sacks of rice, 4 punji pits and 10 bunkers. All teams returned to their NL's.

Battalion Daily Journal Log

MAY 1968
Co's A, B and D of the 2-12th INF remain in Dau Tieng area of operation. Co C is OPCON'd to the 2-22 on May 4th and is flown down via Chinook to a FSB located south of QL-1 outside of Trang Bang. Within a few days, three teams are made of up the C 2-12, C2-22 and A 2-22nd to patrol the MSR between Go Dau Ha and south to Hoc Mon. They will remain OPCON'd until the end of May.

3 MAY 68
D Co. KIA's:
PFC. Warren F. Nickel, Jr. (25) of Watsonville, CA perished in Binh Duong Province; and
PFC. Fred P. Stafford (20) of Beaumont, TX perished in Tay Ninh Province.

0920H, D Co, 2nd plt, while moving into a daylight A.P, was ambushed by two V.C. women who threw a grenade at the plt from a trail, then retreated on road to the east resulting in 3 WIAs. Report was later changed to two KIAs. Dustoff was requested.

Co C is put on 30 minute alert status late in the afternoon after completing a RIF around the basecamp that day. A ten ship lift followed by two CH-47's begin flights at 1800 hrs and sets out to an N.L. on the west side of Trang Bang. The company is OPCON'd to the 2-22 for support. "We head to the airfield and soon are ferried via Chinook Ch-47's in several lifts down to Trang Bang to secure an artillery battery and provide firepower to a laager site." Charlie Company is OPCON’d to 1ST Brigade while the rest of the battalion remains in Dau Tieng. We are placed under the operational control of the 2-22 Mechanized, call sign Fullback.  They are operating to the southwest and east of Trang Bang. We are told there are approximately 8 VC battalions operating in the area. For the next few days we are holed up in a larger site at XT483194.

This map covers area about 5 miles NW of Tan Son Nhut Airbase (Saigon). The dark-diagonal line is Highway 1(QL-1), the MSL (Main Supply Line) running northwest from Saigon through Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Trang Bang to Go Da Ha, and (on QL-22) to Tay Ninh beyond. The blue lines are canals and streams.

Company D 2-12 Inf while working with C Troop, 3-4 CAV discover a large bunker complex in the vicinity of XT760052. The area was on the north-northeast side of Hoc Mon village.

LT Andy Farris,  3rd platoon, Delta company, said: "We had made a late night run with the 3-4 CAV....and laagered well past mid-night...."
The morning of March 4th, Co. D approached Hoc Mon with column of twos, with the mechanized cavalry behind Co. C..
Farris said; "As our reinforced platoon entered the village PFC Timothy R. Schroeder was on the right flank, maybe in front of the point man, when a sudden burst of machine gun fire open-up from a concealed bunker. Tim was the first man hit."
Company D assaulted the village six times, and lost almost half of the 28 men they had started in the morning.

NVA DRIVEN OUT
3RD BDE - Sweeping through the village of Tan Thoi Trang, elements of the 2nd Bn, 12th Inf "White
Warriors", aided by A Trp, 3rd Sqdn, 4th Cav, drove an estimated NVA Co. from the village 12 kms northwest of Saigon.

The 3rd Bde, 25th Div unit commanded by LTC Dean Tice, continued to maneuver toward the village
for two days while gunships and the big guns of the cavalry's tanks pounded away at suspected enemy positions. During the two days of fighting 20 enemy were killed.

Contact was made shortly after Alpha and Charlie Co.’s were air lifted to a landing zone near the village. The infantrymen joined up with A Trp and began to push into the enemy held village when they came under heavy automatic weapons fire.

For the next eight hours the White Warriors inched their way into the village, knocking out the spider holes and bunkers as they advanced. At dusk, the battalion dug in around the village and kept constant pressure on the enemy throughout the night.

The following morning the companies again began to push into the village under sporadic sniper fire. As the units moved through, they found numerous bunkers and trench lines within the village.

In the sweep, the battalion uncovered one AK-50 machine gun, two AK-47 assault rifles, twelve 60mm mortar rounds, six RPG-7 rounds, one anti-personnel mine, two complete rdio telephone sets, three miles of commo wire and numerous documents of the North Vietnamese Army. From the communication equipment found, the battalion intelligence officer estimated that the once held enemy village had been a battalion size communications center for the NVA forces operating  in the Saigon area.

