Headquarters and Headquarter Company
December 20, 1969
Battalion Forward: 1-20 Infantry Headquarters is located at LZ Liz and will continue their working with the ARVN units in their Area of Operations. At 1525hrs Helix 38 FAC we are putting in an Air Strike at grid BS761378, Bomb Damage Assessment is a trail cut. At 1542hrs AJAX Alpha Company 99, Bravo Company 101, Charlie Company 95, Delta Company Chu Lai, Recon Platoon 32, 4.2 Platoon 21. At 1630hrs Helix the Air Strike on grid BS761378 with result shrapnel covering the area fairly well and 1 bunker at grid BS746443 destroyed also 2 sustained fires. At 1610hrs 1-20 Infantry to Charlie Company we requests that you establish a block at BS793448 for the Bravo Company 35 element and RF to BS789449. The time to be in position is 0600hrs. Have one radio on Bravo Company internal. After the Bravo Company 36 element has finished their sweep and return to the west and wait for 30 minutes and the RF is to join up with Charlie Company at BS762438. At 1630hrs Helix the Air Strike on grid BS761378 resulted in shrapnel covering the area fairly well and one bunker at grid BS746443 destroyed and also 2 sustained fires.
Battalion Rear: Battalion Rear continued their Mission for providing general support for the Battalion.
Alpha Company
December 20, 1969
Alpha Company continued their Security Mission for LZ Liz. At 0535hrs Alpha Company the 76 element is at checkpoint 3 at BS763423 with negative results. At 0833hrs Alpha Company the 15, 35, and the 24 element have closed on LZ Liz. At 1709hrs Alpha Company we are moving off of LIZ with one squad to check BOMB DAMAGE ASSESSMENT of the Air Strike at grid BS746443. At 1750hrs Alpha Company reported a negative Bomb Damage Assessment they blew bushes off the top of hill and saturated the area very well, we are coming back to your location. At 1945hrs Alpha Company the 25 snake is in location at BS768411, and the 16 snake is at BS777441, the 74 element is at BS768439 and the 84 is at BS789445. At 2330hrs Bunker 18, 2 explosions were reported approximately 200 meters to their front. We fired 81mm Ill rounds and the personnel at Bunker 18 thought they spotted 2 personnel in the wire. The targets were no longer visible on 2nd round of Illumination.
Bravo Company
December 20, 1969
At 0015hrs Bravo Company the Gorilla element is at BS791444 and the 12 element is at BS790447. At 0020hrs Bravo Company reference the VC that was picked up by Recon and turned over to Bravo Company Command Post # 30 17 December 69. He was found to be a VC Tax collector. At 0445hrs Bravo Company the PF have advised the 75 snake that they believe VC in grid BS820405 and BS826405. The 75 snake will proceed to check out these locations. At 0825hrs Bravo Company the Gorilla team and the 12 element has picked up four detainees, 1 (female) and 3 (males). The female is VC she informed us that the other VC we were after left early this morning the 12 element and the Gorilla element are moving back at this time grid BS794445. At 0855hrs Bravo Company the PF have an operation with 4 PF that will be going to BS777432 and 4 PF will be moving to BS776429. At 1140hrs Bravo Company the Gorilla and the 12 element have closed on BS783433. At 1235hrs Bravo Company the 75 element snake is at BS791423 and will have 5 PF with them. And the 37 element has closed on BS776446. At 1610hrs 1-20 infantry Charlie Company we request that you establish a block at BS793448 for the Bravo Company the 35 element and RF to BS789449, the time to be in position at 0600hrs, and have 1 radio on Bravo Company internal. After the Bravo Company 35 element has finished their sweep and return to the west and wait for 30 minutes and the RF to BS762438 and join with Charlie Company at 2040hrs. A Chieu Hoi surrendered to the 169 RF Company at grid BS794380 (B 85 is also located here) the Chieu Hoi is 23 years old. He been a NVA for 7 years and has worked as a leader of a 20 man element, he left 10 months ago because he thought he was a bad leader. As an NVA he worked in grids BS724396 and BS769423. After he quit the NVA he worked with C 219 VC element and then became a farmer at grids BS769423. He says he knows the location of 4-5 NVA armed with weapons. These NVA work in the rice paddies during the day and hide in the cave at night (no location was given). He also know where two NVA, who want to Chieu Hoi, are being held prisoners no location given.
Charlie Company
December 20, 1969
At 1115hrs Charlie Company reports locations for the 32 element is BS776374 and also we have found a tunnel with small hootch build in front of it, we are checking it out in front of it. The 12 element at BS772394 found a 105mm round, which was booby trap, and blew it in place. At 2000hrs the 32 element found 8 to 10 rounds of M-1 ammo, 2 sandbags of rice (about 70 pounds) what it looks like is a factor for making blasting caps and 2 M-16 boxes filled with document and the Kit Carson Scout say these documents are regarding Christmas. The 32 element has a secure LZ for picking up the items. The 12 element found 300 rounds of M60 ammo (very good shape) and the Charlie 12 element keep it and use it. The 32 element in the general area of BS776374 found a base camp with 6 fighting positions and 2 bunkers. The Bunkers are fighting position have excellent overhead cover and the position could not be seen from the air. The bunkers are 10’ X 10’ in size. There was fresh defecation not more then 2 to 3 hours old, and there was a cave up above the bunkers and we will be checking it out later. At 1435hrs Charlie Company also found in the same general area about 100 foxholes from either an ARVN or US unit because they found US type cans and other items in the area, (AJAX 95). At 1610hrs 1-20 Infantry to Charlie Company we request that you established a block at BS793448 for the Bravo 35 Recon in Force to BS789449 and be in position by 0600hrs. Have one of your radios on Bravo Company internal and after the sweep is finished and return to the west, wait 30 minutes and Recon in force to BS762438 and join up with Bravo Company.
Delta Company
December 20, 1969
Delta Company is located at Chu Lai on their Stand Down.
Echo Company
December 20, 1969
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. At 0625hrs 4.2 Platoon reports Supporting Missions 16, Observed Missions 1 with total expend 37 HE, 3WP and 9 Illumination rounds. Echo Company Headquarters has the responsibility for Base Defense. Recon Platoon is located at LZ Bronco.