DAILY STAFF JOURNAL OR DUTY OFFICER'S LOG Page No. No. of Pages 1 3 CONFIDENTIAL Period Covered From To Organization or Installation Location Hour Date Hour Date Americal Division TOC CHU LAI, RVN 0001 01 Sep 68 2400 01 Sep 68 Item Time Incidents, Messages, Orders, Etc. 1 0001 Journal Opened. 2 0130 1st CAG, CAP 138, BS580919 at 2200H, patrol checking houses, spotted 1 VC, eng’d, and checking area. Found bloody trail, believe VC was helped to escape. 1 M26 HG CIA, 1 VC KIA (probable). 3 0240 11th, Duc Pho City, at 0130H, rec’d several HG’s, unk size mortar rds, and possibly one B-40 rocket, and SA fire, res: 3 PF WHA (M). Contact broken at 0210H. 4 0643 CLDC, return to normal daylight condition at 0645H. 5 1838 (delayed entry) Ha Thanh, SF Camp strength: CIDG 440, Mobile Strike Force (Nha Trang) 147, Mobile Strike Force (DaNang) 95, CSF (Tien Phuoc) 90, RF/PF 184, USSF 11, VNSF 10. 6 0910 26th Engr, LT Chapman, sweep team now at checkpoint Plainsville on Rte #533. Rte recon, BS784430-BS786425, road covered with debris, is impassable. Passed to SGT Hand, 11th Bde at 0930H. 7 0845 USASF. Tien Phuoc, Opn C-171, Opn P-175 closed 301800H. Gia Vuc, Opn P-192 closed 301830H. Ba To, Opn P-163 (35 pers), Rcn, 011700H to 051700H, corners BS4825, 4732, 5533, 5629. Opn P-160 closed 301810H. Minh Long, Opn P-139 closed 301900H. Opn C-171 was passed to 198th. 8 0915 198th, A/1/52, BS547969 at 0900H, rec’d sniper and .50 cal fire. FAC was requested, he is on an air strike. S-2 ship is on station, neg results. 9 0940 S-2, 39th Engr, BS617883 at 0815H, found mine in road, 20 lb charge, blew in place. 10 1110 196th, TOC, request air strike for LRRP’S ASAP. LRRP Lucky Strike AT9422 upper left, AT9820 lower right. LRRP Tareyton’s AO BT0545 upper left, BT0743 lower right. 11 0747 196th, TOC, C/4/21, air move from Chu Lai to Baldy, 1st lift, PZ 0700H, LZ 0800H, complete 0950H. 12 0845 Tam Ky, PFC Eppi, BT243179, VN report to US Advisors in Tam Ky that culvert at above location blown by VC and road not passable. US Advisors checking it out now, will call back. Has been confirmed at 0920H. 13 1010 198th, TOC, results of Sniffer mission, all moderate readings at: BT131095, 136096, 131089, 134078, 138070, 139078, 152083, 155086, 158087, 156080, 158076, 164071, 236099, 251099, 263113. 14 1015 198th, C/4/3, BT370138 at 1015H, obs 4 VCS, they dropped something off and picked something up. Are sending patrol out to area. 15 1025 196th, 2/1, AT9736 at 1025H, 196th will make a CS drop at above coord 020730H. 16 1035 11th, D/3/1, BS758413 at 1015H, eng’d 1 VC evading, res: 1 VC KIA, no ID or equipment. 17 1035 11th, A/3/1, BS749548 at 0945H, hit BT HG, res: 2 WHA (E), Dustoff complete 0955H. 18 1055 11th, CC/3/1, BS774468 at 1020H, took AW fire in tail rotor, have set down on LZ Max. The pilot doesn’t think that he can fly it. Requires new ship. He was at 500ft. 174 repair team on the way to the CC ship. 19 1155 198th, A/1/52, BS548966 at 1100H, PF’s working with 1/52 detained 30 MAM’s. PF’s will interrogate them out in the field. 20 1100 11th, D/1/20, BT915226 at 1050H, eng’d 2 VC evading, res: 1 VC WIA, calling Dustoff at this time. 21 1101 11th, B/3/1, BT792438 at 1035H, eng’d 1 VC evading, res: 1 VC KIA, no documents or wpn. 22 1110 11th, B/3/1, BS768457 at 1050H, eng’d 1 VC evading, res: 1 VC KIA, no wpn or ID. 1155H, report VC had ID card that showed him to be a guerrilla. 23 1120 11th, TOC, result of Sniffer mission, max readings at the following coord: BS698398, 701400, 703401, 705402, 770309, 770304, 770297, 815332. 24 1235 196th, 71st Avn, BT098312 at 1145H, rec’d 5 to 10 rds of AK-47 fire, ret’d fire with neg results. 25 1305 11th, B/3/1, BS807420 at 1250H, eng’d 1 VC evading, res: 1 VC KIA, neg ID or wpn. 26 1130 198th, CPT Kenny, request F/8 Cav fly VR of Tien Phuoc Rice Bowl this afternoon, no friendly troops in area. Passed to 1/1 Cav. 27 1231 196th, C/3/21, BT086265 at 1030H, obs 6 VC/NVA near a well, eng’d with M-16 and M-79, res: 2 VC, 1 female 20 yrs old KIA, 1 male 27 yrs old KIA. All others evaded NE. In same area in a hootch, unit found 3 dozen tablets, 3 gal tea, bandages, 2 NVA canteens, 300 malaria pills, 1 helmet, 50 lbs corn, 1 flashlight, 1 Chicom HG, 1 AK-47, SN 9477115, 10 pr sandals, documents and diary. 