LRRPs Get Ambushed Near Tay Ninh - 1966
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On the 8th of November 1966 we were given a warning order for a point recon of a high-speed trail west of Tay Ninh. On the 9th of November Leo Miller, Dave Stanfield and I did an overflight to select our landing zones and 
pick a hide site. On the 10th of November we inserted. I should add that the full team that inserted included the folks mentioned above plus Sam Wright and Dutchey Lane. The helicopter put us in the wrong landing zone and we moved directly into our hide sight. Normally we would have spent the first night out of the hide side and observe it before entering, but the close LZ precluded that. We noticed fresh dirt from newly prepared fighting positions as we moved in.
The following morning, we noted a lot of traffic and as time wore on, we noticed we were seeing some of the same people moving around. About 3 hours after daylight a Vietnamese wearing the traditional black shirt, but also khaki trousers came near the hide site gathering wood. We were not positive that we had been compromised but we were pretty sure and attempted to take him prisoner. Instead of surrendering he raised his machete and charged towards us. He only made it a few steps but with the gunfire we were positive we were compromised so we decided to abort the mission and call for extraction.
About that time all hell broke loose. As we moved towards our extraction point people started popping up from fighting positions all around us. We had set up inside the perimeter of a NVA battalion and later found out there were elements of the Regimental headquarters there. To be quite honest it was like a turkey shoot initially. Restricted in their ability to fire because they would be shooting across us and into their own men. Kind of a circular firing squad. They were able to fire rifle grenades and mortars at us, but we had moved into a rice paddy and most of the explosions just threw mud and water at us.
Then one guy got lucky and put a rifle grenade about three feet from me. I never heard it but felt it. When I got up and I tried to return fire but could not focus on my sights. My body felt like it was on fire. At the time the SOP was for the team to continue on and finish the mission, the rule was never lose a team for one man. They did not do that. They hunkered down in that rice paddy using the dikes for cover. Sam Wright was with me and I managed to keep at least one of our M16s functioning and loaded and we went toe to toe with a NVA battalion for almost two hours.
It seems some paper shuffler at division had sent our extraction helicopter on an ice-cream run. Then, Mike Squires, flew his butt right into that rice paddy and scooped us up. It was probably the slowest extraction under fire that was ever made. The team had to carry (and drag) my big ass to the helicopter. Every year I like to thank those four heroes on my team and Mike Squires for breaking the rules and saving my as I got a nice vacation at the hospital in Vung Tau to heal and a later visit to the hospital at Ft Dix where they did scar revision to give me back my upper lip.
Metal count for the mission 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze stars with V, 3 Army Commendation Medals with V, and a Distinguished Flying Cross for my favorite pilot.