Vietnam War Timeline

122
12 October 1968
1/35th
Submitted by: Dave Fogg

3rd Bde 4th Inf Div
Bn (1/35) Forward Fire Base
LZ Joan, Duc Co, YA 845252

Unit Locations:
A 1/35 LZ Joan, YA 845251
B 1/35 LZ Mary S YA 766327
C 1/35 LZ Virginia Lee, YA 842091
D 1/35 LZ Jean, YA 809233
Recon OPCON 1/14 Inf LZ Mary Lou ZA227840
4.2 Mortar Plt OPCON to 1/14 Inf LZ Mary Lou ZA227840

Summary: Log opened at 0001 hours 12 October 1968. Unit locations: At LZ Joan YA842251, Battalion Headquarters (Forward), A Company 1/35, B Battery 1/92 Artillery, C Battery 7/15 Artillery; At LZ Jean 2nd Plt of B Company, D Company, 1 CSF (Camp Strike Force) platoon from Duc Co Special Forces Camp; At LZ Virginia Lee, YA842091, C Company, A Battery 2/9 Artillery, 2 CSF platoons from the Special Forces Camp at Duc Co; At LZ Mary S YA766327, B Company 3/8 Infantry OPCON to the 1/35. At LZ Mary Lou ZA227840, Recon platoon OPCON 1/14 Inf, 4.2 Mortar Platoon OPCON 1/14 Inf; Base Camp (Camp Enari), Battalion Headquarters (rear), E Company (-). At 0355 hours SRP team 8 from A Company receiving one (1) round of small arms fire at grid YA865252. The team received the fire at 0255 hours but they did not report it until the time given earlier. The team believed that the round was fired from an SKS rifle. The team did not engage the enemy with small arms fire but instead they requested artillery. Recon platoon returned to the control of the Battalion. The first lift from LZ Mary Lou touched down at LZ Joan at 0955 hours. The lift was complete at 1015 hours. At 1020 hours SRP team 7 reported finding a trail that was 2 days old. Trail found at grid coordinate YA785230. The trail was running from the Northeast to the Southwest. The trail appeared to have been used recently. At 1036 hours the Recon platoon was lifted from LZ Joan to LZ Jean. The lift was competed at 1040 hours. At 1315 hours there was a message from the Bde, LRP team 3B made contact at grid coordinates YA735235. This at 1425 hours. Have one platoon ready on standby to reinforce the 7/17 Cav if they are inserted at the point of contact. At 1247 hours the 2nd platoon of B Company was alerted for this mission. The platoon was taken off this alert at 1705 hours. At 1710 hours SRP 4 from C Company found a bunker complex at grid coordinates YA816092. There were 31 bunkers found 5 of them had overhead cover, they were four feet deep and they were good 2 man positions. These bunkers were approximately six months old. The engineers will destroy and contaminate these bunkers at first light with C/S gas. At 1930 hours SRP team 10 from D Company reported movement 40 meters to the West of their locations. The grid of SRP team 10 is YA842251. Azimuth of 4800 mils. Light organics were fired and were on target. Movement stopped. 155 Battery from LZ Jean is laying in that direction. At 2005 hours B Company reported lights 1000 meters from their locations grid YA842251. Azimuth 1600 mils. Light organics artillery was fired. The rounds were on target and the lights went out. At 2045 hours LP 5 from C Company has movement at grid YA813078. Estimated 5 individuals. Light organics were fired and the movement stopped. At 2044 hours SRP team 3 from B Company 3/8 Infantry at LZ Mary S reported movement and sounds of chopping. Sounds seemed to be coming 50-75 meters from his location at grid YA758317. Azimuth 2500 mils. Light organics were fired; rounds were on target and movement stopped. At 2245 hours a message from the Bde S-3 air to the Bn S-3 Captain Sans: Request for planned aircraft support must be received at the Bde Forward CP not later than 1700 hours daily in order for the cancel request to be formulated. Those received after 1700 hours will not be acted upon. An immediate unforeseen request of a tactical nature will be accepted at any time. The final decision as to allocation priority will be made by the Bde Commander Colonel McClellan. At 2359 hours B Company informed us that they would evacuate LZ Mary S when the unit from the 3/8 closed the LZ.