AMBUSH IN THE HIGHLANDS

Graphics by Fats Spizzirri, story by Pointman

Our outfit, the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, landed in Vietnam in September of 1966 in Tuy Hoa, South Vietnam. We set up base camp and went out on a few patrols, getting used to the weather really. From then until March 22, 1967, we lost about 8 men due to ambushes and other reasons.
After being in Tuy Hoa, Vung Ro Bay, Dong Tre, and a few places I can't remember, we went to Pleiku to operate in the Highlands.

On March 20 we were sent into a firebase camp for a 3 day stand down as we had been in the field for over 45 days and really needed the rest. We had been operating in the Highlands out of Pleiku and had seen a lot of action.
On the night of 3-20-67 our Battalion commander, Col. Lee, called our Company Commander Cpt. Sands and wanted to know if we would look for a recon patrol they had lost radio contact with. Being the man he was, Cpt. Sands thought it was more important to look for the team than to let us rest (looking for Brownie Points). We were beat completely, worn out, dead tired, but it didn't meen nothing, so on March 21, 1967, we loaded on choppers and flew out to an LZ.
We marched all day and when we set up for the night I was one of the men sent out on a listening post. All night we saw and heard the Enemy moving around us and could see and hear them talking, laughing, smoking and so on. In the morning we got up and even though no one got any sleep although everyone knew what was going on, our company commander marched us in the same direction we had been going looking for the lost team. (Why didn't we fall back and call in Air Strikes and Artillary and then go in? I DON'T KNOW.)

I was on right flank guard duty when the first shot was fired and went to the ground immediately behind a termite mound. A company or reinforced company of the enemy (NVA) then stood up in front of me about 60 feet away and started for our company.
I went to tell my Platoon Leader what I had seen and get ready for battle when all hell broke loose. Incoming mortars, rockets, heavy and light machine gun fire all around. Five people around me were hit in seconds and we were fighting for our lives.
We were in a battalion-sized ambush, about 800 of them against 85 of us. Our company commander, FO, and headquarters section were gone in seconds, a direct hit from a rocket, all the platoon leaders were wounded in seconds and all the radios except 1 were destroyed.
Our First Sgt. David H. McNerney took charge of the company and rallied us together, yelling at us, kicking us in the butt and whatever else it took to take control and get us to fight and stay alive as it was chaos. He finally found the 1 radio that worked and started calling for suporting fire from the fire base camp and air strikes, calling it in to within 20 meters of us to keep the enemy off us and to keep from being overrun.
He was great that day and still is. (We are good friends.) He went and got ammunition for us when we were running low from rucksacks we had dropped outside the perimeter and other things such as water, grenades and so on.
Well as it turned out we or some of us survived. 21 Killed in Action and 32 wounded. 1st. Sgt Mcnerney would receive the Medal of Honor for his actions that day as well as the Purple Heart for wounds. The rest of us received Purple Hearts, Distinguished Service Crosses, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars and numerous other medals and awards.

I was wounded on 03-22-67 during the battle that took place. After reporting to my Platoon Leader and seeing the men wounded and KIA in a matter of seconds, I continued to hold my position most of the day. When John Zupan (my best friend) was hit, I tried to help him and was shot through the head by a sniper. Even being wounded (I thought it was not bad at the time, as it felt like being shocked), I held my position until loss of blood and shock got the best of me and I couldn't load my weapon anymore. This took place from 7:30 AM till 3:00 PM.
The enemy finally broke contact and left but not before leaving behind 500 dead and dying enemy of theirs.
So ends my story but I will never forget my Brothers who died; I think of them all the time. In 1987 I got a reunion together for the survivors and we have been having reunions every 2 years now. I am still finding men from the company and keep looking for others and hope some day to get all of us together. So far I have contacted quite a few but some are still missing.