HOME
From the 1/14th
Daily Journal for 1-4 NOVEMBER 1966.
1 NOVEMBER 1966 – Company B, under Lt. Scott accompanied by the Recon Platoon departed LZ 504C in a NW direction. In the early hours of the morning, a change of command ceremony took place in "Chargin Charley". Captain Thomas Simcox turned in command over to Captain Audley M. Federine. With this change in command, Lt. Christos Gianopoulos assumed the responsibilities of the S-1 shop.
At 1410 hours, Lt. Terry Scott reported Company B was in contact with an estimated fifteen enemy troops at YA 913608. With the first exchange of small arms fire, the enemy fled to the W-NW. With the contact broken, the "Can B Done" troops policed up one 82 mm mortar bi-pod, one NVA pack, and several miscellaneous items. Company B soon apprehended one NVA soldier near the site of the contact. After the men of Company B set in their two ambush sites the night was quiet.
2 NOVEMBER 1966 – Sometime during the night the PAVN POW escaped from Company B. In the morning Company B continued to move west. Lt. Scott reported a network of trails and numerous signs of activity in the area. The terrain in that area was very rugged and the brush thick. The movement was slow and careful, and at 1640 Company B captured a PAVN, with an AK 47, carrying a "Cheiu Hoi" pass. During the night, the company set up ambushes near YA 905605.
Company C conducted a search and destroy patrol to the high ground north of LZ 504C. They returned at 1340 having made no contacts.
Company A continued to secure the LZ. During the day they built a huge sign (10’ high and 80 meters wide) out of sandbags, colored white with flour paste, on the hillside above the LZ. At 1525, led by Col. Procter, the battalion dedicated and named the area "Dragon Valley" amidst a flurry of shotgun blasts and land flares.
Col. Procter and Capt. Boss left to go to Saigon for two days and Major Evrard took Col. Procter’s place. Lt. Joe Grant took command of Company A during Capt. Boss’ absence.
3 NOVEMBER 1966 – C Company moved into a small LZ at YA 875604, near the YA Krong Bo Lah River, and was resupplied. Major Evrard and Major Hoyt flew in to visit and to promote Lt. King to 1st Lieutenant. The POW which Company B had captured was extracted and brought to Brigade S2. Company B remained in the vicinity of their LZ and rested during the day.
Company C was extracted into LZ 3G and assumed the responsibility for security of the Brigade CP.
Col. Shanahan and LTC Callahan visited with Major Evrard in the afternoon.
No contact was made during the day. Captain Silvola brought the kitchens out to LZ 3G during the day. All resupply will originate from 3G in the future.
4 NOVEMBER 1966 – Company A’s OP #3 spotted 1 NVA approaching their position, but as soon as he saw them he dropped his sleeping roll and ran. No results. Company B ate a hot meal at 0830, and prepared to move north along the river. The POW they sent to brigade yesterday was returned to them to be used as a guide. They moved out at 0945. Psywar aircraft flew missions over this area for three days, talking and dropping "Chieu Hoi" leaflets. Company B spotted a boat on the west bank of the river. Armed HU1B’s were called in and they spotted 3 more boats and sank them all. Company B made no contact during the day, and set up an ambush at a crossing site vicinity YA 883617.
Major Hoyt visited all of the other battalion CP’s during the day and was briefed on their situations. This was done as part of out Reaction Force responsibility.
Col. Procter returned from Saigon during the late afternoon. He and Capt. Boss will come out in the morning.
The night was quiet.
