Headquarters and Headquarter Company
January 9, 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 0200hrs 1-20 Infantry reports 2 grenades thrown bridge 95, no casualties or damage. At 0738hrs 1-20 Infantry reported movement in the valley to the west of Thunder approximately 400 meters, will report further activity. At 0500hrs 1-20 Infantry TOC reported movement vicinity BS872327 approximately 300 meters from perimeter. Individuals fired weapons possible 1 enemy WIA will confirm when light and inform TOC. At 0720hrs the Battalion Commander has returned to LZ Liz from Alpha Company. At 0740hrs 1-20 Infantry be especially careful in areas BS8240 and BS8140. It is reportedly heavily mined. At 1205hrs LZ Liz South OP IOS spotted 6 to 8 VCS going into a tunnel at grid BS766391 and we contacted Warlords and they checked out the area, they had negative findings except for a 250 pounds bomb at grid BS766391. At 1317hrs 1-20 Infantry we request 4 National Police for 10 January 1970 to be used in a clearing operation with Delta Company. We will pick up the National Police at MACV pad at 0700hrs. These people will be there according to SGT Armstrong. At 1400hrs the Brigade Commander arrived at LZ Liz and at 1430hrs both Brigade and Battalion Commander departed LZ Liz. At 1454hrs Helix 33 (FAC) we are putting in an Air Strike into grid 779496 and at 1515hrs Bomb Damage Assessment we destroyed a couple of sampans and a few structures. At 1600hrs Helix 33 (FAC) we are putting in an Air Strike into grid BS700427. At 1650hrs Warlord we checked out the Gaza Strip and found numerous tunnels. At 2000hrs Artillery the IOS target is two lights at grid BS799455 and the 105 from LZ Bronco reacted. At 2110hrs Brigade reports the LRRP Team Idaho Night Defense Position is at BS683345. At 2010hrs the South OP IOS targets are at BS803448 and BS735434. At 2330hrs Shark 5 is on station to work over the enemy location and by 2358hrs has expended all his ammo and has broken station.
Rear Area: Battalion Rear continued their Mission of general support for the battalion and continued their Security Mission for LZ Bronco.
Alpha Company
January 9, 1970
At 0815hrs Alpha Company 24 element is moving to BS8141-BS8241. The 04 element will check grid BS822404 and Alpha Company (-) is moving north, to the 42grid line. At 1016hrs Alpha Company we found a small tunnel at grid BS819409. It was large enough to hold 2 to 3 personnel, and the tunnel was blown. At 1056hrs Alpha Company area sweep is completed and we are moving to our Day Logger at BS790425. At 1145hrs Alpha Company at grid BS804420 we found two complete uniforms, OD in color, one pair of shorts, OD in color, hanging on a cloth line. In the hooch we found a bunker, approximately 6’ X 6’ X 6’. We also found a tunnel complex approximately 20 meters from the hooch. At 1215hrs Alpha Company blew a family bunker at grid BS804420 with negative results in the same area we found 2 5 gallon cans of gasoline, one M-16 magazine, two coats, one OD and one Brown, one pair of GI pants and one pair of cut off, the gasoline was destroyed. At 1309hrs Alpha Company our present location 04 element is at BS786427 and we linked up at 1301hrs. At 1640hrs Alpha Company we are moving into our Night Defense Position at BS757434. At 1755hrs Alpha Company the 46 element will go to BS763433, the 27 element will go to BS775443 and the 07 element will go to BS759439. At 1945hrs Alpha Company reports 46 at BS763433, 07 at BS759439 and 27 at BS775443.
