Daily Staff Journal  18-Nov-69

ITEM

TIME

INCIDENTS, MESSAGES, ORDERS, ETC.

01

0001

LOG OPENED:
Supporting information for today's events:  Bn. Cmdr LTC Donald O. Crutchley, XO Maj Courtney Rittgers, S3 Maj. Dexter Branscome, S3 Air Cpt Thomas Waldera, S1 1Lt Anthony York, S2 Cpt William Branch, S4 Cpt Robert Scheifele, S5 Michael Collier

Locations:  FSB Patton XT583194, PB Hunsley XT596270, Venice East XT577183, Trung Lap XT593214.

Ballgame:
   A Co (-) depart Hunsley 0800 hours, recon to search area (597260-601254-596252-594257), return to PB.
   B Co (-) return from Bushmaster operations, 3 4-ship lifts PZ from location to be announced.  1st lift 0910 hours, 2nd lift 0930 hours, 3rd lift 0950 hours, LZ PB Hunsley.  Conduct 2 NCP's PB Hunsley
   C Co (-) depart Patton 0800 hours by truck to Trung Lap.  Recon to obj-1 (587224) to search area (584229-585235-589235-589229), return to Trung Lap.  Move by truck to FSB.  One platoon occupy Venice East and tower at FSB, conduct road sweep on Highway 7A from Trung Lap to Highway 1 0645 hours.
   Co D (-) depart Patton 0800 hours, recon to obj-A (577185), recon to and search area (566189-564194-562194-562198-572198-562189), return to Patton.  Conduct 2 NCP's.

02

0100

Sitrep - negative

03

0130

QSL 1245Z Change 1,1400Z Change 2 on 18 Nov Ballgame

04

0200

Sitrep - negative

05

0300

Sitrep - negative

06

0301

QSL Ballgame 19 Nov Bushmaster AP sites

07

0400

Sitrep - negative

08

0500

Sitrep - negative

09

0535

Fence off (RB)

10

0612

Weather hold on LOH

11

0625

CRIP 12 & 13 kickoff

12

0623

D Co NCP-2 breakdown

13

0637

CRIP-13 element found damaged but still armed LAW at 590217, will blow in place

14

0654

C Co road sweep departed Patton

15

0703

A Co NCP breaking position

16

0707

Both D Co NCP's closed Patton

17

0725

Brigade requested AO Branch as free fire zone for 25th Avn 18/0730-18/1800 hours

18

0802

D Co departed Patton on ballgame

19

0812

LOH (Menehune 1) on station for taxi, Maj. Rittgers, Hunsley to Cu Chi

20

0812

D Co NCP's for tonight, NCP-1 591187, NCP-2 572200

21

0818

CRIP NCP 18/1730 recon to (587244-587227-591230-594225), drop off 1 6-man NCP including snipers 0044 & 0091, recon to (595220) and return to Trung Lap.  At 2130 hours stay behind element return.  Sniper #0046 at Patton Tower, sniper #0045 at Trung Lap tower

22

0823

7A open from Trung Lap to Highway 1

23

0825

CRIP ballgame 19/0600-19/1100 recon Trung Lap to obj-1 (595204), obj-2 (588218), obj-3 (600215), return to Trung Lap.  1 MEDCAP at (592205)

24

0825

CRIP activities 19/1900-20/0600 Sniper 0048 Patton tower, sniper 0046 Trung Lap tower, NCP (593220) 19/1930-19/2330 14 men including snipers 0044/0080 and 0091

25

0828

C Co road sweep team closed Patton

26

0830

[Late Entry] A Co NCP closed and ballgame departed Patton at 0800

27

0834

Menehune 1 on station for VR, diverted to 2/12 at 0845

28

0840

From Brigade:  Sniff Mission 18/0900-18/1200 (6124-6424-6128-6428)

29

0848

Locations:  A Co (596265), D Co (571191), CRIP (587219 & 595220)

30

0853

Hornet 2 on station as C&C ship

31

0910

C Co completed shuttle runs and crossed LD

32

0945

From Brigade:  Issue 27 noted recent trail activity at (635297) this morning

33

0945

B Co 1st lift airborne (585304) at 0915 hours, down green Hunsley 0924 hours, 2nd lift airborne (585304) at 0928 hours, down green Hunsley 0930 hours, 3rd lift airborne (585304) 0933 hours, down green 0935 hours, 4th lift airborne Patton 0940 hours, down green Hunsley 0945 hours.  25th Div Avn airborne Patton 0915 hours, down green Hunsley 0923 hours, down green Patton 0929 hours

34

0945

Cu Chi Sub Sector:  AO request 5620-5820-5618-5818, disapproved

35

D Co found a suspicious hooch (569191), will destroy

36

Commo 2/14:  QSL 0125Z for ARVN Report

37

0950

Brigade:  AMC released 0950 hours, 6 hours and 45 minutes blade hours

38

1025

Brigade:  Requested grid (600290) for air strike by FAC 26 at 1045 hours, approved

39

1035

D Co requested Medevac, 1 priority litter, 1 urgent litter, 3 routine ambulatory at (569191)

40

1055

Medevac 163 on station 1045 hours, complete to 12th Evac 1055 hours

41

1059

D Co booby-traps were trip wire type hand grenades

42

1059

Locations:  A Co (595254), C Co (587235 & 584230), D Co (569191), CRIP same

43

1059

C Co reconned area at (584230), heard 1 return shot, could have been a VC warning shot, request LST

44

1107

D Co booby-trap locations (569192) also found a third booby-trap hand grenade, will blow

