March 19th, 1969 recap
Charlie Company conducted a company patrol along a ridgeline northeast and west of LZ Cider. An Alpha Company Listening Post engaged an NVA spotter outside of the firebase perimeter.
Bravo Company occupied LZ Swift, and sent its 1st Platoon to become OPCON to Delta Company on LZ D-Handle. The rest of Delta pulled back to its patrol base to refit and rearm and prepare for an assault on the Million Dollar Hill to the southwest. Heavy airstrikes by US Air Force fighters targeted the NVA bunker complex encountered on the 18th by Delta Company.
March 20th, 1969
On LZ-Handle, Delta Company is once again ordered to assault the NVA fortifications on Million Dollar Hill. 24 hours of softening up by American airstrikes and artillery should have reduced the NVA presence significantly. Due to the losses suffered by Delta on March 18th, Bravo Company’s 1st Platoon is OPCON to Delta Company. A Scout Dog team of two dogs and two handlers also join the unit. With these Scout Dogs in the lead, Delta pushes up the hill towards their contact site. Three men from the company are MIA, presumed dead, and Delta’s first task is to be their recovery.
Two of the KIA soldiers are recovered quickly, but the NVA have not left the area, and take Delta Company under small arms fire from the top of the hill. Delta pauses their advance, and calls in airstrikes and gunships. For nine hours, Delta is forced to wait for friendly airstrikes, then push up the hill until they meet resistance, then call in airstrikes and repeat the process. An additional KIA soldier from March 18th is recovered, but at least four men from Delta are wounded in the process. By 1700 hours, it is clear that Delta will not take the hill today. The company withdraws back to LZ D-Handle, and the wounded men are evacuated, along with the bodies of the three men killed on March 18th. More airstrikes are ordered, and Delta will try again another day.
On LZ Cider, March 20th passes fairly quietly until 1845 hours, when the firebase is hit by over 120 rounds of incoming mortar and recoilless rifle fire from NVA firing positions to the north. No casualties or significant damage is reported, and a series of airstrikes is planned for the suspected point of origin.
March 20th, 1969 Daily Journal entries
0700 hours
Brigade reported that the 7-17th Cav will be working in our AO on 20 March 1969. AO is 7885 7078 7878 7085. Inform redleg not to fire in 7-17th Cav’s AO or any airstrikes. Also inform Delta Company of Cav’s activity and that Cav will be close by them in case D Co needs them.
0705 hours
FAC (Cider) checked in Command A and informed Delta Company commander that he had some big stuff on immediate call – should be here shortly.
0715 hours
FAC (Cider) reported airstrikes will be put in YA 818839 at 0731 hours at 0745 hours.
0725 hours
Charlie Company ambush patrol (AP) 53 and AP 57 has closed C Co location.
0730 hours
C Co will be reaction force for Air Cav. 3rd Platoon will be on 15 minute standby.
0750 hours
First airstrike complete with one secondary explosion.
0815 hours
Second airstrike complete
0825 hours
Delta Co(+) has departed LZ D-Handle. [Delta Company consisted of two platoons of D Co, one platoon from Bravo Company (1st Platoon) and a Scout Dog element]
0835 hours
Bravo Company 2nd Platoon has closed LZ D-Handle
0840 hours
Alpha Company 3rd Platoon has departed A Co location (LZ Cider)
0900 hours
Delta Company is at YA 819845.
0910 hours
FAC reported third airstrike complete.
0940 hours
Air Cav 7-17 has checked in Command A. They will be in vicinity of Delta Company in approximate 15 minutes
Delta Company is in contact area at this time and have recovered two friendly KIAs.
1000 hours
Delta Company is receiving small arms fire at this time. Air Cav – White 6 is in area of D Co at this time.
1002 hours
Delta Company is receiving small arms from top of terrain feature.
1005 hours
Delta Company is pulling back at this time and Air Cav is moving in to work the hill.
1014 hours
Delta Company has pulled back approximately 150 meters and Air Cav is getting a plot on D Co so he can expend ordinance on the hill.
1016 hours
Delta Company reported two or three NVA with AK-47 firing auto at them from top of hill. D Co reports one light WIA. All personnel accounted for.
1020 hours
Air Cav is expending on the hill top at this time.
1028 hours
Delta Company reports lead dog of Scout Dog team was killed.
