Annual Historical Supplement  1968

Annual Historical Supplement
2d Battalion 14th Infantry
1 January 1968 – 31 December 1968

PREFACE

   The historical supplement for the year 1968 covers the period during which the 2d Bn, 14th Inf was committed to combat operations in Vietnam for its third consecutive year.  Combat operations for the year of 1968 began as a continuation of Operation Yellowstone in War Zone "C" at Katum.  Operation Wilderness took the Golden Dragons to the Hobo Woods and as the spring of 1968 turned into summer, the 2d Bn, 14th Inf participated in Operation Toan Thang I east of Cu Chi in the Filhol Rubber Plantation.  With the threat of a second major Viet Cong offensive, Operation Toan Thang II began with the Golden Dragons assuming blocking positions south of Cholon and then northeast of Saigon.  As the threat subsided, the Dragons established FSB Crockett southeast of Cu Chi.  Beginning in the month of August, elements of the 2d Bn, 14th Inf moved into Duc Hoa District as a prelude to extended operations through the remainder of the year.  During the closing months of 1968, Battalion operations were directed toward the pacification of Duc Hoa District through civil action, and counter Viet Cong Infrastructure missions.


OPERATION YELLOWSTONE  (7 December 1967  -  10 March 1968)

   The opening weeks of 1968 found the Golden Dragons participating in Operation Yellowstone along with other units of the first and third Brigades of the 25th Infantry Division.  The operation had begun on 7 December 1967 with the movement of the 2d Bn, 14th Inf and the 2d Platoon, Co B, 65th Engineer Bn into the village of Katum, in War Zone "C" near the Cambodian border.  On 1 January, FSB Beauregard was established.  The NVA units in the area were quick to respond for on 2 January the Fire Support Base received 80 rounds of 82mm mortar fire.  Mortar attacks were to become a daily occurrence while the Dragons occupied the Fire Support Base.  However, the enemy fire failed in its attempt to contain Golden Dragons operations, for on 4 January, while on a search from FSB Beauregard, Companies A and B located 41,000 pounds of rice.  Direct contact with the NVA forces occurred on 6 and 7 January with two body counts both occasions, but it wasn't until a pitched battle occurred on 17 January that companies A and D netted 17 VC KIA (body count) and 14 VC KIA (possible).  Again on 25 January the Battalion engaged NVA forces while on a heliborne assault.  Following the brief but fierce encounter between the Dragons and the enemy forces, it proved to be another successful mission, for after the enemy withdrew there was an 18 VC KIA (body count) and a 13 VC KIA (possible).
   Note:  From 1 January until the Battalion returned to Tay Ninh on 16 February the Golden Dragons had a total of 39 VC KIA (body count) and 34 VC KIA (possible).  Captured food stuffs included 2,600 pounds of meat, 2,000 pounds of fish, and 40,200 pounds of rice.
   On the afternoon of 16 February, the Battalion was alerted of a large enemy movement into the city of Tay Ninh.  Companies B, C, and D of the Golden Dragons, Co A, 2d Bn (Mech), 22d Inf and the 2d Platoon, Co B, 65th Eng Bn moved into the city to repel the enemy.  Contact was made with an estimated 300 Viet Cong and after several hours of fierce fighting the enemy was routed from his well-concealed and fortified positions, leaving 81 VC KIA (body count) on the battlefield.  On 18 February, further operations within the vicinity of Tay Ninh resulted in a brief encounter with an estimated VC company resulting in a 7 VC KIA (body count) and no friendly casualties.  On the following day, the Golden Dragons continued their unabated drive through the Viet Cong infested countryside, uncovering an enemy base camp which contained a cache of 107mm rockets, like those used on previous evenings to plague the base camp at Tay Ninh.  This important rocket cache proved to be the first of its type found in the vicinity of Tay Ninh.  Although the Battalion continued its search and destroy mission throughout the remainder of the month, only minor engagements ensued.   Extensive enemy bunker complexes were revealed on several occasions, all of which yielded only minor quantities of enemy equipment and munitions.
   The month of March began with the 2d Bn, 14th Inf and attached units still operating out of Tay Ninh on extensive search and destroy operations directed at enemy base camps and staging areas.  Until 6 March only little significant action occurred, resulting in the destruction of bunker emplacements and small quantities of ammunition.  At 1010 hrs on 6 March, Co A established contact with an unknown number of VC.  By 1030 hrs, Co A had suffered 9 WIA's and 1 KIA and had requested reinforcements and a resupply of ammunition.  Companies C and D were inserted by air into the area of contact and the fighting continued with the aid of nine tactical air strikes until 1730 hrs.  The friendly casualties were 4 KIA's and 18 WIA's as compared to a 19 VC KIA (body count) and 9 VC KIA (possible).  The following morning, the three companies involved in the contact swept the area of engagement capturing 2 60mm mortars, 3 AK-47's, 1 AK-50, 1 Chicom Assault rifle and 1 BAR.
   Following the action on 6 March, the Battalion participated in local heliborne assaults in the Tay Ninh area, until 10 March, which marked the end of Operation Yellowstone.  Throughout the opening months of 1968, the 2d Bn, 14th Inf's participation in Operation Yellowstone proved to be a success with a total of 126 VC KIA (body count), 44 VC KIA (possible) and the capture of numerous weapons and ammunitions, and the seizure of over 71,000 pounds of rice.  The Battalion's activities during the month of February were largely responsible for the blunting of VC-NVA efforts in the Tay Ninh area during the enemy's Tet and spring offensive.