From PFC David Freet, Medic attached to D Co. 4th Plt: "We were blown up at a shower point outside our perimeter. Engineers had said the area was clear. Beatty and Eagleson had gotten into a shoving match. Biondo pushed Eagleson back facing him; I pushed Beatty back facing him. They said it was a 105 shell that had been booby trapped. Probably from when we worked with 3-4 Cav and almost got over run. We were at the same logger site. The explosion left me paralyzed for two days. When I was able to walk, I went looking for Biondo and Beatty. Biondo, I found and talked to. The nurses kicked me out but since I was his medic I wanted to talk to my friend. The nurses told me he passed away the next day. I found out later that when they loaded us on to the Medevac we started to lift off and the skid caught another booby trap and brought it down. They brought in another chopper. I was never so pissed off as I could not get to my men that I had promised if I could move, I will get to you." Freet was sent to Japan and later back home. Freet said he received his PH from General Westmoreland himself.

11 MAR 68
In two separe instances south-southwest of Hoc Mon - one at 2:10 pm and one at 3:15 - Company B detonated boobytrapped grenades wounding one US soldier in the vicinity of Vinh Loc (WS7197). 

12 MAR 68
The 2-12th working in the plantation area between the [Hoc Mon] canal and Vinh Loc. The area was some 8 klicks south-southwest of Hoc Mon village.

13 MAR 68
The battalion combat assaulted to an area north-northeast of Hoc Mon village and rif to a cemetery at XT773088 - Go Chua (hill).

14 MAR 68
The battalion was operating two miles NNE of Hoc Mon city along the banks of the Kinh Rach Tra & Song Cau Sang [rivers].

Southeast of (and near) Ap Chanh (6) Company A found a cache consisting of; 4,500 small arms rounds (captured), and destroyed 528 82m mortar rounds, 20 122mm rockets, 7 122mm rocket warheads, 25 claymores, 700 lbs of demolitions, 277 grenades, 181 RPG-7 rounds, 12 bangalore torpedoes, 800 ft det-cord, and 51 75mm recoiless rocket rounds.

15 MAR 68
Companies B, C and D. In the late morning Company B destroyed 2 60mm mortar rounds and 3 RPG-7 rounds. Around the same time Company C destroyed 150 small arms rounds. In mid-afternoon Company D found and destroyed one grenade and 50 small arms rounds.

16 MAR 68
The battalion continued their search and this time came under fire.
Early in the morning Company D found and destroyed 36 RPG-2 rounds, 5 RPG-7 rounds, one RPG-2 rocket launcher, 63 grenades, 13 60mm mortar rounds and 572 small arms rounds. The company also captured five poundsof documents.
Shortly after 10 am Companies A and D recieved small arms and automatic weapons fire just north of Ap Dong (3) (vic XT796085). The area was about 2 1/2 miles NNE of Hoc Mon and about the same distance west of the Saigon River Fire was returned with small arms, automaic weapons, artillery and a helicopter light fire team resulting in 5 VC prisoners and four US wounded.

ELSEWHERE IN VIETNAM:
"Early in the morning of March 16, 1968, [helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson], door-gunner Lawrence Colburn and crew chief Glenn Andreotta came upon US ground troops killing Vietnamese civilians in and around the village of My Lai.
They landed the helicopter in the line of fire between troops and fleeing Vietnamese civilians and pointed their own guns at the US soldiers to prevent more killings.

Colburn and Andreotta provided cover for Thompson as he went forward to confront the leader of the US forces. Thompson later coaxed civilians out of a bunker so they could be evacuated, and then landed his helicopter again to pick up a wounded child they transported to a hospital. Their effots led to the cease-fire order at My Lai.
In 1998, the Army honoured the three men with the prestigious Soldier's Medal, the highest award forbravery not involving conflict with a enemy. It was a posthumous award for Andreotta, who was killed in battle three weeks after My Lai." [IOL News]
Thompson died in 2006 at the age of 62. R.I.P..

