A Note from The Virtual Wall
In mid-October 1967 the 1st Recon Battalion was conducting frequent patrols in the upper Song Bu Lu River valley and the Ho Hiep Mountains. Both areas were within the 2nd Bn, 7th Marines' area of responsibility. On the 14th, patrol "WAR CLOUD" from C Company, 1st Recon, had a heavy contact with 20 or more VC in prepared positions. After a ten-hour fight, a reaction force from Hotel 2/7 reached and extracted WAR CLOUD, which had 2 Marines killed and 3 wounded.
On the 16th and 17th, two patrols found themselves heavily engaged.
- "TEXAS PETE", a 19 man patrol from Alpha 1st Recon, was engaged on the 16th, broke contact, and was re-engaged at 0800 17 Oct by 40 to 60 enemy troops. Once again an all-day fight ended when a reaction force from India 3/7 closed with TEXAS PETE at about 1500. TEXAS PETE lost 3 men and had 10 wounded.
- "PETRIFY", a 17-man patrol from 1st Force Recon Company, was heavily engaged on the 16th and continued so until finally extracted on the 19th. In this case, Golf 2/7 provided the initial reaction force.
The following entries are taken from the 2/7 Operations Logs for 14 through 19 Oct 1967. Entries in brackets [xxx] come from the WAR CLOUD, TEXAS PETE, and PETRIFY post-patrol reports. Dates and times are in DDHHMM format (141015 = 1015, 14 Oct); all times local.
- [140850 - WAR CLOUD inserted.]
- 141015 - Recon insert WAR CLOUD under heavy sniper fire
- 141530 - Beachnut from 3/7 (India 3/7) and BALD EAGLE OPCON to 2/7 to help recon insert WAR CLOUD - 2 KIA, 3 WIA
- [150745 - PETRIFY inserted]
- [150845 - WAR CLOUD extracted. 2 KIA, 3 WIA.]
- 151015 - PETRIFY insert found 15 fighting holes
- 151545 - Chopped OPCON of Beachnut
- [151630 - TEXAS PETE inserted]
- [161715 - TEXAS PETE engaged by estimated 20 NVA; 2 NVA KIA; broke contact]
- [170800 - While moving toward extraction LZ, TEXAS PETE engaged by 40-60 NVA]
- 171100 - Beachnut 1 3/7 to BALD EAGLE for recon insert. TEXAS PETE is under heavy fire.
- 171130 - F3 dispatch 4 LVTs (light armored vehicles) to aid TEXAS PETE.
- 171245 - Beachnut 1 (1st Plt, India 3/7) OPCON to 2/7.
- 171252 - Beachnut 1 landed first wave
- 171322 - Beachnut 1 moving to TEXAS PETE
- 171500 - TEXAS PETE - 3 KIA, 9 WIA
- 171800 - Recon unit PETRIFY pinned down with heavy auto fire - G-6 (Golf 2/7) to send unit to get them out.
- 171842 - G-6 on way to aid PETRIFY
- 171845H Choppers tried to get out PETRIFY - could not because of heavy VC fire - 1 crew chief WIA (Note: this was CH-46A BuNo 151959)
- 180900 - Chopper downed by enemy fire trying to get out PETRIFY, Golf 2/7 rear to provide security (Note: this was CH-46A BuNo 152502)
- 181030 - G6 fire team going along trail was ambushed by 5 VC. Engaged in firefight - 1 VC KIA but body was taken back by VC
- 181105 - G6 pinned down by auto wpns - firing approx 100 meters from PETRIFY. Activity has died down, link up with PETRIFY should be shortly
- 181140 - G6 linked up with PETRIFY
- 181230 - G unit with chopper received 81 or 82mm mortar fire. No casualties
- 181435 - G6 under heavy fire - receiving M79 and MG fire. Golf 3 MIA, Recon 11 MIA. Need assistance to get out of hill. 60mm mortars hitting CP.
- 181445 - G6 under heavy fire.
- 181523 - G6 feels they have to pull out of posit and link up with recon insert ... they don't have the gear to stay in - if they stay they will have to be pulled out before morning. Enemy has bunkers and are dug in - air strikes have not hurt them.
- 181600 - Beachnut 1 and F3 got TEXAS PETE out and resupplied BALD EAGLE for G6 and PETRIFY insert
- 181720 - Beachnut 1 and F3 first way {sic}.
- 181800 - G6 in contact for 20 minutes - has 1 KIA and 4 WIA USMC. Receiving heavy auto wpns fire, M79 rnds, and M26 grenades. Trying to link up with rest of recon.
- 181810 - G6 move west 900 meters to get out of hot spot.
- 181815 - 2nd chopper downed by enemy - gunship (this was UH-34D BuNo 148120)
- 181910 - 1st wave of Beachnut - 20 men to go to downed chopper.
- 190330 - Anticipate request for emergency medevac ... at first light. Anticipate lift of G6 at 0900. Beachnut India will return to LZ with PETRIFY.
- [191445 - PETRIFY extracted. 2 KIA, 3 WIA (serious), 12 WIA (minor).]
- 191500 - Chop OPCON of Beachnut India 3/7.
Seven men from the three recon teams were killed in action. Golf 2/7 had one man killed in action, body not recovered. There are no known deaths from India 3/7 or the helicopter units. The dead were
- C Co, 1st Recon Bn ("WAR CLOUD")
- Sgt Robert C. Rudd, Dallas, TX (10/14/1967)
- Cpl Edward J. Simons, Bluefield, WV (10/14/1967)
- 1st Force Recon Co, 1st Recon Bn ("PETRIFY")
- Sgt Alan T. Jensen, Hales Corners, WI (10/17/1967)
- LCpl Jerry F. De Gray, Milwaukee, WI (10/17/1967)
- A Co, 1st Recon Bn ("TEXAS PETE")
- GySgt Lemuel L. Alewine, Thornton, TX (10/17/1967)
- LCpl Edward H. Rauch, San Francisco, CA (10/17/1967)
- Pfc Lawrence H. Collier, Memphis, TN (10/17/1967)
- G Co, 2nd Bn, 7th Marines
- LCpl Howard Ogden, Omaha, NE (10/18/1967) (Silver Star)
As noted in the 181800 entry above, Lance Corporal Howard Ogden was killed in the late afternoon of 18 October. His family received a posthumous Silver Star for his actions during the rescue of Recon Team PETRIFY - but his body could not be recovered, and he has not come home.
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