OPERATION WILDERNESS  (11 March 1968  -  7 April 1968)

   Following the very successful engagements of Operation Yellowstone, the Golden Dragons came under the operational control of the 2d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and moved to a staging area in the vicinity of Trang Bang before jumping off into search and destroy operations in the Hobo Woods.
   On 12 March, all line companies and the Battalion Headquarters airmobiled into an LZ, vicinity XT 634244, and prepared a Battalion night defensive perimeter, while the Battalion trains continued to Cu Chi.
   While in the Hobo Woods the Golden Dragons soon found that their new area of operations would not be a rest center although contact in the area would not be as heavy as during Operation Yellowstone.  Weapons caches became more numerous and the number of personnel injured by booby traps became more prevalent.
   On 14 March during their first local reconnaissance in force, Company A found one 30 cal. machinegun, 192 rounds of 82mm mortar, 30 weapons of unknown make, and 30 pounds of documents.  The following day was nearly as successful, and from 15-23 March the Golden Dragons discovered and destroyed seven different bunker complexes and seized military stores amounting to:  12 rockets (122mm), 213 RPG rounds, 382 mortar rounds, 244 mines, 226 grenades, 18 claymores, 5 AK-47's and 50's, 43 carbines, 8 machine guns, 2 mortars (60mm), and 10 KIA (body count).
   On 24 March companies A, B, and C conducted heliborne assaults into XT576246.  Shortly after landing, contact was established with a VC-NVA force of undetermined size.  Pulling back out of the area of contact, air strikes and artillery were brought in on the enemy positions.  At 1500 hours Companies A and C advanced on line with Company B in reserve.  Contact was re-established and the fight resumed, with the aid of elements from the 2d Bn, 34th Armor.  The enemy broke contact at 2140 hours and by 2350 hours, friendly forces swept through the enemy's fortifications which were now being illuminated by flareships.  Following a detailed search the next morning it was determined that the Dragons had encountered a well-fortified NVA Battalion, that had left 3 AK-47 rifles, 2 flame throwers, and 29 NVA KIA (body count) on the battlefield.  US 12 KIA, 47 WIA's.
   The lull in the fighting was only temporary, however, for on 26 March Companies B and C once again made contact with an enemy force believed to be a reinforced company.  Although the two companies attempted to advance they were forced to ultimately withdraw in the face of withering small arms and RPG fire.  Airstrikes and artillery continued throughout the night, and on the following morning when friendly forces were once again committed to the battle, it was found that the VC - NVA forces had withdrawn leaving behind 4 AK-47's, 2 Chicom machineguns, 2 AK-50's, 1 mortar (60mm), and 71 KIA (body count).
   Undaunted by the heavy fighting of previous days, the Golden Dragons once again ventured into the enemy's lair and in the third engagement in four days killed 7 more of the insurgents.  Further missions within this area of operation failed to develop any additional findings or contact with the VC, so, on 31 March the Battalion departed its old night defensive perimeter for a new perimeter at XT716030.  This Battalion move marked the end of the Battalion's participation in Operation Wilderness.


