Published in the United States of America and Great Britain in 2010 by
CASEMATE
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
and
17 Cheap Street, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 SDD
Copyright © 2007 Robert L. Tonsetic
Reprinted November 2010
Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-935149-38-5
Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-61200-0343
Cataloging-in-publication data is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.
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CONTENTS
Preface
Glossary
Prologue
Chapter 1 What Came Before
Chapter 2 Across the Song Dong Nai
Chapter 3 The Bloodiest Day
Chapter 4 Victory at Night
Chapter 5 The Enemy Lies Low
Chapter 6 The Gathering Storm
Chapter 7 A Battle Joined
Chapter 8 Fighting on All Sides
Chapter 9 Assault on Saigon
Chapter 10 A Day at the Races
Chapter 11 Night of Fire
Chapter 12 Cottonbaler Hot LZ
Chapter 13 To Snare a General
Chapter 14 April 1968—A Cruel Month
Chapter 15 The May Offensive
Chapter 16 The Old Guard Holds On
Chapter 16 The Old Guard Holds On
Epilogue
Notes
Sources and Bibliography
For the brave men of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade who gave their lives for their country, and for the men who shared their foxholes during 1967–1968.
PREFACE
This book is about acts of courage and valor, and the men who performed them. Few, if any, of the men described in this book consider themselves heroes. Among them, this accolade is reserved for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Most of the veterans who contributed their stories to this book attempt to downplay their experiences and deeds. Nonetheless, it is important that their stories be told. For as the Greek poet Pindar wrote, “Unsung, the noblest deed will die.” The intent of the author is not to glamorize war or justify it, but rather to preserve the stories of heroism and sacrifice. Since the experience of war—the fighting, the dying, the surviving—is all but impossible to comprehend unless one has experienced it, those who may be called upon to take up arms in defense of the nation must have role models for proper behavior in war.
As we begin our fifth year in the war against terror, we face a prolonged conflict that may test our national will as never before. There exists a possibility that a catastrophic attack will be launched against the US homeland, or against our deployed forces that will make the 9-11 attacks pale in comparison. The generation of men and women coming of age today face challenges not unlike those that confronted the much heralded “greatest generation.”
The heroic deeds, selfless sacrifice, and valor demonstrated by our fighting men in past wars provide necessary models for the youth of America as they assume responsibility for the nation’s security. Sadly, the deeds of valor from our most prolonged conflict, the Vietnam War, remain mostly unreported and forgotten. Unlike the almost legendary stories of heroism that evolved from World War II, such as the Army Rangers’ assault on the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc or the Marines’ capture of Iwo Jima, the number of stories emerging form the Vietnam War are few. The reasons are complex and rooted in the political and strategic miscalculations of that war. Perhaps the most odious reason is that the opponents of that war unjustly focused their anger and frustration with the conflict on those who fought it. Despite the fact that there were far more heroes than miscreants in the ranks, stories of atrocities and abuses far outnumbered the reports of American valor and sacrifice. Unfortunately, the anti-war movement’s efforts to discredit the rank and file who fought the war was abetted by the media. Stories of atrocities and criminal conduct perpetrated by members of the armed forces, like airline crashes, are rare, but make front-page and prime-time news. A similar trend is beginning to emerge in Iraq and the war on terror. Reports of prisoner abuse and other discreditable acts should be reported, but equal attention should be paid to the numerous individual and unit acts of valor and sacrifice. The latter far outnumber the former.
Days of Valor covers a six-month slice of time during the Vietnam War from December 1967 through May of 1968. These months, which encompassed both the Tet Offensive and the May Offensive of 1968, were the bloodiest months of the war for US forces. Most of the book is focused on the infantry battalions of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade as they struggled to disrupt the enemy’s build-up and subsequent attacks on the strategic installations in and around Saigon, Bien Hoa and Long Binh. Though the author’s experiences are included in the book, they are written in the third person format. The book is not intended to be a personal memoir. There were many other US units that played key roles in defeating these attacks, and similar acts of heroism and valor occurred in all of these units. The narrow focus of this book allows the author to tell the stories of the men who performed the deeds of valor through their own eyes and words. There is much to learn from the experiences of Vietnam combat veterans, and they deserve a chance to contribute to the history that is written about the Vietnam War.
The majority of this book focuses on battle, even though the number of days spent in battle during a one-year tour in Vietnam was a small percentage of the average twelve-month tour. Most days for the average combat soldier consisted of exhausting marches and tedious searches for an elusive enemy. The physical and mental demands on the combatants during these periods were exceeded only by the relatively short periods of actual battle. Full descriptions of the everyday life of a combat soldier in Vietnam can be found in the many fine personal memoirs of the war.
