1/14th Daily Staff Journals

1969	JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

1969 January
01 Jan 1969	Locations: Bn - LZ Chara Maine (YA999219), A - LZ Isabelle, B - LZ Chara Maine, C - LZ Bridgit, D, Recon, 4.2 - LZ Laura
02 Jan 1969	Bn providing security for civilian evacuation from AO, burning old villages; patrols find some US gear, 1 claymore
03 Jan 1969	B Co examines 20 graves; Chopper with B Co 3rd platoon hit by ground fire takes casualties to Oasis; B Co finds tunnels; D Co sees 3 enemy
04 Jan 1969	B Co still digging, finds 14 NVA bodies, 4 Chicom grenades, claymore, B40 warhead and other gear; Enemy probes C, D Co perimeters
05 Jan 1969	Plei Ku battalion rear mess receives "Best Mess" award; C, D Co perimeters spot movement
06 Jan 1969	No action
07 Jan 1969	A Co Bushmaster engages 5, finds blood trail. Dog tracks it to village.
08 Jan 1969	D Co finds rice cache, sets up Bushmaster
09 Jan 1969	D Co Night Laager finds Co-size camp with fresh paths; D Co at LZ Laura engages 5-6 enemy, blows claymores
10 Jan 1969	Patrol from D Co Night Laager finds fuel, cooking utensils, clothes for Co-size element
11 Jan 1969	LRP patrol makes contact, B Co 3rd platoon, A Co 1st platoon move to assist. A Co has repeated movement, fires mortars.
12 Jan 1969	A Co Bushmaster finds tunnel complex; C Co reports movement and engages - it's a tiger!
13 Jan 1969	B Co has early morning movement, engages. D Co hears voices, engages.
14 Jan 1969	C Co hears midnight voices, engages. Several reports of UFO visual sightings, radar sightings, electrical interference from area, headlights. Neg results.
15 Jan 1969	B Co 2nd platoon received small arms fire
16 Jan 1969	Aircraft shot down, one platoon from each company lifts to location; C Co PFC Jerry McFall is killed, two others wounded
17 Jan 1969	B Co 2nd platoon receives small arms fire, 1 WIA
18 Jan 1969	B Co 2nd platoon engages 5; C Co finds 15 spider holes, fresh trash
19 Jan 1969	1st Provisional Co finds 8 bunkers and tunnels; B Co 2nd platoon engages enemy, has 1 KIA, 3 WIA from gunships. Fire base LZ Laura closed.
20 Jan 1969	A Co returns from OPCON to 2/1 Cav;
21 Jan 1969	No activity; A Co at Oasis, B Co/Recon at LZ Charla Maine, C Co/D Co at LZ Bridgit with 1st platoon OPCON to Brigade at Rock Quarry
22 Jan 1969	A Co goes OPCON to 1/35th; C Co has movement, may be a tiger
23 Jan 1969	Charlie Co hears rounds fired, neg results
25 Jan 1969	Battalion moves to LZ Tommie in the area of the Chu Pa mountain; building bunkers, clearing LZs; mentions bodies, but no action report. 5 cases of Malaria
26 Jan 1969	A Co at LZ Tommie, B Co/D Co/Recon at LZ Bravo, C Co in the boonies
27 Jan 1969	Work continues on LZ Tommie, not enough troops to build it
28 Jan 1969	C Co has two injured from bees
29 Jan 1969	A Co has WIA from punjii
30 Jan 1969	C Co finds 75 2-man foxholes
31 Jan 1969	C Co finds 6 foxholes, water point; A Co finds 8 57 recoilless rifle rounds, 8 81mm rounds; D Co has snake bite

1969 February
01 Feb 1969	20 rounds incoming landed 300 meters outside perimeter; no other activity; still operating in the Chu Pa area
02 Feb 1969	1/47 ARVNs report finding 20 US bodies in old POW camp; Made contact with NVA, had 10 KIA and 90 WIA, lost 30 M-16s
03 Feb 1969	B Co 1st platoon finds 4 bodies, A Co looking for one more; no results on the 20 bodies
04 Feb 1969	Brigade CO unhappy with LZ Tommie security, Bn says "No manpower!"; B Co outpost spots 3; A Co has 7 WIA from incoming
05 Feb 1969	B Co 1st platoon finds US equipment, bones, another US body; A Co spots 5 enemy, takes incoming, has 2 WIA, 1 KIA
06 Feb 1969	High winds aloft delay staging for search/clear mission to Chu Pa
07 Feb 1969	A Co patrol is ambushed, 2 WIA, 1 KIA; D Co has movement
08 Feb 1969	Assault on Chu Pa: B, C, D Co moved to Chu Pa mountain; C Co confirmed 24 enemy KIA
09 Feb 1969	Bravo in heavy firefight in Chu Pa area, 3 KIA, 6 WIA, multiple air strikes; A Co resupply chopper under fire, has WIA
10 Feb 1969	Chu Pa area still hot, making contact, 122mm rocket cache, other ammo; B Co has WIA from air strike
11 Feb 1969	NVA steals C Co claymore; B Co searches caves, finds gear, has contact, 1 MIA, 2 KIA, 20 WIA; 37 enemy KIA
12 Feb 1969	B Co in contact, 6 enemy KIA; has MIA; LZs take fire, B Co has casualties. Sporadic contact all day, evening
13 Feb 1969	B Co still in contact, unable to recover their MIA under fire; B Co cannot be extracted
14 Feb 1969	D Co in contact, 4 WIA; A Co WIA - cuts PZ out of jungle to extract; C Co 4 WIA; Choppers hit by ground fire. Action all day.
15 Feb 1969	C Co WIA from friendly arty; B Co MIA is confirmed dead; C Co finds tunnel complex, ammo, food, 16 enemy KIA
16 Feb 1969	Battalion leaves Chu Pa area, moves to Plei Mrong, then LZ Mary Lou for 24-hour stand down
17 Feb 1969	Stand Down at LZ Mary Lou, memorial service for fallen, awards ceremony for heroism
18 Feb 1969	Battalion moves to LZ Bunker Hill; A Co is probed
19 Feb 1969	Bn relocates to LZ Round Bottom. A Co patrol makes contact, radio destroyed; spots enemy, one 6 ft tall with blond hair!
20 Feb 1969	No contact but several sightings; battalion working to improve fire bases
21 Feb 1969	C Co reports receiving enemy grenades at night; more during the day, lots of movement around them
22 Feb 1969	C Co 3rd platoon makes contact. A Co - LZ Gay, B Co - LZ Round Bottom, C Co - LZ Donna, D Co - LZ Bunker Hill, Recon - LZ Brillo Pad
23 Feb 1969	LZ Round Bottom gets 20 rounds incoming outside the wire; units make intermittent contact throughout the day
24 Feb 1969	Bn back at LZ Bunker Hill; LZ Round Bottom takes more incoming
25 Feb 1969	B Co receives incoming at LZ Round Bottom, 13 WIA
26 Feb 1969	B Co receives incoming; C Co receives mortar fire, 1 WIA
27 Feb 1969	C Co 2nd platoon finds mortar site, grenade, poncho with blood; A Co finds small camp, clothes
28 Feb 1969	No activity; A Co - LZ Gay, B Co/Recon - LZ Brillo Pad, C Co/4.2 Mortars - LZ Donna, D Co - LZ Bunker Hill

