Mortar/Recoilless Rifle Attack Cu Chi - 15 March 1967
Clinton Lounsbury and Bruce Powell
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………On March 15,1967 @7:45 PM our camp at Chu Chi, Viet Nam was attacked by mortar and recoil-less rifle rounds. The attack lasted for 35 minutes, a total of 75 rounds hit the base. The first one hit our hut. I was on my cot trying to relax when I heard that round coming out of the tube. We all know that sound, so I jumped up and ran for the 
bunker outside. When the first round hit the roof of the hut I was diving into the bunker on the right side just as three men from the 3/4 Air Cav were diving to get in the other bunker. As they were in the air the second round hit inside their bunker and exploded. They were still in the air when it went off and all three men were seriously injured. I could hear them groaning. I got up to see if I could help them. Two men had almost the same wounds. Left arm almost blown off, left leg almost blown off and their heads were bleeding very badly. The other man had a belly wound and also a head wound, but not as bad. I called out for help three or four times when I saw a guy come to help me. I called for him to get some towels. He also went back inside and got two litters. We put them on the litter, trying to keep their arms from falling off. We took them to a jeep, put the other man in the passenger seat and the drove to the hospital. All the time the mortar and recoil-less rounds were still falling on the compound. After getting to the hospital the medics came out to help us and the other man stayed with them. I drove back to the unit to see if anyone else needed help. When I arrived back to the unit our commander asked where I had been. He had reported me as MIA to the Division Headquarters and that he would let them know I was back. Not until 2010 did I find out who the “other man” was. It turned out to be the man we were looking for, one of our own, Patrick A. Lacy.
In all this mess I did not know I had also been hit. A piece of the round had hit me in the lower calf of my left leg. I pulled it out when we went to lift the first man onto the litter. Patrick saw me do that and wrote a Notary Public letter for a commendation but that was turned down by the Department of the Army. I’m putting Patrick A. Lacy in for the Silver Star for going above and beyond the call of duty. I hope it will go through for him. You keep the faith brothers. By the way, do you know who our unit medic was in 1967 & 1968 and are we in touch with him in any way? I asked Bill Mrckvicka who the unit medic was at that time, but Bill didn’t remember if the Company even had a designated medic. Anyone else remember if we had a Company medic back then?
Bruce Powell: Letter Home
We didn’t get much sleep here last night; most of the night was spent in the bunkers. We were mortared at about 1900 hours last night). I wanted to take the time to write you’ all a letter and let you know that I’m OK. CBS television is here with the squadron commander and the 25th division commanding general. I figured you would see the newsreel and worry.
We received 75 rounds (50-81mm mortars & 25 recoilless rifle rounds) into base camp itself. “Trung Lap” got hit pretty hard too. (Special forces camp about 5 minutes from here.) They picked a gold time to hit us in some respects. Mostly because we’re covering the withdrawal of all the elements of the operation junction city. (About 110 vehicles last night.) But a lot of us had a hunch we would be mortared so it wasn’t that big of a surprise. I was in operations doing some paperwork when the first round hit. (About 50 yards away behind the mess hall.) We scrambled for the bunkers. The O.D. (Officer of the Day) set the siren off. Two more rounds hit our area. Both, unfortunately, were direct hits on two hooches. 2 enlisted men were wounded seriously and 14 others with lesser wounds. The LRRP hooch (one that was hit direct) was fortunately almost empty. (They were on patrol.) There was more confusion than necessary at first. (mostly new men) But soon things were under control. The two teams were airborne in minutes. (We have counter mortar standby teams every night.) The only confusion was getting the wounded people evacuated to the hospital and getting the extra people out of the way and into their bunkers. (Unfortunately, I was one of the extras; and although I wanted to help I was in the way.)
“Listen you knot-heads, get in your bunkers! This isn’t no god damned game were playing here!” I heard one of the Centaurs yell.
I ran to the radio in operations after the initial barrage until the operations officer got there. I ran to my hooch and got my flight gear, flack vest, helmet, and shotgun. (I’ve got a Stevens pump action 16 gage sawed off shotgun now. What a weapon!) I found the artillery forward observer (Lt. Cowell) then Maj Stenehjem (the new CO) I wanted to take my OH-23 up (with the FO) and fire artillery.
“Negative, we can’t have a damn 23 buzzing around in the way of the gunships. Besides the mortars are hitting the airfield now.”
He was right. Just goes to show I’ve got a lot to learn. Each man has a job, and they were doing them. It’s much easier for them in the “extras” just keep out of the road.
Two hours later we got an all clear. Most of us hit the sack. (I had to get up for a dawn patrol.) I no more than got my eyes closed and the siren went off again. Zip-zop grab your gear and dive in the bunker. It was really funny. About 4 of us hit the bunker at the same time. Flak vests, helmets, .45’s, M-16’s, ammo belts, thongs, boots, pants, and bodies all flying through the air, diving for the same 6’x6’ bunker. There we were in a pile. I looked at Ashabranner & Arthur (Two new warrant officers from Ft. Rucker and I couldn’t keep from laughing.
W01 Baum says “Here comes Skinner…” (Lt. Skinner)
You would have died laughing at the whole picture. The four of us peeking over the edge of the bunker, watching Skinner, (who was in the shower), running towards the bunker, flashlight in one hand, towel in the other, and stark naked. He was causing a blue streak! Boy he was pissed off at “Charlie” (We call the V.C. “Charlie”)
Well I’ll cut a long story short and say we slept in that crummy bunker the rest of the night. When we first jumped in, and the mortars were doing off, we thought the bunker was too big. (You know, if it were smaller there would be less chance of a mortar landing on it.) Of course after sleeping in it with all those people & equipment we decided it was way to small. (HA!)