Daily Staff Journal 21-Jan-67

Daily Staff Journals maintained by 1st Brigade
Thanks to Matt Vuolo for obtaining and sharing this report.

ITEM`	TIME	INCIDENTS, MESSAGES, ORDERS, ETC.
		Initial log entries contain hourly sit/rep, no change.
15	0740	C Co assumed responsibility of the Bn perimeter at approx 0700 hrs, also secured the EW PZ at approx 0740 hrs.
16	0740	46th ARVN to S3: Have the LZ to the north secured as of 0740.
17	0750	Bn CO to S3: Airborne in C&C ship.
18	0803	50th Regt to S3: 50th Inf Regt ARVN advisor informed 2/14 Inf that on 20 Jan they had enemy contact vic XS 740760 at Cau Tram. Resulting in 1 VC KIA from the C308 Co, 1 30 Cal pistol captured, 34 75mm recoilless rifle fuses and 2 75mm recoilless rifle rounds.
19	0855	S3: A Co 2nd lift on ground at 0855, B Co second lift on ground at 0855 hrs.
20	0820	B Co reports that choppers on the 1st lift drew SA fire from vic LZ 2 XS759668. No casualties, Arty placed on enemy.
22	0825	A Co reports receiving 1 rifle grenade from the west side of the LZ vic XS 749673.
23	0850	Bn CO detected 1 man moving out of the village. VC may still be in the village at this time. Co B instructed to make detail search of the village.
27	0900	Listening Post 1 reports during this time seeing 1 Vietnamese civilian observing all lifts departing Rach Kien. Instructed LP 1 to apprehend the suspect and have him returned to 2/14th's location.
28	0930	A Co loc XS 750665 found and destroyed 10-15 2-man positions.
29	0930	From S3 to Companies: Vietnamese officials are inspecting the houses that the US forces are occupying in the area. Notified S5 and companies.
30	1005	B Co loc XS 752660 and XS 757886, 3 males were detained. Found 50 bags of rice on a barge loc XS 751661. 25 bags of rice were found on the shore.
33	1020	A Co destroyed 1 105mm dud, booby-trapped XS 753668.
34	1025	A Co located approx 30 bags of rice vic XS 751664. Capt Friend told Co A CO to have his Vietnamese National Police determine whether the rice is VC rice or legal rice.
36	1050	From Capt Friend to Bde: Total amount of rice found on today's operation as of 1050 hrs is: Co A has 100 bags. Co B has 75 bags. Total nbr of detainees: A Co has 12, B Co has 2. Co B had 3 detainees, one was released by National Police.
37	1100	B Co reports finding a hospital and medical supplies at vic XS 753665. Medicine to be evac.
39	1130	From SMaj Wilson to 33: Seven EM from the 9th Inf Div will be departing Ben Luc as soon as a helicopter is available. These personnel will be working with 2/14 Inf until approx 3 Feb 67.
40	1150	From Capt Friend to 33: 7 NCO's from the 9th Inf Div arrived at Rach Kien 1150 hrs. They were attached to the 3 rifle Co's as follows: SFC Matos and Sgt E5 DeYoung to A Co. E6 Mitchel and E5 Mendoza to B Co. E5 Crug, E5 Romhow and E5 Macabe to Co C.
41	1150	A Co has an injured female at Co A's loc and don't know whether evac is required.
42	1150	Delayed Entry: At 0800 hrs Recon Platoon enroute from Ben Luc to escort today's convoy from Binh Chanh to Rach Kien received 5 rounds SA fire from XS 704780. No casualties.
43	1155	A Co reports receiving approx 7 rds SA sniper fire XS 743663. A Co CO also reports some rounds being fired at the C&C ship from same location. Fire was ineffective.
45	1220	A Co reports receiving sniper fire from XS 750673. Fire returned.
46	1225	From Bn CO to 33: Enroute to Rach Kien with 1 wounded Vietnamese civilian (female) and 3 detainees. Requests 2 guards and medics to meet them at LZ.
17	1240	From Red Bird 11 to S3: Enroute to our location with 5 VCS.
49	1250	A Co to S3: When can he expect the extraction of rice and 9 VC suspects.
50	1250	A Co reports 4th element loc XS 753667 and receiving sporadic sniper fire from XS 753673.
53	1315	A Co has followed a trail of blood at XS 753663. Led into a mangrove resulting in nothing found.
56	1335	From S3 to Bde: Co's A & B have a total of 134 bags of rice. A Co having 80 bags and B Co has 54 bags at this time with more to come.
58	1345	A Co reports finding a VC grenade at XS 750669. Destroyed in place.
60	1410	A Co reports finding 1 outboard motor and 2 cans gasoline at XS 750669.
62	1435	From S3 to 33: Have Co C send a small element to secure the north road near the LZ. This must be accomplished in the next 30 minutes. Accomplished at 1455 hrs.
64	1520	Co A CO to 33: Requests that three claymores be sent to Co A forward.
65	1533	From S3 to Bde: Reports having 80 bags of rice as of 1533 hrs. B Co reports having 40 bags of rice as of 1533 hrs. The rest were husks which were destroyed.
66	1550	From S3 to Bde: Co A received 2 rounds SA fire from vic XS 749662. Fire was returned with SA and a light gun team also used to work the enemy location over. The LZ was rendered insecure hence the rice from Co A's area could not be extracted. The Bn CO instructed the S3 to insure that the rice at Co A's location was destroyed prior to Co A departing the area. Co B's rice will be extracted.
69	1650	A Co has 10 detainees (males) which were picked up at 1100 hrs at XS 752663 and 1 outboard motor, both were taken to B Co's location to be extracted in the morning.
71	1720	B Co reports receiving a few rounds of sniper fire from XS 758669.
75	1745	A Co received SA from vic XS 753650, fire returned, sniper silenced.
77	1840	B Co reports they observed one man running at a distance at XS 753560. They engaged and checked out the area where the sniper fire was coming from, they found 7 women with babies. They could smell gunpowder at the location, they also found (20) 100 lb bags of rice. A 65-year-old man reported to them that as soon as B Co elements began to engage, 5 VC headed down the river.
89	2030	From Lt Dewese to S3: Two civilians (female) ages 12, 16 were injured by a US Claymore weapons. they were located on a rice paddy vic XS 741696 when an ARVN soldier dropped a bag on top of a claymore weapon plunger causing the weapon to detonate. One suffered a broken leg and the other a serious wound. They were taken to the Saigon Vietnamese hospital.