1969 March
01 Mar 1969	B Co finds mortar position, gear; A Co finds 20 foxholes; Bn continues SRP and RIF operations
02 Mar 1969	A Co finds bunkers, fighting positions
03 Mar 1969	D Co hears movement while on patrol, artillery makes them leave quickly
04 Mar 1969	A Co makes light contact on way to night laager, also finds booby-traps
05 Mar 1969	Several enemy sightings at night (flashlights). A at LZ Gay, B/4.2 Mortars/Recon at LZ Brillo Pad, C at LZ Donna, D at LZ Bunker Hill
06 Mar 1969	B Co, with dogs, find bunkers; A Co finds hooch with shotgun shells; B Co finds sign "VE - E - 3 - < - T"; base takes mortar fire
07 Mar 1969	A Co fires on one enemy
08 Mar 1969	C Co finds 7 bunkers; B Co has enemy in the wire, hears movement all around
09 Mar 1969	A Co finds NVA bunkers, 122 rocket position; B Co takes 1 round 60mm; B Co goes OPCON to 1/12th Inf at LZ Roberts
10 Mar 1969	A Co in contact at 1253H, under heavy fire, mortars, snipers, reinforced bunkers; 5 KIA, A & C Co 37 WIA
11 Mar 1969	C Co has incoming mortars and rockets, 11 WIA. Count from yesterday's action: 25 NVA KIA confirmed. 1/69 Armor joins A & C Co.
12 Mar 1969	B Co finds 5 bunkers; A Co finds bunker, 3 tunnels; more NVA bodies found from action on 10th. 62 WIAs since March 9th.
13 Mar 1969	C Co has WIA from friendly artillery
14 Mar 1969	D Co huey goes down during lift. A at LZ Cecilia, B at LZ Short, C at LZ Bunker Hill, D at night laager, Recon/4.2 Mortars at LZ Brillo Pad
15 Mar 1969	D Co spots flashlights, hears incoming, orders counter-fires
16 Mar 1969	C Co hears movement all around, but no contact; B Co 3rd platoon moves to LZ Alamo
17 Mar 1969	Recon hears explosions, small arms fire at LZ Alamo, can't contact B Co. Delta lifts to Alamo to assist; no results reported.
18 Mar 1969	7/17 Cav found evidence of recent large enemy activity; A Co, B Co, D Co move to assist. No action
19 Mar 1969	B Co hears voices, laughing, movement - it's B Co.
20 Mar 1969	Nighttime movement, lights, no action. A at LZ Short, B at LZ Stud, C at LZ Bunker Hill, D at night laager, Recon/4.2 mortars at LZ Brillo Pad
21 Mar 1969	D Co has MedEvac with high temperature
22 Mar 1969	Nighttime movement and lights - no action
23 Mar 1969	D Co MedEvac for serious bee stings; B Co reports whistling outside wire, and movement, lights. A Co has incoming grenades, spotted 3 enemy
24 Mar 1969	LZ Alamo attacked - grenades, B-40 rockets, 2 WIA. Search finds 1 enemy KIA, B-40 rocket launcher w/3 warheads,2 US bangalores, 5 satchel charges
25 Mar 1969	D Co calls in arty on individual; sees lights
26 Mar 1969	D Co patrol receives AK fire, 8 frags, mortar fire
27 Mar 1969	D Co 3rd platoon takes RPG and rifle fire for several hours, has 2 WIA
28 Mar 1969	B Co receives frags and mortar rounds (friendly fire). D Co finds 10 company-size bunkers; tunnels, carbine, 300 lbs rice
29 Mar 1969	C Co in contact with 2-4 individuals, small arms fire
30 Mar 1969	No action. A at LZ Short, B in field, C at LZ Bunker Hill, D in field, Recon/4.2 Mortars at LZ Brillo Pad
31 Mar 1969	B Co finds sampan, rope across river