Few of the men who provided details of their Vietnam experience for this book had discussed their service with anyone outside the veteran community since the war. In some cases, the men who related their stories to the author were personal acquaintances. Others were introduced during reunions, or contacted by telephone or email. As a fellow veteran, there was an element of trust between the author and the men who related their experiences. Shared combat experience generates a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood that withstands the tests of time. In some cases, the author gained a new perspective of his own experiences after talking with other veterans. Without exception, the men with whom the author communicated were remarkably honest and forthright about their combat experience and the effect it had on their lives. Their recollections of combat are corroborated by other sources such as official records and documents held by the National Archives.
It is hoped that the reader will gain a new appreciation for the men who fought in Vietnam. The stoicism that they demonstrated in the midst of an unpopular war is impressive. Their ability to endure under the most difficult conditions and continue on with the mission, even though worn out and exhausted, and fighting for a cause they little understood, is remarkable. Those who gave their lives, as well as those who survived, should serve as an inspiration for all those
called upon to defend the nation in current and future wars.
The author thanks the many veterans of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade who over the past several years shared their memories and recollections of the events described in Days of Valor. In particular, I appreciate the insight and encouragement provided by Colonel William Schroeder, who was at the center of many of the events described in this book, both as a battalion commander and later as a key staff officer at II Field Force Headquarters. While the research for this book was in progress, it was brought to his attention that two members of his battalion never received the Silver Stars that he had recommended. Bill Schroeder reinitiated the award recommendations, spending days of his personal time to insure that his men received the awards, and then organized an appropriate ceremony for the presentation of the awards in 2005.
Additionally, the author thanks and commends the efforts of Bill Hill of Columbus, Georgia who provided copies of many of the documents used as sources for this book. Bill was also the primary organizer of a 2005 reunion at Fort Benning, Georgia for veterans of the 4/12th Infantry, many of whom contributed their stories to this book. Bill is a tireless worker who has assisted many veterans in preparing the necessary documentation for their disability claims.
Also, I would like to thank and commend Peter Joannides and George Holmes, co-founders of the Redcatcher Association, for their efforts to locate hundreds of veterans of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade and reunite them with their former comrades-in-arms. Larry McDougal, historian of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade Association, is also deserving of special recognition for his efforts to document the history of the brigade over the past decades. Clifford Snyder, military archivist at the National Archives, was also extremely helpful in identifying and locating after-action reports, unit orders, and daily staff journals of the units involved in this book. A special thanks is also given to Mike Podolny of MP Cartographics for his preparation of the maps found in this book. My sincere appreciation is also extended to David Farnsworth of Casemate Publishers, who thought this book worthy of publication, and to my editor, Steven Smith.
Last but not least, I offer my gratitude and thanks to my wife, Polly Tonsetic, for her love, encouragement, and support during the many months that it took to research and write this book.
GLOSSARY
ACAV An armored cavalry assault vehicle: a modified M113 armored personnel carrier
ACR Armored Cavalry Regiment
Agent Orange A defoliant/herbicide used to kill vegetation
AK-47 A shoulder-fired Russian or Chinese manufactured assault rifle, standard weapon carried by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers
AO Area of operations
APC Armored Personnel Carrier
ARVN Army of the Republic of (South) Vietnam
Beehive round A round fired from a recoilless rifle containing dart like flechettes
B40 A Communist shaped charge projectile fired by the RPG2 or RPG7
BMB Brigade main base
C4 Plastic explosive used for demolition work
C&C ship Command and control helicopter
Canopy The uppermost spreading branchy layer of a jungle or forest
CAR15 A short barreled version of the M16 with a collapsible stock
CAS Close air support by tactical fixed wing aircraft
CG Commanding general
Checkfire Artillery command that causes an immediate temporary halt in firing
Chi-Com Chinese Communist
Chinook The CH-47 heavy lift helicopter used by Army aviation
CIB Combat Infantry Badge
Claymore A US anti-personnel mine
Click Slang for kilometer
CMD Capital Military District (Saigon)
CO Commanding officer
