I REMEMBER
Tom recalls one of the LRRP Team insertions and, as was not uncommon, extraction of the Team under fire.
Another Memorable LRRP Mission
This mission took place in late November or early
December, 1967.
For this mission the LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance
Patrol) Team was under the Operational Control of D Troop. The mission was to
place a patrol team in an overwatch position of a north south trail two
kilometers west of Dau Tieng. To control and conduct the insertion/extraction D
Troop deployed a C&C (Command and Control) UH-1C, a UH-1D to put the LRRP Team
in and later extract them, and two UH-1C gunships for fire support. The LRRP
Mission Control Station and D troop Command and Control were colocated in a GP
Medium Tent alongside the north south air strip.
The team was a five man
team led by SSG Tuner, a newly assigned LRRP who was on his first tour, coming
from Ft. Benning where had been a Ranger Instructor. He was an impressive
looking individual; tall, very muscular and aggressive looking. You could tell
he had been into body building.
The location for the insertion was
worked out in the usual fashion, e.g.; high over-flight in D Troop’s C & C so as
not to attract attention to the mission. It was an opening in the jungle about
200 meters back from the trail which provided the team the ability to move
forward to an opening alongside the road where they could observe traffic from
about 50 yards back. Alongside the road/trail at the point of their observation
post was a large brick kiln that had once been used as a charcoal kiln.
The insertion went as planned at last light with no enemy contact.
The
next day the team started reporting a steady stream of porters pushing bicycles
heading south. As their SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) called for; they
described in detail the appearance and actions of all the people they observed.
These individuals were porters, not soldiers, and they proceeded on their way
unaware of the LRRP Team.
The next day the procession of porters and
bicycles commenced as the sun came up. About mid-morning the pattern of movement
changed and the procession stopped for a while. When the movement began again it
was armed individuals; who acted nervous. The team was queried and asked if they
had been compromised. They replied that they had not been detected.
Soon
thereafter the armed traffic was going in both directions and the team reported
that they heard wood chopping - a sign that the enemy may have been cutting
poles to use as probes while looking for the LRRP team.
The team leader was
again asked if the team had been compromised. SSG Turners response, after being
pressed on the issue by the D Troop Commander, was that he had moved forward to
the charcoal kiln and climbed inside it, and was observing the trail from about
20 meters. He stated that an individual had looked at him but he was sure the
person who saw him thought he was a VC. With that response the extraction
trigger was pulled.
The opening around the Charcoal kiln was not
suitable for extraction of the team by helicopter so the alternate plan was put
into effect. The 3rd BDE had a Mechanized Infantry Company standing by for base
camp defense and they had been alerted at the first indication that the team may
have been compromised.
The Mech Co raced out the gate to the west toward
Tay Ninh and took a right at the first road intersection (the trail/road the
LRRP Team had been overwatching). The lead platoon raced up the road without
regard for mines or ambush and arrived at the LRRP team’s position just as the
VC were commencing an assault. As soon as the LRRP Team hopped in one of the
APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) via the lowered rear ramp the infantry backed
away firing all of their weapons. They turned the APCs around in a fusillade of
RPGs and promptly returned to the Dau Tieng base camp.
D Troop pounded
the area with gunship fire followed by an artillery barrage but later visual
reconnaissance did not detect any enemy casualties.
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