15 May 2001 REMEMBERED by his Platoon Leader Edward W. Marrs nedmarrs@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The 20 January 1969 operations summary sent by the III MAF Combat Operations Center contains the following entry: "201045H [10:45 am, 20 Jan]: A and B [Companies] 4/21st Infantry in attempts to make contact with the NVA battalion reported in the area 11 kilometers north of Quang Ngai City received heavy small arms and automatic weapons fire from an unknown size enemy force in and around a village. The infantrymen cordoned the village and employed organic weapons. The contact continued until 1500H [3:00 pm] with the enemy still using S/A, mortars, and RPG fire. Shortly after, the infantry dropped back and called artillery and air strikes with C Company arriving to supplement the cordon just before dark. Illumination and artillery fire was kept up all night and a sweep scheduled for first light. 3 NVA are known killed with 2 US KIA and 16 WIA (evacuated)." Subsequent reports advise that the enemy force "is well entrenched in the village and is not inclined to sneak away." Additional forces were deployed around the village and by nightfall on 23 Jan there were 26 known enemy dead with two US infantrymen killed and 26 wounded and evacuated. At about noon on 24 Jan the 4/21st infantrymen entered the village proper, receiving only sporadic fire. Further sweeps around the village on 25 Jan uncovered additional NVA dead, while US casualties were limited to a single wounded soldier. At sundown on 25 Jan the toll stood at 46 NVA and 2 US dead, with 28 US wounded severely enough to require evacuation. The two US dead, both from the initial 20 January contact, were SGT Robert W. Smith, Lake Cormorant, MS, and SP4 Arthur Watson, New York, NY.

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