Headquarters and Headquarter Company
March 17, 1970
Forward Area: 1-20 Infantry Headquarters is located at LZ Liz and will continued to work with ARVN units in their Area of Operations. At 0345hrs 1-20 Infantry reports Radar at 1950hrs sighted 7 to 8 stationary personnel at BS810470 and engaged with 9 HE of Artillery 105 and at 2030hrs TMF sighted 4 to 5 stationary personnel (were moving south to north) at BS798324 and engaged with 6 HE of Artillery 105. At 2120hrs TMF sighted 4 to 5 personnel at BS789366 and engaged with 12 HE of Artillery 105 and at 2135hrs 4t o 5 stationary personnel were sighted at BS718482 and engaged with 4 HE of Artillery 155. At 2150hrs 4 to 5 stationary personnel were sighted at BS812400 but not engaged because it was believed to be the wrong grid, and at 2210hrs 4 to 5 stationary personnel were spotted at BS747437 with negative clearance. At 1205hrs Warlord on a Visual Recon found a base camp at BS718336 and south to BS719333. We called in artillery and fired our own weapons and saw 4 new hootches with 2 under construction, tunnel complex and bunkers at BS716328. On a plateau we saw breathing holes, cooking gear and a one man bunker at BS717329 and were unable to flush it out. At 1325hrs The Division Commanding Officer arrived at LZ Liz and left at 1345hrs. At 1425hrs Helix 36 is putting in an Air Strike at BS751351 and had a Bomb Damage Assessment at BS751351 3 500 bomb, 3 bunkers destroyed, 2 trails cut and observed secondary fires.
Rear Area: Battalion Rear continued their Mission of general support for the battalion and continued their Security Mission for LZ Bronco. At 1315hrs Charlie Company 26 Engineer at BS764535 at 1200hrs found one Artillery 105mm round wired for command detonation was detected by local Vietnamese on Mo Duc Road, destroyed in place crater 3’ wide and 1 ½’ deep.
Alpha Company
March 17, 1970
Alpha Company continued their Security Mission for LZ Liz. At 0637hrs the 65 element is at checkpoint 2 at BS752438. At 0735hrs Alpha Company all snakes have closed on LZ Liz. At 1907hrs Alpha Company the 65 element is roving from BS761435 to BS764437, the 66 element is roving from BS770440 to BS764437 and the 67 element is roving from BS770440 to BS775444. At 1940hrs Alpha Company the 94 element is leaving their Night Defense Position for checkpoint 1 at BS751440 and at 2002hrs 84 reports at BS748451. At 2005hrs Alpha Company from Bunker 4 we observed lights 800 meters southeast at BS756431 and we fired HE and 4 WP of 81mm and lights disappeared.
Bravo Company
March 17, 1970
Bravo Company the 33 element providing security for the engineers has cancelled their operation for today. They will have a patrol later in the day. At 1900hrs Bravo Company the 15 element picked up 2 females, one at grid BS799442 and other at BS795439 both turned into MACV.
Charlie Company
March 17, 1970
At 0056hrs Charlie Company the 56 element spotted 4 VC/NVA and engaged with machine guns and claymores but the VC/NVA evaded to the northwest of the grid BS779373. The 65 element checked out the area with negative results. We were unable to call in Artillery due to proximity of friendly forces the distance of contact was 80 meters. At 0905hrs all snakes closed on Night Defense Position moving to Day Logger at BS761392. At 1000hrs Charlie Company grid BS751438 found mantrap, booby trap and 150’long by 4’ deep and 75 fighting positions dug in the ground and 2 automatic weapons position. Charlie Company is using multiple patrolling in their Area of Operation today. At 2000hrs Charlie Company moved into their Night Defense Position.
Delta Company
March 17, 1970
At 0730hrs Delta Company 32 and 62 snakes have closed on their Night Defense Position at BS808353 are now moving out. Delta Company sweeping along the river from BS806369 to BS806354 and the TMF with the 62 element is sweeping along the River from BS801332 to BS807337, and BS798329. At 1007hrs the Delta Company 34 security element at the tunnel location at BS802354 picked up the Vietnamese detainees. One male was middle aged and one female approximately 18, neither of them had ID and will be extracted to MI. At 1100hrs Delta Company the 34 element while conducting a Recon by fire in hedgerow received a secondary explosion by an unknown just below the right eve. Dolphin 25 with the Battalion CO extracted SGT Jack D. Craig to 23rd Medical at 1105hrs. At 1215hrs Delta Company 12 element we found 2 Artillery 105 rounds in one booby trap set up above the ground on a single explosion. It was command detonated with electrical type blast and it was blown in place at grid BS764535, we found it with a mine dog and the Vietnamese at this location. At 1345hrs Delta Company reports new location at BS802354. At 1400hrs Delta Company the 34 element reports a tunnel complex destroyed at BS802354. At 1540hrs Delta Company 32 element found some booklets and the Kit Carson Scout says that one of these was a home medical book, one school booklet and one booklet with Chinese writing on it. We did not know what, it was so we are sending it in, found at BS809357. At 1750hrs Delta Company 19 is leaving their Day Logger and is moving to their Night Defense Position at BS798356 along with the 92 element from BS798369 to BS798356. SGT Jack D. Craig was evac to the 91st Evac Hospital.
Echo Company
March 17, 1970
Echo Company headquarters and 4.2 Mortar Platoon is location on LZ Liz, where the 4.2 Platoon providing direct fire support for the Battalion. Echo Company Headquarters has the responsibility for Base Defense. At 0518hrs Recon the 32 element is closing on LZ Liz and closed at 0745hrs. At 0628hrs Recon the 34 element snake Will Scarlet, sprung their ambush on 1 VC at grid BS733448. The VC evaded and the 34 element is in pursuit. After thoroughly checking out the area with negative finding and negative confirmation on suspected WIA we are moving toward LZ Liz. At 0742hrs Recon the 34 and the 19 elements are closing on LZ Liz and closed at 0755hrs. At 0910hrs Recon Platoon reports Reference the spot report of 161955 March 1970. At grid BS734436 we found 6 different sandals completed cover with blood, 17 large stacks of straw, 2 large bags of leaves, and one belt (strap) with M-26 Frag and a poncho with personnel gear. At 1925hrs Recon the 32 element is moving to BS715432, the 19 element is moving to BS723442 and the 34 element is moving to BS728450. At 2045hrs Recon Platoon locations 19 at BS723442, the 32 element is at BS715432, and 34 at BS728450.