A Note from The Virtual Wall At 10 AM on 2 July 1967, Bravo Company 1/9 Marines were on patrol about 1 and 1/2 miles northeast of Con Thien when they made contact with what they thought was a small, well-entrenched enemy unit. Alpha 1/9, also on patrol nearby, came to help, and the two understrength companies found themselves in a meat grinder - the small enemy force turned out to be 5 NVA battalions that had crossed the DMZ. Even worse, the NVA troops were supported by artillery firing from within and north of the DMZ. By midafternoon, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, had been inserted by helicopter on the enemy's left flank and the massive weight of U. S. air and artillery support was taking its toll on the NVA. By evening the NVA had broken contact, withdrawing into the DMZ. By that time Bravo 1/9 had been destroyed as a fighting force - Bravo 1/9, understrength to begin with, had 58 men killed in action. Alpha 1/9 had 13 killed in action, and H&S Company 15 - including eight Corpsmen. Delma Reed's first cousin (his maternal aunt's son) PFC Robert E. Lackey of Mount Laguna, California, was one of two men from Alpha Company 1/327th Infantry killed in action on 11 Dec 1968 in Thua Thien Province.

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