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Summary November 1969
Most of November was spent on FSB Ike, a fortified base built near one section of the Ho Chi Minh Trail known to Americans as The Mustang Trail. Obviously it was a thorn in the side of the Communist forces as they attacked Ike throughout most of the month.
Ike was built by C 2/5 Cav in April of 1969. It was attacked twice in June, though the company was not on Ike at the time. When Ike was built, it was known as an "LZ", the term used in the 1st Cavalry Division for such fortified battalion headquarters. By November, Lt. Gen Julian Ewell had become the Commanding General of II Field Forces, and decreed the 1st Cav change the names of its "LZs" to "Fire Support Base" so the division would be like all others in Vietnam. LTG Ewell had formerly commanded the 9th Infantry Division. (Source: "Incursion" by J. D. Coleman)
The 1st started much like the 31st of October. Tall Comanche started patrolling and came across another section of the bunker complex. Several NVA were spotted and a brief fire fight followed. Three of the NVA, one of whom was an officer, surrendered and were taken prisoner. The company continued to search the complex and destroy captured supplies. Arizona 6’s c/c bird (Note: The battalion commander's Command and Control helicopter) picked up the three EPWs and some captured documents. The company moved out and established its NDP site. (Written by Dan Bertram)
The company was scheduled to take log on this day. The log bird was delayed for several hours. It was mid afternoon before the logging was completed. CPT Kuykendall realized that we been in one place too long and was anxious to get moving. The company formed in three columns and started to move out. Just as we were moving the NVA blew an automatic ambush on us. Fortunately it was ill timed and poorly aimed. There were no injuries. The company moved to a new position and established an NDP site. (Written by Dan Bertram)
On the morning of the 3rd, the company received orders to move to a clearing in order to be picked up and returned to FSB Ike and to assume base defense duties. (Webmaster note: This was the same LZ Ike that was built by C 2/5 Cav April 21-28, 1969.) Everybody was glad to receive the new mission.
Upon arriving at the PZ, the CP, 1/6 and 2/6 went up one side of the clearing. 3/6 went up the opposite side of the clearing to provide flank security and to cover the final extraction. Shortly after all elements were in position the main body was hit with an RPG ambush. Several troopers were wounded. The entire company returned fire but results were unknown. A Medevac was requested and the wounded were evacuated. Later that day lift ships extracted the company and returned it to Ike.From an email from Dan Bertram: On Nov. 3, 1969 the company moved into PZ position to return to Ike. I told SGT Charlie Dickey, the Recon Sergeant, and my RTO to stay with the CP, 1/6 and 2/6, and I would go with 3/6 to provide flank and final extract security. Wouldn't you know it but the main body got hit with an RPG ambush while waiting for pick up. Several troopers including SGT Dickey were wounded. Fortunately he was not seriously hurt. He received some shrapnel wounds to his shoulder. All of the wounded were Medivac'd before the rest of the company was extracted. When I got to Ike that afternoon he came to me with his shoulder dressed, drinking a coke, smoking a cigarette and grinning like a Cheshire cat. He advised me that he was being sent to Bien Hoa for a week's light duty. I watched him leave, neither of us having any idea that that night Ike would come under a major artillery and ground attack.
Wounded in that attack were Theoreorn J. Denton, Daniel "Doc" Bongle, Jerry W. Jones, Louis R. Diller, Jr., Walter C. Bertsch, Johnnie L. Ezell, Daniel R. Baldwin, Larry R. Ankney, Charles Dickey (A Battery, 1/77th Field Artillery - was the recon Sergeant attached to C 2/5 Cav), and SGT Richard A. Rueppel. (Source: Jerry Jones, and 1st Cavalry Division General Order 14161 dtd 12 Nov 69)
Also wounded were SGT Rubert Garrett (Medevac'd to the 24th Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh with post concussion syndrome), SGT John Jarmuz (Medevac'd to Company A, 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wounds both buttocks and right thigh, then on to the 12th Evacuation Hospital at Cu Chi), SGT Robert Jerome (Medevac'd to Company A, 15th Medical Battalion with fragment wounds to the chin, left shoulder and left arm), SGT Richard Gendek to Company A, 15th Medical Battalion with fragment wounds to the chest and right knee), SP4 Charles Deharty (Medevac'd to Company A, 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wounds to the hand), SP4 David C. Knuth (who had also been wounded on October 6, Medevac'd to Company A, 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wounds to the left leg and right thigh), PFC Jerry Jones (Medevac'd to Company A, 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wounds to the right hand), and PFC Walter Bertsch (Medevac'd to Company A, 15th Medical Battalion, then on to the 12th Evacuation Hospital at Cu Chi with fragment wounds to the left arm) (Source: DA Form 1, dtd 3 and 5 November 1969)
Upon returning to Ike the company assumed the normal base defense duties and enjoyed the ability to have a hot meal and a cold shower. As night fell, berm guards occupied their positions and defensive targets (DTs) were fired in. (Webmaster note: The writer was a artillery officer and uses terminology not all infantrymen were familiar with. DTs were pre-arranged locations for artillery fire that could be called in the event of an attack. They were the starting point from which artillery fire could be adjusted against the enemy. The guns from Ike were adjusted, as well as the artillery pieces at adjacent LZs.)
