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Home of the Veterans who served at Khe Sanh Combat Base, Hill 950, Hill 881, Hill 861, Hill 861-A, Hill 558 Khe Sanh Village, Lang-Vei and Surrounding Area
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The Battle Of Khe Sanh
1968 40th Anniversary 2008 |
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Casualties 40 Years Ago This Month May
1968 Data compiled by |
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01 MAY 1968 BOSHEERS, LCPL James Larry K/3/4 02 MAY 1968 LAFOND, CPL Roland Robert H/2/3 03 MAY 1968 McKAIN, CW2 Bobby Lyn ? An AH-1G helicopter, #66-l5332, departed LZ SHARON with CW2 McKAIN as pilot and WO-1 CHANEY as copilot. The mission was: armed escort for a recon team operating west of Khe Sanh. At about 1405H, their plane was hit by 37mm AA fire at XD 708 388 (about 1500 meters north of LAO BAO) and exploded in mid-air at about 1500-ft. above ground. The tail book and one main rotor separated from the aircraft as it spun to the ground out of control and on fire. The aircraft impacted at XD 685 382. Seconds later the ammunition on board detonated. 04 MAY 1968 COTTRELL, LCPL Darrell Wayne G/2/1 05 MAY 1968 MOCK, PFC Donald Ray H&S/1/1 06 MAY 1968 HAMMONS, PFC James Luther H&S/3/4 08 MAY 1968 CONNOR, PFC Glenn Marshall F/2/1 09 MAY 1968 DAUGHERTY, LCPL James H&S/2/1 12 MAY 1968 RIZO, CPL Albert Martinez H&S/2/3 14 MAY 1968 LOWE, LCPL Louis Cardell K/3/4 15 MAY 1968 AMESCUA, PFC Steven Epefanio L/3/4 Co L/3/4 at XD 792 419 was on patrol west of hill 689 when they received heavy automatic weapons fire. One Marine was killed and four wounded requiring evacuation. At 1045H while ferreting out 4 or 5 snipers encountered on a patrol 4 KM east of Khe Sanh ville, security elements of E/2/3 at XD 883 383 uncovered a large NVA force in the vicinity, receiving automatic weapons fire from an estimated NVA company in bunkers and trenches. Co E, reinforced by Cos F and H, attacked the NVA positions under cover of extensive airstrikes and artillery fires and, after 7 hours of heavy fighting, the NVA company withdrew, leaving 46 known dead. USMC losses were: 7 KIA and 17 WIAE. A search of the area disclosed l5 large bunkers with overhead cover that could hold 4-5 men each. Early in the day, L-2 of 3d Bn 4th Marines at XD 792 419 on patrol west of Hill 689 received heavy automatic weapons fire killing one Marine. Under cover of 60mm mortars and artillery, the besieged platoon launched an attack under the aggressive leadership of 2/Lt Charles D. RAPER who personally assaulted NVA positions and ignored his own wounds. At 1930H, Co L/3/4 at XD 802 406 observed an active l20mm mortar near XD 780 400. Artillery and airstrikes were called on the target resulting in 24 secondary explosions. Co L/3/4 returned to Hill 552 by 2215H, having lost 4 USMC KIA during the day, as well as 50 WIAE and 4 WIANE. 16 MAY 1968 ADDINGTON, LCPL Zach Taylor M/3/4 At 1020H, 2d Plt of K/3/4 at XD 792 416 came under intense small arms fire and hand grenades. SGT McCLAIN, Platoon Sergeant of K-2, received minor wounds and continued to lead his men. He continued to encourage his men with “we’re going to take this hill.” Despite being again wounded, he continued to lead his men up the hill and, upon reaching the crest, was fatally wounded through his neck. During the afternoon, companies I/3/4 and M/3/4 were making a tactical move from KSCB to Hill 689. CPL PLANCHON, Squad Leader of the Point Squad, moved his men until they were some 400 meters from Hill 552 and had just crossed a saddle when, at 1900H, he and his unit were taken under extremely heavy machine-gun fire and automatic weapons fire, sustaining 2 KIA and one WIA in the final moments of the fight. CPL John PAMPKIN, Acting Platoon Sergeant, while aiding a fellow Marine, received a severe wound in his back. Paying no attention to his own wound, he continued to aid the wounded Marine and removed him from the line of fire. When asked if he were hit, he replied, “I’m all-right; it doesn’t hurt now.” CPL PAMPLIN refused aid and, while treating casualties, he was hit by an enemy grenade and killed. 17 MAY 1968 ALLEN, PFC Richard James H/2/1 “We went out on another patrol. We were supposed to be a blocking force for the people who were sweeping from Hill 88l. We were supposed to go through this field that may have been mined. We didn’t know for sure. Instead of my Point Man walking, Lt COURTNEY took it upon himself to walk point to feel out the path to protect his men. As he was walking approximately 20 meters ahead into the mine field—it was supposedly a friendly mine field--..he stepped on a ‘Bouncing Betty.’” He was killed instantly. PFC ALLEN was killed while assaulting a NVA position. 