1969 April
01 Apr 1969	C Co finds 15 foxholes; B at FSB 34 OPCON to 2nd Bde, D at LZ Rene
02 Apr 1969	D Co finds 6 new hooches (Montagnard)
03 Apr 1969	D has female detainee; D Co finds more new hooches, NVA canteen, sneakers, C rations; A Co finds 2 hooches
04 Apr 1969	4.2 Platoon hears sounds like tracked vehicle; C Co has 2 men with bites - swollen foot and eye; D Co spots 1 enemy, fires
05 Apr 1969	D Co finds 6 new hooches, NVA steel helmet, entrenching tools; destroyed buildings
06 Apr 1969	D Co finds bunker complex of 35 2-man bunkers with overhead cover, 15 foxholes
07 Apr 1969	No activity; A at LZ Short, B OPCON at FSB 34, C at LZ Bunker Hill with units at LZ Gay, LZ Cecilia, LZ Donna, D at LZ Rene
08 Apr 1969	D Co has movement, engages.
09 Apr 1969	A Co finds hooch with pot, baskets, trail; will observe. A Co dustoff of heat victim.
10 Apr 1969	Recon and C Co have movement, call artillery
11 Apr 1969	D Co dustoff - appendicitis; A Co finds 18 foxholes; C Co searches where LRRP saw movement
12 Apr 1969	C Co hears movement, calls artillery; Dustoff of 2 heat casualties
13 Apr 1969	No activity; A at LZ Short, B OPCON at LZ Bass and LZ Trout, C at LZ Bunker Hill/Gay/Donna/Cecilia, D at LZ Rene, Recon LZ Brillo Pad
14 Apr 1969	A Co finds trails, wild elephant tracks
15 Apr 1969	A Co finds 5 foxholes, D Co spots group on move, probably Montagnards; D Co has heat casualty; B Co moves to LZ Susan G
16 Apr 1969	C Co hears movement, calls artillery
17 Apr 1969	A Co finds 9 tunnels
18 Apr 1969	No activity
19 Apr 1969	A Co reports hearing small arms fire and explosions; regional forces fired on 3 VC
20 Apr 1969	No activity
21 Apr 1969	B Co spots 3 individuals, calls mortars in, negative results
22 Apr 1969	No activity
23 Apr 1969	No activity
24 Apr 1969	A Co finds trail; anti-intrusion device alerts, artillery called in
25 Apr 1969	1/14th, minus C Co, moves by air to LZ Bass, and then by truck to LZ Mary Lou for administrative stand down
26 Apr 1969	C Co at LZ Bunker Hill, rest at LZ Mary Lou on stand down; change of uniforms, shower points open, equipment checks
27 Apr 1969	Stand down continues, administrative activity from finance, ID cards
28 Apr 1969	A Co on sweep finds 15 Montagnards, 3 weapons; stand down continues, day of classes
29 Apr 1969	C Co joins battalion at LZ Mary Lou; pay day for everyone; B Co conducts RIF to LZ Nicole
30 Apr 1969	Stand down continues

1969 May
01 May 1969	Battalion moves again by truck to night laager at Tea Plantation; 1 WIA from sniper fire while changing flat tire
02 May 1969	Bn arrives at LZ Saint Geroge; A, B, C, D hit the field to secure area; D Co makes contact, get BAR, 2 rifles, B-40 launcher
03 May 1969	B finds 5 bunkers w/cover, 2 tunnels near river, 200 lbs rice, punjii stakes; A finds rice hooch
04 May 1969	A Co hears small arms fire; B Co finds 5 bunkers, 2 hooches with 800 lbs rice and B-40 rocket charge; D Co finds 200 lbs rice, hooches
05 May 1969	C Co finds 5 spider holes; Recon and ARVNs find 3 tons rice; C Co receives small arms fire
06 May 1969	C Co WIA from M-79; B Co dustoff for man with convulsions; D Co spots 15 men with weapons; Recon under fire
07 May 1969	A Co finds cave with 12 packs, new NVA clothes, ponchos, shaving gear, papers; C takes fire from 5
08 May 1969	No action; A/4.2 Mortars at bushmaster, B/Recon at LZ Saint George, C at LZ Sylvia, D in field
09 May 1969	A Co finds 7 bunkers, has one heat casualty; C Co makes contact with 8, 3 enemy KIA; C Co fired upon again
10 May 1969	C Co sees 2 approach the wire, throws frags; Recon sees 5, engages.
11 May 1969	B Co sees movement; Bn CO calls for 50% alert all night, and Stand To during the night
12 May 1969	A Co finds sniper positions and spider holes; patrols, searches find little
13 May 1969	No activity; A at LZ Yvonne, B/Recon at LZ Saint George, C at LZ Sylvia, D in field
14 May 1969	Incoming LOH takes fire; Recon takes auto weapons fire, 2 VC KIA, capture 1
15 May 1969	A Co finds bags of punjii sticks, clothes; B sees 5
16 May 1969	C Co spots 2 VC with weapons; Bn CO fires at gound VC with his .45, wounds him; A Co arrives, confirms 1 KIA, 1 AK-47
17 May 1969	A Co receives sniper fire
18 May 1969	A Co finds body parts after arty stirke; C Co receives sniper fire, has body count of 6
19 May 1969	A Co finds blood trails, cooking utensils; LRRP spots 5 individuals; A Co spots 4 NVA
20 May 1969	D Co hears small arms fire; A Co has 1 body count; A, D have movement at night
21 May 1969	No activity; A in field, B at LZ Saint George, parts of C, D at LZ Sylvia Recon in field, 4.2 Mortars at LZ Yvonne
22 May 1969	D Co has heavy small arms fire; Arty hits Montagnard village, injures child, village not on map
23 May 1969	Continued RIF operations in area, C and D prepare to convoy to Plei Ku to replace 11th Ranger Bn in securing Plei Ku, with Bn XO in command
24 May 1969	A in field with 3rd Platoon/Recon/D Co 4th Platoon at LZ Sylvia, B at LZ Saint George
25 May 1969	1st page of Journal missing from original; A Co spotted 21 enemy, called Arty, gunships
26 May 1969	Popular Forces units in heavy contact, reports enemy burned down village, B C moves to assist
27 May 1969	Convoy returning to LZ Saint George from Plei Ku takes small arms fire
28 May 1969	No activity; A at LZ Yvonne, B at LZ Saint George, C and D are OPCON to 3rd Bde Task Force Irish; Recon at LZ Sylvia
29 May 1969	LRRP team spots several groups on the move. Brigade declares cessation of operations for Buddha's birthday
30 May 1969	Bn XO reports 1 KIA, AK-47, C Co was fired upon, has blood trails, dog team tracked down one enemy
31 May 1969	LRRP hears shots fired, finds enemy village, spots groups on move; makes contact, 2 NVA KIA, 1 NVA CIA, 2 AK-47

