Vietnam War Timeline

249
17 December 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 Joan YA844252
B 1-35 (-) LZ MaryEtta YA763491
C 1-35 (-) LZ Betty YA905505
D 1-35 OPCON to 2/1 Cav
Recon Plt (-) LZ Lanetta YA855458
4.2 Mortar Plt, LZ Joan

Summary: Log opened at 0001 hours 17 December 1968. Unit locations: At LZ Joan YA841251, Battalion Headquarters (Forward), A Company 1/35, E (-) Company, 3rd platoon D Company 4th Engineers Battalion, counter mortar section from the 2/9 artillery; At LZ MaryEtta YA763491; B Company, 1 CSF platoon from the new Special Forces Camp at Plei Djerang; At LZ Betty YA905505; C Company, At LZ Lanetta YA854458; E Company Recon platoon, 2 CSF platoons from the new Special Forces Camp at Plei Djerang; OPCON Units: D Company OPCON 2/1 Cav; At LZ Oasis; Headquarters and Headquarters Company Support (S-4 Forward); At Base Camp (Camp Enari); Battalion Headquarters (Rear). No significant activities occurred in the area of operation during the reporting period. 0755 hours (C) A wrap-up on the caves C Co found yesterday, grid location of the caves is grid YA912506; two large rooms with three openings, 2 were too small to enter, believe they may have been air-vents, the large room of the cave was 6x8x6, the two small rooms in each cave could not be entered. By visual spotting they found an opening in the floor of two of the smaller hooches, each opening went straight down, openings were too small to enter, found a very old small bed in one of the larger rooms. There were no signs of recent activity. Checked out what could be checked out and then proceeded to contaminate the entire cave system with C/S gas, they do believe that the cave was connected in some way with an underground tunnel complex. 1230 hours (C) A Co SRP 11 found what appears to be a VC Base Camp at grid 834228, found in a bamboo thicket approximately three week old, 125-150 meters long, they also found 20-30 fox holes with dirt thrown up in front to form a berm in front of the fox holes. They also found 1 82mm Mortar round, appeared to be incoming 1235 hours (C) From S-2: At grid YA792192 at 1145 hours CSF had an 80 man element make contact with an estimated 10 NVA, the enemy wore khakis and they were armed with AK-47 rifles. Contact was initiated by the CSF and the NVA broke contact immediately, casualties were unknown. 2105 hours (C) Readout on the CSF contact: 80-man force on Hill 391 were pinned down by heavy small arms fire, automatic weapons, 15 B-40 Rockets, estimated enemy force was a battalion in size, CSF Commander (Vietnamese) states that the enemy was trying to move in heavy artillery of on unknown type. He thinks that the NVA did not know that his element was on Hill 391 because of the approach to Hill 391, after the contact he believes that the enemy was moving the artillery to the southwest, they are now receiving sporadic fire. Spooky at grid 779198, 778202, artillery is being employed and artillery is going to be employed in a blocking manner, this southwest along the river and draws along the border along know trails plotted during the last sweep by Bde and along trails and possible way stations found during Recon sweep. CSF Co will conduct a sweep of Hill 391, 300 and the adjoining area tomorrow. CSF does not wish to employ an air strike in the area tonight unless the situation should develop. 2225 hours (C) From the Bde S-3 to Major Royal: Evacuate LZ Joan on 19 December 1968, truck move to LZ Lanetta and LZ Betty, Bn CP will be in the vicinity of Plei Djerang, release the 2 platoons of CSF at LZ Lanetta to Plei Djerang, provide for the security of the 105 at LZ Lanetta, provide one Company as a reactionary force to go any place in the Bde A/O on order, retain 1 platoon CSF to be OPCON on LZ MaryEtta, will leave the hook sorties to take the radar. Trucks will be at LZ Joan 19 December 1968 at 0900 hours. Bn S-3 will have the truck needs in by tomorrow, need 3 hook sorties for the TOC, need a wrecker on 19 December 1968.