Cobra AH-1 helicopter gunship
Cold LZ A helicopter landing zone having no enemy opposition
Commo Communications
Concertina Coils of barbed wire used in defensive positions
CONEX A steel shipping container
CP Command post
CP Command post
Cottonbalers The nickname of the 7th Infantry Regiment
C rations Combat field rations issued to U.S. forces
DEFCON A defensive concentration of artillery or mortar fire
Direct fire Fire aimed by line of sight
Door gunner A soldier who fires a machine gun from a helicopter
DSC Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest award for heroism
Duster The M42 combat vehicle with twin 40mm cannons, used for ground defense in Vietnam
Dust-off Medical evacuation by helicopter
Elephant grass Tall coarse grass with sharp edges that grows in open uncultivated areas
EOD Explosive ordnance disposal
FAC Forward air controller
FDC Fire direction center
Fire base A temporary forward base from which artillery and mortars fire in support of deployed infantry units
Fire mission A formatted request for artillery or mortar fires from forward deployed troops
FO Forward observer for artillery
FSB Fire support base
Grunt Infantryman
Gunship An armed helicopter that provides fire support for ground forces
HE High explosive
H&I Harassment and interdiction fire (artillery fire) Hooch Vietnamese hut or house
Hot LZ A helicopter landing zone held by enemy troops
Howitzer An artillery piece capable of firing projectiles at medium muzzle velocity with relatively high trajectories
Huey UH-1 helicopter
I&R Intelligence and reconnaissance
Indirect fire Fire not directly aimed at a target by line of sight
Infusion Transferring soldiers from one unit to another to balance combat experienced soldiers with new arrivals
KIA Killed in action
Kit Carson Scout A North Vietnamese soldier who defected and agreed to scout for US troops
LAW The M72 light anti-tank weapon, fired from the shoulder
LIB Light infantry brigade (Army)
Local Force Viet Cong forces who generally stayed in the same geographical area and usually employed guerilla tactics when engaging U.S., ARVN, and Allied forces
LP Listening post
LRP Long range patrol
LRRP Long range reconnaissance patrol
LZ Landing zone for helicopter(s)
M16 U.S. 5.56mm rifle, standard rifle used by U.S. troops in Vietnam
M60 U.S. 7.62mm machine gun, standard light machine gun used by U.S. troops in Vietnam
M79 U.S. 40mm grenade launcher
MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam
Main Force Viet Cong units that were better armed, trained and equipped to conduct major attacks against U.S., South Vietnamese forces, and Allied forces
Mechanized unit An infantry unit that moves by armored personnel unit carriers
Medevac Medical evacuation of wounded from the battlefield usually by helicopter
Military crest The area on the forward slope of a hill or ridge from which maximum observation covering the slope down to the base can be obtained
Mortar a high trajectory indirect fire infantry weapon
MOS Military occupational speciality
MP Military Police
Napalm An incendiary mixture of thickened petroleum dropped by aircraft in canisters
NCO Noncommissioned officer or sergeant
NDP Night defensive position
NVA North Vietnamese Army
OCS Officer Candidate School
Old Guard The nickname of the 3d Infantry Regiment
People Sniffer A device sensitive to ammonia in urine that could be mounted on a helicopter, usually a UH-1 or variant, flying low over the jungle
PF Popular Forces (South Vietnamese local militia forces)
PIO Public Information Officer
Point man The forward most man in an infantry maneuvering unit who leads the way
POW Prisoner of war
PSP Pierced steel planking: used for makeshift runways and helipads
PX Post exchange
PZ Pick-up zone, an area where helicopters land to pickup troops
Quad-50 Four .50 caliber machine guns mounted on a truck chasis
RAG boat Riverine Assault Group watercraft
R&R Rest and recreation, a five-day leave period granted U.S. soldiers and usually taken outside Vietnam
Recon by fire To fire into an area where an enemy may be hiding before entering the area
Redcatchers The nickname of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade
RF Regional Forces (South Vietnamese)
ROTC Reserve Officers Training Corps
RPD Communist 7.62 light machine gun
RPG Soviet or Chinese made rocket propelled grenade with a shaped charge
RTO Radio Telephone Operator
Rucksack Backpack in which a soldier carries his field equipment and rations
S1 Staff personnel officer
S2 Staff intelligence officer S3 Staff operations officer
S3 Air Staff officer responsible for planning and coordinating airmobile and air support of a unit’s operations
S4 Staff logistics officer
Sapper A VC or NVA soldier specially trained in infiltration and demolitions
Satchel charge An explosive charge carried by sappers that can be placed or hurled into bunkers and other facilities
Shrapnel Metal shards or fragments from an exploding shell, bomb, or mine
SITREP Situation report
Slick UH-1 troop carrying or supply helicopter
Spooky U.S. Air Force fixed-wing gunship/flareship, either an AC-47 or AC-130
Stand to A period of time when the troops in a defensive position are at 100 percent alert in their assigned fighting positions