45

1110

B Co NCP's for tonight, NCP-Z1 (602278) 13-men and NCP-Z2 (598260) 13 men

46

1145

C Co destroyed 1 105mm round with trip wire, 1 105mm round with trip pressure device on trail, 1 82mm round with trip wire in hedgerow (587234)

47

1145

Issue 26 FAC off station

48

1145

Issue 23 on station to replace Issue 26

49

1153

Little Bear 235 aircraft on station with Flame Bath for D Co

50

1155

A Co closed Hunsley

51

1200

C Co destroyed 2 hooches with bunkers and 5-8 lbs of polished rice at (586230)

52

1206

CRIP CP's closed Trung Lap

53

1215

From Little Bear 235:  1st Flame Bath had some secondary explosions.  On station with 2nd Flame Bath

54

1220

3rd Flame Bath on station

55

1245

4th Flame Bath on station

56

1300

5th Flame Bath on station

57

1308

Issue 23 departed station

58

1310

A Co NCP's for tonight:  58Z (598259) 15 men, 58C (589267) 15 men, 58T (599280) 15 men

59

1310

D Co closed Patton

60

1315

From 1/5th (Mech):  AO requested - AO Hawk 190900-191800 (510190 north to 510228, east to 540228 to 7A to 583196, down to Highway 1 to 564166 along Highway 1 to 510190)

61

1320

Brigade requested clearance (647282) for 25th Avn Bn to expend ordnance, cleared

62

1333

CRIP:  3 flags and pamphlets (595220), 18 flags and pamphlets (588219), destroyed 1 M-72 LAW

63

1343

C Co Location (590224)

64

1346

C Co picked up a detainee at (590224) taking her to Trung Lap for interrogation

65

1500

Brigade requested air strike clearance for (620295) at 1530 hours, cleared

66

1512

CRIP requested urgent Medevac for small Vietnamese who caught hand in motorcycle sprocket

67

1520

2nd Brigade Avn 6 on station for VR

68

1524

C Co closed Patton

69

1537

Brigade Yellow Jacket Report 1331, unidentified enemy unit, unknown size, unknown ? from (640220) early afternoon report 18 Nov 69, information only

70

1540

CRIP:  Medevac 163 on station 1540, complete to 12th Evac 1543

71

1740

CRIP NCP kicked off

72

1750

LNO:  ARVN AP's 584218, 588211, 589204, 583202, 599214, 599209, 598204, 597200

73

1800

A Co AP-C departed

74

1806

A Co AP-T departed

75

1808

A Co AP-Z departed

76

1822

Brigade requested air strikes 600315, 658245, 660250, 625300 1 to 2 hours, approved

77

1840

D Co NCP-2 departing

78

1840

LNO:  Change in 3rd Co ballgame for tomorrow, cancel objectives 6, 8 & 10, change LD times to 1000 hours

79

1850

CRIP NCP in position

80

1853

D Co NCP-1 departed

81

1906

CRIP requests Nighthawk for NCP, had movement 200 meters from location

82

1915

A Co has all NCPs in position

83

1915

CRIP:  Hawk 1 on station

84

1945

Requested 6 Flame Baths in AO (598251-598289-601252-602251) for 19 Nov 69

85

1945

ARVN Ballgames for tomorrow:  1st Co 1/49 LD 0800 hours (593210), to obj-A (599208), obj-B (604200), obj-C (612207), obj-D (613194), obj-E (608190), obj-F (601193), obj-G (598184), obj-H (588187), obj-I (591198).  2nd Co 1/49th LD 0800 hours (587204) to obj-1 (582213), obj-2 (589222), obj-3 (588233), objh-4 (579229), obj-6 (575220), obj-7 (566214), obj-8 (575208).  34d Co 1/49 LD 1000 hours (593217), to obj-2 (600222), obj-4 (598229), obj-12 (610230), obj-14 (614220), obj-16 (608215)

86

2000

CRIP NCP closed

87

2015

Hunsley radar (586265) picked up 2-3 individuals moving southwest, fired 6 rounds high explosive 81mm.  Hawk off station 2024

88

2020

Brigade requested air strike ASAP (615310), cleared

89

2121

CRIP cancel all morning checkpoints, 1 checkpoint (588210) 0600-1100 hours, afternoon CPs remain the same

90

2135

Radar pickup from Hunsley (591268) picked up 3-4 individuals moving west, NCP-C alerted

91

2145

A Co:  Radar (591266) picked up 4 individuals stationary, fired 18 high explosive 81mm rounds

92

2158

Trung Lap radar (593271) picked up 4 individuals moving north, fired 12 high explosive 81mm rounds

93

2225

Duffle Bag at 2206 hours CZ 1417 heavy, fired 12 high explosive 105mm rounds

94

2230

Brigade:  1910 hours Trung Lap radar (589239) picked up 5-6 individuals moving southwest, fired 16 high explosive 105mm rounds

95

2300

Sitrep - negative

96

2358

Trung Lap radar (560235) picked up 3-4 individuals moving northwest

97

2400

Sitrep - negative

Summary:
   B Co returned from Bushmaster operations to Hunsley at 0945 hours.
   D Co hit a booby-trap at 1035 hours vic 569191, resulted in one priority litter, one urgent litter and three routine ambulatory.  They were dusted off to the 12th Evac.
   C Co destroyed 3 booby-traps at 587234.  At 1200 hours 2 hooches were destroyed along with 5-8 lbs polished rice vic 586230.
   D Co dropped Flame Baths in the area where they encountered the booby-traps.
   C Co picked up a detainee at 590224.  She was taken to Trung Lap.
   At 1906 hours CRIP's NCP reported movement along the stream vic 581206.

98

2400

Log closed