Bravo Company
January 9, 1970
At 0650hrs Bravo Company 07 snake closing on 771461, and 25 closed on BS787424, 47 snake has closed on BS783433. At 0725hrs Bravo Company 48 element will conduct a Recon in Force to BS777425. At 0946hrs Bravo Company Urgent Dust Off requested for 1 Vietnamese male, 10 years of age, with frag wounds to the head, complete 1004hrs grid BS783433. At 1010hrs Bravo Company 48 is at checkpoint 2 at BS770428 and the 26 snake has closed on BS789417. At 1120hrs Bravo Company the 26 element is moving out on their bamboo cutting, mission at BS799410. At 1734hrs Bravo Company the 25 element will go to grid BS788427 and the 28 element will go to grid BS796377. At 1810hrs Bravo Company all units have closed on their semi permanent positions. At 1927hrs Bravo Company 25 is moving to BS788427, the 26 is moving to BS798420 and the 46 element is at BS788432. At 2043hrs Bravo Company we need a Urgent Dust Off for 1 VC with gunshot wounds. Our 26 element has captured him after a chase through the rice paddy. He was wearing black pajamas and a red bandana we believe he was the one who dropped the M26 grenade, age 35 years, completed at 2044hrs grid BS788419. At 2305hrs Bravo Company the 06 element at North Bridge is at BS771461 and we are receiving incoming 81 or 60mm mortar rounds, from 600 meters to the east and 400 meters to the south. One Round hit in our location 06 element RTO was the WHA has wounds in the arms and legs and the radio a combat lost. The other 4 rounds were duds and landed in a rice paddy, at grid BS771461. At 2305hrs Bravo Company the 06 element at the North Bridge is at BS771461 and are receiving rocket fire 1 incoming rocket round 600 meters to the east and 400 meters to the southwest some small arms fire, have 1 US is wounded in the right leg and 1 PF has wounds in the arms and legs, Dust Off is completed at 2345hrs. At 2355hrs a summary of the North Bridge incident reveals that it was not a rocket but a 81mm or 60mm. Only 1 hit our location and wounded the 06 element RTO (PFC Harley T. Sandberg) it partially damaged our radio and 1 PF. The enemy fired 4 other rounds but they were duds and landed in a rice paddy at grid BS771461, the radio was combat loss.
Charlie Company
January 9, 1970
At 0930hrs Charlie Company we are moving out to conduct a Recon in Force to BS791317. At 0946hrs Bravo Company Urgent Dust Off 1 Vietnamese male 10 years of age with frag wounds to the head complete at 1004hrs grid BS783433. At 1015hrs Charlie Company our present location is at BS794360 from this location we will move out approximately 60 minutes from now in a cloverleaf formation. At 1035hrs Charlie Company at grid BS791339 we sighted what seems to be some sort of construction. We are calling in artillery on this location. At 1106hrs Charlie Company 44 element on road security requests Urgent Dust Off for 1 US and 3 Vietnamese civilians hit a booby trap 105 round with a (pressure type) firing device. All have multiple frag wounds of the body; we also have 2 US KHA and one Vietnamese civilian KIA Dust Off completed at 1120hrs-vicinity grid BS764534. At 1447hrs the 44 element found a tunnel complex at grid BS763534, about 6 to 7 feet deep and 3’ wide, which goes back about 30’ and branches off. We will blow the bunker. At 1425hrs Charlie Company the 24 element has closed on BS794360. At 1640hrs the tunnel found at BS763534 was 150’ long and at that point it branched off in six different directions. At 1655hrs Charlie Company we are at our Night Defense Position at BS790355. At 1725hrs Charlie Company memorial service will be held tomorrow from 1300hrs to 1345hrs. SP4 RONALD EUGENE EMBREE, PFC BOYD LEE WADE, LISTED AS KHA, The WHA was PFC Donald Williams with Frag wounds to face and left arm 91st Evac Hospital.
Delta Company
January 9, 1970
Delta Company continued their Security Mission for LZ Liz. At 0937hrs Delta Company all snakes have closed on LZ Liz. At 1850hrs Delta Company the 47 element is moving to their Command Post at BS740425 and at 1910hrs 47 element is moving to their Check point 1 at BS741425.
Echo Company
January 9, 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. At 0620hrs 4.2 Platoon reports Supporting Fire 1, Observed Mission 1 and Defense Target 1 for a total expended 72 HE, 1 WP and 30 Illumination rounds. Echo Company Headquarters has the coordination responsibility for Base Defense. At 1250hrs Recon we will move to grid BS766391 to destroy the 250 Pounds dud bomb. At 1440hrs Recon Platoon we found a tunnel complex at grid BS758395. The Kit Carson says that the tunnel complex is a bomb shelter and would hold about 10 people. At 1605hrs Recon we have reached the location of the 250 pounds bomb at grid BS766397, we tried to blow the bomb with negative results, we request help from the engineers and at 1625hrs report our new location for Night Defense Position at grid BS757434. At 1700hrs 1-20 Infantry to Recon you will conduct a Recon in Force from your Night Defense Position to BS757438, BS754440, BS748438, and BS745432 and search the area thoroughly. Check for fresh diggings and tunnels, and positions. At 1735hrs Recon we blew the 250 pounds bomb at grid BS766397. At 1905hrs Recon Platoon has closed on their Night Defense Position.