Read more about this operation

13 MAY 68
An attack on Nui Ba Den kicks off 'the Battle of Tay Ninh.' and meanwhile, there are coordinated attacks occurring throughout the region. On top of Nui Ba Den, the secuity team and radio relay staff are overrun by a platoon sized VC force who nearly wipe them out before being beaten back. Snoopy was called in to support, but the clouds covering the mountain top made this difficult to accomplish. Special Forces arrived to help the local command
regain control of the situation.

"The first major attack occurred the night of May 13^th, 1968 when the base, staffed by 140 men, was overrun by VC, killing 24 Americans while losing 25 themselves. A quick reaction by Special Forces , gunships and artillery fire help repel the attack. That afternoon, A Co 2-12^th reinforced the remnants of the signal battalion and members of the 4/9^th Manchu’s who were acting as a defensive force there.


Firefight at Ap Bau Dieu

"We have been with the 2-22 just over a week now. At first we were providing security for HHC 2-22. Soon however that changed and we were brought to the party. Glancing over the battalion daily journal logs, the 1ST Brigade is making contact every day. The area we are operating in runs from north west of Trang Bang to Go Dau Ha, south to the north fringe of Hoc Mon, south to Dua Hoc and again to the northern side of Cu Chi and has been a hotbed of activity. Every day, we are being sniped at along with RPG fire. The NL’s are being hammered with 82MM fire. Granted, not everyone is experiencing this, but at least one unit in the operation every night does.

May 12 was an uneventful day with everyone completing their missions with little fanfare. However, that night much would change. Beginning with a mortar attacked on Alpha 46, 2-22ND NL position followed by RPG and small arms fire that lasted for several hours from 0020 until 0230. The battalion journals are very unclear where this team was located on the May 12 journal. Earlier in the day, they were way down near Hoc Mon at XT652107. However, the journal shows A46 2-22 reporting 3 KIA’s and 4 WIA’s, location CP8. At 0505 that casualty report is updated to show 4 KIA’s, 11 WIA’s, one 2 1/2T truck destroyed, 2 APC’s hit by RPG’s, damage unknown. One low boy, a total loss and one gun ship hit. By 0235 the request for two medevac’s is complete. Silence falls upon the NL site.

While the 2-22 was under attack, 4 ARVN compounds are also receiving incoming fire. They are located about 3 clicks SW of CP8. Further to the south, the 4/23 is under mortar attack and to the East, the 2/14 is being tested too. All this between the hours of midnight and 3AM. Back to A 2-22’s NL site, after receiving mortar fire, at daylight they proceed on their road sweep and upon completing that mission, sweep north to 500M above CP5 and turn around and move south arriving above CP8 around 9AM. Upon the completion of their engineer and road sweep they move on to investigate the area of contact that they were in earlier that morning. As they approach the village at XT 565163 they begin to receive AW and RPG’s from the village of AP Bau Dieu which is just off of Hwy 1 halfway between Trang Bang and Cu Chi. They maneuver to the west side of the village.

The fight continues through the morning hours and the 2-22 has 9 WIA’s some requiring a dust off. In the melee of the fight, SFC Charles H Sandberg, from Philidelphia, PA. , 44TH Infantry Platoon (scout dogs) is killed along with his dog, Buskshot (not a typo). The mech. unit tries to sweep the village, but the resistance is strong. 2-22 radios for a LFT (light fire team, i.e. gunship) and CS ship to assist. By 0930, a request for a dust off to remove 6 WIA’s is issued. An APC is hit by an RPG. Clearance is granted for artillery fire which is soon pelting the village where the VC is taking shelter.

TM C is called in to assist in the fight and taking up a block position to the southeast of the village and begins to stop and collect people vacating the area. A unit of 65 ARVN’s arrives as well and starts to interrogate the people being held. VC are being observed leaving the village to the NE and NW. While this is going on, the 2-22 sends in two platoons to sweep the village. At 1320 another request for a dust off is made for 3 WIA’s. It’s 1600 and TM B arrives to support TM A on their right flank on the SW side of the village. What is confusing, is the activities of TM B. They may have been assigned to stay in their larger site at CP31 on this day since there is no location information in the daily log until they respond to A 2-22 contact in the afternoon. The location of CP31 could not be established from the daily journals.

