MARINE CORPS TANKERS VIETNAM HISTORICAL Foundation's
Vietnam Personal Accounts
§
The
Battle of Mike’s Hill.
By Larry Williams
JANUARY
24 Jan-1400hrs. Capt Sullivan, Cpl Riley, Cpl Walsh, Cpl Todd, in the C.O.'s jeep and Pfc
Chastain along with other personnel following in a truck leave Dong Ha to return to
Camp Carroll along Route 9. Three Army vehicles joined the convoy halfway there. As
the convoy reached checkpoint 37, 25-30 NVA troops were seen crossing a field
heading towards tower 250 at Camp Carroll. The convoy stopped and as they jumped
off the vehicles, the NVA opened up with small arms fire and automatic weapons fire.
The NVA then methodically started hitting the vehicles with RPGs. (Rocket Propelled
Grenades). Starting with the last truck first. Cpl Walsh got hit in the early stages of the
firefight. Capt Sullivan radioed for Medevac and gunships then for artillery. It's not
every day that the C.O. of an artillery battery calls in support from his own men to save
his butt. Despite the NVA zeroing in on the jeep with RPGs to silence the radio calling
the hammers of hell down on them, Capt. Sullivan continued to direct fire on them. At
one point, an RPG hit the jeep and spun him around 180 degrees. As the small force
tried to regroup under the fire from the NVA, a few Seabees joined in the fray. The NVA
were within 20 meters of the road now. "Wild Bill" Paradise, a passenger in the truck
with PFC Chastain took out an NVA in a hole a few meters from the road. A reactionary
force arrived from Camp Carroll, some grunts were atop a tank. The NVA opened up,
killing the Tank Commander and wounding most of the grunts. The few NVA that were
left fled and Med Evacs arrived to take out the WIAs. This mix and match bastard outfit
of Marines, Army and Sailors under Capt. Sullivan did one hell of a job. Hand Salute !
starting when the convoy got hit and the battle started. We only new
something was going on but unsure of the scope.
The 3rd Marine Division commander, General Rathvon Thompkins, received the ambush reports and
paced in his headquarters bunker at Dong Ha. The situation was dire. The North Vietnamese could not
be allowed to deny access to Camp Carroll. The commander keyed his radio handset, and transferred
the battle-toughened 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines into the valley with orders to clear the ambush site and
reopen Route 9.
Lieutenant Colonel Lee Bendell, Battalion commander, call sign Darting Star, arrived at the ambush site
at 1900 and found the earlier relief force had already evacuated the wounded and, he concluded, all of
the dead. With darkness falling and moving with only one of the battalion’s companies, Mike Company,
the colonel established a night-time defensive perimeter along a ridgeline overlooking Route 9. He
positioned his force to screen Camp Carroll from the NVA patrols and there passed the night.
At dawn, January 25th, Mike Company, under Captain Raymond Kalm, began to sweep the valley. They
reached the ambush site to discover four Marine dead from the previous day’s action. They dealt with
the bodies, then cautiously proceeded to move west to east. While patrolling near the still abandoned
vehicles scattered along the road, automatic weapons fire tore through their ranks. Two Marines lay
dead, killed instantly. Two more fell wounded.
But Mike Company was prepared to earn their pay. They gained fire superiority and attacked with
aggressive fire team maneuvers. The end of the brief action eliminated nine enemy soldiers. One NVA
light machine gun was captured. Darting Star then ordered Captain Kalm to advance his company to a
small hill just north of Route 9, about a thousand meters east of the contact site, set up a defensive
perimeter, and wait while the battalion’s two remaining rifle companies choppered in.
In a swirl of red dust several battle-worn Ch-46s touched down on the valley floor and disgorged India
Company, commanded by Captain John L. Prichard, and Lima Company, led by Captain John L.
McLaughlin. H&S Company (minus) also flew to the scene. By mid-afternoon, nearly eight hundred
Marines had established a three-company perimeter along both sides of Route 9 and tethered to Mike
Company, which had dug in on the strategic height now being known as Mike’s Hill.
The multiple chopper sorties did not go unnoticed. Enemy forward observers watched the deployment
from the stealth of the jungle on a high ridgeline to the north. They trained their 82mm mortar tubes on
the Marines, who, just beginning to dig in, appeared like sitting ducks.