OPERATION TOAN THANG I  (08 April 1968  -  31 May 1968)

   The opening days of April were quiet, but numerous sweeps of the area of operation revealed that VC personnel had been moving through the area and utilizing the dense undergrowth as hiding places for squad and platoon-sized base camps.  On 8 April Company A engaged 8 VC while on a reconnaissance in force, and although there was no body count, the enemy abandoned the battlefield leaving behind a 60mm mortar and one Russian light machine gun.
   Major contacts with enemy forces were limited to minor encounters during the major part of the month of April.  A Battalion defensive perimeter was established southeast of Cu Chi with Companies A and B, while Company C conducted a bridge security mission at the Hoc Mon Bridge and Company D operated out of Cu Chi base camp as a reaction force for the Battalion and Cu Chi.
   On 30 April, the Battalion participated in waterborne operations on the Saigon River.  After months of heliborne operations, the use of landing craft as a mode of transportation proved to be unique in itself.  Coming ashore in the vicinity of the "Spider Web" (XT755175), all maneuver companies initiated a comprehensive search which led to the discovery of 23 122mm rockets.  The expeditions proceeded with only minor results until 1500 hrs, when Companies B and C came under intense enemy small arms and RPG fire.  During the fighting that ensued, the two companies suffered 5 US KIA and 13 US WIA.  Being hampered by the growing darkness, all elements withdrew from the area of contact until the following morning when a sweep of the area revealed a 4 VC KIA (body count) and 1 VC WIA (POW).  Captain Richard Endicott, Commanding Officer of Company C, lost his life during this engagement and subsequently won the Silver Star for his gallant actions during the encounter.

[Along the Saigon River, Alpha Co, 2/14th Inf.  L-R Bill Matlock, Charley Watkins, Don Casteel, Don Leach, Stewart Mulhane]

With the coming of May, the Golden Dragons closed their Battalion perimeter outside of Cu Chi and moved to a new defensive perimeter in the Filhol Rubber Plantation, near the village of Phu Hoa Dong.  The village had served as a resupply point for NVA units infiltrating into the city of Saigon by way of the Saigon River.   Ambush patrols engaged enemy units nearly every night and the harried NVA Regulars soon discovered that the thick, overgrown wasteland that had once been the great rubber plantation no longer afforded a sanctuary against the American Infantryman.  On 5 May, Company D found 30 cases of 82mm mortar rounds as well as 7 complete 122mm rockets.   Again, on 6 May, another cache was discovered containing 114 RPG rounds.
   After six months with the Golden Dragons, LTC Alfred M Bracy relinquished the Command of the Golden Dragons to LTC Thomas C Nunn on 6 May.   Although the men of the Battalion regretted to see LTC Bracy leave, they soon found LTC Nunn to be an equally outstanding Commander, who was devoted to both the United States Army and the men of his Command.
   With relentless determination the men of the Battalion searched the thick undergrowth of the Filhol, driving the VC from his lair and capturing the enemy's supplies and means of aggression.  The only major action for the month occurred on 23 May during a reconnaissance in force with Companies A and C conducting a search of the west bank of the Saigon River (XT674228).  At 1035 hours Company C received fire from 100 meters to their front.  Closing with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver, the men of Company C killed 5 VC (body count), captured 3 VC (POW), and secured 4 AK-47 assault rifles.  The fighting continued throughout the afternoon, but heavy enemy fire prevented the American forces from driving the enemy from his entrenched positions.   At last light the two Companies withdrew to the north, established a night defensive perimeter, and directed artillery and air strikes into the area of contact.   The following morning both Companies moved back into the enemy stronghold.  No new fighting occurred, but the Battalion was credited with an additional 6 VC KIA (body count), 3 VC (POW), 4 AK-47 assault rifles, 1 light machinegun, 2 complete 60mm mortars, and 1 75mm recoilless rifle.
   On 29 May, Company A found the Battalion's major cache during operation Toan Thang I while on a heliborne operation in the northern part of the Filhol.  The cache consisted of:  15 45 Cal. sub-machineguns, 15 Mauser rifles (8mm), 8 French rifles (8mm), 22 Chicom carbines, 2 Thompson sub-machineguns, 1 30 cal. water cooled machinegun and 1 Russian light machinegun.