18 MAY 1968 DAVIS, PFC Gary Ray H/2/3 Co H/2/3 at XD 887 387 received a probe at 0515H from the south and SE by an estimated NVA platoon attacking with RPG rockets, heavy small arms fire, grenades and satchel charges. 3 Marines were killed and 3 more WIAE. The company fired all company weapons plus 244 l05mm artillery rounds and l8l 8lmm mortars. The battle scene disclosed 8 NVA KIA, extremely heavy bloody trails, 2 Chinese light machine-guns. The 8-man recon team from the newly-formed Company E, 3d Recon BN, was at XD 885 5l2, a finger, when the patrol ran into the point of an estimated NVA platoon, took evasive action, but collided with a NVA squad. They finally reached their LZ for extraction, and it was here they were killed. A large explosion occurred where LCPL PADILLA was sitting, and a subsequent search of the area revealed parts of his utility jacket and web belt around a l2-l5 inch hole caused by the explosion. His body was not recovered as the remains were disintegrated by the force of the explosion. [NOTE: The official reports put the action at XD8040, near Hill 689, but the XD 885 5l2 location, as reported by 1/Lt Nels YOUNGSTROM, CO of Co E, at the time of the Memorial Service on 21 May, is a broad finger as he mentioned. The 3d Recon BN Command Chronology for May l968 indicates the action at XD8849. The official Marine Corps archives records lack all patrol report enclosures for the 3d Recon BN Command Chronology for May l968, including Patrol Report 485-68 which is the patrol involved. A synopsis of this action in this report indicates that 3 Marines were killed and 2 Marines and one Navy Corpsman wounded; no Americans are listed or reported as MIA. There is thus much discrepancy among all these records.] 19 MAY 1968 BRAUN, PFC Harry Walker Jr. F/2/1 The NVA forces at Khe Sanh had planned a bold attack to overrun KSCB—finally! The plan was to position a NVA BN next KSCB which would permit the daily road sweep detail to pass through as well as the daily resupply convoy to LZ STUD. The resupply convoy would be hit through the jungle near LZ HAWK. Meanwhile, the reaction force from Khe Sanh would be ambushed by the NVA BN. By this time, it would be dark and another force would be unable to move into the KSCB perimeter. KSCB would be defended only by support troops, no infantry. At 07l0H, 2d Platoon of F/2/1 road sweep patrol was at XD 85l 405 when they prematurely located the NVA ambush. Tankers accompanying the patrol found themselves under RPG attack. Not knowing whether two of his men were seriously wounded or dead, SGT REECE, Platoon Sergeant of F-2, made a rush to their aid. Finding NVA in one position, he knocked it out with a frag grenade, but did not see another position, an enemy spider hole, which opened up on him as he advanced towards his wounded. He received fatal wounds in his head and legs. PFC RIORDAN, a machine-gunner in First Platoon, F/2/1, saw two wounded Marines near NVA emplacements. Disregarding his own safety, he fearlessly ran across the fire-swept terrain and assisted the wounded men to covered positions. As the battle progressed and NVA troops penetrated a perimeter defense, he seized a weapon from a casualty and commenced delivering a heavy volume of fire to cover the movement of others as casualties were evacuated. He remained in his dangerously exposed position providing accurate covering fire until he was mortally wounded. Casualties for today included: 37 killed, 5 tanks suffered considerable damage and one was destroyed, 80 men were wounded and evacuated, and over 300 NVA were killed, l00 by tanks. A wounded NVA POW, suspected to be the NVA BN Commander, was taken to the RAS. WO-1 CAUDILLO of 3d ITT at KSCB moved from his bunker through a downpour of enemy incoming rounds to the RAS. The POW was indeed the BN Commander. He returned to his bunker for his interpreter, SSGT NGUYEN DUY HUNG, and while returning to the POW, both were killed by an artillery round which detonated a few feet from them. The NVA BN Commander was later able to explain the plan they had developed to seize and overrun KSCB. 24 MAY 1968 ANDERSON, LCPL Michael Francis
