Vietnam War Timeline

408
8 January 1969
2nd Plt. Bravo 1/35th
Submitted by: Dave Fogg

The following is from the journal Ralph Leebert kept during his tour. Ralph was the squad sergeant for 3rd squad, 2nd platoon, B Co., 1st Bn., 35th Inf., 4th Inf. Div. 1968/1969.


Wednesday, January 8, 1969, LZ Maryetta:

Today started as usual, nothing out of the extraordinary was foreseen. We worked as usual on the bunker and trenches. Then a little after eleven in the morning our platoon was told to pack up for a mission southeast of Maryetta. The mission was an ambush along a river bank that flows through a village classified as VC sympathizers. Lt. Mariella had to hold a briefing at LZ Lanetta before we would leave. Upon his return we were told that the platoon would leave at 5:30. The CA would be conducted at that time. We would travel after touch down approximately eight hundred meters, set up and wait. Remain there the next day, them move out at dark to another location.

Just prior to our pick up a LRRP team came in contact so we were to go and give them help. Every bird was up and heading towards the area of contact except Sgt Charles Rigsby, myself, plus four other men. All we could do was listen on the radio to the action. The LZ at the other end was hot, but after the gunships worked the area over the birds went in. The first bird came back and picked us up and we were dropped about 200 meters short of the original LZ. Had the LZ been hot we would have been in a world of hurt, but since it was not we were able to make it to the platoon okay. After arriving and joining the platoon we quickly headed towards the woodline, then made an abrupt about face and went back to the LZ to set up for the night.

Thursday, January 9, 1969:

The way the day started anything could have happened. Yesterday there were dinks in the area, so that meant there possibly could be some today. Our objective was to destroy a cultivated area that the LRRP's had found. Apparently the dinks were using it for food supply. Accomplishing along with the above we also were to conduct a sweep of the area. Sergeant Melvin Berrong had lead squad last evening on the CA so this morning Redmond, he had the point. My squad was depleted badly. I have two men in the rear and four stayed at LZ Maryetta, as they had just returned from a SRRP mission and we were not taking them along.

Jim Redmond had four of his men on a SRRP mission when we left, so he had the LRRP's we came to extract out, join his squad this morning. One LRRP walked point for the platoon because he knew exactly where we were to go. Jesse Boyd Hayes was walking lead for Redmond's squad. Third was an engineer carrying an M-79 grenade launcher, Redmond, his RTO, Thomas Morrow, Stanley Rice, the remainder of the LRRP's, then my squad started, and Sergeant Berrong's squad. We moved out and headed for the woodline. Entering the woodline we proceeded what appeared to be forty meters, maybe a little less. At this point coming from our left front two shots were fired. A return burst from a sixteen was heard, then two AK-47 rifles opened up on automatic.

It didn't take but the first round fired to have everyone on the ground. But because the ambush happened so fast, it was just a matter of seconds to realize that one man was hit and the LRRP (Craig Loftus) and Jesse Hayes were hit (both walking point). The rest of Redmond's squad pulled back to where I was and we regrouped. Sergeant Berrong's squad was sent to the right to try and flank the dinks. At the same time everyone was busy getting things going for our defense. Lt. Mariella was getting medivac, Lt. Jackson (artillery), was starting the process for redleg fire (Howitzers or cannons), and possibly gunships.


While the above was still going, Redmond and I were helping the medic take care of the wounded LRRP (Todd Wood, he later died of his wounds). After we had him bandaged up we had to get him back to the LZ to be extracted. Two men carried him back to the LZ. Still, we had two men out about twenty meters and we did not know what their condition was. Redmond plus his RTO, Harold Hodge were going to crawl out and see but we were all called back.

Lt. Jackson was still having trouble getting artillery; the E-6 in command of the LRRP's had a head-hunter for an air strike, so Lt. Jackson decided that since he was unable to get us support from the rear, he would adjust the jets in making their run. A plan was devised at this same time. When the jets opened up with the 20-mm guns, six men would rush forward, get the two men from up front and bring them back. The strategy worked to get the men but they were both dead. Neither one of the two actually had a chance. Both took a shot in the heart plus other rounds from the mid section up.

The platoon set up a perimeter to get all three men out. Within a few minutes there were choppers all over the place. The first bird to land was carrying men from Alpha Company. The second was the medivac. Once the men were out it made it a little easier to counter act against the dinks. Alpha Company had a platoon CA'd to help us. First they headed for the woodline and we had to call them to our location. Lt. Jackson had some fire going out in that direction, therefore, it was important to get those men out.

Once Alpha company was with us we started to move out. Alpha was on our left side. The redlegs called and said that they had some guns for us. We once again pulled back to the LZ. Lt. Jackson did a wonderful job, especially since it was 175-mm guns putting two hundred-pound bombs in our area.

Maybe twenty or twenty-five minutes passed and we were off again. This time Alpha had point and our platoon followed. We must have moved about four to five hundred meters when we got in another firefight. This time we were ready for them. Alpha was putting out a good volume of firepower, while our platoon maneuvered. First, I was told to take my squad to the left then abruptly I was told to go to the right. At first all I had was David Shaffer, my M-79 man, Cauthen, A rifleman, and myself. Then a few minutes later three men from Sgt. Berrong's squad came and joined us. I had Shaffer put out a good volume of 79 rounds although we couldn't see any dinks. James Jackson, the M-79 man from Sgt. Berrong's squad, had something go wrong with his weapon, so that left me with one man defenseless. I left Cecil Duke (WHA, frag in arm) with him and we continued to push to the right to cut the dinks off from getting by. I cannot say how much time passed until we were called back. There were still NVA soldiers around but more support was coming in so we had to fall back as not to be hit by our own incoming rounds.

Once we reached the LZ we were picked up and taken out of the area. I was the last man out of the area from the platoon so I ended stayng the night with Alpha Company. Everybody was nice to me and I had no trouble getting a place to sleep. I was not sad to see the day come to an end. I felt so good being in a secure area again.