ITEM`	TIME	INCIDENTS, MESSAGES, ORDERS, ETC.
		Initial log entries contain hourly sit/rep, no change.
11	0745	C/2/14 assumed responsibility of the Bn perimeter at 21 Jan 0700 hrs. Also secured E.W. PZ at Rach Kien. 1/46th ARVN Inf secured base camp N. of loc at 21 Jan 0740 hrs.
12	0830	At 0815 hrs 1st lift of A/2/14 drew ground fire. Flight orbited while Arty fired on suspected VC loc. A/2/14 rec'd one rifle grenade into LZ 4 from vic XS649673.
13	0853	2nd lift of Co's A&B 2/14 off at 0850 hrs on ground at 0855 hrs. B/2/14 drew ineffective SA fire form vic LZ 2.
18	0940	A/2/14 loc and destroyed 15 2-man foxholes vic XS750665.
19	0945	C/2/14 LP apprehended a Vietnamese civilian and brought him to Bn base for questioning. The individual was observing the lifts of A & B 2/14.
20	1020	A/2/14 picked up 3 detainees vic XS751664, being held for interrogation.
22	1040	A/2/14 located 100 bags of rice vic XS751664, also destroyed 1 booby-trapped 105mm round vic XS753668. B/2/14 located barge with 50 bags of rice aboard and 25 bags on the bank near the barge vic XS751661. Total captured by A & B 2/14 175 bags. Determined to be VC rice and is being evac to Bn base at Rach Kien by chopper. Each bag weighing 100-150 lbs for a total of 11 tons.
24	1115	Ref Item 20: One of the 3 detainees picked up by A/2/14 was released by National Police. B/2/14 has 12 detainees vic XS751662.
26	1125	C/4/9 platoon located cache of black cloth vic LZ XS680831.
27	1130	Effective 1000 hrs B/2/14 has obj area secured and A/2/14 at 1030 hrs has obj area sealed, both elements conducting search of obj areas, village completely sealed at 1030 hrs.
28	1215	A/2/14 rec'd several rounds of SA sniper fire from vic XS743663, fire was ineffective. Some of the fire was directed at C&C ship.
29	1218	Delayed Entry 1110 hrs: B/2/14 located civilian-type medical facility, supplies evac to Rach Kien, will be returned if found to be for civilian use only. Vic XS756665.
30	1225	A/2/14 rec'd sniper fire from XS750763. No casualties returning fire with SA.
31	1305	B/2/14 rec'd sniper fire vic 753673. Returned fire and found a trail of blood leading to mangrove vic XS753663, but nothing was found.
32	1335	C/4/9 found a bunker hidden under a hay stack vic XS684834. A 50 Cal ammo can with documents and a 30 Cal ammo can with medical supplies were found inside the bunker. Other bunkers were found in the area, are being destroyed.
33	1350	A/2/14 located and destroyed 1 VC Chicom hand grenade vic XS750669.
35	1420	A/2/14 found one outboard motor and 2 cans of gasoline vic XS750609, will evac.
38	1600	A/2/14 rec'd SA fire from unk number of VC while UH-1D's were extracting rice at XS749662.
42	1930	B/2/14 rec'd approx 4 rnds sniper fire from vic XS753655, returned fire with SA, results unk, no casualties.
43	2007	4/9 reported 51st Ranger received sniper fire from vic XS690816.
48	2400	SUMMARY: 1st Bde continues opns FAIRFAX and LANIKAI. ASCC's remain established at Ben Luc, Binh Chanh, Rach Kien, Tan An and Gia Dinh. 4/9 Inf continues joint BUDDY opns with 3rd ARVN Airborne Bn. C/4/9 conducted an Eagle flight into area XS680835. 2/14 Inf conducted a joint BUDDY opn with 1/46 ARVN Bn at XS754667. 1 Co 1/46 ARVN assisted in the security of the base at Rach Kien. PLANS SUMMARY: 4/9 Inf Bn will continue FAIRFAX with local security opns in the fwd base area. 3rd ARVN Airborne Bn will conduct Eagle flights. 2/14 Inf Bn will continue LANIKAI with S&D BUDDY opns. A & B Co will conduct S&D opns from XS752668 to XS7468, and return to Rach Kien. C Co will occupy a blocking position vic XS7469.

1st Brigade S2-S3	Daily Action reported to Brigade HQ
2/14 Bn S-3	Unit Action reported to 2/14 Battalion HQ