Vietnam War Timeline

65
2 January 1969
1/35th
Submitted by: Dave Fogg

3rd Bde 4th Inf Div
Bn (1/35) Forward Fire Base
LZ Lanetta YA857457

Unit Locations:
A 1/35 (-) LZ Lanetta YA857457
B 1/35 (-) LZ MaryEtta YA766492
C 1/35 (-) LZ Betty YA905505
D/1/35 OPCON to 2/1 Cav
Recon Plt grid 733486
4.2" Mortar Plt, LZ Lanetta

Summary: Log opened at 0001 hours 2 January 1969. Unit locations: At LZ Lanetta YA857457, Battalion Headquarters (Forward), A Company 1/35, E Company, C Battery 2/9 artillery, 3rd platoon D Company 4th Engineers Battalion, counter mortar section from the 52 group; At LZ MaryEtta YA766492; B Company, 1 CSF platoon from the new Special Forces Camp at Plei Djerang; At LZ Betty YA905505; C Company, At grid YA729501; 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).

Readout on the search for the MIA from Recon. We had the 1/10 Cav from 0827 hours to 1105 hours, 2 LOH's, 1 Slick and 2 Gunships. They had negative findings on the MIA from 0950 hours to 1139 hours we had HH-47 on the Se San river with negative findings on the MIA from 1050 hours to 1130 hours. The Battalion Commander LTC Buckner and the Commanding Officer 4th Engineer Battalion Captain Hunt flew the crossing site and computed the river flow and also had negative findings.

For 3 January we now requested from Bde one (1), three (3) man raft, 2 grappling hooks, 2 500 foot ropes, 5 life jackets and one Headhunter when the equipment arrives we will put one platoon on the river crossing site to drag the river and try and locate the body.

At 1120 hours B Company 3rd platoon closed LZ MaryEtta for a search and ambush operation. At 1221 hours E Company Recon platoon closed LZ MaryEtta for a search and ambush operation. The convoy departed LZ MaryEtta at 1930 hours Recon reported the CIDG OP by the village on the north side of the perimeter reported that he was receiving small arms fire and grenades. CSF reported that a drunk was trying to get through the gate and the OP opened fire in him.

At 1935 hours the S-3 Operations Sergeant and the Commo Sergeant spotted 2 unidentified choppers at grid 8548 both choppers sat down and they were not observed again for a while. Bde was informed of the sightings and they said that there were no friendly choppers in the area, a Snoopy was sent out to check the area with 2 other fixed wing aircraft, they had negative sightings and they were pulled for another mission. Division sent several gunships to check the area, they had several sighting and they expended Rockets and M-60 ammo with negative assessment of the damage. The CSF was observed several times by S-3 and the S-3 Sergeant, Commo Sergeant and other individuals. At the time that the gunships were getting the sightings rounds were fired at the same location as our sighting.