OPERATION TOAN THANG II  (01 June 1968  -  Continued into 1969)

   Operation Toan Thang II, which began on 1 June and continued into 1969, ushered the Golden Dragons into the rainy season.  Operations during June and July found the Dragons primarily employed as a blocking force against NVA attempts to penetrate the Saigon metropolitan area.  Moving to various strategic locations about the city, the Golden Dragons established defensive locations along known infiltration routes and maintained a watchful surveillance until the threat subsided.  During the opening days of August, intelligence reports of large weapons caches in the hamlets north of Duc Hoa, brought the 2d Bn, 14th Inf into the second phase of operations during Toan Thang II.   Initial operations in Duc Hoa District proved to be so successful that for the remaining months of the year the Golden Dragons were given the responsibility to clear and secure the predominantly VC hamlets of Duc Hoa District.
   On 1 June, the Battalion departed Cu Chi by convoy to a staging area at the 25th ARVN Division airfield in Duc Hoa, prior to air assaulting into locations along the Oriental River.  Upon landing in a pineapple field (XT543853), elements of Companies A and B came under intense hostile fire.  With the aid of air strikes and artillery, the landing zone was finally cleared at last light, allowing the remainder of the Battalion to be airlifted into the area of contact.  The following morning a sweep of the hedgerows and canal system throughout the battlefield revealed that 11 VC KIA (body count) had been left by the enemy during his withdrawal that night.  The Battalion suffered 5 US KIA's and 4 US WIA's, all victims of the hostile fire that swept the landing zone during the opening seconds of the engagement.
   Based on intelligence reports of new NVA offensives against the Saigon area, the Battalion was airlifted into Company size blocking positions along Highway 4 from the Binh Dinh Bridge to southern Cholon.  While in the Binh Dinh - Cholon area, contact was minor and operations were primarily platoon sized reconnaissance missions and night ambush patrols, with the only enemy body counts being on 7 June as a result of contact between Company D and an enemy squad with 5 VC KIA (body count) and on 9 June, when a Company A ambush killed 1 VC (body count) and captured 2 pistols.  After the incessant activity of the opening months of the year, the relatively quiet weeks in Cholon were welcomed by the men of the Battalion.  After a month in the Cholon area, the Battalion was airlifted into three new defensive positions northwest of Saigon (XT841055) along a portion of the Saigon River that had become uninhabited during the opening years of the conflict in Vietnam and which was now a maze of overgrown sugarcane fields and coconut groves.  The rainy season had now inundated the countryside, leaving the network of old canals and fields deep in water, which only made the task of searching the new area of operation even more difficult.  Activity was still at a low level, and during the two weeks spent along the Saigon River, 3 AK-50's and 2 rockets (122mm) were the only enemy stores of significant importance.
   As the suspected attacks against Saigon had not materialized, the Golden Dragons were on the move again, but this time away from Saigon.  With the aid of Chinook helicopters, the Battalion was airlifted into the vicinity of the "Spider Web" (XT745164), to establish FSB Crockett.  Local force units in the area of FSB Crockett were apparently caught off guard, for on the first night at the new location (20 July), two ambush patrols engaged guerilla forces with Company A's patrol claiming 1 VC KIA (body count) and 2 VC WIA (POW).  Two days later Company B also engaged an emery force which credited the Company with 2 VC KIA (body count) and 2 Carbines.   The month of July, however, was quiet for the most part and except for minor caches that were discovered during the closing days of the month, there was little activity worth noting.
   During the month of August the Battalion's mission was to change from that of a blocking force against enemy infiltration to a clearing and pacification role in Duc Hoa District.  Initial interest in Duc Hoa District was aroused as a result of information from a Hoi Chanh, who professed knowledge of numerous caches in the hamlets north of Duc Hoa.   On 4 August, Companies A and C, accompanied by CPT Phelps of Division G-2 with his IPW team, air assaulted into Ap Binh T??y (XT632998) and began their search for enemy stores.  By the end of the day, the Companies had found: 2 VC (POW), 27 107mm rockets, 12 75mm recoilless rifle rounds, 13 57mm recoilless rifle rounds, 24 claymore mines, and 148 pounds of TNT.  Realizing the potential of the new area of operations, the Battalion Commander directed the Commanders of A and C Companies to establish defensive positions in their area of operations and begin clear and search operations.  The remainder of the Battalion continued its mission of security for FSB Crockett.  The next major find occurred on 7 August when Company A found 1 AK-47 assault rifle, 1 US M-2 Carbine, and 139 recoilless rifle rounds (75mm).
