Timeline, February 16th

[David]

INDOCHINA WAR:
February 16, 1965 (15th day of the 1st month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): A U. S. Army pilot flying over Vung Ro Bay near Qui Nhon, north of Cam Ranh Bay, notices an "island" moving slowly from one side of the bay to the other. Upon closer observation he sees that it's really a camouflaged ship Air strikes by VNAF A-1H Skyraiders are called in and the ship, a North Vietnamese trawler, is sunk. It's carrying more than 100 tons of munitions. The incident convinces Allied leaders that a tight offshore patrol is needed and coastal surveillance centers are set up at Da Nang, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang, Vung Tau and An Thoi, and the Seventh Fleet's Task Force 71, the Vietnamese Patrol Force, is established to conduct Operation Market Time to counter infiltration.

February 16, 1966 (27th day of the 1st month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): Operation Eagles Claw begins (it is also the third phase of Operation Masher/White Wing).

February 16, 1966 (27th day of the 1st month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): Lt. Colonel William Harold Bodner is killed by a mine on what US troops will call Bodner Hill, in II Corps.

February 16, 1967 (8th day of the 1st month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Deckhouse VI begins.

February 16, 1967 (8th day of the 1st month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): 1 ATF conducts Operation Dalby. Main Force Unit: 6 RAR.

February 16, 1967 (8th day of the 1st month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): A recon patrol from C/2/8th, 4th Infantry Division, is ambushed.

February 16, 1967 (8th day of the 1st month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation River Raider I begins in the Rung Sat Special Zone along the Long Tau shipping channel leading to the port of Saigon.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): The 57th Assault Helicopter Company compound at Kontum receives 40 to 50 mortar rounds at 2400 but no damage is reported.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): ROK troops begin Operation Maeng Ho 10 in Binh Dinh Province.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): 7 RAR begins two-day cordon-and-search Operation Oakleigh.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): Hue: Intercepted radio transmissions reveal that the NVA CO inside the Citadel has been killed and his successor has requested permission to withdraw. The NVA denies the request and ARVN moves another battalion into the fight.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): A US Army platoon, out on a night ambush near Bong Song, Hoai Nhon Province, is attacked.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): Khe Sanh: The C-123K Providers alone can't supply the base because of their small load capacity and the need for them throughout the country due to the general offensive. From this date forward, C-130s deliver cargo to the base, including heavy timbers for bunkers, via the parachute extraction method, where, after riggers have prepared the pallets by lashing strips of aluminum to metal pallets before loading them into the transports, the rear hatch is opened as the C-130 flies in low over the base and at the pilot's signal, the crew releases the bonds holding the pallet and a parachute, filled by the force of the plane's slipstream, snatches out the load, which falls a few feet onto the ground. Problems soon arise: the heavy pallets start tearing up the aluminum matting of the runway; aircrews are endangered because the C-130 has to fly dangerously close to a wrecked C-123k; and Marines are also at risk, since the slightest miscalculation will send a ton of cargo into their position (as happens on March 2, when a container crashes into a bunker and kills a man). The Air Force soon modifies the procedure so that a hook is extended from the cargo hatch to catch a cable strung across the runway.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): A US Army platoon ambushes North Vietnamese troops who are infiltrating South Vietnam's Binh Duong Province from Cambodia at night.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): MAG-16 update, Marble Mountain.

February 16, 1968 (19th day of the 1st month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): Team Box Score, an eight-man LRRP patrol of US Marines, contacts enemy troops in Quang Tri Province.

February 16, 1969 (1st day of the 1st month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): 5 RAR arrive at Vung Tau. 1 Troop C Squadron tanks are in a heavy engagement at Bien Hoc. B Squadron Centurion tanks arrive in Vietnam to support C Squadron.

February 16, 1970 (11th day of the 1st month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): The 119th AHC supports FSB Hopper.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
February 16, 1979 (20th day of the 1st month, Year of the Goat [Ky Mui]): Vietnamese Premier Pham Van Dong arrives in Phnom Penh for talks with Kampuchean leaders. Western analysts estimate that Vietnam has 100,000 militia, with artillery and air support, near the Chinese border, and that up to 18 divisions are now committed in Kampuchea.

[Andy]

Around the 9th of February 1968 the 3/22nd infantry, part of the 25th Division, began a fight at a town (Ap Cho) just south of our HQ at Cu Chi. They were fighting a Regimental force but didn?t realize it. They were not able to take the town. On the 16th the 4/23 Mechanized Infantry, supported by the 2/34th Armor pulled into the battle. ?A? company on the right, ?B? company on the left and my ?C? company in the center. 2nd platoon in the center on C company.

We were met by 51 cal machine guns and captured 50?s which were taken from the ARVN base which collapsed to the VC and NVA at the beginning of Tet. We also encounter their RPG and recently captured 90mm recoilless rifles; their 30 cal machine guns and our M-60?s; their 82mm mortars and our 81?s, etcetera.

Most of the enemy were hidden in mounds which surrounded the town, covered with good vegetation, lots of cover and concealment. The enemy had a number of cement reinforced bunkers and, of course, tunnels and spider holes most everywhere.

Well into the fight my APC was hit with an RPG but it wasn?t bad. The lower front end passengers side was hit, the engine stopped working. We were an aluminum pill box in a place no one would put a pill box. There was really no place to run, no place to hide, so I kept firing my 50. As I was trading fire with a 51 who seemed to take a special interest in us a second RPG hit the vehicle. This time the rocket hit higher up and near the middle of the APC.

Sitting in an open topped turret was a good thing that day. Not having my legs dangling into the vehicle was even better. I was blown about 10 feet up and to the rear. Having been sitting on a ten foot tall vehicle I was about 20 feet in the air at the apex. It was an interesting landing. The back of my head, shoulders and upper back hit the ground first. But I was very lucky, a concussion and a little over 80 small pieces of shrapnel in my right thigh and hip were all that was wrong. I said I was very lucky, of the six men on our vehicle I was the only one who returned to the field. Three of my men were dead, the other two were amputees.

February 16th, always have a drink that day for my friends on APC 2-2, all of whom are now dead except for me. By the way, we won that battle, kicked some major butt, however the cost was a tad on the high side.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[phuloi]

God had a reason for keeping you around,my friend and I`m glad He did.Your memory will always honor those who were hit that day.God Bless them and keep them.

[frisco-kid]

Glad you made it home to become my friend, Andy.

Welcome Home, Bro.

[frisco-kid]

This was said to me in a post I wrote about Hill 875 over on the History Channel VN site. It was written by a man named Edward Watters. He is the nephew of Chaplain Major Charles Watters of the 173rd Abn. Bde.. Chaplain Watters was 1 of 2 recipients of the Congressional Medal Of Honor awarded [both posthumously] for the Battle For Hill 875 near Dak To. Thought of it and you as I read your post, my friend.

"Posthumous heroes, have an easier life. They will never foul up again. I've heard others say that the dead are true heroes. I have to disagree, the stories that must be told can only be told by those left to tell it. Some of them remind the rest of us of the insanity, and compassion despite it, finding some voice just to have one".

I'm convinced that's why so many of us on this site were spared; to bring forth, and keep alive, the memories and deeds of the Brothers we watched fall beside us. Through us they live, and we sometimes speak for them.


P.S. It's worth going back a couple of pages to that thread and read Mr. Watters' reminiscences and insights in the life of his uncle, a pretty amazing guy.

[phuloi]

Right on,Tom.

[DMZ-LT]

We were spared .... Thank you .... ain't no reason to it

[catman]

Andy...God has a mission for you, I am glad I will be a part of it come April. Welcome home brother!

Trav