28 1228 196th, D/2/1, AT995353 at 0820H, detained 1 VC who said his unit was the 21st Regt. His unit is located at AT971389, they make resupply runs of platoon size from BT003388 to AT965336. 29 1159 196th, TOC, S-3, D/3/21, air move to Hawk Hill, last lift complete 1145H. 30 1155 1/1 Cav, 0825H to 1015H, VR for 198th. BT192078, defensive bunker with personnel inside. 0900H, BT192077, 2 spider holes with a MAM in one hole. 0910H, BT2207-2209, road shows hvy use (Note) field well cultivated with many water buffalo and cows, neg people. People at BT2205, appears to be living underground. 0930H, BT168034, approx 40 water buffalo. 0940H, BT165036, camouflaged hut. 1000H, BT304098, LOH rec’d 20 rds AW fire, .30 cal, neg hits. 31 1015 198th, B/1/52 & CAP 13t, BS704967 at 1015H, rec’d sniper fire, mortar fire has been requested on suspected sniper location. DAILY STAFF JOURNAL OR DUTY OFFICER'S LOG Page No. No. of Pages 2 3 CONFIDENTIAL Period Covered From To Organization or Installation Location Hour Date Hour Date Americal Division TOC CHU LAI, RVN 0001 01 Sep 68 2400 01 Sep 68 Item Time Incidents, Messages, Orders, Etc. 32 0950 196th, B/4/31, AT934243 at 0830H, on a wire sweep, found a pool of blood and blood trail, which was followed. They found a Chicom HG, 2 Chicom mines, NVA ID card, AK-47 mag, then by outer strand of wire found NVA soldier buried. He was dressed in blue uniform. This was on NE side of LZ O’Connor. 33 0955 11th, B/19th Engr, BS775451 at 0815H, mine sweep team found barricade on road, made of rocks and brush. Started to clear road and rec’d sniper fire, ret’d fire and sniper fire stopped. Neg casualties, neg assessment, continuing sweep. 34 1155 198th, BS548966 at 1115H, found 1 VC KIA and some documents, will evac documents to LZ Bayonet. VC was KIA by SA fire last night. 35 1038 39th Engr, BS717588 at 0950H, found 1 mine with 15 lb of explosive, destroyed in place, cont’d mine sweep. 36 1150 Amcal, TOC, C/5/46, LTC Baxley passed to LT Blanco that GEN Cooksey wants an arty prep before going in to LZ on C/5/46’s CA. 37 1142 11th, B/3/1, BS789441 at 1100H, 2 VC were hiding in a hole, threw in HG and went in after them, res: 2 VC KIA, CIA document, 1 carbine, SN 5055809, 1 M-3 sub-MG, SN 141888. 38 1156 198th, Aero Scouts, BS730895 at 1100H, rec’d SA fire from a bunker located at BS730898, ret’d fire, and Swift Boats fired 81mm mortars with neg results. 39 2200 (delayed entry) 1st CAG, CAP 135, BS712937 at 2100H, a police chief said the 96th Co and the 48th NVA Bn were located at the following coord: 95th Co, Phuoc Tho #2 BS642913, Phuoc Tho #3 BS643919, and Phuoc Tho #6 BS647930. Their HQ’s are at BS655935 in a big tunnel complex, Personnel: 80 men, Weapons: 1x60mm mortar, 4 B-40 rocket launchers, individual wpns, satchel charges, and bangalore torpedoes. Their next target is to be CAP 131, 137, and Binh Son. 48th NVA Bn to hit CAP 135 and LZ Paradise, possibly next month. They have 7x81mm mortars, will use 4 mortars on CAP 135 and 3 mortars on LZ Paradise. Will be firing from vic BS713961 (4 mortars) and BS705960 (3 mortars). After they have an attack, they return to BS685935 in another huge cave complex. 40 1030 198th, TOC, results of VR mission ran by F/8 Cav. At 0920H, BT192078, obs bunker believed to be living quarters because of clothing outside, and women in area. At BT192077, obs 1 spider hole. At BT168034, obs 40 water buffalo. At BT165026, obs new hut constructed of ponchos. At BT2202, all civilians living in bunkers, also obs 75 cattle. At 0945H, BT303098, rec’d AW fire, neg hits. 41 1245 Quang Ngai, TOC, ARVN locations: 1/4-BS568688, 4/4-579730, 2/5-592720, 4/2-610719, 6/1-633750, 1/6-665763, 1/4-645728, 2/4-630702, 4/6-618614, 3/4-708612. 42 1455 11th, TOC, BS332658 at 1440H, Aero Scouts Infantry inserted at above coord at 1440H. 43 1500 198th, TOC, request for LRRP Winston to be inserted at 020630H Sep, at upper left BS5089, lower right BS4891. Approved. 44 1520 198th, C/5/46, vic S/B, CA of C/5/46, PZ 1445H, LZ 1512H, cold, complete.