Lighting a cig.

[39mto39g]

Around Kontum in Oct 1967 The 173rd got hit pretty hard. We were did a CA into Kontum area by Shinook. While on the ground we took motars almost every few hours, One night around 4 in the morning we took several rounds of Mortars and that was fallowed by about twenty VC going after the tanks that were there. I was in a bunker right next to one of these tanks. First thing I did was get the hell out of that bunker. Guard bunkers seem to be RPG magnets. It lasted about 10 min (Firefight) maybe. but in that ten min I heard about 6 rounds go past me and had another 5 or 6 inpack withing a few feet of where I was, Any one of these could have been the end if it wasn't for a few feet. After it was over, I sat there next to that tank and tried to light a cigarett, (I smoked in VN) I could not hold the Zippo and the cig steady enough to light. I actually could not light the cig.
We had two casualties and several wounded, The wounded were taken away pretty quick, An RPG round had Rickaschaded off a tank and went about 150 feet before impacting into a couple guys that were down behind some sand bags. The flares were popping off constantly and it looked like daylight. Every onece in a while someone would shoot there gun at the tree line and everyone would open up before someone else would yell, sease fire, sease fire. This went on till light and they sent us out to see what was out there. Thankfully nothing except a few dead VC. That was scarry and I didn't want to be part of that again. little did I know that November 1967 around Dak To would be worse, much worse.
Ron

[Robert Ryan]

The 173rd and the 4th Div caught hades in Dak To. I didn't get to the 4th ID until March 1969 and talk still continued about the fighting in Dak To that happened two years earlier. The short time my unit spent at Dog Bone was fearful enough. Nasty place Dak To, seemed like the NVA would not leave those hills for anyone. Much like the A Shua Valley was to the 101st.

[39mto39g]

RR
The famous fight was for hill 875
But what history doesn't tell is that from late october 67 to early December the NVA were all over that area very thick and would fight at the drop of a hat. We had to do patrols North and then west of Dak To and the 173 was doing what they do north of Dak To and also northeast. Just about every day someone would have contact , There would be a bunch of radio traffic and then it was over, then someone else would get hit, You just knew your turn was comming. We were always in range of at least two batteries of 105s and also Motars. The problem was getting the grid right for which 105 you called, You don't want to tell them 100 right and they shoot left of where your looking. Spot rounds or Range rounds were used often, Call for a round and give them a MARK, just for future referance, "From MARK add 300" example.
Ron

[frisco-kid]

9JUN66
NW of Dak To was a Special Forces camp at a place called Toumorong. It was being besieged by the 24th NVA Regiment. Two battalions [1/327 & 2/502] of the 101st Airborne Division were sent to support them. This was Operation Hawthorne.

C company of the 2/502, commanded by Captain William Carpenter, was inserted on the morning of 9JUN66 to be a blocking force for the 327, which was sweeping in their direction. As Charlie Company was moving up a small hill, the forward platoon radioed Carpenter telling him that they could hear voices down in a small streambed. The platoon leader asked Carpenter if he wanted them to set up the blocking force or go get Charlie. He decided to engage Charlie. Well, it turned to shit for them real quick. They had bit the tail of the 24th NVA Regiment. C company was immediately swarmed and almost overrun. They were spread out and had Charlie right on top of them. They were taking quite a few casualties. At the height of the battle, Carpenter made the decision to call in an airstrike on their position. The nearest planes to them were carrying napalm. The airstrike made the NVA disengage and bought Charlie Company some time. They were able to gather the wounded and setup a better defense perimeter. They kept the NVA at bay until part of the 327 and B company of the 502nd could come re-enforce them.

This battle made the tv news and newspapers back in the States. I remember hearing about it and thinking to myself "Watch me wind up in THAT unit." I landed in Nam on 30JUN66 and sent to the 101st the next day. After processing in and going through P-Training at Phan Rang, I was sent to Dak To to join my new company,......Charlie Company of the 2/502! That was 10JUL66. Two days later I saw my first KIA in my company. On the 15JUL66 we were pulling out of The Highlands headed for Tuy Hoa over on the coast.

The survivors of Toumorong would forever be known as "Carpenter's Crispy Critters." You gotta love grunt humor. As I began to settle into the company and hear the stories from the Crispy Critters, there were alot of mixed feelings about Carpenter's decision. Some of them thought he over reacted [there were troopers killed by the napalm], while others believed that he saved their lives. Like in most battles, it depended on where you were standing and where you were looking. Everybody's experience and perception can be widely different.

Our battalion commander, Hank 'Gunfighter" Emerson, put Carpenter in for the MOH, but was downgraded to a DSC. Our First Sergeant, Walter Sabalouski, was also awarded a DSC and a Silver Star for his actions that day. I stood at attention while General Westmoreland pinned them on both men.

[Robert Ryan]

Wow Frisco, to find out Dak To was thorn in the side of lot of USA untis. Didn't know about the fight you were talking about, but it sure sounds like it was bad situation for the 101st also.

[39mto39g]

Tom
Boys from Operation Hawthorne.
No jungle cloths?
And what is that big brown sack on that guys back?

[MORTARDUDE]

Frisco :

First Sergeant, Walter Sabalouski, was awarded a DSC and a Silver Star, for the same action ? Isn't this unusual ?

Larry

[Robert Ryan]

Fantastic pic Ron.

[39mto39g]

RR

Not my picture, Well it is my picture but its a Picture of a picture, I was in Dominican Republic in 66. I don't remember where it came from. I would guess a combat photo person. Whe in Dak To I became friends with a UPI camera crew , Well not the crew, the guy that carried the extra batteries and film. Dale I think his name was.

Ron

[frisco-kid]

Ron: This was less than a year after the 101st got in-country. Like I said before, I was sent out in the field with some of the fatigues I showed up with from stateside. It wasn't until late '66 that we started getting jungle fatigues on our re-supplies.

Larry: I've never heard of this before or since. I don't remember the exact particulars of the citations, but I think the DSC was for his actions during the battle, and the SS for his actions during the evacuation of the wounded while under fire. BTW, he was burned by the napalm during the airstrike.

Sab was quite a soldier. He retired in '71 at the age of 61 as a CSM. The Air Assault School at Ft. Campbell, KY, is named after him. He's buried at Arlington.

Command Sergeant Major Sabalauski's awards include the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, 8 Bronze Stars, 3 Air Medals, 6 Army Commendation Medals, 4 Purple Hearts, 3 Awards of the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge along with campaign medals for service in World War II, Korea, Dominican Republic, and Vietnam.

I'm proud to have served under him.