Vietnam War Timeline

157
19 February 1967

Submitted by: Alonso Jones

In reference to PFC Hogston\'s death, the following facts are noted: The first event on 20 November l966, he received an almost center/direct hit to the front of his Helmet (Steel Pot), during an engagement near Plei Djering. The round went completely through the Helmet and then went around between the Helmet and the Helmet liner. He wasn\'t injured seriously. I did notice just a trace of blood. The following day, after arriving back at the Battalion Fire Support Base, there were news reporters present for interviews. I don\'t remember which network. PFC Hogston was being interviewed. The Battalion Commander or the Brigade Commander was present.

I remember the Commander telling the news reporter that \"he had given PFC Hogston special permission to take the Helmet back to the States with him\". I believe he was Med Evaced for a couple of days and then returned to the Company. I was the Platoon Sergeant of the 2nd Platoon at that time, but was with the 3rd Platoon (Hogstons\' Platoon) earlier as a Squad Leader and at times the Platoon Sergeant. SSG Jack Pollard (now deceased) was the Platoon Sergeant of the 3rd Platoon, at the time of his death. On the date of his death, which happened around l0:00 P.M., the 3rd Platoon was set up in an ambush site approximately 400 meters from where my 2nd Platoon was also set up. Approximately at the above stated time, I heard the gunfire which was one fully automatic burst of fire, which was later described to me as a full magazine (about l8 rds). We normally only loaded l8-l9 rounds instead of the full 20 due to the weakening of the spring in the magazine.

Just before the gunfire, PFC Hogston or the other man on his position observed one or possibly more enemy troops approaching their position from the front (a trail, as I recall) and PFC Hogston was in the process of giving notice to the position on the left and on the right. He notified one of the positions and while attempting to notify the other position, he somehow wondered in front of his own position, instead of moving behind his position, which was always the method. When he got in front of his own position, he was understandably mistaken for the enemy and therefore perished, at the hands of the man on his position. The man with him on that position was one of the finest soldiers I\'ve ever known and would never have done what he did intentionally. I was monitoring the radio and when PFC Hogston\'s Line NO from the Company Roster was reported and I checked my roster, I was stunned to say the least. As I recall, the soldier that accidentally killed him, grieved almost uncontrollably. It was certainly a sad few days in Bravo Company following that.

Alonzo Jones