The LFT from 25TH Aviation, Diamond Head (Cu Chi) continues to circle overhead and targets several hooch’s where the VC is firing AW’s from.

At 1845 the first of three airlifts arrives north of the village. C 2/14 arrives to secure the NL at CP8. Shortly following, B 2/14 combat assaults the north side of the village, taking fire as they land and three slicks are hit, one bad enough that it has to be airlifted to Cu Chi for repairs. Bravo 2/14 is now in a blocking position to have the village completely surrounded.

It’s 1655 and the 2-22 is receiving some 82MM fire. They report their situation at 1745 as 3 KIA’s and 26 WIA’s U.S. and 16 VC B/C (body count). There is still some sporadic fire coming from the village. Fullback 6 (I believe this is the call sign for 2-22 BN commander officer) informs Viking 6 we are up against at least 2 VC companies and possibly one battalion of VC. 

It’s dark now and each unit sends out ambush patrols. All is quiet for now. At 2222 Cu Chi and 2-22 HQ location comes under mortar attack. 2-22 HQ reports and requests a dust off for one litter and six ambulatory wounded. At the same time these mortar attacks occur, Nui Ba Den radio relay station reports that they are under heavy attack from an unknown sized force. They are receiving AW, SA’s, mortars and rockets. They are engaging with all organic weapons on station. LFT and Spooky are on standby. Some bunkers have been destroyed. The enemy has infiltrated a few spots in the perimeter. S3 (intelligence) has information that there is a 1000 man force heading toward Duc Hua to conduct an attack on that outpost. We are tripping over the enemy movement every time we break out of our larger sites.

The sun is rising on May 14 and we have held our positions during the night. The time is around 0800 and two foot patrols, one each from A 2-22 and C 2-22 are ordered into the village to check out the situation. Within a few minutes after talking to the local villagers, word is radioed back to command that the VC has left the area. Fullback 6 tells the whole operation to prepare for a full sweep of the area. A 2-22 and C 2-22 sets up roadblocks on all roads leading out of the village to check all oxcarts and villagers for weapons and possible VC suspects. As the area is swept, the network crackles with word of 2 VC bodies found in one area and 3 in another bringing the body count up to 23 VC killed. At 1130, another 2 bodies are found and the sweep continues. As the teams move through the area, one APC from C 2-22 hits a contact mine leaving a 3’x5’ crater. There are 4 WIA’s and the APC is a combat loss.

By 1500, it’s all over and the operation is abandoned. The sweep has confirmed 34 VC KIA’s.  TM A and HQ head to their NL at XT483196; TM B to XT544178; TM C to XT689098. Orders are given for each team to send out AP’s for the night. A 2-22 36 is assigned to security for 3-22 convoy headed from Trang Bang to Cu Chi. The day is finally over.

Elsewhere is the area on May 13, elements from the 4-23(M) and D 2-14 came under heavy attack or make contact with large enemy forces. S3 (intelligence) reported several large forces were seen moving south and southeast of Hwy1. One group of 1000 is preparing to attack Duc Hoa. D 2-14 engaged in a company sized force near XT751166. At the same time, the 4-23 is having their problems at XT621039. They suffered 4 KIA’s and 20 WIA’s.  They found a few bodies with NVA uniforms on. It seems that Charlie has been seen wearing green uniforms, black pajamas, a sprinkling of NVA garb and a few were killed wearing ARVN outfits. The 1-5(M) Bobcats were OPCONED to TF Daems at 1200 hours but returned to 1ST Brigade command around 1855 hours. Their casualty report stated 1 KIA and 14 WIA’s, but their action location must be under someone else’s log report. They arrive at XT575163 and set up a NL in support of the 2-22 at 1900 hours." Source: Arnold Krause

14 MAY 68
2-22 A46 in heavy contact at 0030. At 0100 4 ARVN compounds report under attack at XT 544157, 552175, 562163, 589119 with mortars and ground troops.  At 0505 2-22 reports 4 KIA,  11 WIA, 1 2 ½ truck receives moderate damage, two APC's hit by RPG. They further report after sweeping the area VC body count stands at 23 at XT5616. At 1130 the report is two more VC bodies found. At 1140 C 2-14 reports two men gored by water buffalo. They shot and killed the buffalo. Dust off not required. At 1415 4-23 at XT625035 reports that they remain in contact with unknown number of VC. 2-34 A16 is on-site and placing effective fire with their 90 mm’s. TM C at 1523 reports location at XT689098. 2-22 reports total BC for May 13 was 34 VC KIA. At 2341 2-22 TM C reports changing AP location due to close proximity of ARVN AP at XT707080.