Mortar fire poured down. Certain 85mm artillery fire slammed in. Shrapnel thickened the air. Marines
curled on the ground and endured the pounding. When a lull finally came, seventeen wounded were
ponchoed aboard med-evac birds. Busy Marines set up the night watch while the Battalion maintained
a 100% alert.
Dark, tense hours ticked by. Enemy infantry worked their way down the streambeds on the east and
crept up the gullies, north and west of Mike’s Hill. Sporadic trip flares ignited. Shadows darted through
the scrub brush. Fire-team sized listening posts reported movement all around them. The Marines
braced for an attack, but thus far the enemy’s actions proved only preparatory.
On the morning of January 26, relieved by daylight and pumped up on adrenaline, Marines swept
across the valley. Regaining the offense rejuvenated the warriors. Each forward step helped shake out
the tightness that lay balled up like a fist in the chest, incited by prolonged stares into darkness,
waiting on death.
Mike Company patrolled west. India and Lima Companies maneuvered separately toward the north with
orders to cross the Cam Lo River and destroy the enemy. At 0845 a Mike Company patrol discovered a
small bridge had been blown during the night. Route 9 was “impassable without engineer
improvement.” Darting Star was forced to reassess his plans.
Colonel William L. Dick, 4th Marine Commander, radioed new orders from Camp Carroll. There would be
no river crossing. The battalion was to “continue to secure Route 9 denying enemy access to bridges
and culverts, and to patrol and ambush 375 meters north and south of the road occupying the high
ground on either side as necessary.” The Marines leaned into the task.
India Company made contact with eight to ten NVA and opened up with small arms fire. They destroyed
a 75mm recoilless rifle with artillery support. A Lima Company platoon patrol, led by Lieutenant John
“Doc” Holladay, engaged a reinforced NVA squad, killing six of the enemy and capturing four AK-47s
and an RPG. Throughout the day abandoned enemy equipment, consisting of rifle grenades, machine
gun ammo, crimped cartridges, mines, and even discarded clothing was found.
Nightfall descended, however, with the battalion reporting only minor resistance. That alone raised the
grunt’s suspicions. Silent faces ate from unheated C-rat cans and pondered the possibilities. Darting
Star, concerned about the low ground of the previous night’s defensive perimeter, decided to deploy
three detached company perimeters on favorable high ground along both sides of Route 9. He held his
Command Group with Company M on Mike’s Hill. India Company moved to a promontory located about
1000 meters to the west. Lima laboriously humped up a steep prominence to the south where, once
atop, they overlooked the entire valley sweep.
Accomplished under the cover of darkness the battalion’s redeployment went unobserved.
JANUARY
24 Jan-1400hrs. Capt Sullivan, Cpl Riley, Cpl Walsh, Cpl Todd, in the C.O.'s jeep and Pfc
Chastain along with other personnel following in a truck leave Dong Ha to return to
Camp Carroll along Route 9. Three Army vehicles joined the convoy halfway there. As
the convoy reached checkpoint 37, 25-30 NVA troops were seen crossing a field
heading towards tower 250 at Camp Carroll. The convoy stopped and as they jumped
off the vehicles, the NVA opened up with small arms fire and automatic weapons fire.
The NVA then methodically started hitting the vehicles with RPGs. (Rocket Propelled
Grenades). Starting with the last truck first. Cpl Walsh got hit in the early stages of the
firefight. Capt Sullivan radioed for Medevac and gunships then for artillery. It's not
every day that the C.O. of an artillery battery calls in support from his own men to save
his butt. Despite the NVA zeroing in on the jeep with RPGs to silence the radio calling
the hammers of hell down on them, Capt. Sullivan continued to direct fire on them. At
one point, an RPG hit the jeep and spun him around 180 degrees. As the small force
tried to regroup under the fire from the NVA, a few Seabees joined in the fray. The NVA
were within 20 meters of the road now. "Wild Bill" Paradise, a passenger in the truck
with PFC Chastain took out an NVA in a hole a few meters from the road. A reactionary
force arrived from Camp Carroll, some grunts were atop a tank. The NVA opened up,
killing the Tank Commander and wounding most of the grunts. The few NVA that were
left fled and Med Evacs arrived to take out the WIAs. This mix and match bastard outfit
of Marines, Army and Sailors under Capt. Sullivan did one hell of a job. Hand Salute !
starting when the convoy got hit and the battle started. We only new
something was going on but unsure of the scope.
