Picking up wounded soldiers, 1968

[Boats]

Picking up wounded soldiers, 1968
By: Stars & Stripes News - 03-27-23
Re: https://www.stripes.com/history/arch...8-9612288.html

Near Landing Zone Ross, South Vietnam, Jan. 14, 1968: A Huey helicopter lands to pick up wounded from a combined infantry and cavalry mission that was halted when the North Vietnamese opened up with 75mm recoilless, 50 cal. and AK-47 rifles.

Stars and Stripes reported at the time that three tanks and one armored personnel carrier were destroyed and the Americans suffered five wounded during the action. Included were soldiers from B Troop, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment; C Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment; and A and D Squad, 1st Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment. The units had been moving 1000 meters West along a road leading through the Que Sanh valley with the objective to take a hill some 500 meters away when a tank hit a 500 pound mine, injuring two, one seriously.

In a subsequent firefight, the NVA managed to disable a second tank as well as an armored personnel carrier, pinning the units down in the cross fire. After three hours of air strikes — some hitting as close as 50 meter from the men — the order to withdraw was given. A total of 22 NVA were killed. The action took place about 2,000 meters from Landing Zone Ross, north of Chu Lai.

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Personal note: Even today we still talk about our prior jungle field service
issues. Waring is not a pretty picture - its hell on earth - for those in the field.
Nam was thick with jungles and mountain ranges. Thick jungles is where
the enemy can hide under cover. Land traps were common - and if you
fell in one of these you'd surely land on pongee poison spear traps - they
would surely get you.
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Jungle battles are the hardest to fight. Cover is thick - and the enemy
knows his land - better than you. Nam was as bad as the Korean War in
many ways. Brutality was un-like anything you have ever seen - if captured.
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Personal note: My Uncle Bill (Marine) fought during WWII and Korea - when
he came home he was not the same man that left. The butchery of men
in the field never left him. War is Hell - no two ways about it.
I salute you Uncle Bill may you rest in peace knowing you are not
forgotten - (By the Kid - that's what he called me often.) He died
in his bed from a blown liver from drinking just to go to sleep.
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