1966 -
28 Jan 66 at 0700-Operation Double Eagle with USMC Battalion landing Team 3/1 landed at Red Beach just north of Duc Pho followed by BLT 2/4. This is where all those dud naval gunfire 5 inch shells came from. The Marines also attacked the French fort on the Song Ve River where B-1/20 got ambushed on 12 Oct 70. To learn more go to: "www.100megsfree2.com/jjscherr/scherr/double-eagle.htm" and "http://community-2.webtv.net/mj24582/DE/", or word search "Double Eagle" and "USS Skagit"
12 Oct 68 Bravo took 7 KIAs on Batangan Peninsula as follows: Sgt Gary Culbertson, SSG Joe Cardenas, Cpl Robert Faccio, Sgt Drew Fiedler, PFC Walter Golembiewski, Sgt Juan Martines, Sgt Robert Sanchez (all dead by BT mines-said to be set in 1967 by ROK Marines, but the ROK's map was lost at Division. The background is that Bravo relieved Alpha after Alpha took many casualties there i.e., Alpha down to 60 men. Then, Bravo was sent to take the high ground and ran into the minefield.).
Map of 12 Oct 68 fight on Batangan Peninsula (South of Chu Lai on S. China Sea) at grid approx 664048. Click for larger version.
In Sept and Oct 69, there are reports of two night-time friendly fire incidents involving B-1/20 and Recon and B-1/20 and C-1/20. These friendly fire incidents are described in the journals and an email from a company officer detailing that the Bn CO (LTC Fischer) wanted the companies to maneuver at night to increase 1/20's body count. The results were disasterous for 1/20, and caused great animosity by the troops towards him. In Oct 69, Col Fischer's CC helo was shot down while flying over A-1/20s position. It was able to repair and lift off and fly back under gunship protection (from whom?) A-1/20 also suffered WIAs and KIAs from friendly fire incidents among its own elements maneuvering at night. I will post more later.
B-1/20s MIA. On 26 Dec 69 at 2130 B's 24 ele ambushed a VC/NVA element with US casualties of Mathieson WIA and Manchester MIA. Search recovered damaged M16 and PRC 25 radio and unidentifiable body parts; drew many VIP visits from Bde and Division. Maj. Honjiyo convened an investigation board. One month later, his body was found in a river and id'd by the dogtag in his boot.
Item 46 at time 1530 13 Feb 70, 23rd MPs called to South Bridge to investigate US (SSG Ridge) pulling weapon on ARVN. Ridge is now Bush's Homeland Security Czar-more about Ridge's shortened tour with B-1/20 setforth below (when the goin' got tough, he got goin'.)
The items for May 1970, Death of Cpt Lisowski, and 3rd Plt. B-1/20's former SSG Tom Ridge, now U.S. Homeland Security Czar, are here.
Looking for Bravo 1/20's Captain Parker and Platoon Sgt Miller and any eye witnesses to combat assault on 12 Oct 1970 for Silver Star award for Lt. Illingworth. See ? for details.
Click here for MACV Tm-17 SOIC journal 27 Oct 70 and killings of 2 Japanese and one lady at Quang Ngai (can anyone decipher it?) I note that Japanese photo-journalist Kyoichi Sawada and UPI bureau chief J. Frank Frosch are listed as captured and KIA 26-28 Oct 70 in Cambodia. Gloria Emerson, NY Times reporter wrote "Winners and Losers".
06 Nov 70- From Bde S2, Fire mission jamming (now called "gingerbread")-recent MI reports include fire missions tape recorded and played back at a later date to confuse and delay other fire missions. Possibility exists that NVA could use this tactic extensively in near future. Bde recommends personnel on all levels be made aware of this jamming technique.
07 Nov 70-1000 hrs- Div CO and Asst CO and Brigade CO at LZ LIZ.
11 Nov 70- two Items about "Salt" spotted evading by 2nd Plt B-1/20 on 11 Nov 70 at grid 753558 after receiving 1-5 rnds small arms fire 200 meters to their north. Tracker dog requested. Later ID'd as male caucasian wearing black top, blue bottom, no hat, blond hair, spotted 300 meters to West evading to the west.