1969 June
01 Jun 1969	B spots man with weapon, fires, captures his pack; A at LZ Saint George, B in field, C/D OPCON 3rd Bde, Recon at LZ Sylvia
02 Jun 1969	Movement, sighting, no activity
03 Jun 1969	B Co found 70 hooches in "deserted" village.
04 Jun 1969	Recon in Force operations, no activity
05 Jun 1969	LZ Sylvia torn down
06 Jun 1969	Recon observes 20 rounds small arms fire, no results; Bn S-3 spots 3 NVA, directed arty to the cave they went into - direct hit.
07 Jun 1969	C Co has one WIA when truck hit mine; C and D Co still OPCON to 3rd Bde task force Irish
08 Jun 1969	A Co spots 4-5 men from bunker line; District hamlet had 4 outposts hit by VC, Hamlet Chief killed in one
09 Jun 1969	B Co dustoff, heat casualty; E Co has 2 WIA from120mm mortars
10 Jun 1969	Rural forces see action, spot VC with weaons; A Co spots 2 VC outside wire; B Co receives 82mm mortar fire
11 Jun 1969	B Co has 4 body count, 1 inside wire, 20 satchel charges, got gear, 1 AK-47; A Co has 3-4 bodies at pad - may be 8 body count
12 Jun 1969	B Co finds mortar tube, 5 rounds
13 Jun 1969	No significant activity
14 Jun 1969	No activity; A at LZ Saint George (2nd platoon at Phu Nhon), B/4.2 Mortars at LZ Yvonne, C and D OPCON to 3rd Bde, Recon in the field
15 Jun 1969	No activity
16 Jun 1969	B Co has 2 dustoffs for medical problems; engineers working on road
17 Jun 1969	No activity
18 Jun 1969	Operation Crossbow begins with combat assault, no results
19 Jun 1969	Nighttime activity - sporadic recon by fire, sniper fire, a few mortar rounds, movement, no results
20 Jun 1969	No activity
21 Jun 1969	B Co spots 5 with weapons; S-3 spots 3, engages, no results; A Co spots 2; D Co returns from OPCON to LZ Saint George
22 Jun 1969	B Co spots 1, opens fire - then finds it is one of their own, KIA
23 Jun 1969	A Co makes contact; LRRP makes contact, 1 NVA KIA, lost all of their equipment while escaping NVA
24 Jun 1969	Recon spots 7 with weapons, capture 1 and bag of rice; B Co makes contact with 3; Cobra shot down, D Co moved to secure it
25 Jun 1969	D Co has 1 body count, found 8 packs; Recon spots 15; B Co finds one body; Recon takes sniper fire
26 Jun 1969	D Co burns 5 hooches, rice; finds 25 more, spots 2 enemy
27 Jun 1969	A Co finds 10 hooches; A Co has 3 medical dustoffs; D Co fires on 2; C Co takes sniper fire; D Co engages 4, gets 1 KIA NVA
28 Jun 1969	A Co spots 5-10, engages with arty; C Co spots 4, engages, 1 enemy KIA, AK-47; C Co finds enemy camp, then engages 2, gets 1
29 Jun 1969	B Co finds 6-7 hooches, 3 bunkers
30 Jun 1969	B Co spots 5-6, Recon spots 6, kills 2; A and B on bushmasters, C at LZ Saint George, D on bushmaster, Recon in field