2LT Krinkle was the 1st Platoon Leader, LT Dave Petruska was 2nd Platoon leader that night, with SSG Russ Griffith as the Platoon Sergeant. LT Brian Phipps headed up 3rd Platoon, with SSG Robert Davis as Platoon Sergeant. (Source: Russ Griffith) (Anyone knowing the names of other leaders that night, please contact webmaster@tallcomanche.org)
From an email from Russ Griffith:
"Around 11 PM, my guys picked up lights in the wood line, and we fired it up. No one thought much of it."
Late the night of the 3rd, (2200 or 2300 hr) Ike was rocked by an explosion followed by another and another. Shouts of “incoming, incoming” were followed by shouts of “gooks in the wire”. A massive barrage of mortar rounds, rockets and RPGs rained in on the base. From the northeast side of the base NVA sappers had already penetrated the wire and were being followed by enemy infantry.
More from Russ Griffith:
"Most of the attack came right at 3rd Platoon, with another major thrust across the log pad at 1st Platoon. A trooper with an M79 took out several NVA who had satchel charges strapped all over them, and that seemed to blunt the thrust."
The first thing I remember was the radar tower being hit. It looked like a rocket launching for a minute as it literally went up. we had green tracers coming from the mess hall. I don't know how many NVA were in there, but it was quite a few. The next morning we found c-rations that were open! I guess they were hungry."
Comanche's troopers rushed to their fighting positions and began a battle that would rage until dawn on the 4th . The enemy was engaged with M-16, machine guns and grenades. Fighting was at point blanked range. Many NVA breached the berm and were inside our positions. One of the first enemy rounds hit the POL (Note: Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants - the fuel dump) point and set it on fire. The fire did provide some initial illumination. The silhouettes of the NVA infantry could be seen as they came over the berm. Many of our troopers had to turn their attention to fighting that enemy inside the base while others were repelling the oncoming attackers.More from Russ Griffith:
"As soon as our side was covered (Webmaster note: meaning 2nd Platoon's portion of the perimeter was manned and secure), I took some guys to help 3rd Platoon. I ran into LT Petruska - he took most of the 2nd Platoon, and I stayed with the people on our side.
I remember melting the gas tube on an M-16. Larry Burr or our platoon was wounded by a chicom (Webmaster note: a Chinese Communist hand grenade), and we took him to the Aid Station.
Support from other 1st Cav units was requested and provided. Artillery units firing from nearby fire bases included batteries from the 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery, the 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery, and the 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery (a 155 mm howitzer unit.) Cobra gun ships of 2nd Battalion, 20th Artillery (known as ARA) were bounced out of Tay Ninh. A Battery, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery was the battery on Ike. The battery lowered its tubes to zero elevation and fire direct fire at the attackers. Killer junior had to be fired. Beehive rounds could not be used as friendly troops were between the guns and the attackers. (Webmaster note: "Killer junior" was a technique of firing regular high explosive rounds with time fuses set to detonate the rounds a short distance from the base - as close as 100 meters - a football field away.)
When the Cobra section, Blue Max 28D2, arrived on station it made its runs from northwest to southeast. They were loaded with flechette rockets. Their rockets and mini- guns provided devastating fire just outside the wire. The pilots flew directly into the enemy’s ground fire.From Russ Griffith:
"The Cobras were so low at times, I thought they would get caught in the wire."
Tall Comanche was suffering many wounded. They were evacuated to a point centrally located inside Ike. As the battle was raging, a Medevac bird was requested. Several troopers with the battalion CP took down the two-niner-two radio antennas as the fighting continued. The Medevac pilot brought his ship right into Ike while being fired upon and picked up the wounded. After his liftoff, the troopers re-erected the two-niner-twos.
