Vietnam War Timeline

250
18 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 18 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). The counter mortar section at LZ Joan picked up unidentified helicopters at grids between 0130 hours 18 December 1968 and continues the sightings until 0555 hours. Gunships and Spooky were on station; the radar again picked up the birds at 2315 hours and continued to have sightings until 0001 hours. Gunships and Spooky were called in again and they spotted what appeared to be aircraft but they were unable to make a positive identification. All units on LZ Joan were alerted for the move to LZ Lanetta on 19 December 1968. 0130 hours (C) From the artillery to TOC: Radar spotted a chopper at grid 874255 this at 0057 hours moving toward Cambodia at 0108 hours, the chopper went down at grid 846276 at 0111 hours, chopper came back up and it is at grid 846279, at 0119 chopper was at 815272, at 0127 hours radar lost the chopper at grid 793271. 0615 hours (C) Gunships expended their rounds and left the station, last report from radar his last sighting was at grid azimuth of 345 degrees at a distance of 1500 meters in a valley to the north-northwest from Duc Co, one of the gunships fired on the dim lights close together, these lights are what appeared to be on a fixed wing aircraft, both gunships have left station due to an expenditure of fuel.