Sequential Listing of Significant Events
- Combat Operations
August
01 As the month of August commenced, the Battalion was engaged in the defense of VCB. There were three Companies from 3/9 OPCON to the Battalion (I, L and M). Co A was the Sparrow Hawk/Bald Eagle Company; Co B was defending Ca Lu; 2nd Plat, Co C was providing security for the daily convoy from Dong Ha to VCB; 3rd Plat, Co D was defending Signal Hill; and Companies D (-) and C (-) were conducting an operation astride the ridgeline north of the Ba Long Valley.
02 At 1400, Co D, 3/9 relieved Co L, 3/9 in the Lines at VCB. At that time the Battalion assumed OPCON of Co. F and OPCON of Co. L was chopped back to 3/9.
07 At 0945, A Vietnamese Provisional Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), operating in Co. B’s area southeast of Ca Lu, encountered an estimated 10 NVA/VC. A firefight resulted in the vicinity of YD 043434, with unknown results. Co. B was unable to get involved in the action as it was in a no fire zone, and the Co. itself was not under fire.
At 1012, A patrol from Co. D encountered two NVA who threw an explosive device wounding one Marine. The patrol fired small arms at the fleeing NVA with negative results. An AO was called and arrived on station but because of the heavy canopy in the area of contact (YD 031483) the AO was unable to help.
At 2250, A ground surveillance unit observed movement north of the VCB perimeter through a Night Observation Device. Mortars (60’s and 81’s) were fired into the area. A check the following morning turned up negative results.
08 At 1200, The Vietnamese PRU operating in the Ca Lu area detained nine VC suspects. Two were released due to poor state of health and seven were trucked to the PRU Headquarters at Cam Lo.
11 Effective 1100, Co. K was relieved in the lines at VCB by Co. C (-). At the same time the Battalion relinquished OPCON of Co. K to 3/9.
12 At 1610, Co’s I and H were chopped OPCON back to 3/9 to prepare for embarkation. They were relieved in the lines at VCB by Co D (-).
15 At 0950, Co. G relieved Co. A as the Sparrow Hawk/Bald Eagle unit and Co. A joined Co.’s C and D in the lines at VCB.
At 1420, the convoy from Dong Ha to VCB received RPG’s and small arms fire at XD 981514. Four Marines were WIA, two of which were members of the Battalion. A heavy section of tanks and two squads from Co. A were dispatched to the area. They uncovered four Russian type Claymore Mines wired for command detonation along the west side of the road (Route #9), and parts of an exploded RPG-7.
16 At 1700, Co. K relieved Co. G as the Sparrow Hawk/Bald Eagle unit.
18 At 0900, Co. L relieved Co D in the lines at VCB.
At 1000, The 3rd Plat, Co L relieved the 2nd Plat, Co D on Signal Hill.
At 1320, A patrol from Co C heard a rifle bolt being moved and delivered small arms into the suspected enemy position. An artillery and mortar barrage were also fired into the area, flushing one NVA who escaped. Other noises led the members of the patrol to believe that there were more, though only one NVA was spotted. When the supporting arms fire was lifted, the area was searched with negative results.
20 At 1030, A patrol from Co B found a bivouac site for approximately 10 NVA. It had been used in the past few days. There was one M-26 grenade, five M-16 magazines, and an electrical wire leading from the site to Route #9. The site was located at XD 980516. At 1115 the same patrol found a sniper position in the vicinity of XD 974520. Fresh trails were leading in and out of the position. An AK-47 magazine, 1 NVA canteen, 2 pop-up flare containers, 2 AK-50 rounds, a small roll of Communication wire, and some empty food packages were found.
21 At 2115, Co A observed movement outside the wire barriers along the northern sector of the VCB perimeter. By use of a NOD, a Marine from the Company was able to observe several NVA soldiers. Small Arms, artillery and mortar fire were delivered, and an AO was requested. When the AO arrived, he further requested a ‘Spooky’ (machine gun firing C-147 aircraft) which attacked targets in this area. A patrol set out the following morning to assess results and found nothing.
22 At 1340, A patrol from Co C observed two suspected NVA in the vicinity of YD 028467. Visual contact was lost almost immediately.
25 At 1600, The Sparrow Hawk was helilifted to an area (vicinity of YD 1151) where a recon team had been extracted due to heavy enemy contact. They experienced negative contact.
27 At 0815, The leading elements of Co A landed in grid square XD8548. The landing was preceded by artillery prep fires and air strikes and was unopposed. Three Companies landed and swept through the ‘rocket belt’. Co’s I and C followed Co A into the LZ without incident.
29 At 0400, Co M had movement along the wire at FSB Cates. Fresh footprints were discovered by the wire check at 0630.
At 1500, Co B was helilifted into the Battalion’s AO to replace Co. D on the operation. Co D was helilifted back to VCB and chopped OPCON to 3/4.