Back at D.T. Co A is air lifted to the top of Nui Ba Den to reinforce the radio relay station after yesterdays assault by the VC which killed 21 soldiers, mostly from the 125th Signal Bn and from the 4-9th.

15 MAY 68
Upon completion of all road sweeps teams will set up check mates then begin to conduct Cloverleaf operations. At 1145 TM B at location XT550155 receives AW fire from three positions along with light machine gun fire. Unit responds with organic weapons and maneuvering,  Each time element advances they draw AW fire. A 2-22 is moving up to reinforce B 2-22 and to sweep area. At 1250 elements of 3/17 and 4/23 are engaged with 150 VC in bunkers at XT 6203 engaging with LTF’s and artillery. At 1410 results of airstrike at XT 635035 by B 3/17 are 15 VC KIA.  2-22 elements lose contact and returned to NL. Meanwhile 4-9th is in contact at XT 6203 at 1950 request artillery and puff support. 4-9th reports 2 KIA and 3 WIA.

16 May 68
All teams conducts sweeps beginning at 0600 and are completed at 0900. Teams conducts sweeps of their areas along main routes. TM C at 1235 reports location at Cu Chi base camp. At 1240 TM C leaves Cu Chi to escort convoy in route for Duc Hoa. Upon completion TM C returns to NL at XT687099. TM A is at XT483196 and TM B loc not reported.

17 MAY 68
C Co KIA:
PFC Gerald Le Blanc from Port Allen, LA perishes in Hau Nghia province.
C Co WIA:
PFC Ed Coller

Team B (TM B): C Co 2-12 16, 46 and A 2-22 26 and C Co 2-22 36 is conducting a RIF in the vic of XT445190 when it makes contact with a VC force.

After all teams departed their NL’s and completed their morning tasks of sweeping the MSR’s they started their morning sweeps of assigned TAOR around 1100. B 2-14 reports being in contact at XT755169.  At  1145, TM B at XT544190 starts receiving AW, RPG and .51Cal fire. TM B engages with organic fire and pulls back to allow artillery fire support. Unit requests dustoff for 1 U.S. hit needing 4 pints of “O” blood. It’s reported that they have discovered a small base camp and VC are in bunkers.

B 2-14 reports at 1400 they have 7 VC KIA and 2 U.S. WIA with a LFT on station for support.  At 1500 B 2-22 (TM B) moves into area of contact again and starts receiving SA fire. The CS Ship on station takes multiple hits to radio and is forced to return to Cu Chi. At 1550 TM B is receiving mortar, RPG and SA fire again. At 1700 area is prepped with arty and tactical air support and TM A arrives on scene as reinforcement. 1735 completes 2nd air strike in area receiving heavy SA fire from ground. TM A probes the area and comes under heavy fire and withdraws. A third airstrike is completed at 1900 still receiving fire. TM B closes at NT XT546178; reports 1 KIA and 3 WIA’s. TM A has 1 WIA. Update to B and D 2-14 contact was 3 KIA and 5 WIA; 4 VC KIA. Ed Coller is hit in the index finger while holding his M-79 and walking across an open field, a million dollar wound that sends him home after one month in country. He was near Le Blanc when he got hit. Coller spends four months in the hospital before ending up at Ft Hood to finish out his time.

" I can't shed a lot of light on Le Blanc. If I remember right he was only there a couple weeks or so and I really didn't get to know him. I believe he was hit by small arms fire as we were trying to set up a DP after breaking contact with Charlie. It was raining and we were working with some APC's and one round hit the perimeter.  We were not far from a small village and a cemetery but I don't know which one it was." Elmer Lightner, 1st Plt.