G/2/3 Co G/2/3 at XD 884 385 made contact with a NVA BN resulting in 15 USMC KIA, 17 USMC WIA, 30 NVA KIAC. 25 MAY 1968 KNOLL, PFC Anthony E/2/4 26 MAY 1968 CRICKENBERGER, PFC Richard Way
A/3dEngineers At ll50H near Hill 86lA, the CO of D/1/1 at XD 806 445 stepped on a Bouncing Betty mine—the unexploded remnants of the battlefield—resulting in his death. 27 MAY 1968 ALLEN, PFC Eddie Hugh M/3/4 This morning, Khe Sanh was clear and hot (l00 - ll0) as M/3/4 moved to the abandoned LZ PEANUTS to recover the body of a Marine killed the previous day. LZ PEANUTS (XD 8ll 395) was a former US Army artillery position used during Operation PEGASUS. Contact began at ll00H when one Marine was KIA. At about 1300H, KSCB received nearly 100 rounds of 130mm field artillery fire. The initial rounds landed in the logistics support and western turnaround area, killing three Marines. 28 MAY 1968 ARTHUR, PFC Lawrence Kenneth F/2/3 Co F/2/3 was atop a ridge at XD 874 383 (called “FOXTROT RIDGE”) when at 0230H it came under an intense attack. LCPL HUBER, a rifleman with First Squad, First Platoon, gave the alert and began to direct fire on the NVA force. To better observe the fire, he continued to expose himself and, in an attempt to pursue the enemy by fire, was mortally wounded. CPL BAKER, a grenadier with F-1, was wounded in his right leg during the initial attack. After dressing his own wound, he repositioned himself in an area threatened by NVA assault. While delivering fire, he came to the aid of a fallen comrade, bringing him to safety. Upon return to his position, he was mortally wounded. At the Crows Nest position, PFC ARTHUR moved under a heavy base of NVA fire to toss frag grenades at them, turning the tide of the battle on that side of the perimeter. Then, while the NVA ground attack was renewed, he was seriously wounded by a ChiCom grenade (at 0300H). He continued to fire until his weapon jammed (at 03l5H). As an enemy soldier approached his position he leaped upon the soldier armed only with his bayonet, and killed him. A short time later, PFC ARTHUR died of his wounds from the earlier ChiCom grenade. LCPL CUTRI, a Fire Team Leader in 3d Squad of F-1, heard cries for help forward of the lines from the Marine LP. Exposing himself to the enemy fire, he rescued the fallen Marine and returned him to a covered position. In an attempt to reposition his team to a better fighting position, he was mortally wounded. PVT SCHUCK, one of the 4-man LP, was accidentally shot while returning to the lines. During this battle there were 13 USMC KIA, 44 WIA (evacuated), and l74 NVA KIA (confirmed, and adjusted to over 200 as more were located by patrolling the adjacent areas). [NOTE: This position, occupied on l9 June by I/3/4 under command of CAPT SEXTON, again came under attack, leaving another 212 dead NVA]. 30 MAY 1968 JEREMIAH, PFC Randall Craig L/3/4 31 MAY 1968 ALLEN, LCPL Robert Christian B/1/1 At 0400H, Co E/2/3 at XD 874 382 received a ground attack from four different directions which was repulsed when Co E fired the FPF [Final Protective Fires]. At 0850H, Co B/1/1 at XD 87l 392, attacking a hill while enroute to reinforce E/2/3, had just moved off of Route 9 when they encountered a dug-in NVA force of two platoons at XD 865 396. The Marines received very heavy small arms fire and RPG rounds. The ambush was deadly: 8 USMC KIA, 22 USMC WIA. During the battle SGT PLILER, Platoon Sergeant of B-3, was seriously wounded while trying to aid a fellow Marine. LCPL GATEWOOD was a rifleman assigned to B/1/1 and was wounded in the back and treated immediately by a Navy corpsman. He then went to an evacuation LZ some l00 meters from the contact area in order to be medevaced. He was seen at different times on his way to the LZ both walking and riding on a tank. However, B/1/1 received no report from any medical facility that he had been medically evacuated. The following day, 2/3 conducted two seeps into the area of contact locating several bodies, none of which were those of LCPL GATEWOOD. All WESTPAC and stateside medical facilities were checked without success. A subsequent administrative investigation revealed that the CO of B/1/1 was on emergency leave and GATEWOOD’s Platoon Sergeant [PLILER] and Platoon Right Guide were both KIA. Assistance in locating GATEWOOD was not made until 26 AUG 1968 since it was not unusual to fail to be notified of medevac location for weeks following evacuation. He was declared MIA on 8 Sep l968. |
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