1035 hours
Delta Company is pulling back at this time to give Cider room to bring in another airstrike.
1040 hours
FAC (Cider 14) reported he had two sets coming in shortly. Both have Mark 82 bombs and napalm. If these don’t do the job he’ll bring in some more hard stuff (750s).
1110 hours
Delta Company reports finding one more friendly KIA from previous contact. The first body they found was not stripped but the other two were stripped.
Alpha Company 3rd Platoon reached bunker complex at YA 836797 and employed persistent CS gas. They are presently heading back to A Co location (LZ Cider).
1117 hours
Fourth airstrike on Delta Company destination complete. 5th airstrike going in at this time.
1125 hours
FAC (Cider 14) reported 5th airstrike complete.
1127 hours
FAC (Cider 14) checked out and reported another Cider would be with us in approximately 15 minutes.
1150 hours
Delta Company short range patrols (SRP 41 and SRP 42) have closed LZ D-Handle.
1151 hours
Delta Company is at YA 818841.
1210 hours
FAC (Cider 10) has checked in Command A and is coordinating with Delta Company.
1215 hours
Air Cav reported they would be checking in with D Co in about five minutes.
1220 hours
Alpha Company AP1 has departed night location enroute to A Co location (LZ Cider).
1221 hours
Air Cav has checked in with D Co.
1230 hours
Air Cav – Red Birds are making visual reconnaissance of D Co contact area.
Alpha Company 3rd Platoon and AP2 have closed A Co location.
1235 hours
Delta Company is departing their last location with Red Birds in front of them.
1240 hours
A Co AP1 has closed A Co location.
1247 hours
Air Cav is low on fuel. They will have to leave area at this time. They reported they would be back in approximately 30-45 minutes.
1248 hours
Air Cav Red Birds reported sighting a few bunkers on top of hill that looked to be destroyed. Just off the west side they spotted two bunkers still intact plus two tunnel entrances on the west side of the hill. They also saw two bunkers still intact. They also spotted one body on top of the hill.
1252 hours
Air Cav checked out and D Co reconned by fire. Their recon by fire drew small arms fire from their south.
1310 hours
Delta Company reports negative return fire at this time. Redleg being employed.
1315 hours
Delta Company reports that every time they recon by fire they get return fire.
1317 hours
Major Williams instructed D Co to move back again and he would get Cider back on station to put more stuff in there.
1325 hours
FAC (Cider 10) has checked in Command A and is going to order some more heavy stuff to drop on the hill.
1327 hours
FAC (Cider 15) checked in Command A and contacted Delta Company.
1330 hours
Loud speaker team arrived at this location.
1329 hours
FAC (Cider 15) reported he had some big bombs ready to go in as soon as D Co got far enough back.
1350 hours
FAC (Cider 01) checked in on Command A and reported Cider 15 had radio problems. Cider 01 has some big stuff on station ready to go in as soon as D Co is far enough away.
1400 hours
Alpha Company new AP1 and AP2 have departed A Co location.
1401 hours
Air Cav has checked back in with us. As soon as airstrike is complete they will come over and escort D Co up the hill.
1410 hours
Charlie Company AP1, AP2, and AP3 have departed C Co location.
1420 hours
C Co AP4 has departed C Co location.
1430 hours
General Pepke has arrived at this location.
1435 hours
6th airstrike complete. (750lb bombs). Air Cav enroute to D Co location at this time. D Co will SP again shortly.
1445 hours
Air Cav – Red Birds are making another visual reconnaissance of D Co contact area.
1450 hours
Delta Company has departed their present location and will attempt to go up the hill again.
1454 hours
General Pepke has departed this location.
1505 hours
Delta Company is going to recon by fire and see if they can draw any return fire.
1511 hours
Red Birds have only got about 10 minutes of fuel left they are going to recon by fire right in front of D Co lead element. Red Birds have spotted four or five bodies approximately 80 meters in front of D Co lead element.
1513 hours
D Co and Air Cav both reconned by fire but neither drew any return fire.
1518 hours
D Co lead element received small arms fire 20 meters in front of them. Guns are expending at this time.
1520 hours
Delta Company lead element has one WIA
1525 hours
Delta Company 1st Platoon reports he is pinned down by machine gun fire.
1526 hours
Guns are expending in area that D Co 1st Platoon is receiving fire.