On 20 Nov 70 CG XXIV Corps ordered 1/20 to work with MACV Mo Duc in Mo Duc area. Two days later on 22 Nov 70 1/20 began carrying Q Company on it's daily S3 reports in addition to the line companies. Does anyone remember "Q" Company, a task force team made up of MACV, ARVN PRUs, CIA, the S-2 and selected members of 1/20 involved with Phoenix Program in Quang Ngai Province? 23 Oct 70 Msg SOIC (Sr Officer Intell Community, Quang Ngai) To: Tra Bong Cpt. Quirk (Phoenix) will arrive at your location in about 30 min. on Air America. He has supplies and he requests you meet the plane with a vehicle. passed."
Bravo 1/20 personnel questioned about EXECUTION of 20 year old Vietnamese female. In Nov 1970 there are reports of a young Vietnamese woman killed by a gunshot wound to middle forehead at close range with powder burns. Anyone know what happened? Army CID investigated. The files are in Virginia.
On 07 Dec 1970, Sgt Richard Reed was killed by booby trap. Another soldier was WIA. His photo is ? over 90mm recoiless rifle and next to RTO Dick Jones. Anyone know what happened?
CLICK HERE for 27 Jan 71 fragging of C Btry 6/11 CO's hootch. One story is the victim was a visiting officer on his last day in-country and murdered by mistake. Anyone know what happened?
01 Feb 71 time 0350 MAT-17 overrun at LZ MAX 2 US WIAs CPT Odomes, Freddie and SFC Stokes, Bilgiew of MAT 63. Advisory Team house destroyed and SOI captured.
CLICK HERE For 01 Feb 71 attack on LZ LIZ and LZ Max. I have the SOIC reports of this attack (over 13 pages).
12 Feb 71 entry no. 43 time 2145 "(C) C Co vic 671578,
MAT team with C Co 2nd Plt at Woodstock received report on unmentionable at
671578. Do you have record of this? MAT team did receive this from the ARVN's."
From webmaster: O.P. Woodstock was 668579 build by 1st Plt A-1/20 in
Jan '71 (near the "Salt and Pepper" sightings of 19-20 Sept 70 detailed
below); O.P. Pax was 672530 built by 3rd plt A-1/20 Jan 71; MAT is "mobile
advisory team" assigned to ARVNs. I can only guess that "unmentionable"
referred to someone or thing above the confidential classification of the 1/20
S2/S3 journals. I will check MACV's Tm 17 (Quang Ngai) records at NARA II.
I came across a fragging entry on 15 March 1971 time 0015 hrs: "(C) 1/20 , Rear, HHC had a fragging incident in their rear area at LZ Bronco. CO Cpt Gleaves injured in head with minor wounds to the rest of his body. Grenade detonated in orderly room area by CO's bed. MP's, CID and Col Brogan at scene, area has been sealed off and troops mustered."
01 Apr 71: time 1235 following heat casualities: Braziel, Dynon, (new man?), Brown, Mace. time 1800 another casualty name(H.?).
28 Apr 71 Q Co's casualties: "item 62 time 1230 (C) MACV Mo Duc at 739663, requested Urgent Dustoff for 3 US and 2 VN personnel. They got a call stating that a vehicle had hit a mine, Quebec 82 and 59 were picked up by Dustoff and went to the scene of incident. Maj Gregg said that VN personnel said it was command detonated, also it was a large plastic explosive. Crater was 6' in diameter and 3' deep, results 2 US WIA, 1 VN WIA, 1 US KIA, 1 VN KIA. Personnel were from Quang Ngai and Da Nang, one of the wounded was a U.S. civilian." Note: US KIA was SGT Donald E. Weisman MOS 12B4H from Wheaton, MD.