23 MAY 68
66th IPCT (Infantry Platoon Combat Tracker:
SP4  Rodney Marrufo Jr - Dog Handler with Black Lab
SSG Billy Joe Parrish - Visual Tracker

Team A (TM A): A Co 2-22, 1,3, 4th Plts and C Co 2-12 2nd Plt;
Team B (TM B): C Co 2-12 1st and 4th Plts and A Co 2-22 2nd Plt and C Co 2-22 3rd Plt

NOTE: For anyone who has copies of the daily battalion journals for the 2-12th will find this account somewhat different than the journal. I believe that there are some reporting errors on the journal that do not align to what happened in the field after interviewing several men who were involved in the action on this date, Jerry Suitor and Andy Wahrenbrock with TM A, and Elmer Lightner with TM B . The confusion comes from TM A being split up this day, into two teams, each operating separate missions and in separate locations; one team assigned to sweep north from their NL location and the other to travel south.

I believe after doing a RIF, TM B returns to their NL site and from there is dispatched on another mission (bushmaster ambush). Each team TM A gets engaged, in contact with the enemy roughly during the same period of time, the journal entries seem not track with the actions being reported by the field and in some cases seem to be combining some team entries instead of splitting them apart. The journal indicates that two teams (TM A and TM B) each reported a KIA plus wounded. The only men killed this day were two dog handlers, who are reported as being attached to HHC 2-27th Wolfhounds but operated out of Cu Chi. There were no casualties from either the  2-12th or 2-22nd that I can confirm from the Coffelt database or the Vietnam Wall Memorial. The fact that tells me the journal is wrong, is that Jerry Suiter, 38th IPSD says he was taking instructions from Lt Jimmy Ford, who was 2nd plt leader from TM A. TM B (Elmer Lightner)  is dispatched from their NL site to assist TM A who was in contact and arrived after the report of casualties. That places this action with TM A, the team that had the dog handlers. The journal reports that TM B requested a dog team, but it was TM A's request and that is how Jerry Suitor was air lifted out to TM A's location along with the 66th IPCT team.- Sarge Krause

This morning, TM A continues to operate split apart with the MECH heading north from their NL to clear the MSR and the INF sweeping south on a RIF from their NL at XT501196 (FSB Stuart). Early in the morning 0900, an ARVN compound reports receiving mortar fire and SA fire at XT349335 from est force of 50 VC. 4-23 is dispatched to sweep area around 0940. AT 1400, a Little Bear chopper reports receiving fire in same area.  After sweeping the MSR road and outposts, TM A (team A - MECH) is ordered to return to same area and make a sweep. At 1440 they report from their location XT347345 they are receiving RPG and small arms fire. They have one WIA and one APC  hit by RPG and non-operational. Team returns fire with organic weapons and requests LTF and FAC with A-S. At 1445 TM A MECH reports no longer receiving fire.  TM A has pulled back to MSR and have requested C-S ship. They are told to outpost MSR and send second convoy thru vicinity of contact.  LFT is on station and TM A is no longer receiving fire. No casualties reported and no body count found.

In the south, TM B - INF (C 2-12th 1st/4th plts) completes their RIF. They end up at their NL of TM B loc XT547186 around 1200. At 1215 TM B  is assigned a bushmaster (ambush) at XT548186 at a trail crossing in a hedgerow area. At 1225, 6 VC walk into area and are engaged with Claymore mines, VC dropped to the ground. Negative fire was returned.  After waiting, at 1300 TM B  sweeps area and finds several blood trails leading to a bunker then departs to TM B NL site.   TM A at 1420 in location of XT 557196 run into VC who are located in the hedgerow laced with spider holes and they open up on TM A - INF. The team pulls back receiving RPG, small arms and AW fire; returns fire with organic weapons then withdraws requesting a LFT (by LT Ford) and a request for a dog team arrives by Huey at TM A's location. The LFT (25th Av Bn, Diamondhead) is on station. Smoke is popped to ID their location. The gunship makes a pass in error at the hedgerow where the 2nd Plt and one dog team is located and fires 6-8 rockets hitting the G.I.'s. Result is 1 KIA (SSG Billy Parrish, Visual Tracker) who takes a direct hit. Dog handler Rodney Marrufo runs to assist Parrish and gets hit by another rocket, killing his dog and is severely wounded himself along with 4 WIA's among them are Abney, Woodson and medic Andy Wahrenbrock who is sent home with a broken ball socket joint from the impact. At 1625 TM B - INF leaves NL in route to area of contact (log is wrong as they are sent to TM A's area of contact) and arrives to support TM A.