The 3rd Marine Division commander, General Rathvon Thompkins, received the ambush reports and
paced in his headquarters bunker at Dong Ha. The situation was dire. The North Vietnamese could not
be allowed to deny access to Camp Carroll. The commander keyed his radio handset, and transferred
the battle-toughened 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines into the valley with orders to clear the ambush site and
reopen Route 9.
Lieutenant Colonel Lee Bendell, Battalion commander, call sign Darting Star, arrived at the ambush site
at 1900 and found the earlier relief force had already evacuated the wounded and, he concluded, all of
the dead. With darkness falling and moving with only one of the battalion’s companies, Mike Company,
the colonel established a night-time defensive perimeter along a ridgeline overlooking Route 9. He
positioned his force to screen Camp Carroll from the NVA patrols and there passed the night.
At dawn, January 25th, Mike Company, under Captain Raymond Kalm, began to sweep the valley. They
reached the ambush site to discover four Marine dead from the previous day’s action. They dealt with
the bodies, then cautiously proceeded to move west to east. While patrolling near the still abandoned
vehicles scattered along the road, automatic weapons fire tore through their ranks. Two Marines lay
dead, killed instantly. Two more fell wounded.
But Mike Company was prepared to earn their pay. They gained fire superiority and attacked with
aggressive fire team maneuvers. The end of the brief action eliminated nine enemy soldiers. One NVA
light machine gun was captured. Darting Star then ordered Captain Kalm to advance his company to a
small hill just north of Route 9, about a thousand meters east of the contact site, set up a defensive
perimeter, and wait while the battalion’s two remaining rifle companies choppered in.
In a swirl of red dust several battle-worn Ch-46s touched down on the valley floor and disgorged India
Company, commanded by Captain John L. Prichard, and Lima Company, led by Captain John L.
McLaughlin. H&S Company (minus) also flew to the scene. By mid-afternoon, nearly eight hundred
Marines had established a three-company perimeter along both sides of Route 9 and tethered to Mike
Company, which had dug in on the strategic height now being known as Mike’s Hill.
The multiple chopper sorties did not go unnoticed. Enemy forward observers watched the deployment
from the stealth of the jungle on a high ridgeline to the north. They trained their 82mm mortar tubes on
the Marines, who, just beginning to dig in, appeared like sitting ducks.
Mortar fire poured down. Certain 85mm artillery fire slammed in. Shrapnel thickened the air. Marines
curled on the ground and endured the pounding. When a lull finally came, seventeen wounded were
ponchoed aboard med-evac birds. Busy Marines set up the night watch while the Battalion maintained
a 100% alert.
Dark, tense hours ticked by. Enemy infantry worked their way down the streambeds on the east and
crept up the gullies, north and west of Mike’s Hill. Sporadic trip flares ignited. Shadows darted through
the scrub brush. Fire-team sized listening posts reported movement all around them. The Marines
braced for an attack, but thus far the enemy’s actions proved only preparatory.
On the morning of January 26, relieved by daylight and pumped up on adrenaline, Marines swept
across the valley. Regaining the offense rejuvenated the warriors. Each forward step helped shake out
the tightness that lay balled up like a fist in the chest, incited by prolonged stares into darkness,
waiting on death.
Mike Company patrolled west. India and Lima Companies maneuvered separately toward the north with
orders to cross the Cam Lo River and destroy the enemy. At 0845 a Mike Company patrol discovered a
small bridge had been blown during the night. Route 9 was “impassable without engineer
improvement.” Darting Star was forced to reassess his plans.
Colonel William L. Dick, 4th Marine Commander, radioed new orders from Camp Carroll. There would be
no river crossing. The battalion was to “continue to secure Route 9 denying enemy access to bridges
and culverts, and to patrol and ambush 375 meters north and south of the road occupying the high
ground on either side as necessary.” The Marines leaned into the task.