1969 July
01 Jul 1969	No activity
02 Jul 1969	D spots 3 VC, hit one, found 1 hooch; A at LZ Red Fox, B/4.2 Mortars at LZ Yvonne, C in field, D/Recon at LZ Saint George
03 Jul 1969	C Co finds 3 hooches, then M1 carbine, grease gun, 2 Thompson machine guns, B-40 rocket, 6 Chicom grenades, ammo, documents
04 Jul 1969	B Co takes small arms fire; C Co finds 5 bunkers, equipment; A Co finds hooch, garden, gear
05 Jul 1969	C Co bushmaster engages 2, gets 1
06 Jul 1969	C Co spots 5, gets 1
07 Jul 1969	C Co spots 2; C Co spots 2 more, gets 1 with documents; D Co has sniper fire
08 Jul 1969	D Co finds old NVA body, 40 lbs rice; A at LZ Red Fox, B/4.2 Mortars at Weigt-Davis, C/Recon at Night Laager, D at LZ Saint George
09 Jul 1969	D Co spots 20 Montagnards; daily sweeps, Recon in Force, and ambush operations continue
10 Jul 1969	C Co engages 4, no hits; C Co finds 5 caves; D Co has dustoff for sprained back
11 Jul 1969	C Co spots 6 NVA, engaged, no results; C Co sweep finds hooches, equipment, rice
12 Jul 1969	C Co finds shirt, bananas, blood, 5 huts (aid station)
13 Jul 1969	C Co finds NVA rucksack, M-16 magazine, pots, pans, bunker, rice, 18 hooches, 20 6x6 holes, fresh food
14 Jul 1969	C finds old NVA body, 4 hooches; D Co OPCON to 1/10th Cav
15 Jul 1969	B Co finds CS gas, makes contact, gets 2 POW, 1 wounded, 1 rifle
16 Jul 1969	Enemy attack several nearby villages, kill villagers, burn hooches
17 Jul 1969	No enemy contact
18 Jul 1969	RIFs, SRPs, ambushes, but no contact; A/4.2 Mortars at LZ Weigt-Davis, B/D at Night Laager, C/Recon at LZ Saint George
19 Jul 1969	D Co detains 1 Montagnard; A Co finds bamboo bridge over stream
20 Jul 1969	4 Sappers penetrate wire at LZ Saint George, left propaganda leaflets; Recon spots 10; XO's jeep takes sniper fire; A Co detains 2
21 Jul 1969	Recon spots 2, engages, gets 1 blood trail, captures 1; D Co finds sleeping positions, trails
22 Jul 1969	A and C Co have nighttime movement, sightings; D Co, Recon have detainees; Recon finds 2000 lbs rice; C Co takes fire
23 Jul 1969	A Co gets 2 detainees; B Co fired upon by 3
24 Jul 1969	B Co finds 9 bunkers; LRRP engages 5
25 Jul 1969	A Co detains 4; C Co outpost spots 25-30 individuals
26 Jul 1969	Engineers working on road find Chicom grenade, handle it with resulting 1 KIA, 3 WIA
27 Jul 1969	Recon spots 6, kill 2, get AK-47, 6 rucksacks, 6 M-16 magazines with ammo, GI gear
28 Jul 1969	C Co finds camp site for 10, battery, bandages; A Co moves to Plei Me, B at LZ Weigt-Davis, C/Recon at Night Laager, D at LZ Saint George
29 Jul 1969	Lots of patrols, RIFs, SRPs, LRRP sightings, no contact
30 Jul 1969	A Co has WIA from punjii stick; LRRP spots several groups
31 Jul 1969	A Co cordons village; A/C at Night Laagers, B at LZ Weigt-Davis, D/Recon at LZ Saint George

1969 August
01 Aug 1969	Bn continues RIF, SRP Ambush operations; treated 17 civilians at LZ Saint George, new villages hooches being built
02 Aug 1969	LRRP spots 9, engages, 2 possible WIA
03 Aug 1969	No action
04 Aug 1969	Mine sweep team finds 2 booby-traps; LRRP spots 2 groups of 5 with gear; D Co gets 1 detainee
05 Aug 1969	Recon spots 3, engaged; A Co bushmaster takes incoming
06 Aug 1969	Recon spots 2 squads, gunships, arty engage; A Co moves to reinforce Recon; Plei Me under attack, D Co moves to assist
07 Aug 1969	RIF, SRP, Ambush operations, no contact
08 Aug 1969	D Co takes small arms fire; A Co ambush has 1 KIA (Possible)
09 Aug 1969	D Co spots 5-6, calls Arty; A Co spots 4, engaged, capture 3, detain 2 more; Bn inoculates 64 for Cholera and Plague
10 Aug 1969	A Co takes incoming sniper fire; D Co finds arms cache w/250 lb bomb and smaller ones
11 Aug 1969	D Co has 2 men bitten by tiger; Brigade announces C-day, must convert all MPC immediately; D takes fire; A Co destroys bunkers
12 Aug 1969	A Co has 5 detainees, finds tunnel complex; B Co has 2 enemy KIA, AK-47, B-40, 8 packs; LZ Sylvia reopened
13 Aug 1969	B Co takes fire from 2, has 1 KIA; B returned fire killing 1 and wounding 1, 1 AK-47; B Co spots 4, calls Arty, finds blood trails
14 Aug 1969	A Co receives auto-weapons fire; C Co hears movement and growls
15 Aug 1969	D Co spots 1; B Co finds holes, bunkers; A at LZ Weigt-Davis, B/C at Night Laager, D at LZ Saint George, Recon in field
16 Aug 1969	RIFs, SRP, Ambushes, no contact
17 Aug 1969	A Co spots 2, calls Arty; C Co spots movement, takes 2 mortar rounds
18 Aug 1969	D Co has 2 dustoffs, 1 sprained ankle, 1 possible heart attack; LRRP finds bunker complex, 25 positions; B Co receives sniper fire
19 Aug 1969	A Co spots 3; LRRP spots 4 NVA, gunship engages, B Co moves to assist; A Co bushmaster takes sniper fire
20 Aug 1969	Recon takes fire, local villages attacked, chief killed
21 Aug 1969	A Co gets 12 Montagnards; C Co spots 1, gets 2 AK magazines, knife, pack, blood trail; C finds cave with 100 hammock frames, lots of gear
22 Aug 1969	C Co spots 4-5, later takes fire; LRRP finds small camp with bunkers, spots 1; C Co spots 2 files, approx. 25 men
23 Aug 1969	C Co spots 3, engaged, got 1 VC KIA and pack; C Co spots 10-15, engages, calls gunships; C bushmaster fires on 4-5
24 Aug 1969	C Co spots 2, later spots 6, again spot 6 with weapons, no results to any of the engagements
25 Aug 1969	No activity; A and C at Night Laagers, B at LZ Weigt-Davis, D/Recon at LZ Saint George
26 Aug 1969	RIFs, SRP and Ambushes continue, no contact
27 Aug 1969	No enemy contact; Brigade commander urges more aggressive stance, orders more night ops, stay behind elements, multiple LZs on assaults
28 Aug 1969	A Co spots 4; LRRP finds 20-25 bunkers; A Co spots 2, calls Arty, A Co ambush gets 2 enemy KIA
29 Aug 1969	A Co has 30-40 incoming 82mm mortars, 13 WIA; C Co exchanges fire with 4; A Co detains 10; D Co finds 3 bodies
30 Aug 1969	A Co spots 1; D Co found body; A Co has nighttime movement, employs Arty
31 Aug 1969	D Co spots 4; A at LZ Weigt-Davis, B at Night Laager, C at LZ Saint George, D at Night Laager, Recon with Bushmasters