   During August the 2d Brigade Commander, Col. Raymond O. Miller initiated a program of Battalion level long range reconnaissance patrols.  Under this system a Company sized unit would be employed in squad-sized elements over a large area for the purpose of observing enemy movement and engaging targets of opportunity.  The first patrols employed were from Company A, and the teams remained in the field for 72 hrs. with a total of 6 VC KIA (body count) and 6 VC (POW).  The saturation patrols conducted by Company A proved to be so successful that additional patrols and heliborne assaults were conducted throughout the remainder of the month in order to exploit initial successes against the Viet Cong.  Operations through the month netted a total of 16 VC KIA (body count), 7 VC (POW), 137 recoilless rifle rounds, 353 mortar rounds (82mm and 60mm), 47 107mm rockets, 19 carbines, 25 machineguns, 6 AK-47 assault rifles, 573 pounds of TNT, and 38,000 pounds of small arms ammunition.
   On the basis of early successes in the Duc Hoa area, by the end of August all elements of the Battalion were moved into an operational area near the village of My Hanh, where FSB Keene (XT614017) was established as the Battalion Headquarters.   With the establishment of FSB Keene and the smaller defensive perimeter of Companies A and D, local enemy forces realized the threat of continued operations against their area of influence.  The Viet Cong infrastructure in Duc Hoa District was a well-organized, dedicated force of guerillas.  Operations conducted by the Golden Dragons during the month of August had not only damaged their organization, but their local prestige as well.
   The first organized action against the Golden Dragons took place on the evening of 1 September when an enemy force engaged the defenders of FSB Keene with RPG and small arms fire.  The men of Company B immediately returned fire and directed the employment of mortar and artillery fire into the enemy's positions.  All enemy fire was silenced in a matter of minutes and when a search of the area was conducted on the following morning, there were 6 VC KIA (body count) near the perimeter and blood trails of an additional 3 VC KIA (possible).  During the conduct of local sweeps on 2 September, guerilla forces were again engaged with a 3 VC KIA (body count) and the capture of an RPG launcher and an AK-50.  Enemy activity continued to be primarily attacks by fire with RPG's and mortar rounds, directed primarily against FSB Keene and the ambush patrols from FSB Keene.  Booby traps also became common hazards in the Duc Hoa area of operation, by the end of  the year,  over 300 hundred booby traps had been found, and in some cases detonated, by the men of the Battalion.
   Daylight contact with VC forces was not forthcoming until 15 September, when Companies A and B made contact with an enemy force while conducting heliborne assaults near the Oriental River (XT435054).  During the short engagement that ensued, the Companies captured 2 AK-47 assault rifles, 1 M-79 grenade launcher, a 60mm mortar, an RPG launcher, 4 VC (POW), and 2 VC KIA (body count).  Heliborne assaults became the primary method of operations during the month of September and the results proved to be so successful that the Battalion was able to get air assets for almost every operation that might be enhanced by aircraft.  Heliborne assaults on 20, 26, and 30 September netted 11 VC KIA (body count), 10 VC (POW), 25,000 pounds of rice, and 4 AK's.
   The activities of the Battalion were not limited to just combat operations.  Beginning in September and continuing throughout the remainder of the year, CPT Richard H. Tessler, the Battalion Surgeon, conducted medical aid programs throughout the hamlets of Duc Hoa District, treating as many as 130 VN civilians at one time.  Clearing the hamlets of Viet Cong, providing security for the people, and treating their medical problems, proved to be critical factors in the pacification of villages that had once been strongholds of Viet Cong influence.
