31-Jul-69  After Action Report

The following paragraphs come from an Operational Report of Lessons Learned for the 25th Infantry Division for the period ending 31 July 1969.   This is apparently a large report, for the following excerpts come from pages 23, 36 and 38, and were used by  Col H. Kenneth Seymour (Ret.) while researching his book "A Young American Hero", a biography of SSG Hammett L. Bowen, Jr., Charlie Company, 2/14th Inf., who received the Medal of Honor.

 

AGDA (M)                                                     18 December 1969

SUBJECT: Operational Report - Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 25th Infantry
         Division, Period Ending 31 July 1969 (U)

 

Page 23:

     On 27 June, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry conducted a combat assault into an area near the Saigon River five kilometers northwest of Phu Cuong (XT758170) and, at 1055 hours, made contact with an enemy force of unknown size, probably an element of the Quyet Thang Regiment.  The enemy returned a heavy volume of RPG and small arms fire, killing three Americans and wounding four.  Enemy anti-aircraft fire hit a gunship, a command and control helicopter (2-14 Inf) and a MEDEVAC helicopter.   Company B, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry, reacting to the contact, reinforced Company C (2-14 Inf) from the west.  Helicopter gunships, air strikes and artillery supported the sharp fighting and when the enemy broke contact, the infantrymen located 44 NVA KIA, 15 AK-47 rifles, two RPG launchers and 100 rounds of RPG ammunition.

     On 28 June, an artillery aerial observer, flying in support of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry on a reconnaissance mission operation, observed enemy soldiers in the Citadel north of Trung Lap (XT560265) and engaged them with artillery, resulting in 11 NVA KIA, and four AK-47 rifles and one RPG rocket launcher destroyed.   On 30 June, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry, on a combat assault just north of the Ho Bo Woods (XT542305) killed seven NVA and destroyed four AK-47 rifles.

     On 24 June, the 3rd Brigade began preparations to turn over control of Dau Tieng Base Camp (XT4947) to elements of the 1st Infantry Division.   Companies A and B, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry moved from Dau Tieng Base Camp to Fire Support Base Keene (XT604017) to replace the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry who assumed responsibility for Fire Support Base Emory (XT702147) and secured the Phu Cuong (XT8114) and Ba Bep (XT7813) Bridges.  The 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor (-) left FSB Emory and came under the operational control of the 1st Brigade.  The 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 22nd Infantry also came under the operational control of the 1st Brigade at this time while placing its Company A OPCON to the 3rd Brigade.

Page 36:

     At 1030 hours on 25 July, the Combined Reconnaissance/Intelligence Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, with elements of the 1-5 Mech. three kilometers northwest of Trung Lap in the Citadel (XT562230), engaged a small, well-entrenched enemy force, later identified from documents as elements of the Cu Chi District Force, with organic weapons, helicopter gunships and air strikes, resulting in four enemy killed and one hand grenade, one AK-47 rifle, one K54 pistol and one .45 caliber pistol destroyed.

     On 23 July, a Viet Cong platoon leader had entered Luc Du hamlet (XT494206) to harass and propagandize the people.  Reacting to this report and gaining information on the possible location of this man's unit, Companies C and D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry, conducted a combat assault into an area six kilometers northwest of Trung Lap (XT530230) on 27 July.  A command and control helicopter spotted a base area composed of six bunkers, and 10 spider holes with three interlocking tunnels, and directed helicopter gunships over the area following air strikes.  The two infantry companies swept the complex, encountering only light resistance, and located 24 enemy killed, 14 AK-47 rifles, one 60mm mortar with seven rounds of ammunition, 500 rounds of small arms ammunition and three pounds of medical supplies.

     On 27 July, elements of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, under the operational control of the 1-5 Mech., conducted extensive searches of an area five kilometers north of Trung Lap (XT5826) with Company C establishing a blocking position (XT590264-XT588268).  At 1950 hours, the Combined Reconnaissance/Intelligence Platoon (2-14 Inf) apprehended six detainees (XT580268), resulting in three Viet Cong prisoners-of-war and one civil defendant being identified.   At 1120 hours, Company A evacuated 500 rounds of small arms ammunition and 550 sets of NVA uniforms (XT576271).  At 1232 hours, a command and control helicopter (1-5 Mech.) killed an NVA soldier with automatic weapons as he attempted to evade observation (XT568258) and at 1347 hours, the Combined Reconnaissance/Intelligence Platoon (2-14 Inf) killed four NVA with automatic weapons.

Page 38:

     On 31 July at 0250 hours, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry at Patrol Base Hunsley engaged an estimated 20 enemy with artillery, resulting in two enemy killed.  At 0930 hours, the Combined Reconnaissance/Intelligence Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, engaged six enemy five kilometers north of Trang Bang (XT485249) with small arms and automatic weapons, resulting in three NVA killed and three prisoners-of-war.  They also located one .38 caliber pistol, two M16 rifles, one RPG round and 500 rounds of small arms ammunition.  At 1225 hours just off of Highway 8A less than one kilometer from Cu Chi (XT624218), the 116th Assault Helicopter Company killed two enemy with rockets and automatic weapons.  At the same time, Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, on a mounted reconnaissance mission in the Boi Loi Woods five kilometers west of Ben Suc (XT516347), engaged 6-8 enemy with organic weapons, helicopter gunships, air strikes and artillery, resulting in six NVA killed.  An enemy RPG round struck a "Sheridan" tank wounding two cavalrymen and inflicting moderate damage to the reconnaissance vehicle.  At 1830 hours, the 116th Assault Helicopter Company with elements of the 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry and Regional Force elements conducting a reconnaissance mission four kilometers southwest of Trung Lap (XT541197), killed seven NVA with organic weapons.

     Activity in the 3rd Brigade area was generally light during the final week of July with one sharp encounter erupting near the Parrot's Beak.  As the month closed, the enemy was expected to continue efforts to rebuild the infrastructure, to counter the GVN pacification drive and to harass friendly positions through attacks by fire.  Small reconnaissance elements from Sub-Region 2 Headquarters and Sub-Region 2 main force units would continue to operate in Duc Hoa District.  Of the Sub-Region 2 units, the 267 Battalion, the 2642 Battalion, the 269 Battalion, the D16 Battalion (all VC/NVA) and the 6 Local Force Battalion and 308 VC Battalion were believed to have their major elements in Cambodia with the 2642 and 269 Battalions having elements dispersed in the Sugar Mill area (XT455060), the D16 having elements in upper Hau Nghia (XT4722-5826) and the 267 and 6 LF Battalions having elements dispersed in the Pineapple (XS604882) region.

     On 23 July, Troop D, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry and an Air Force forward air controller operating six kilometers southwest of Duc Hoa (XS566934) engaged 10 enemy in two sampans with gunship fire and air strikes, destroying the two sampans and killing at least eight NVA.  That night, a Night Hawk helicopter located two targets northeast of Hep Hoa (XT473105-XT4610), resulting in seven NVA killed.

 

This report has been reproduced to appear like the original.  The copy was obtained by and has been generously contributed by Col. H. Kenneth Seymour (Ret.), author of "A Young American Hero", a biography of Hammett L. Bowen, Jr., Charlie Company, 2/14th Inf, who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

31-Jul-69 After Action
Copyright © 2008 Kirk S. Ramsey
Last modified: January 20, 2020