1969 September
01 Sep 1969	B Co finds 1 body (Arty), takes sniper fire, D Co has detainee
02 Sep 1969	A Co finds platform in tree; D Co finds 500 lbs rice, 8 toothbrushes; Bn is doing more MedCaps, innoculations
03 Sep 1969	RIFs, SRPs, Ambushes, no enemy contact; B Co OPCON to 3rd Brigade for Operation Helping Hand
04 Sep 1969	No enemy contact; Brigade says: Enemy is well-equipped, has many caches in area, have been in area since 64, so well trained
05 Sep 1969	A Co has detainee
06 Sep 1969	D Co has 8 detainees; Choppers spot several groups of hooches, fighting positions
07 Sep 1969	Gunship gets 3 KIA; C Co finds 10 hooches, shovels, punjii sticks, then finds 4 hooches, bananas, US trip flare, 5,000 lbs rice
08 Sep 1969	A Co blows claymore, claims 2 KIA (Possible) - but search finds tiger tracks; C Co finds 4 hooches, fresh food
09 Sep 1969	C Co makes contact with estimated platoon (later changed to 2 individuals), C finds hooch, rice, then 9 2-story hooches, equipment
10 Sep 1969	A Co at LZ Melody; C Co engages 4; A, B, C have night movement, lights, trip flares
11 Sep 1969	C Co spots 6-9, B Co patrol takes 40 rounds automatic fire; A in field, B at Weigt-Davis, C at Night Laager, D/Recon at Saint George
12 Sep 1969	A Co bushmaster spots 4, has 3 detainees, has 1 WIA (man put rifle against tree, it discharged hitting his hand)
13 Sep 1969	Recon stay-behind spots 1, grabs him; A Co found hooch, rucksack with bullet holes, clothes, blood, lots of gear; C Co finds 11 hooches, ammo
14 Sep 1969	No action
15 Sep 1969	Recon engages several groups, finds claymore, 2 Chicom grenades, has blood trails; C Co in contact, sniper fire; Weigt-Davis is mortared
16 Sep 1969	B Co man loses M-60 man in river, MIA
17 Sep 1969	No action
18 Sep 1969	Recon spots 4, engages, finds blood trail; A Co stay-behind spots enemy; A Co spots 10-15, 7 enemy KIA, 4 WIA
19 Sep 1969	A Co receives 2 rounds incoming; D takes incoming, finds rice and salt, ponchos, cookng pots, other gear
20 Sep 1969	D Co detains 1; finds clothes, claymore, 4 lb block of C-4, ponchos, 5000 punjii stakes; spots 4, gets blood trails
21 Sep 1969	No action; A at Weigt-Davis, B at Night Laager, C/Recon at Saint George, D at Night Laager
22 Sep 1969	Dustoff for B Co heat casualty; C Co has night movement, spots 3 with Starlight
23 Sep 1969	C Co spots 6 with Starlight; C engages 3, 2 enemy KIA, ammo, gear, SKS rifle
24 Sep 1969	D Co has dustoff, no details
25 Sep 1969	No action; Battalion plans to phase out LZ Weigt-Davis in a few days
26 Sep 1969	B Co has 2 detainees
27 Sep 1969	2 Recon, playing around, point guns at one another, one is shot, other goes into shock; A Co GI falls in hole, discharges M-79 hitting another in hand
28 Sep 1969	A Co has small arms fire, 3 flee
29 Sep 1969	A Co spots 4
30 Sep 1969	B Co dustoff for 2 with bee stings; A Co dustoff for heat casualty; C Co dustoff for Mumps; A/B/D/Recon at Night Laagers, C at Saint George