(Return to Top of Page)
At sunrise the soldiers on Ike began to assess the previous night’s activity. The area from the berm to the tree line was strewn with dead NVA. All of the sappers and infantry who made it into Ike were killed, with one exception. Apparently three sappers who got inside Ike got scared, probably by the barrage of their own artillery. They decided to take refuge in one of our bunkers and ended up sitting in the bunker through the entire battle. When one of Comanche's troopers entered the bunker to get his own gear he encountered the three and immediately came running out shouting “Gooks, Gooks”. Several more troopers grabbed their M-16’s, drew down on the bunker and started commanding “Chieu Hoi - - Chieu Hoi”. The three enemy soldiers came out with their hands up and were taken prisoner. They were later evacuated to an EPW camp.
A patrol was sent out to sweep the area between the berm and tree line. After giving an estimate of the enemy dead, the battalion surgeon decided that a health problem could arise. That many bodies lying in the sun, in a high humidity area was going to be a problem. The bodies had to be buried quickly. A request was sent to the 8th Engineer Battalion for a back-hoe. It was flown out by Chinook helicopter. A mass grave was prepared and the bodies were buried.From Russ Griffith:
"The next morning I led a reconnoiter in the tree line and brought back several (I'm guessing more than 50, but less than 100) NVA. I know the official After Action Report said 96 dead NVA. I think they were off by an order of magnitude. It took all day loading bodies on the mule and taking them out to the pit the engineers dug."
During the day of the 4th repairs were made to equipment and bunkers damaged by the artillery barrage. Hooks (Note: Chinook helicopters) brought in badly needed re-supplies of class five (ammunition) and other equipment. A/1/77 FA lost one gun completely, several guns were totally out of ammunition, and the others were down to two or three rounds. Several of the guns were down to firing illumination rounds as direct fire. If it would go out the front end of the tube they shot it.
Tall Comanche's troopers spent a lot of the day re-loading magazines and preparing extra magazines. Nobody knew what that night might bring. Fortunately nothing happened that night. (Written by Dan Bertram)Wounded that day were SFC Miguel Calzada (Medevac'd to Company A 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wound right side and left shoulder and evac'd to Japan and returned), SGT Harold Bonin (may be spelled Sonin) (Medevac'd to the 45th Surgical Hospital in Tay Ninh with fragment wounds to the right side of his neck, left arm, left side, left knee, and left chest), SP4 Daniel Baldwin (Medevac'd to the 45th Surgical Hospital in Tay Ninh), SP4 Larry Burr (Medevac'd to the 93rd Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh with fragment wounds), SP4 Alan Conaway ((Medevac'd to Company A 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wounds to the head and left side of the face), and another SP4 whose name cannot be read from the Morning Report, but who was sent to the 45th Surgical Hospital with a gun shot wound to the right arm. PFC Michael Flanagan (Medevac'd to Company A 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wounds to the right leg and left side of face), PFC David Wing(Medevac'd to Company A 15th Medical Battalion, fragment wounds to the face and back of his left wrist), PFC William Griffin received a head injury and was sent to the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh, another PFC whose name cannot be read but was sent to the 45th Surgical Hospital in Tay Ninh with fragment wounds to the jaw, both arms, and both legs, and a PFC Jerry "last name unreadable" who was evac'd to the 93rd Evacuation Hospital with fragment wounds to the left arm.) Lonny Branch, medic attached to 2nd Platoon, was also wounded and evacuated out. Anyone having further information, please contact the Webmaster.) (Source: DA Form 1 C 2/5 Cav dated 4 and 5 Nov 1969)
Francisco Bemes
From a conversation with Brian Phipps at Reunion 2001: During the attack, 1st Platoon trooper Francisco Bemes ( from Guam) took his shirt off and actually blended in with the NVA sappers, then picking them off. He was awarded the Silver Star. (Webmaster Note: Brian did not remember Francisco's name, but Vernon Whitehead recalled and forwarded the information.)
This also from Charlie Dickey, Recon Sergeant attached to Comanche from A 1/77th Artillery. Though he was at the 12th Evacuation Hospital in Cu Chi recovering from his own wounds received on November 3rd, he heard this upon his return:
"During the attack NVA sappers had breeched the perimeter and were making their way towards the TOC/Gun pits (take your choice). As they went by this kid's bunker, he emerged dressed only in OD boxer shorts. There were 5 NVA who said something to the kid and went on by. Well, the kid had his M-16 and laid the 5 to rest."
Russ Griffith recalls this:
The trooper from Guam was taking out NVA one by one as they came through the berm, and I believe the number of NVA he killed was greater than five.
