Vietnam War Timeline

198
16 February 1969
1/35th
Submitted by: Dave Fogg

3rd Bde 4th Inf Div Bn (1/35) Forward Fire Base
LZ Lillie ZA115561

Unit Locations:
1/35 CP LZ Lillie ZA119561
A Company 1/35 ZA008522, OPCON 1/10 Cav
A Co 1st plt 054517
B 1/35 (-) 078527
C 1/35 071439
C Co 2nd platoon Rock Quarry ZA083309
D 1/35 LZ Lillie
Recon 067514
4.2" LZ Lillie

16 Feb. 1969

Summary: Log opened at 0001 hours 16 February 1969. Unit locations: At LZ Lillie ZA115561, Battalion Headquarters (Forward); D Company, C Battery 2/9 Artillery, counter mortar section from the 2/9 artillery, 4.2" mortar platoon; B Company ZA078527; C Company ZA071439; Recon platoon ZA067514; OPCON units; A Company OPCON to the 1/10 Cav; C Company 2nd platoon Rock Quarry ZA083309; At LZ Oasis Headquarters and Headquarters Company Support (S-4 Froward); At Base Camp (Camp Enari); Battalion Headquarters (Rear).

At 0837 hours 16 Feb 1969 A Company begins a cordon and search operation of the village of Plei Blank Yam (1), as they were closing the village 9 young men were trying to flee and they were detained. At 1045 hours Recon reportedly spotted one VC/NVA north at grid 078512, 16 bunkers 2 man type, 2-3 feet of overhead cover, platforms with chairs and tables around the bunkers, they found 8 82mm mortar rounds, 2 fused, 50 round of AK-47 ammunition, 2 Chinese Communist grenades, 1 rucksack, 1 size 5 1/2 sandals, ARVN canteen, empty food cans with fresh food left in them, rectangular pits for ammunition boxes, the mortar position bunkers were used last night. At 1610 hours (077517) Recon found one new protective mask with a new canister inside, 1 entrenching tool, 1 canteen, 1 GI letter, 1 Girly magazine, 1 handsaw.

0150 hours (C) A Co reports movement to their south-southeast 150 meters, employed 2 hand grenades and 2 M-79 rounds, movement ceased.

0154 hours (C) A Co employed artillery but the movement continued, they are requesting Spooky through the 1/10 Cav, 1/10 Cav is trying to get Spooky.

0652 hours (C) From the Bde CO to all units CO's: Personnel Commanders will insure that none of their personnel leave the military camps, compounds, firebases or any other military installations in which they are performing duty for other than official business during TET period, 1200 hours 16 Feb 69- 0800 hours 20 Feb 69. 3d Bde personnel violating this restriction or apprehended in civilian centers during the TET period will be sighted, removed from the area by military police and returned to their unit for the appropriate disciplinary action, this restriction is effective 24 hours a day during the aforementioned period.

0920 hours (C) B Co reports plans for the platoons: 1st platoon is going on a patrol to the NW in the vicinity of grid 067537 circling around and coming back through 074537 possibly searching the village of Plei Ya Gran (2). 2nd platoon is going west to 064527 continue around south checking the trails approximately grid 070522, 3d platoon will stay in the immediate area of the CP, also will set up a night ambush at grid 077537, weapons platoon will stay in the CP area.

1045 hours (C) Recon spotted 1 VC/NVA, 1 EM fired on him, apparently missed him, sent out a small party to find the trail, negative findings and the VC/NVA fled to the north, VC/NVA 25-50 meters away.

1120 hours (C) Recon at grid 078512 readout on the findings; 16 bunkers 2 man type, 2-3 feet of overhead cover, platforms with charts and tables, around bunkers, bunkers are in a symmetrical pattern, found, 8-82mm mortar rounds, 3 fuses, 50 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 2 Chinese Communist hand grenades, 1 rucksack, 1 size 5 1/2 sandals, 1ARVN canteen, empty food cans with fresh food left, outhouses fresh rectangular pits with ammunitions boxes, empty mortar position, bunkers were used last night and they have been used for quite some time.

1121 hours (U) DELAYED ENTRY-0821 hours 16 Feb 69- A Co 1st platoon has been extracted to go to the 1/10 Cav.

1420 hours (C) B Co reports his 1st platoon found a bunker complex at grid 069539 about 100 meters from the river, bunker complex consists of 20 bunkers, good overhead cover, 12-18 inches thick, consisting of logs and dirt and able to hold 2-3 personnel occupied less than 1 month, bunkers were located in a bamboo thicket the enemy can move in without being seen some of the bunkers are out in the open.

1435 hours (C) To TOC B Co: Found more bunkers and they are more sophisticated than the other ones, fight positions and sleeping position bunkers they were built for all-around defense.

1610 hours (C) Current location of Recon: 077517 at this location they found 1 protective mask with a new canister inside, 1 entrenching tool, 1 canteen, 1 GI letter, 1 girly magazine and 1 hand saw.

1655 hours (C) Recon reports that they have just crossed the river at grid 076518 and they came upon another bunker complex, they found a well used trail running to the north, they also found a mess hall hooch with three fire places that are still warm with 2 canteens with the water still cool in them, the think that the enemy is not more than 30 minutes in front of them.