India Company made contact with eight to ten NVA and opened up with small arms fire. They destroyed
a 75mm recoilless rifle with artillery support. A Lima Company platoon patrol, led by Lieutenant John
“Doc” Holladay, engaged a reinforced NVA squad, killing six of the enemy and capturing four AK-47s
and an RPG. Throughout the day abandoned enemy equipment, consisting of rifle grenades, machine
gun ammo, crimped cartridges, mines, and even discarded clothing was found.
Nightfall descended, however, with the battalion reporting only minor resistance. That alone raised the
grunt’s suspicions. Silent faces ate from unheated C-rat cans and pondered the possibilities. Darting
Star, concerned about the low ground of the previous night’s defensive perimeter, decided to deploy
three detached company perimeters on favorable high ground along both sides of Route 9. He held his
Command Group with Company M on Mike’s Hill. India Company moved to a promontory located about
1000 meters to the west. Lima laboriously humped up a steep prominence to the south where, once
atop, they overlooked the entire valley sweep.
Accomplished under the cover of darkness the battalion’s redeployment went unobserved.
JANUARY
24 Jan-1400hrs. Capt Sullivan, Cpl Riley, Cpl Walsh, Cpl Todd, in the C.O.'s jeep and Pfc
Chastain along with other personnel following in a truck leave Dong Ha to return to
Camp Carroll along Route 9. Three Army vehicles joined the convoy halfway there. As
the convoy reached checkpoint 37, 25-30 NVA troops were seen crossing a field
heading towards tower 250 at Camp Carroll. The convoy stopped and as they jumped
off the vehicles, the NVA opened up with small arms fire and automatic weapons fire.
The NVA then methodically started hitting the vehicles with RPGs. (Rocket Propelled
Grenades). Starting with the last truck first. Cpl Walsh got hit in the early stages of the
firefight. Capt Sullivan radioed for Medevac and gunships then for artillery. It's not
every day that the C.O. of an artillery battery calls in support from his own men to save
his butt. Despite the NVA zeroing in on the jeep with RPGs to silence the radio calling
the hammers of hell down on them, Capt. Sullivan continued to direct fire on them. At
one point, an RPG hit the jeep and spun him around 180 degrees. As the small force
tried to regroup under the fire from the NVA, a few Seabees joined in the fray. The NVA
were within 20 meters of the road now. "Wild Bill" Paradise, a passenger in the truck
with PFC Chastain took out an NVA in a hole a few meters from the road. A reactionary
force arrived from Camp Carroll, some grunts were atop a tank. The NVA opened up,
killing the Tank Commander and wounding most of the grunts. The few NVA that were
left fled and Med Evacs arrived to take out the WIAs. This mix and match bastard outfit
of Marines, Army and Sailors under Capt. Sullivan did one hell of a job. Hand Salute !
starting when the convoy got hit and the battle started. We only new
something was going on but unsure of the scope.
The 3rd Marine Division commander, General Rathvon Thompkins, received the ambush reports and
paced in his headquarters bunker at Dong Ha. The situation was dire. The North Vietnamese could not
be allowed to deny access to Camp Carroll. The commander keyed his radio handset, and transferred
the battle-toughened 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines into the valley with orders to clear the ambush site and
reopen Route 9.
Lieutenant Colonel Lee Bendell, Battalion commander, call sign Darting Star, arrived at the ambush site
at 1900 and found the earlier relief force had already evacuated the wounded and, he concluded, all of
the dead. With darkness falling and moving with only one of the battalion’s companies, Mike Company,
the colonel established a night-time defensive perimeter along a ridgeline overlooking Route 9. He
positioned his force to screen Camp Carroll from the NVA patrols and there passed the night.
At dawn, January 25th, Mike Company, under Captain Raymond Kalm, began to sweep the valley. They
reached the ambush site to discover four Marine dead from the previous day’s action. They dealt with
the bodies, then cautiously proceeded to move west to east. While patrolling near the still abandoned
vehicles scattered along the road, automatic weapons fire tore through their ranks. Two Marines lay
dead, killed instantly. Two more fell wounded.