1527 hours
Cav has used all fuel and must return. More guns and Red Birds are coming but won’t be here for another 30 minutes.
1535 hours
Delta Company has three WIAs. They have both of them and are pulling back. Redleg and organics are being employed.
1540 hours
Major Williams requested Combat Spy Spot on YA 817839 at 2300 hours today.
1544 hours
Delta Company reported three WIA and are moving back off hill at this time.
1550 hours
Another set of guns have checked in with Delta Company
1554 hours
Delta Company is holding at this time and preparing some litters. Crocodile 6 is coordinating with Cider.
1558 hours
Crocodile 6 expended on contact area and received some return fire.
1603 hours
Crocodile 6 (gunship) has expended. They are going in for more ammo and will come back.
1604 hours
Delta Company is moving again.
1606 hours
Delta Company is employed redleg again.
1615 hours
Charlie Company AP4 at YA 835794 found an abandoned village approximately 100 meters west they found seven bunkers 6’x6′ with log overhead cover. 300 meters west of bunkers they think there is a hospital complex. C Co will send out their 4th Platoon to check it out.
1620 hours
Major Williams requested extension on resupply bird to evacuate the three WIA and two KIA from previous contact.
1627 hours
Charlie Company 4th Platoon has departed C Co location enroute to AP4 location.
1630 hours
Delta Company reports a total of four WIAs. One urgent head wound, two leg wounds, one arm wound.
1635 hours
Dustoff was called for D Co man with head wound.
1636 hours
Log bird will pick up KIAs.
1650 hours
FAC (Cider 13) requests check fire. He has Spads (A-1 Skyraider) on station at this time.
1651 hours
Gunships (Crocodile 6) have checked in on Command A
1700 hours
LTC Larkin requested guns to stay on station until after airstrikes and then take a look at the area.
1702 hours
Alpha Company AP1 night location YA 834796 and A Co AP2 night location YA 836803
1706 hours
Airstrike – 750lb bombs going in at this time.
1715 hours
7th airstrike is complete at this time.
1718 hours
Dustoff has checked in with D Co on D Co push radio frequency.
1723 hours
D Co has closed LZ D-Handle.
1729 hours
Dustoff of four WIAs from D Co is complete.
1730 hours
FAC (Cider 13) reports eighth airstrike is complete.
1735 hours
Crocodile 6 (gunship) is going to expend his ammo on position where D Co lead element received machine gun fire. The position could be under or next to a large tree.
1740 hours
Crocodile 6 – gunships have expended and are leaving area.
1750 hours
Charlie Company 4th Platoon has closed C Co location.
1845 hours
We at LZ Cider received incoming.
1930 hours
Incoming believed to be stopped at LZ Cider. No casualties and it was about 100 rounds of mortar and recoilless rifle.
Charlie Company also receiving incoming. 28 – 82mm mortars and six recoilless rifle. No casualties.
2011 hours
Suspected mortar position at YA 811806 and suspected recoilless rifle at YA 831814.
2015 hours
Spooky 21 checked in at 1945 hours.
2049 hours
Brigade informed us that CSS is going in YA 831814.
2110 hours
Charlie Company reports his LP22 has movement and if it comes closer will throw grenades.
2120 hours
Spooky 21 will expend and requested another to be on station at 2200-2215 hours.
2135 hours
Combat Sky Spot was given to Brigade. Grids YA 817839 nearest friendlies 1200 north-northwest. Approach northwest to southeast (2) YA 832815 nearest friendlies 1000 meters south approach west to east. (3) YA 834823 nearest friendlies two kilometers south – approach northeast to southwest. (4) YA 816822 nearest friendlies 1800 meters south approach northeast to southwest.
2150 hours
Spooky 21 has left LZ Cider location.
2151 hours
Alpha Company listening post (LP) 23 has movement and will employ grenades.
2315 hours
We at LZ Cider are getting incoming from 360 degree azimuth about one kilometer out.
2320 hours
Combat Sky Spot going in at suspected recoilless rifle at YA 831814.
2326 hours
Alpha Company. On north side of the perimeter LPs are receiving small arms.
2330 hours
Alpha Company reports that the small arms the LP received was AK-47 7-8 rounds semi automatic.
2331 hours
Charlie Company received three rounds of 75mm recoilless rifle no casualties.
2350 hours
Incoming at LZ Cider has ceased at this time.