Vietnam War Timeline

140
30 October 1968
1/35th
Submitted by: Dave Fogg

3rd Bde 4th Inf Div
Bn (1/35) Forward Fire Base
LZ Joan, Duc Co, YA 844251

Unit Locations:
A 1/35 LZ Vera, YA 807232 (OPCON to 3/8 Inf.)
B 1/35 YA 95014533148
C 1/35 (-) LZ Jean, YA 809234
D 1/35 (-) LZ Jean, YA 809234
Recon Plt, LZ Joan
4.2 Mortar Plt, LZ Joan
A Co 1/14 YA 954155

Summary: Log opened at 0001 hours 30 October 1968. Unit locations: At LZ Joan YA842251, Battalion Headquarters (Forward), B Battery 2/9 Artillery, E Company Recon Platoon 1/35 Infantry, E Company 4.2 Mortar platoon 1/35 Infantry, Counter Mortar Section 2/9 artillery; 1st Platoon B Co 4th Engineers Battalion, At LZ Jean YA809235; C Company 1/35, D Company 1/35, C Battery 2/9 Artillery, 1 AN/TPS-25 section from Division artillery; At LZ Vera YA835178, A Company 1/35 OPCON to 3/8 Infantry, At LZ Chief B Company 1/35, 2nd platoon of A Company 1/14 Inf, At LZ Oasis; Headquarters and Headquarters Company Support (S-4 Forward); At Base Camp (Camp Enari); Battalion Headquarters (Rear). At 0330 hours B Co reported incoming artillery rounds in the A (-) 1/14 area. Rounds sounded like large HE, possibly canister rounds. The rounds were coming from the north-northeast and were bursting overhead. Could not determine if the rounds were friendly or enemy. A Co (-) sustained 5 casualties as a result of frag wounds. The individuals were Med-Evaced at 0620 hours. 0945 hours message from the Bde S-3 to Bn: 2 bombs (10,000 lb test bomb) will be dropped in the grid given yesterday, 1 on primary, 1 on secondary or 2 on primary, heavy artillery warning issued every 5 minutes from 1030 to 1230 hours, stay clear 6 kilometers from the target, 6,000 feet on both targets, no aircraft is allowed to fly below 2500 feet altitude over the bombed area after the bomb has been dropped. From 0415 to 0640 hours the radar section at LZ's Jean and Joan picked up 5 unidentified flying aircraft low to the ground. The aircraft was working west to east to west. A check at Bde was made to see if there were any friendly aircraft in the area. Bde informed the S-3 that there were no friendly aircraft in the area. Acting upon this information the S-3 requested gunships be sent to this location. The unidentified aircraft were working in the vicinity of grids YA8221 and 8027 when the gunships came on station a dogfight resulted with one of the unidentified aircraft and the gunship. The enemy aircraft was believed to be shot down at grid YA820193. The vegetation is very thick in this area and the radar and the gunships lost sight of the aircraft. No more sightings were reported until 2245 hours when radar picked up another aircraft at grid 814216 and continued to have sightings unit 2358 hours. Most of the movement was towards the Cambodian border, however no action was taken. All other activities were routine and were coordinated by the staff.