VIETNAM - The Magazine

[SuperScout]

In the February 2006 issue, now available on your friendly newsstands, my buddy John E. Gross has his article printed. The title is, "The Tet Battles of Bien Hoa and Long Binh." At the time of the action, John was a 1LT, commanding Co. C of our 2-47th Inf (Mech), 9th Inf Div. It's a good read, and timely enough with our 38th anniversary coming up next month. John also wrote a great little novel, "Jupiter 6," which can be ordered at amazon.com

John was one of the finest officers I ever had the honor of serving with. Great sense of humor, great tactician, fair guitar picker, and a magician when trying to make a pizza out of purloined material from our messhall!

[Andy]

I read the article, it was first class. Of course whenever I find a story about Mech Infantry, it warms the cockles of my heart. How many Mech Battalions did the 9th have? Most of your turf wasn't really a good place to drive around in a 13 ton vehicles, was it?

Stay healthy,
Andy

[SuperScout]

There were only two battalions - the 5-60th Inf (Mech) and the 2-47th Inf (Mech) in the entire division. The former group operated mostly in the IV Corps area, using their PC's as mine detectors. During the battle for Saigon in May 1968, they performed so badly that Westmoreland wanted them sent home immediately.

[39mto39g]

Sounds like a radio call sign, What does it mean. 6 In our unit was set aside for BN, We couldn't use anything with 6 in it.

Ron

[Gimpy]

Originally posted by SuperScout There were only two battalions - the 5-60th Inf (Mech) and the 2-47th Inf (Mech) in the entire division. The former group operated mostly in the IV Corps area, using their PC's as mine detectors. During the battle for Saigon in May 1968, they performed so badly that Westmoreland wanted them sent home immediately.

Super,

I've never asked you before, but were your guys, 2-47th Inf (Mech), in Long An Province in III Corps in September 67 during Operation Coronado IV?

I know there were some Mech Units in and around Tan An and close to Tan tru that helped us out (2-60th and 3-47th) that came down Highway 4 from somewhere north of us for a while? That was about the only major transport route that came close to us other than by air or river.

Just wondering.

Also, my former brother-in-law (was at one time married to my sister) was at one time assigned to your unit, I think, in late 67 and until about August of 68. He was originally assigned to the 709th Maintenance Battalion........he was a mechanic that worked on APCs'. He was sent all over the place to keep those things running.

[SuperScout]

As I recollect, our battalion was not that far south during that time period. I was still a mech plt ldr in Co. B at the time, and we were operating mostly in areas east and southest of Saigon, across the Nung Trach. The unit that possibly came to your aid was the 5-60th, or maybe even the 3/5th Cav, LT 's old unit. The 3/5th Cav was the divisional cavalry squadron, normally retained under the control of the Div Cdr as a rapid reaction force.

Some of the battalion operated out of Tan An later, arouind the Binh Phouc area, but that was after my time. I spent a little time at Dong Tam with the Scouts, demonstrating to the brigade staff that an APC was not a mobile mine detector. Thanks to my quick-acting battalion commander, I was able to avoid a court martial, but that's another story!

Ron: the numerical suffix "6" was the universal number for a commander at any level. Pather 6, for example was our battalion commander, Panther Bravo 6 was the Co. B commander, and Antelope 6 was the assistant Division Commander.

[Gimpy]

well I really wasn't sure if it was your guys or not. But, they did help us out tremendously a couple of times.

My former brother-in-law (Jimmy) always had good things to say about the mech. troopers. He was in many different locations with several elements of mech. units.

If you were at Dong Tam and envirions we certainly came close to one another during that time period. Sorry I missed you then. Look forward to meeting you on the 'mountain' in April.

[SuperScout]

Always wondered why they built Dong Tam right in the middle of Chuck's impact area for where he practiced mortar shots. I knew I was in trouble when I saw a messhall down there that had ben awarded two Purple Hearts! Once we were down there, the Scouts were assigned a portion of an abandoned 2-story barrack, but after a couple of nights of tip-toeing down to a bunker due to in-coming, we decided to just sleep in our tracks like we had been doing for the previous 9 months.

After Tet, some of my drivers got together and painted names on our tracks. As you know, any name was OK, as long as no profanity was included. Did this little caveat apply to Danny Lawless, the leader of my miscreant drivers? No, as they painted, in large 2" stenciled letters, "Shit Stompen Super Scouts". White paint, of course. And every morning, we would have to drive by division headquarters enroute to our daily missions, and the staff pukes would come out and stare at our tracks, but none of them ever had the balls to do anything about it.

[SuperScout]

Meant to add this to the opening post: the photo that begins the story about the Tet battles shows a soldier with his weapon at sling-arms. My Scouts never crried their weapon at sling-arms. Note that he's also carrying a camera. He was part of the 9th Infantry Division Public Affairs team that showed up in Widows' Village after all the heavy lifting had been done. He and his boss, MAJ Ray Funderburk, tagged along with my platoon after we finally widows' Village, and were enroute to link up with Co. C when we got ambushed. What's not told in John Gorss' story is the splendid action of MAJ Funderburk as he assumed command of an element of my Scouts that had been cut of from the remainder of the platoon. The photographer later took a classic shot of SP4 Lee Wilson, one of my Scouts, as he stood in the middle of the road, serious lead incoming notwithstanding, and calmly shooting a LAW at one of the RPG teams that had done some damage to my unit. For this and other heroic action, Wilson was awarded the DSC.

[39mto39g]

co B 2BN 47 th inf.