Preparing for Tet 1969...
When we moved into Bien Hoa it was the closest that the 3
firing batteries of the Battalion had been to each other since I had been in country. We could
visually see C Battery at FSB Concord. A Battery was still on Long Bihn near the
Ammo dump 5 or 6 miles away. As we were pulling into position on Bien Hoa the BC
Ken Gruner was ordered to meet Husky 6 at a location on Long Bihn Post, near
USARV Hq. I was thinking (a terrible thing and a mistake to do) that they had
found us a better site to move to closer to the nightlife (clubs & bars,
etc.). During the time the BC was gone we were steadily moving the guns into
position and digging holes and setting up our people in the bunkers on the main
burm. We occupied the burm with all of our small arms weapons and people. Then
came my encounter with the 101st Airborne.
Some bird Colonel drove into our area identifying himself
as the Rear Commander for the 101st
Airborne, (He was definitely a “REAR” Commander). But he proceeded to
jump all over my butt… one, for not wearing a shirt, two, for not wearing my
flak jacket and steel pot, and three for having my people on HIS burm. He told
me in no uncertain terms that he did not want my people on HIS burm at anytime.
Well I proceeded to make a perimeter inside of HIS. Later that day the BC
returned and march ordered three guns to go to Long Bihn as security for USARV
Hq. (Where have you heard this before? ”We’re going to be hit tonight!”).
So, long about 6:00pm we started firing H&I
(Harassment and Interdiction) rounds. Just about dark we got a
notification for a “Corp TOT” (Time On Target) mission. It was beautiful to
watch the night sky light up like that. Too bad it was in the wrong spot. We had
wasted so many rounds that I had to order an “Emergency Resupply” of Ammo.
It finally got unloaded about midnight. And around 2:00am all hell broke loose.
This was our welcome to TET 1969. The eeriest sound in the world had to be the sound of Communist rockets coming in. When I finally gathered my senses, I tried to grab a gun sergeant and have him pull his gun up for some direct fire. Well he refused, so he was relieved and replaced by his gunner. Together we drove up and fired one round of white phosphorous. One of the infantry guys in the bunkers told us they counted 23 secondary explosions. The rockets stopped. This was the beginning of B Battery’s odyssey for Tet 1969.
Later that day we march ordered to join the other three guns on Long Bihn. Later that day we had some time for a hot meal. During the meal we were promptly and without warning gassed! And you guessed it... no one had a gas mask! Along side and on either side of the Battery was a section of Vulcan’s (Bad Mommas). Our part of the perimeter on Long Bihn came under ground attack later that night. Then they started firing B-40 rockets at us, and the Vulcan’s were intercepting them in flight. Not one hit our battery area. We did fire some more direct fire at the burm. Charles was trying to penetrate, but he did not make it through.
