Vietnam War Timeline

293
4 August 1967
Alpha 2/35th
Submitted by: Jim Anderson

Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam, is located about 50 kilometers north of the port city of Qui Nhon. The Province is situated between the South China Sea on its eastern border and the foothills leading to the highlands that characterize the inland areas of Vietnam. The lowlands between the sea and the foothills was and is noted for the production of rice. This rich and fertile strip of land, barely 12 kilometers wide, was in 1966 and 1967 a major supplier of rice to the troops of the North Vietnamese Army. Small villages dotted the landscape, set down amongst the rich fields.

The entire area was sympathetic to the cause of the north Vietnamese. Virtually every man, woman and child was a sympathizer and most were actively engaged in the attempt to destroy the Government of South Vietnam and any US troops who were in the area. The Government of South Vietnam had long previously abandoned any attempts to win over the people of Quang Ngai, so staunch was their support of the North.

The 35th Infantry Regiment arrived in Quang Ngai in mid-April 1967, on the heels of the Marines Corps troops, who were pulled to the DMZ further north. The arrival of the 35th was significant in that no US Army troops had been stationed in I Corps prior to this time. The reception of US Army troops by the inhabitants was almost immediate. Major engagements were fought by the 2/35th Infantry within hours of its arrival. In the seven months that the 35th patrolled the Viet Cong infested villages and lowlands, clashes were constant, but for the most part small. It seems that virtually every day one or more of the companies of the battalion were engaged by VC. The Battalion was averaging about seven enemy KIA\'s per day. By the first part of August, the Battalion had over 1000 enemy kills in Quang Ngai Province. In that same period, the 35th lost 60 of her bravest men.

With that background, we\'ll turn to the events of August 4, 1967. Alpha Company had spent the previous night on another of the Battalion firebases, LZ LIZ. Almost daily, one of the line companies was chosen to go on a combat Assault (CA). The company was loaded onto helicopters and inserted into an area that the intelligence community had determined held a concentration of VC. That day it was Alpha company\'s turn. Boarding their choppers at 0753, they headed north about 10 kilometers. That day\'s landing was cold, meaning that no incoming fire was received on landing. Arriving just south of the village of Dong Cat (2), the company moved northeast about 3 KM to the village of Minh Tan (2). There they found the bodies of three Viet Cong who had been killed by Shark gunships (rocket and machine gun armed helicopters). Picking up the captured weapons of the VC, they continued northwest to an area just west of Hoai An (2). There they cornered three VC in one of the many bunkers found in every village. All three were killed, having refused to come out and surrender. Captured were one Chinese manufactured machine gun and an M-1 rifle. Moving south through this village, the company was attacked with hand grenades. Six men were hit and the call went out for a dustoff helicopter at 1031. Though only minutes away from medical attention, two of our own died that day; Sp4 Richard Ferdig, age 22, and Sp4 Jamie Parrillo-Calderone, age 20. Alpha Company went on with their mission. Finding and killing, in the next few hours, four more VC in the same village. That night they set up a perimeter on a small hillside just east of Hoai An. The next day, more of the same. It always was that way.