Vietnam War Timeline

229
24 November 1968
1/35th
Submitted by: Dave Fogg

3rd Bde 4th Inf Div
Bn (1/35) Forward Fire Base
LZ Joan, Duc Co, YA 844252

Unit Locations:
A 1/35 LZ Vera, OPCON to 3/8 YA838178
B 1/35 LZ Joan, YA844252
C 1/35 LZ Jean, YA809234
D 1/35 LZ Jean, YA 809234
Recon Plt LZ Joan YA844252
4.2 Mortar Plt, LZ Joan

Summary: Log opened at 0001 hours 24 November 1968. Unit locations: At LZ Joan YA841251, Battalion Headquarters (Forward), B Company 1/35, C Battery 2/9 Artillery, C Battery (-) 7/15 Artillery GS, E Company, Counter Mortar Section 2/9 artillery; 1st Platoon D Co 4th Engineers Battalion, Mobile Dental Clinic from the 4th Medical Battalion; At LZ Jean YA809234; C Company 1/35, D Company 1/35, 1 CSF platoon from the Special Forces Camp at Duc Co, 1 AN/TPS-25 section from Division artillery, Counter Mortar Section from the 4/42 Artillery; At LZ Vera YA835178, A Company 1/35 OPCON to 3/8 Infantry; At LZ Oasis; Headquarters and Headquarters Company Support (S-4 Forward); At Base Camp (Camp Enari); Battalion Headquarters (Rear). At 0620 hours SRP 13 from D Company reported seeing 4-5 individuals setting up a mortar position at grid YA813210, artillery and light organics were employed, there was a negative assessment or casualties. Recon platoon on the airstrip at Duc Co C/A to Hill 391, artillery fired a 5-minute preparatory fire prior to the lift off, the first ship was off the ground at 0912 hours and it touched down at 0927 hours, LZ COLD, the lift was completed at 0921 hours. Recon platoon made a sweep of the area in and around Hill 391 and spotted 4-5 individuals but they did not make contact, the sweep of Hill 391 and the surrounding area revealed a network of trails and tunnels, they also found 1 AK-47 round and 2 NVA LRRP ration bags, toothpicks, 1 document, they also had one man wounded in the head but there was no information available as to how the individual sustained the wound. Recon platoon returned to LZ Joan at 2026 hours.

1835 hours (C) From Bde NCOIC: To TOC; Warning order-Be prepared to conduct a 5 Battalion operation west of LZ Vera on 27 Nov. 68, OP order will be disseminated tomorrow morning.

1845 hours (C) From Bde NCOIC to Major Royal Bn S-3: Inform the Bn S-3 same restrictions as on the other operation, SRP's pulled in to within 1,000 meters of LZ Jean, minimize radio transmission on Bde insecure, don't inform anyone lower than the unit Commander.

2240 hours (C) Readout on Recon: Found a tunnel at grid YA779198, 15 and 3'x3' at the tunnel end there was a sleeping mat of burlap, the tunnel has wooden walls, there were numerous trails all over the hills, one heavily used trail which had a fresh scent 3-days old. The trail ran north along the top of the hill and then west and then southwest and then it turned at the bottom of the hill south at grid YA777207. Found a platoon size staging area, also found 2 bunkers, 3 feet wide, 3 feet deep and 5 feet long just west of the staging area. The bunkers had overhead cover 2 feet in width made up of wood and dirt. The bunkers were C/S'd and blown, there were numerous dry stream beds in the area which could be used as trails, negative signs of vehicles, trails in the area. Found: 1 AK-47 round, 1 document (torn up), numerous toothpicks and 2 NVA LRRP rations bags.