Headquarters and Headquarter Company
May 21, 1968
Forward Area 1-20 Infantry Headquarters is located at LZ Ross for Operation WHEELER-WALLOWA and are OPCON to the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. Alpha Company will secure LZ Ross, road sweep of highway 535. Delta Company 3-1 Infantry swept northeast to vicinity BT0135 and at 0807hrs Alpha Company 4-21 Infantry lifted by CH 47 to LZ Baldy and at 1010hrs lifted by C7A to Duc Pho returning to OPCON 11th Brigade. At 0914hrs Delta Company 3-1 Infantry at AT962310 received 3 to 4 rounds of small arms fire returned fire and saw a VC running, couldn’t observe a weapon, but did see his pack. Believe they hit him. At 0955hrs checking area out and found 1 (250 pound bomb) and 1 pack with 2 pounds of rice in it, requesting EOD team to blow bomb. At 1135hrs Delta Company 3-1 Infantry at AT962311 received unknown # of rounds from 6 to 8 automatic weapons, 150 to 200 meters northwest of their location. At 1210hrs they maneuvering to check area and received 2 burst of automatic weapons fire from 250 to 350 meters northwest of their location and fired 4 rounds of 81mm Mortar rounds. At 1311hrs while trying to check area receiving automatic weapon fire from 200 to 250 meters northwest of our location and now is calling in artillery and contact broken at 1450hrs.
Rear Area: Battalion Rear continued their Mission of general support for the battalion and continued their Security Mission for LZ Bronco.
Alpha Company
May 21, 1968
Alpha Company has the Security Mission for LZ Ross 1 Platoon with the Calvary platoon will sweep west of the LZ.
Bravo Company
May 21, 1968
Bravo Company continued their Security Mission for LZ Ryder and will be conducting local Security Patrols in their Area of Operation.
Charlie Company
May 21, 1968
Charlie Company Search and Clear operation in the vicinity BT0529 and at 1511hrs Charlie Company received 1 sniper round and observed 3 VC at BT063292 moving from east to west and fired 81mm Mortar on it, 1 round was a direct hit will check area. At 1728hrs Charlie Company at BT063294 received small arms fire from 100 meters to the northwest of position maneuvering element toward that location found 2 bouncing betty mines and destroyed in place. At 1802hrs Charlie Company at BT045295 1 man tripped a booby trap resulting in 2 US WHA (E) Dust Off completed at 1835hrs. At 1810hrs Charlie Company at BT112231 Gun Ships received heavy 12.5mm and are going to site down and see if they received any hit, If not they’re going back up. Charlie Company was moving from BT062287 to BT0529 and Charlie Company PFC Edward G. Baker and PFC Russell E. Miles awarded Purple Heart.
Delta Company
May 21, 1968
Delta Company continued to Conduct Search and Destroy along with Sweep and Clear operations in their Area of Operation moving to BT016352 to AT995364.
Echo Company
May 21, 1968
Echo Company is located at LZ Ross where Battalion Forward, is located and coordinates with the Battalion Rear Elements and the Base Defense on LZ Ross. The 4.2 Platoon is located on LZ Ross where they continue to provide direct fire support for the Battalion. 1-20 Infantry Recon Platoon manned OP Tiger, Cobra and Dragon.