But Mike Company was prepared to earn their pay. They gained fire superiority and attacked with
aggressive fire team maneuvers. The end of the brief action eliminated nine enemy soldiers. One NVA
light machine gun was captured. Darting Star then ordered Captain Kalm to advance his company to a
small hill just north of Route 9, about a thousand meters east of the contact site, set up a defensive
perimeter, and wait while the battalion’s two remaining rifle companies choppered in.
In a swirl of red dust several battle-worn Ch-46s touched down on the valley floor and disgorged India
Company, commanded by Captain John L. Prichard, and Lima Company, led by Captain John L.
McLaughlin. H&S Company (minus) also flew to the scene. By mid-afternoon, nearly eight hundred
Marines had established a three-company perimeter along both sides of Route 9 and tethered to Mike
Company, which had dug in on the strategic height now being known as Mike’s Hill.
The multiple chopper sorties did not go unnoticed. Enemy forward observers watched the deployment
from the stealth of the jungle on a high ridgeline to the north. They trained their 82mm mortar tubes on
the Marines, who, just beginning to dig in, appeared like sitting ducks.
Mortar fire poured down. Certain 85mm artillery fire slammed in. Shrapnel thickened the air. Marines
curled on the ground and endured the pounding. When a lull finally came, seventeen wounded were
ponchoed aboard med-evac birds. Busy Marines set up the night watch while the Battalion maintained
a 100% alert.
Dark, tense hours ticked by. Enemy infantry worked their way down the streambeds on the east and
crept up the gullies, north and west of Mike’s Hill. Sporadic trip flares ignited. Shadows darted through
the scrub brush. Fire-team sized listening posts reported movement all around them. The Marines
braced for an attack, but thus far the enemy’s actions proved only preparatory.
On the morning of January 26, relieved by daylight and pumped up on adrenaline, Marines swept
across the valley. Regaining the offense rejuvenated the warriors. Each forward step helped shake out
the tightness that lay balled up like a fist in the chest, incited by prolonged stares into darkness,
waiting on death.
Mike Company patrolled west. India and Lima Companies maneuvered separately toward the north with
orders to cross the Cam Lo River and destroy the enemy. At 0845 a Mike Company patrol discovered a
small bridge had been blown during the night. Route 9 was “impassable without engineer
improvement.” Darting Star was forced to reassess his plans.
Colonel William L. Dick, 4th Marine Commander, radioed new orders from Camp Carroll. There would be
no river crossing. The battalion was to “continue to secure Route 9 denying enemy access to bridges
and culverts, and to patrol and ambush 375 meters north and south of the road occupying the high
ground on either side as necessary.” The Marines leaned into the task.
India Company made contact with eight to ten NVA and opened up with small arms fire. They destroyed
a 75mm recoilless rifle with artillery support. A Lima Company platoon patrol, led by Lieutenant John
“Doc” Holladay, engaged a reinforced NVA squad, killing six of the enemy and capturing four AK-47s
and an RPG. Throughout the day abandoned enemy equipment, consisting of rifle grenades, machine
gun ammo, crimped cartridges, mines, and even discarded clothing was found.
Nightfall descended, however, with the battalion reporting only minor resistance. That alone raised the
grunt’s suspicions. Silent faces ate from unheated C-rat cans and pondered the possibilities. Darting
Star, concerned about the low ground of the previous night’s defensive perimeter, decided to deploy
three detached company perimeters on favorable high ground along both sides of Route 9. He held his
Command Group with Company M on Mike’s Hill. India Company moved to a promontory located about
1000 meters to the west. Lima laboriously humped up a steep prominence to the south where, once
atop, they overlooked the entire valley sweep.
Accomplished under the cover of darkness the battalion’s redeployment went unobserved.
Wednesday morning, 24 January. Consisting of three trucks and a jeep mounted with a quad .50 caliber machine gun, the Marine complement trundled west, looking forward to completing their routine artillery resupply mission and rolling through the gates of Camp Carroll by the first hours of the afternoon.
Around 1030 hours, however,
elements of the elite 320th NVA Division, the 64th Regiment, hastily made
last-minute camouflage adjustments and checked their fields of fire. The first
trap in Giap’s resolute attempt to isolate Camp Carroll and sever the main
supply route was about to snap shut. Nervous North Vietnamese eyes stared into
a deep valley at a curve along Route 9 where any passing convoy had to slow
before turning onto the Camp Carroll access road. Silently, the soldiers
waited.