SSG Robert Davis
Russ Griffith relates:
"Bob Davis (26D) also got a Silver Star, for holding his position in the middle of it all. He was tossing frags over the berm for most of the night. He says some times they'd toss them back."
CPT Joseph Kuykendall was awarded the Silver Star for actions that night. (Source: 1st Cavalry Division General Orders 1959, dtd Feb 7, 1970)
Lonny Branch, medic attached to 2nd Platoon, was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" Device.
LT Doug Hendrixson was the Fire Direction Officer with Battery A, 1/77th Artillery that night. Previously, he had served as Comanche's Forward Observer. Doug sent this recollection of the attack:
Also, that November attack on LZ "Fire Base" Ike was something I'll never forget. I was the FDO (Fire Direction Officer) inside the Battery A, 1/77th Artillery FDC when that attack occurred. I believe our XO was seriously wounded and I ended up outside with the gun crews before it was over. The . . report . . . indicated that somewhere around 30 NVA were killed. I saw at least that many dead inside the perimeter alone. And the bodies on the outside of the perimeter I thought to be in the hundreds, with numerous blood trails heading into the tree lines. Guaranteed, there were several hundred NVA KIA in that attack. I think I remember six or so U.S. casualties, 4 or so from Tall Comanche, one from a artillery gun crew, and one artillery cook.
Russ Griffith:
"About the cook - we took him out of a hootch, the kind made with a culvert pipe. Sometime during the fight, the cook went into the hootch. There were NVA in the hootch, and one of them got the cook with a B40."
On the December 1969 page there is a picture taken at an awards ceremony a month later. Concerning that picture, Eddie Hancock writes:
In the photo of IKE the building going up in the left corner was the command post being rebuilt after it was destroyed by the attack in November and rocketed again the same month!!!!! The tent in the right corner was the mess hall tent where the cook was killed. The ceremony was being held in pretty close to the center of IKE just about 25 yards in front of the ammo dump. When IKE was attacked they came in from that side of the LZ that the cameras facing."
The company remained on high alert. Reconnaissance patrols were sent out each day. As enemy fighting positions were found they were reported to the TOC for the S2/S3 targeting list. Both nights were quiet. (Written by Dan Bertram)
From Russ Griffith:
"I know we would go out with a 1/2 platoon, get dropped off, and come back to the LZ. I think I did this a couple of times. I had a Chieu Hoi who would spot bunkers and holes they had dug to prepare for the attack. An enormous amount of preparation had gone into their attack.
One of the medics at the reunion (Webmaster note: the company reunion held February, 2000, in Atlanta) said some of the bodies had heroin. I know about a month later we went into some bunkers northwest of Ike and it was purported to be the hospital they used after the attack. According to one Kit Carson, we really wiped them out. There was a lot of heroin there."
SOURCE: Page 7, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1969 Des Moines Register (Des Moines,
Iowa newspaper)
Enemy Artillery and Ground Attack’s Against U. S. Bases
SAIGON, SOUTH VIETNAM (AP) _______ Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces
launched more than 50 rocket, motor and ground attacks on allied positions
Tuesday, the U.S. Command reported, including ground attacks against four
American bases northwest of Saigon.
Shortly after midnight, North Vietnamese infantrymen assaulted three
bases of the U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Division in Tay Ninh and Phuoc Long
provinces along the Cambodian boarder.
The attacks on Firebase Ike, Landing Zone Buttons and Firebase Ellen
were repelled, and 54 North Vietnamese were reported killed in the
assault on Ike.
The 1st infantry Division’s Firebase Mons, 35 miles north of Saigon in
Binh Duong Province, was attacked about the same time.
Initial reports put American causalities in the four attacks at three
killed and 60 wounded. Allied forces claimed they killed 194 North
Vietnamese soldiers. It was the heaviest ground fighting in two months.
After daybreak, helicopter gun ships bristling with rapid fire mini-guns
and cannons patrolled the border searching for the attackers.
Fourteen of the helicopters drew ground fire from automatic weapons and
heavy machine guns. Six were hit and one crewman wounded, but none of the
helicopters was shot down.
In the area around Firebase Ike, 58 miles northwest of Saigon, the gun
ships combined with air strikes and artillery to kill an additional 19 enemy
soldiers.
Meanwhile, new fighting broke out near two embattled Special Forces camps
in the central highlands
Associated Press photographer Hugh Van Es reported from Ban Me Thout that
three South Vietnamese infantry battalions supported by armor were in contact
with North Vietnamese elements four miles south of the camp at Duc Lap.