   The Viet Cong, however, made the price of pacification a high one.   Although their forces were being rapidly depleted, the guerillas were still determined to fight, and with the aid of NVA regulars a major assault was launched against FSB Keene on the morning of 3 October.  At 0200 hours, an ambush patrol belonging to Company A engaged an enemy force of unknown size.  A brief fire fight ensued, resulting in 2 VC KIA (body count).  The night remained quiet for the next two hours, then at 0350 hours FSB Keene came under a heavy mortar attack.  Later examination of the battle field revealed that 3 60mm mortars had engaged the perimeter from the northeast while 2 82mm mortars had fired from the southeast.  While every effort was being made to suppress the forces within the perimeter, NVA sapper teams cut through the outer defensive wire on the eastern and southeastern sides of the perimeter, placing bangalore torpedoes in the inner wire to breech the last lines of defense.  Within minutes after the first incoming rounds had struck, the men of Company A were returning the enemy's fire with small arms and mortars.  The sapper teams were discovered before they penetrated the inner defenses and were immediately engaged.  The sapper element which had attempted a penetration from the east was not aware of the 50 cal. machinegun on the bunker directly in front of their breech in the wire.  By concealing the weapon from view during daylight hours, the guerillas were not prepared for the rain of lethal machinegun rounds that annihilated the team in a matter of seconds.  The sapper squad that breached the wire on the Southeast side of the perimeter held out for nearly 15 minutes before its members were finally destroyed.  Realizing the failure of their sapper teams, the remaining NVA forces attempted to disengage by placing heavy suppressive fire into the Fire Support Base.  As the NVA forces withdrew, they were engaged by the 105mm artillery and 81mm mortar fires from within the perimeter.  As one body of guerillas withdrew to the northeast they fell victim to another Company A ambush.  By 0500 hours, all firing had ceased, except for the artillery which continued to harass available avenues of retreat.
   Sweeps of the area the following morning revealed a total of 13 VC KIA (body count), 1 VC WIA (POW), 4 VC (POW), 6 AK-47 assault rifles, 2 RPG launchers, a machinegun, and numerous rounds of small arms and RPG ammunition.  From the many pieces of blood-soaked clothing and personal equipment, it could be determined that enemy loss had been heavy.  Agent reports later in the month confirmed this fact by revealing that as many as 30 VC KIA and 18 VC WIA had been carried from the battlefield under the cover of darkness.  This attack was to be the only major ground assault conducted against FSB Keene during the year.
   Local sweeps and heliborne assaults directed against VC infrastructure personnel were continued throughout the remainder of the month, netting for the Battalion a total of 31 VC (POW) and several minor caches amounting to 3500 rounds of small arms ammunition, 70 anti-tank mines, and 45 rifle grenades.  While Companies A, C, and D continued operations throughout Duc Hoa District, Company B was placed under the operational control of the 2d Bn, 34th Armor and assumed the security mission of the Phu Coung (XT806136), and Ba Bep Bridges (XT781133).  The newly completed Phu Coung Bridge was a prime target for Viet Cong frogmen and sapper teams as it served as the only major link across the Saigon River north of the city of Saigon.  To prevent the approach of frogmen, 1 pound blocks of TNT were thrown into the river at 10 minute intervals from numerous locations along the bridge.  Company B continued to secure the bridges throughout the month of October and finally relinquished control during the first week in November to elements of the 1st Bn, 27th Inf.  On 26 October, after six months as the Commander of the Golden Dragons, LTC Thomas C. Nunn passed the Battalion colors to LTC William J. Cummings during an impressive ceremony at FSB Keene.  In honor to the former Commander, helicopters of the 116th Aviation Company, "Hornets", accompanied by their supporting gunship teams, the "Stingers", executed a fly-by over the Fire Support Base, thereby culminating a very eventful day.
   Operations for the month of November continued, as in October, to be directed toward the elimination of local VC infrastructure who served as political cadre, supply personnel, and guides for VC Main Force Units and NVA Regulars operating along the Oriental River and infiltrating into Saigon.  Acting on information gathered from a local VC who had served as an ammunition bearer, men of the Golden Dragons uncovered 250 RPG-7 rounds on 3 November.  Again, on 8 November, similar information resulted in the seizure of 6 107mm rockets.

