Commanders Diary

26 June-2 July 68

Diary 26 JUN - 2 JUL 1968

26 June - 3.0 + 1.75 + 1.5 + .5. End of 6th week. [Field strength] 610 Unquiet nite. C Co. had move [ment] vic. NDL. Fired 2 81 mm - may have been ARVN. More confusion on possible ROK [Republic of Korea] patrols. 4.2 Plat received 4-5 mortar rounds in Rainy Towel compound. B Co. & Manchu [4/9th Infantry] spotted mortars vic. 7196; arty fired at mortars. B Co. fired 81 [mm mortars] at SA fire. A Co. AM into swamp, made 2 LZs. Found 1 French mg [machine gun], hand grenade, cooking gear. No rain. No mail.

[List of items]
Airboat - Mech [struck through]
Gravel
Pallets
Grappling hooks
Confirm strength figures, also in trains

Comp EM O A 128 6 B 117 4 C 119 6 HHQ 80 10 Trains 71 3

1 load gravel

27 June - .25. [Field strength] 603 Quiet nite. B & C Co's ambush patrols sealed village AP BIEN HOA at 0500. B Co. exchanged SA fire w/2 VC attempting to leave. A Co. RIF force & seal force arrived 0600 with PF [Popular Force]. Neg. results. No rain. Rec'd letter ML, Pop, Vic mailed slides. Rec'd 8 July - 11 days. [unexplained note] Spec Prom, Gen visit

28 June - .5 + .5.[Field strength] 598 [note at top] Fri BG Preer [ADC (S)] scheduled. Quiet nite. A Co. sweep N part of AO, W to E. Neg. results. BG Preer [ADC (S)] visited for 10 min. A Co. moved to Trang Bang 1630 - OPCON SABER. Talked to Riley. [Radio call sign of 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, formerly commanded by Glen Otis, now by my old company commander, and good friend, Clemens A. Riley.] B Co. arrived CP [command post] area 1830. Wrote ML, no mail. Heavy rain, 1 truckload gravel. 3 - 81mm M53 sight extensions [unexplained note].

29 June - [Field strength] 603 Unquiet nite. C Co. sprung ambush 0100. Fired SA, arty, mortars. Rec'd SA. B Co. swept village. Col's meeting. Andy Anderson & Frank Lee came to visit. [Two Armor officers, old friends of mine. Anderson commanded 1/5th Mech and Lee was his XO. Anderson later became a Major General.]
Heavy rain. Rec'd 3 letter ML, Shirley. Cake from ML. Wrote ML.
1 TRK LD Gravel
Special prom [no idea what this means]
Track blocks.

[on diary pp for November 27-28 is the notation]
29 June - BDE Comdr Meet
1. SF [probably Special Forces] go by truck to RT [probably Rainy Towel, the call sign of a MACV advisor team in a village in the TAOR.] move by foot NW twd Vinh Loc - FWD CP at RT - call sign & Push [FM radio frequency] to follow -will be wearing Tiger Suit [type of camouflage fatigues not normally issued to US forces. The note would alert US forces in the TAOR that a non-conventional operation was to be conducted and to not mistake the operation for an enemy action.]
2. A Co. due back tomorrow -Released [to] Viking [1st BDE] 0800 - TB [do not recognize this abbreviation/acronym.]
3. Change to AO [area of operations]
4. Report on enemy equip. finds to S-2.
5. S-5 MEDCAPS - psywar team. Tape [probably broadcast] to assy pers. in village center.
6. Status of Equipment chart based on BDE report (flame throwers, MG, etc.)
7. [what follows is detailed instructions on how to search a village for VC and equipment] Cordon & Search -a. Cordon before daylite 0400- 0430. b. Quick sweep. c. Return w/thorough search - search is an all day affair. d. Special search equipment; grappling hook, rope, mine sweep, flashlite. e. Do not allow RF to do all the sweeping. f. Special personnel-interrogators, PRU, Psywar, medical, Nat. Police.
8. Bunching up.
9. Reports RT conducted a opn which we [?] but knew about but was not passed to BDE. Reduce speculation - report which we can see without added speculation. RKTS, .51 cal.
10. Daily Liaison - add Bobcat [1/5 Mech Inf.]
11. Turn-in of equip. PRC-25 vs. VRC-125 [types of FM field radios]

Line Item

0 Balance

Vehicle Maint. PLL 925 277 Commo Maint. PLL 217 136 Armament 215 68 D G TRUCK 5Ton 11 2 TRUCK 2 ½ Ton 3 8

30 June - [Field strength] 612 Quiet nite. B Co. mtd/dismtd sweep village of Ap Tay & deceptive measures as well as training. Heavy rain. No mail. Shower/haircut [probably meaning me]
[list of items]
air boats [struck through]
Track blocks
Flame throwers
Pallets.

1 July - 48th malaria pill [Field strength] 617. Julian [date] 182. Quiet nite. B Co. mtd/dismtd to bridge S of village. Sweep stream line. Destroyed 1 sampan, found 5 ammo bandoleers, 2 122mm RKT caps. Romeo used air boat [first mention of air boat use]; swept bunkers; found grenades. At 1720, A Co. AM [airmobile] into same area. Left stay behind AP [ambush patrol]. Spotted 2 VC in open; Crusader got 2 BC. [call sign helicopter battalion that supported AM operations. This was the last AM operation conducted.] moderate rain-1 load gravel. Sent tape to Pete-No mail.

[list of items]
MEDCAP supplies BDE S-5 [civil affairs] knows.[I do not know the origin nor import of this remark. MEDCAP was an effort to use US Medical personnel to hold clinics in villages as part of the psychological campaign to win the peasants' "hearts and mind."]
Chow late - no malaria pills.
Insufficient bacon & biscuits - A Co.
55 gal trash cans for A Co.
Riots - use CS not weapons
A Co. Psn
My Hanh

2 July - Unquiet nite. A Co. AP & C Co. AP, RP, & Perimeter spotted movement. C Co. perimeter mortared. Neg. cas. 265 arty, 60 4.2, & 80 81 mm rds expended. Neg enemy casualties. B Co. mtd/dismtd into swamp N. of 76 grid line. Air boat operated. Neg. results. No rain. 3 letters Mary Lou, brownies, Shirley, ice tea mix. Wrote Mary Lou.

[The following are probably BDE CO notes or reminders to myself about observed problems]
Shoot in AP positions. [By its nature, the AP was a dangerous operation. Unlike a NDP, there was no opportunity for interlocking bands of supporting fire between units. Consequently, it was deemed advisable to register artillery around the AP perimeter. In the event the ambush was sprung, artillery fire could be brought to bear quickly and accurately.]
Pallets
Arty prep on AP patrol - Pep
M14 for Starlight scope [The M14 was an older model .30 cal rifle not widely used in RVN. The Starlight scope had been developed for the M14 and was not adaptable to the M-16 rifle. The scope concentrated ambient light at night and gave the user the ability to see in the dark.]
Sprayer per company [No idea what this means.]
Water trailer per day for C Co.
Shower buckets

Cliff Neilson
Mohawk 6
May-Nov 1968
Illegitimi nil carborundum