38th IPSD Scout Dog handler Jerry Suitor (attached to HHC 1-27th) helps load some of the WIA's onto the gunship after this event. SSG Billy Parrish is dead, missing limbs. The platoon withdraws and the KIA (Parrish) has been left in area of contact. At 1835, TM A  reports they are firing into VC positions and have sent in a probe into area to retrieve KIA. Upon retrieving the body, start receiving mortar and RPG fire. They are pulling back again and are counter firing  with mortar and artillery fire. They have requested a dust off. At 1840, TM A  reports they are returning to NL location. Total report is 1 KIA, 5 WIA's and 1 VC KBA (killed by artillery fire). SP4 Rodney Marrufo dies at 12th Evac Hospital. Later that night at 2030, TM A (journal says TM B) reports that one of their 5 WIA's D.O.W, now 2 KIA's and 4 WIA's.

• 

Dewitt Roberts, 38th  who was with the 38th IPSD,  Scout Dog team says:
It was a dark day for members of the entire 66th IPCT the evening SSG Billy Joe Parrish, and SP4 Rodney Marrufo were KIA. Jerry Suitor (scout dog tracker) and another unknown 25th Div Grunt  loaded SSG Parrish on the Gunship that killed them. Parrish was blown in half at the waist by a chopper rocket with the exception of a bit of skin. They had him folded in half in one of their shirts used as a stretcher. Suitor was in shock then and his circuit breaker appears to have spared him some of the details to this date.

Andy Wahrenbrock recounts his time at 12th Evac after the action:
"There I was, on a gurney heading for skin graph surgery, location the 12th Med Evac unit in Cu Chi, South Vietnam, in 1968. I vividly remember that morning being wheeled to pre-op down a hallway while IV bottles on the shelves rattled from the concussion of B-52 five hundred- and thousand- pounders dropped along the wire of the 25th Infantry’s sprawling base camp.

"The period was later to be known as the Tet Echo.

"I was to remain in the hospital for three weeks while my doctors cured me of an infection I picked up from the wounds, the air, the water, the country — take your pick. Then off to Japan for transport to the Fort Ord hospital to complete my recovery.

"The sudden change from the 24/7 adrenalin rush of a combat medic in an infantry platoon during the 1968 Tet to a painkiller-induced stupor left me with few memories of my hospital stay. One that does truly stand out is the day three 'celebrities' on a USO tour walked through my ward. They were Los Angeles DJ Johnny Grant, comedian Vicki Lawrence, and another TV starlet whose name I can’t recall. They stopped and chatted with me for a few minutes and all three signed the body cast I was wearing at the time. My overseers swapped out my body cast a couple of times after that visit, but I managed to keep the signed section of it until it was somehow misplaced years later in my travels.

25 MAY 68
TM C establishes outposts on MSR at XT387251 down to XT712071 and establishes roving patrol between outposts. At 1220 TM C provides escort for convoy at Duc Hoa. At 1315 TM B conducts a combat assault to LZ XT480208 and conducts a sweep. At 1600 team is returned to XT 544177. TM B sets up outposts at XT629926. That evening Charlie company returns to Dau Tieng with mech unit, but remains OPCON'd to the 2-22 until June 1st. During this time, they run night ambush patrols in the rubber plantation.

26 MAY 68
0915 TM B conducts combat assault to XT 629126. At 0950 TM A becomes OPCON'D to the 3RD Brigade

30 MAY 68
1LT Ronald Hendricks, from Co D takes over as C.O. for Co C as 1LT Jay Hickey moves up to battalion.  1LT Jimmy Ford moves from 2nd plt. to X.O.  Two new officers arrive, 1LT R.W. "Bud" McDaniel takes a position at HQ. and 1LT Richard Wiggins takes over 2nd plt., both Richard and "Bud" went through OCS together are fresh from jungle school in Panama.

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Eyewitness accounting of this operation

199th LIB Daily Journal

Read more about this operation

1st Brigade - OP Wilderness