Abandoned Bases
More than 5,000 North Vietnamese regulars operate in the area. Over the
weekend enemy troops forced U.S. troops to abandon three artillery bases
around the camp at Bu Prang, and the North Vietnamese are now in a position
to threaten both Special Forces camps and the city of Ban Me Thuot.
As the capital of the border province of Darlac, Ban Me Thout is the
major population center of the south central highlands.
U. S. Command spokesman said there was no evidence that the sharp
increase in enemy attacks was connected with President Nixon’s Vietnam policy
address.
The Viet Cong, have sometimes launched attacks to coincide with important
events, but for several weeks now allied intelligence officers had been
predicting that the enemy would kick off his winter-spring campaigns this
month.
In his speech, Nixon cautioned the enemy that an increase in battlefield
activity might force him to revise his time table for American Troop
withdrawal. (Courtesy: Jerry Jones)
Reconnaissance patrols continued but otherwise it was a quiet day. As night fell the defensive targets were fired in. About 2100 or 2200 hrs, that quiet was broken. Again Ike came under massive mortar, rocket and RPG fire. Everyone rushed to their fighting positions to repel another ground attack but this time there were no sappers or infantry. The artillery units that fired in support on 3 and 4 November. again pounded the area outside Ike. This time we did have better target data. The USAF had a Spooky (AC47) gun ship nearby and sent it on station. The Spooky’s call sign was Shadow 47. Spookies carried a tremendous amount of firepower. At night it looks like a dragon’s fire coming from the sky. The Spooky hosed the are for about an hour and the artillery attack ceased. The next day the recon patrol covering that area found mortar tubes and rocket launchers chew up by mini-gun fire. (Written by Dan Bertram)
Wounded in the attack were CPT Joseph Kuykendall, Staff Sergeant Anthony Dominick, SP4 Carlos Benitez, PFC Michael Burke, and PFC Richard Mikulka. (Source: 1st Cavalry Division General Order 14162, dtd 12 November 1969)
Dan Bertram stands next to the sign that reads:
ARIZONA TERRITORY
2 BN 5 CAV
FSB IKE
THE FIRE BASE TOO TOUGH TO DIE
18 JUN 69 20 JUN 69 4 NOV 69
Click on Photo to See Larger VersionCourtesy Dan Bertram
During this period Tall Comanche conducting reconnaissance and ambush patrols out of Ike. The NVA adopted the tactic of firing random H & I fires on the base. They would move a mortar tube into the tree line, fire five or six quick rounds, and retreat. These quick hit and run attacks made any defense very difficult but the attacks were not very effective. (Written by Dan Bertram)
Northeast of Ike, LZ Jamie came under artillery and ground attack during the night. Because guns on Ike could support Jamie, the NVA sent a mortar tube to fire on Ike and suppress its support. Tall Comanche suffered a couple of wounded that night. (Written by Dan Bertram)
In what was described by Eddie Hancock as "our regular afternoon mortar barrage" , the following troopers of Charlie Company were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds suffered during the attack: (Source 1st Cavalry Division General Orders 14776 dated November 21, 1969)
CPT Joseph Kuykendall (Second Oak Leaf Cluster)
SSG John Kartinos
SGT Larry Barnett
PFC Mark Aieksiewicz
PFC Thomas "Eddie" Hancock
C 2/5 Cav received orders relieving it of base defense duties. On the morning of the 20th the company was picked up and conducted a CA into a jungle clearing. It was one of the few times that troopers were glad to leave a base and return to the jungle. (Written by Dan Bertram)
Eddie Hancock on FSB Ike.
Click on Picture to see Larger VersionCourtesy Eddie Hancock
h Also on FSB Ike - On the right is Bob Sellner. If you know the name of the trooper on the left, please contact the Webmaster.
Click on Picture to See Larger VersionCourtesy James "Tree" Machin
h Members of 2nd Platoon stringing concertina wire on FSB Ike. Eddie Hancock on the left.
Click on Picture to See Larger VersionCourtesy James "Tree" Machin
h Danny Mora, 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, on FSB Ike.
Click on Picture to See Larger VersionCourtesy James "Tree" Machin
The Battalion Aid Station on FSB Ike took care of many casualties in November. SSG Vance Gifford was a medic assigned to the 2nd Battalion 5th Cavalry, arriving on November 2nd. Two days later he was to see his first combat. Read his story of the attack on Ike here. For another view of the Aid Station, click here.
Click on Picture to See Larger VersionCourtesy Vance "Doc" Gifford
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