   In order to respond rapidly to available intelligence, platoon sized elements were employed in what became known as "snatch teams".  When information concerning the hiding place of a VC cadreman was obtained from intelligence sources, a five ship lift of platoon size would be immediately organized, airlifted to the enemy's hiding places and literally landed on his door step.  VC who normally tried to pass as civilians were now captured in their own houses before being afforded a chance to escape.  The employment of highly mobile platoons that could react on a moments notice proved so successful that 20 confirmed VC were captured before the end of the month.
   The only major engagement during the month occurred on 14 November when Companies B and D, reacting to information from the Brigade Commander, were airlifted into landing zones near the Oriental River, where gunships and air strikes had engaged a large enemy force and had obtained an 80 VC KIA (body count).  In a matter of minutes contact was established with the enemy force and fighting continued until 2330 hours, when the VC forces broke contact and fled.  The following morning's sweep of the area revealed 6 VC KIA (body count), 3 cases of bangalores, 3 AK-47's, and a complete 82mm mortar.
   Further contact with Viet Cong forces remained at a minimum throughout the last days of November and during the opening weeks of December.  Taking advantage of the lull in the fighting, the Battalion utilized the available time to send each company into Cu Chi for a three day stand-down at the "Cu Chi Hilton".  The "Hilton" was established during the month of September so that Companies of the various Battalions in the 2d Brigade would have a place to rest and reorganize during a three day break.  The Dragon soldiers found that the days in the "Cu Chi Hilton" were hectic with refresher courses on patrolling and combat operations and inspections of weapons and equipment.  The stand-down wasn't all work, however, for in the evening the troops were entertained by performers who played popular and country-western music.  The female dancers of the show were always a welcome addition for the troops to see, and most men of the Battalion had to agree that the nightly performance usually proved to be sufficiently entertaining to make the three day stay in Cu Chi a worthwhile trip.
   December proved to be a quiet month, with operations continuing to be directed at pacifying Duc Hoa District and denying the Viet Cong forces a source of food and sanctuary.  Heliborne operations, as well as local sweeps were continued, but only sniper fire and an occasional mortar round harassed the Battalion's operations.   The most eventful day of December proved to be the celebration of Christmas.   Chaplains of both the Protestant and Roman Catholic faiths conducted services for the Battalion's fighting men.  Following the services, the Golden Dragons feasted on the traditional turkey dinner that was complete with salads, dressing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.  The festive occasion was enjoyed by all, but while being thankful for a pleasant holiday, the men also realized that alertness was equally important, so the bunker line was manned as usual, and the ambush patrols went out on schedule.
   With the end of 1968, the 2d Bn, 14th Inf was still participating in Operation Toan Thang II, with the continuing mission of pacifying and securing Duc Hoa District.  The mission was still not complete, but since the arrival of the Golden Dragons, VC activity in the area had been largely curtailed and a major portion of the population was once again under the control of the Government of South Vietnam.

This copy of the Annual Historical Supplement was obtained by and has been generously contributed by Don Casteel, Alpha Co., 2/14th Inf.
  

Annual Historical Supplement - 1968
Copyright © 2008 Kirk S. Ramsey
Last modified: January 20, 2020