Listening. Alone in their thoughts.
Then just before 1400 hours,
a distant whine and clank of Marine vehicles signaled a column’s approach. The
Marine convoy rumbled forward, ultimately passing into the NVA kill zone. As
the
vehicles reduced speed and geared down in preparation for the turn toward
camp, anxious faces seemed relieved to begin the final three-kilometer stretch
home. Words of hot chow began to circulate. Then all hell broke loose. Small
arms and machine gun fire sprayed all four vehicles. Recoilless rifles bucked
trucks off their wheels as they absorbed the impact of accurate fire. Wrecked
machines plumed
smoke and the convoy rolled to a listless, floppy stop. Mortar rounds trounced
the pinned-down Marines. Cries from wounded echoed through a din of explosions
and automatic weapons fire.
Reeling Marines dismounted
without delay. They found what cover they could and returned fire. The quad
.50 cal machine gun remained serviceable and pelted death at the invisible
attackers. The fury of fire crouched enemy heads and bought enough time for
the bushwhacked Marines to get a call off for assistance. Within minutes the
4th Marines, newly headquartered at Camp Carroll, launched a reaction force. A
platoon from Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines joined two tanks from
Bravo Company, 3rd Tank Battalion, along with two Army M42 Dusters from
Charley Battery, 1st Battalion, 44th artillery. The column roared from camp
under the command of Captain Daniel W. Kent seated high in the turret of the
lead tank. The enemy anticipated the reinforcements and waited to spring the
second trap of
the day. When the Marine convoy drew near, a recoilless rifle blasted the lead
vehicle, killing Captain Kent and immobilizing his rescue force. The Marines
reacted with the full punch of their remaining firepower. Even so, locked in
the kill zone, they were compelled to call for additional support.
A second relief force clamored out of Dong Ha while the Marines fought through the afternoon. Then, as sundown loomed, the sudden appearance in the sky of two UH-1E gunships persuaded the enemy to break contact. They slipped away pell-mell, leaving three dead North Vietnamese soldiers behind. By the time the Dong Ha relief column arrived, Marine casualties were heavy. Eight dead, forty-four wounded. All vehicles in the original convoy, plus the two dusters and Captain Kent’s lead tank, required towing and so were left along the road. The fresh Marines assisted with the evacuation of the set upon troops. Then all hustled up the road to Camp Carroll.
Another View of That Day
By Unknown
24 Jan-1400hrs. Capt Sullivan, Cpl Riley, Cpl Walsh, Cpl Todd, in the C.O.'s jeep and Pfc Chastain along with other personnel following in a truck leave Dong Ha to return to Camp Carroll along Route 9. Three Army vehicles joined the convoy halfway there.
As the convoy reached checkpoint 37, 25-30 NVA troops were seen crossing a field heading towards tower 250 at Camp Carroll. The convoy stopped and as they jumped off the vehicles, the NVA opened up with small arms fire and automatic weapons fire.
The NVA then methodically started hitting the vehicles with RPGs. (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Starting with the last truck first. Cpl Walsh got hit in the early stages of the firefight. Capt Sullivan radioed for Medevac and gunships then for artillery. It's not every day that the C.O. of an artillery battery calls in support from his own men to save his butt. Despite the NVA zeroing in on the jeep with RPGs to silence the radio calling the hammers of hell down on them, Capt. Sullivan continued to direct fire on them. At one point, an RPG hit the jeep and spun him around 180 degrees. As the small force tried to regroup under the fire from the NVA, a few Seabees joined in the fray. The NVA were within 20 meters of the road now. "Wild Bill" Paradise, a passenger in the truck with PFC Chastain took out an NVA in a hole a few meters from the road. A reactionary force arrived from Camp Carroll, some grunts were atop a tank.
The NVA opened up, killing the Tank Commander and wounding most of the grunts. The few NVA that were left fled and Med Evacs arrived to take out the WIAs. This mix and match bastard outfit of Marines, Army and Sailors under Capt. Sullivan did one hell of a job.