1969 October
01 Oct 1969	A Co spots 25
02 Oct 1969	B Co dustoff - convulsions; A Co gets 1 detainee
03 Oct 1969	A Co gets 4 rounds incoming, small arms fire, 1 US WIA, 1 NVA KIA (a company commander), AK-47, B-40, blood trail
04 Oct 1969	Recon finds 14 packs, 250 lbs rice, 31 82mm mortar rounds, 10 B-40 rounds, 10 RPGs, 11 grenades, ammo
05 Oct 1969	Recon finds campsites, pack and shelter half, gets 1 detainee; Recon spots 4; C Co engages squad
06 Oct 1969	A Co finds booby-trap; Recon finds campsite; D Co gets 1 detainee; Recon engages VC squad, finds 1 AK-47, blood trails, 2 KIAs
07 Oct 1969	C Co finds hooches, medical way station, school; A/B/C at Night Laagers, D/Recon at Saint George
08 Oct 1969	B Co finds 6 hooches
09 Oct 1969	Choppers spot several enemy campsites; active patrolling and night laagers, but no contact
10 Oct 1969	A Co received small arms fire
11 Oct 1969	C Co cordons village, gets 8 detainees. weapons; fired upon, they return fire, get blood trails, 1 rifle; B Co makes contact, gets 2 KIA
12 Oct 1969	C Co dustoff, bunker collapsed; C Co engages 3
13 Oct 1969	No enemy contact
14 Oct 1969	D Co gets detainee; A Co spots 2, no results; Brigade planning move of battalion
15 Oct 1969	Village of Plei Thon attacked, 1 dead, 6 wounded from rocket fire; D Co spots 3, gets rucksack with food, ammo
16 Oct 1969	Recon cordons village, has 4 detainees; A Co bushmaster spots 4, takes fire; D Co has 2 KIA, 10 WIA from friendly Arty
17 Oct 1969	Recon cordons village, has 9 detainees, conducts MedCap; Engineers at Weigt-Davis take mortar fire, no other contact
18 Oct 1969	D Co takes 2 rounds incoming; D Co finds 9 bunkers, 3 grenades, 1 grave.
19 Oct 1969	D Co finds 1 body; D Co spots 5; C Co engages 3, gets 1 enemy KIA; A Co OPCON to 2/8th, goes to LZ Mary Lou; D Co gets 2 detainees
20 Oct 1969	No enemy contact; A at LZ Mary Lou (OPCON to 2/8, B/D at Night Laagers, C/Recon at Saint George
21 Oct 1969	B Co finds amo cache - 34 explosives, pills, bandages
22 Oct 1969	Another day of patrols, ambushes, but no contact
23 Oct 1969	B Co finds 11 foxholes, 3 huts; B Co dustoff for shrapnel in lip
24 Oct 1969	B Co gets 1 detainee
25 Oct 1969	Recon, near village of Plei Do Lim, takes 25-30 rounds mortar fire
26 Oct 1969	Recon found 2 mortar cannisters; D Co returns to Weigt-Davis; B Co engages 5 NVA, two bodies, AK-47, blood trails
27 Oct 1969	B Co finds 4 bunkers, hooch, foxholes
28 Oct 1969	No enemy contact
29 Oct 1969	Recon spots 2 in village; B Co finds hooches
30 Oct 1969	B Co cordon operation gets 3 detainees
31 Oct 1969	B Co finds bunker; C Co engages 3; A at LZ Mary Lou, OPCON to 2/8th, B in field, C in field, D/Recon at Saint George

1969 November
01 Nov 1969	C Co finds 53 fighting positions, 9 tunnels, 4 hooches, 30 6-man tables; gunship takes 20 rounds
02 Nov 1969	C Co engages 2; C Co takes sniper fire;
03 Nov 1969	C Co takes sniper fire; local village hit by 12 Arty rounds, 15 damaged hooches, 3 pigs & 1 goat KIA, 3 WIA, 1 7-yr-old KIA
04 Nov 1969	B Co cordons village; Bn CO's driver rolls speeding jeep with 4 inside
05 Nov 1969	A Co returns to battalion from 2/8th Inf; C Co finds 15 bunkers, hooches, fighting positions
06 Nov 1969	Ground attack on LZ Saint George, D Co; 31 WIA, 9 KIA, 1 engineer KIA, enemy dead 42, 1 POW; 11 AK-47, 5 B-40, 61 satchel charges
07 Nov 1969	S-5 teams takes Chieu Hoi; A Co reports heavy movement, calls Arty
08 Nov 1969	LZ Saint George takes incoming B-40, small arms, has 3 WIA, 2 of them from friendly fire; A takes 6 detainees with gear, 1 dead on arrival
09 Nov 1969	C Co spots 3; C cordoned village, 4 detainees; D Co cordoned village, 3 detainees, lots of clothing and gear; A cordon, 6 detainees
10 Nov 1969	Recon has movement, calls in gunships; C Co cordons village, 1 detainee; D Co cordon, found some gear
11 Nov 1969	Battalion moves by convoy to LZ Lois near Ban Me Thout in 1st Brigade area, spends first night at Night Laagers.
12 Nov 1969	Aircraft spots large force with bunkers, foxholes, engages, takes ground fire
13 Nov 1969	D Co takes fire
14 Nov 1969	No enemy contact; A/B/D at Night Laagers, C at Ban Me Thout, Recon at LZ Lois
15 Nov 1969	RIFs, SRPs, Ambushes, Night Laagers, but no enemy contact
16 Nov 1969	D Co takes 3 incoming B-40; 4.2 mortars get 1 WIA from shrapnel; D Co has 5 incoming mortars; D patrol find Chicom grenade, blood trails
17 Nov 1969	No enemy contact; Bn reports to Bde - each rifleman carries 21 magazines; M-60 has 3000 rds, 70 rds M-79, 9 meals
18 Nov 1969	D Co perimeter sweep finds blood trails, estimate 1 KIA, 3 WIA; A/D at Night Laagers, B at LZ Lois, C at Ban Me Thout, also D at LZ Purtle
19 Nov 1969	S-5 finds mine along road
20 Nov 1969	S-5 begins Pacification program, MedCaps; FAC spots 1 KIA; A Co spots 2, killed 1; A bushmaster has 1 KIA, 3 WIA, gets 4 KIA (Poss)
21 Nov 1969	LZ Purtle has incoming; A Co has 6 detainees, finds blood trails from night before
22 Nov 1969	C Co engages 12, no results
23 Nov 1969	D Co gets 1 detainee
24 Nov 1969	C Co takes incoming, 10 WIA, finds blood trails
25 Nov 1969	C Co cordon gets 1 detainee; C Co has night movement; Arty stops it
26 Nov 1969	C Co spots 3, engages, enemy B-40 causes 5 WIA; Battalion change of command, from LTC Robertson to LTC Simko
27 Nov 1969	C Co spots 8-10, got 2 SMK rifles, 2 explosives; Spotter sees several enemy groups; B Co has one Medevac with broken leg
28 Nov 1969	C Co finds large complex, 300 bunkers, 800 meters long; takes small arms fire, 1 enemy KIA, 1 AK-47; engaged again
29 Nov 1969	B Co WIA, shot in foot; C Co finds M-16, 400 lbs rice; B Co finds 35 bunkers, ammo, grenade; C finds .30 cal. machine gun
30 Nov 1969	C Co finds bag of rice; B Co spots 12-13, engaged; A/B/C at Night Laagers, D/Recon at LZ Lois