At 1600, A patrol from Co B uncovered a bunker and mortar pit in the vicinity of XD 888498. The bunker contained forty 60mm mortar rounds and three hundred .50 cal rounds. All this ammunition was destroyed.
30 At 1200, A Platoon from Co B while on patrol found 10 bunkers containing eleven 82mm mortar rounds. Footprints around the bunkers appeared to be one week old. The ammo was destroyed.
At 1045, The same patrol uncovered an eight-bunker complex also containing eleven 82mm mortar rounds which were destroyed. The bunkers were located at XD 894485 while the 10 bunkers found later were located at XD 893508.
At 1130, A patrol from Co C found an old bunker complex containing eight 82mm mortar rounds and two cans of fuses for them. The bunker complex had been previously destroyed and was located in the vicinity of XD 903492. The ammo and fuses were destroyed.
31 At 1640, A patrol from Co B spotted one NVA at XD 918516. An M-79 was fired at the fleeing NVA with negative results.
- Significant events not related to combat operations
01 At 1100, The Battalion Commander and the S-3 visited Company D (-) and C (-) in the field.
03 At 1700, Co C (-) returned to VCB from their operation in the Ba Long Valley.
At 2042, A VCB reaction force drill was held. It was 2124 before all units finally arrived at the assembly area. A critique was planned for the following day at the Regimental morning briefing.
05 At 1300, A Change of Command ceremony was held in the Battalion area at VCB. LtCol Willcox was relieved by LtCol Mac Innis. Guests included MajGen Jones (CG, 3rd MarDiv) and Col Goggin (CO, 4th Marines). Music was provided by the 3rd MarDiv Band which was flown in by helicopter from Quang Tri.
07 Capt James C. Stokes reported to the Battalion to replace 1st Lt. Markarwicz, as the Battalion’s FAC.
09 At 1500, Col Hershey relieved Col Goggin as CO, 4th Marines. The Battalion Commander attended the Change of Command ceremony.
10 At 1925, VCB received 4 to 6 incoming rounds of 122mm rockets resulting in six Marines being wounded (one from the Battalion and five from Co I).
12 Effective at 1515, Co G, 2/4 was chopped OPCON to the Battalion.
13 At 0850, A burn barrel exploded in Co C’s sector of the lines at VCB. Apparently, an explosive device had been thrown into the barrel through carelessness. One Marine was killed, and another seriously wounded.
14 At 1200, The Battalion’s AO was increased by approximately two to three 1,000-meter grid squares along the southern boundary. The increase was caused by the departure of the 2nd ARVN Regiment from the area.
16 At 1600, Co K (3/4) was chopped OPCON to the Battalion.
17 At 1030, Co G was chopped OPCON back to their parent 2/4.
20 At 1845, Four 122mm rockets impacted at VCB wounding two Marines from Co A.
21 At 0715, Seven 107mm rockets impacted at VCB. There were no personnel wounded.
22 During the day the Battalion Commander, S-3, ALO and Arty LO made a reconnaissance in the UH-1E of an area that the Battalion was to conduct a vertical assault in on 25 August.
24 At 0730, The Battalion Commander and S-3 met with the CO and S-3, 4th Marines to discuss a new concept of operations for the Battalion sweep into the ‘rocket belt’ west of VCB. The original plan of a vertical assault had been disapproved by the 3rd MarDiv. The new concept was a two-Company reconnaissance in force operation. Following the meeting, the CO, S-3, ALO, Arty LO, two Company Commanders (Co’s A and C) and a Platoon Commander from each of the Co’s made a VR of the area in UH-1E’s.
Late in the afternoon Co D was helilifted from the 3rd Marines AO back to VCB. The Co was chopped OPCON back to the Battalion at 1600.
25 At 0930, Co B relieved Co K in place and assumed the Sparrow Hawk/Bald Eagle mission.
26 At 1524, VCB received three 107mm incoming rockets wounding nine Marines of the Battalion.
At 1530, The A Command Group arrived at FSB Cates and the Battalion exchanged AO’s with 3/4. At the same time, the Battalion assumed OPCON of Co’s I and M, 3/4.
At 1900, Co B was chopped OPCON to 3/4 to assume the Sparrow Hawk/Bald Eagle mission.
27 At 1015, Co I was helilifted to VCB and chopped OPCON back to 3/4.
28 At 0800, Co B was chopped OPCON back to the Battalion.
31 At 0700, the Battalion regained OPCON of Co D as they commenced their helilift to FSB Cates. The Co (-) replaced Co M (-) at FSB Cates and helilifted its 2nd Plat to Hill 950 and relieved one of the Plat’s of Co M located there. The entire lift was completed at 0821, at which time Co M was chopped OPCON back to 3/4.
At 0900, Regimental Commander, Col Hershey visited FSB Cates and Hill 950.
This page last corrected 4 September 2011