Recap of March 7th
Alpha & HHC maintain their position at LZ Swinger. Charlie Company is airlifted to Hill 947 southeast of LZ Mary to reinforce D/3-8 Infantry. Task Force Swift (B, D, Recon 3-12) is airlifted to LZ Brace, and begins to move south towards Hill 947. The Task Force encounters thick vegetation and is forced to halt short and establish a night defensive position.
March 8th, 1969
The battalion, spread between the two hot spots of LZ Cider and Hill 947, began encountering higher levels of NVA presence. Alpha Company sent out three short range patrols (SRP) to the northwest, west and southwest. Each patrol consisted of between 4-5 men. Their main mission was to observe the area around them and report back enemy activity. The area around LZ Swinger remained quiet until late at night, when movement was reported around the main perimeter of the firebase. The A Co infantrymen engaged with light organic weapons (machine guns, M-79s), and the sounds of movement faded into the night.
Ten kilometers away from LZ Swinger near Hill 947, Task Force Swift pushed south toward Hill 947. At 1100 hours, the men of Swift, weary from battling the thick vegetation and steep terrain, enter the American perimeter on top of the hill. During their journey up the hill, the Task Force Swift men had found evidence of the enemy. Trails, directional markers carved into trees and various foxholes and equipment all indicated that the NVA had used this area recently. Heavy airstrikes were called in, resulting in numerous secondary explosions. Another round of B-52 Arc Light bombings were ordered. The American soldiers dug in, fully aware of the destructive power being unleashed into the jungles around them.
March 8th, 1969 Daily Journal entries
0807 – Bravo Company & Recon Platoon SP night location.
0820 – Air strikes to go at grid YA818856-YA821856 for Task Force Swift. Time on Target 1100-1300.
0832 – D Co of TF Swift is SPing.
0835 – D Co patrol found 10 bunkers and a buffer group for an M-16, BA-30 batteries made in Cambodia, a base plate for a mortar, B-40 and ammo boxes at YA814873.
0932 – TF Swift at grid 815867 found two ponchos, NVA clothing (light blue tshirt, sweater and some torn up clothes) and an NVA rucksack. At grid 815866 found a tree with markings – arrow pointing in N/NW direction about 2 to 3 days old. Went a little ways & found an intersection of two trails one running north to south & the other to the northwest. The one running north to south has not been used in last 24 hours. The one running southeast to northwest has been used & the arrow on the tree points same direction as the trail.
1000 – Bravo & TF Swift have closed C Co location (Hill 947).
1015 – Task Force Swift at grid YA814865 found 10 foxholes one and half feet around – the trail runs into C C location has more markings on trees 2 to 3 day to a month old.
1020 – Colonel Knight arrived LZ Swinger to present Bronze Stars to 5 individuals from Alpha Company.
1032 – Colonel Knight departed command post.
1035 – Delta Company has closed C Co location.
1042 – Hummingbird 3 checked in to pick up LTC Larkin.
1130 – Hummingbird 3 is enroute to 95’s location with c-rats, and to back-haul 5 gallon water containers.
1131 – Cider 14 will put in airstrike at YA 818855. Time on target 1200 hours.
1135 – Cider 14 informed 93 of a 45 minute delay of airstrike at YA818855. New time on target 1245 hours.
1155 – Alligator 390 will be working 3-8 & 3-12 Inf. He will check in on 3-8 A.L. (93.87).
1230 – Message to Brigade S-3. Task Force Swift will establish night location at YA822855 tonight. Task Force will prep landing zone and further prep that location to receive B/6-29 FA & 3-12 Infantry TOC on 10 March. [Note – this move of B/2-69 FA & 3-12 TOC did not occur].
1310 – Reference to Arc Light – Task Force Swift cannot move south of 86 line. Must have overhead cover. Target No 7150 is going again. No Time on Target at this time. Relayed to forward elements.
1410 – Cider 12 reports 1st and 2nd flight of fighters have finished at this time.
1425 – Cider 12 reports 3rd set of fighters will be here in 20 minutes.
1524 – PZ time for D Co 4th Platoon YA 816880.
1525 – Ordinance to prep target for TF Swift Objective 2 at YA 818855 – SPADS eight Mark 82 bombs, 6 pods of rockets. Two F4s – 6 Mark 82 bombs, 8 napalms, 3200 20mm rounds & 12 Mark 117 delay – two CBU’s 24, 3200 rounds of 20mm, Mark 82s and daisy cutters.
1615 – Major Williams reported secondaries from the air strike at YA818855.
1850 – Arc Light number 7158-P ETA 091830, Grid follows YB7700037-YB779040-YB787012-TB778008
1945 – Bravo Company Ambush Patrol 1 found 5 NVA bodies with different types of paper with signatures dated 14 February, 2 Chi-Com grenades, one B-40 rocket launcher with RPG round, canteens, first aid pouches, one towel with Chinese characters & number 242. A bundle of bamboo splits with a piece of cloth inside with the following writing. Quan-y-K3 Dated 27 February. Major Williams believes it to belong to headquarters element. Also trail thru thick brush going to the east all the following was at YA 817862.
2030 – Alpha Company has movement and is employing light organics.
2055 – A Co has negative movement.
2132 – Brigade informed us to have no one south of the YA86 line unless we get permission from brigade.
Arc Light missions – March 9th-10th, 1969
7158-P Time on target March 9th – 1830 hours
7160-P Time on target March 9th – 2105 hours
7161-P Time on Target unknown
7162-P Time on Target unknown
7163-P Time on Target unknown
7164-P Time on Target unknown