1969 December
01 Dec 1969	A Co finds personal items in complex; A Co dustoff - fell off bunker, severed ear from head
02 Dec 1969	C Finds 5 bunkers
03 Dec 1969	No enemy contacts
04 Dec 1969	A Co ambush finds 2 rucksacks, full AK-47 magazine; clothes
05 Dec 1969	C Co 2/35 (OPCON to 1/14) ambush found their claymore wires were cut; sweep found 3 blood trails; B Spots 5, engages.
06 Dec 1969	B Co finds fresh camp, spots 1; B finds 3, engages, no results. B Co finds hooch with 4 tons rice; A Co finds fighting positions
07 Dec 1969	B hears talking, calls Arty; C spots 3, has 2 US WIA, gets 1 NVA KIA, AK-47; Recon engages 7, 1 US WIA
08 Dec 1969	A Co finds bunker complex; Cordon gest 2 detainees; B Co dustoff, accidental LAW discharge
09 Dec 1969	No enemy contact
10 Dec 1969	B Co receives 30-40 rounds AK fire, one B-40; A at BMT East, B at Night Laager, C/Recon at LZ Lois, D OPCON to 2/35th
11 Dec 1969	Recon searches complex, finds blood; 1 enemy KIA with weapon, spot 3 more, kill 1 with AK-47
12 Dec 1969	B finds bloodstained bandages, Chicom grenade, mine
13 Dec 1969	B Co engages 1, has 1 US WIA
14 Dec 1969	No enemy contact
15 Dec 1969	Bn S-5 MedCap report: Visited 7 villages, treated 257 individuals, dispensed 43 vitamins, 26 lbs candy, 36 claymores, 18 grenades!
16 Dec 1969	C Co spots 8-10 at night, engaged; Recon finds 15 fresh foxholes; Mad Minute at 2330 hours
17 Dec 1969	No enemy contact; A/C at BMT East, B/Recon/4.2 Mortar at LZ Lois, D is CHOP to 2/35th Inf
18 Dec 1969	S-5 stopped by villagers who warned them of 3 nearby VC; B Co checked it out, negative results; D Co returns
19 Dec 1969	C Co spots 4, engaged, found 1 enemy KIA, AK-47, 2 full magazines; C Co ambush spots 1 come to check body
20 Dec 1969	Some night activity, movement, see fire near hooch and Arty blows hooch away
21 Dec 1969	D Co finds bunker complex and tunnels, medicine supplies, 16 satchel charges, 200 bunkers, aid station; C Co finds 13 bunkers; Recon engages 4
22 Dec 1969	C Co dustoff, high temp; Recon finds 3 of their claymores turned face down; D Co final report on bunkers - recently used, where are enemy?
23 Dec 1969	Another day full of patrols, searches, sweeps, ambushes, sweat and effort, but no enemy contact
24 Dec 1969	Bn prepares for Christmas cease fire, stand down, and move out of Area of Operations
25 Dec 1969	No enemy contact; A at BMT-East, B/Recon at LZ Lois, C/D in field
26 Dec 1969	S-5 team ambushed by 15-20 individuals, small arms and B-40, 4 US WIA, 1 Vietnamese KIA, 1 WIA; B Co engages 2, 1 US WIA; A Co engages
27 Dec 1969	A Co finds 26 bunkers, then 25 more, journals, AK ammo, shotgun shells, 3 B-40, 5 grenades, 17 TNT, food, rice, beans, 12 mortar rounds, more
28 Dec 1969	A Co finds 35 bunkers, engages 2; A Co dustoff for flu
29 Dec 1969	A Co has 4 rounds incoming 60mm. 1/14th leaves LZ Lois for Plei Ku
30 Dec 1969	Elements from BMT-East convoy to Plei Ku and Camp Enari
31 Dec 1969	Battalion on stand down at Camp Enari, Plei Ku

Index of Battalion Daily Staff Journals Thanks to Kevan Welch, Delta Company 69-70, for his generous donation of the 1969 Journals

Index of Battalion Daily Staff Journals
Thanks to Kevan Welch, Delta Company 69-70, for his generous donation of the 1969 Journals