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May 15th to August 14th, 1969 *After Action Report Winding down...... AUGUST 1st: Ground units reported light enemy contact during a day of light activity overall. At 7:20am an element of Recon/1-502 engaged
and killed 1 VC at 20 meters. At 7:30am a LOH of the Brigade reconnaissance team engaged and killed 3 VC with M60 fire. At 11:25am an aerial element of B/2-17 Cav engaged and killed 1 VC. A new operation plan was formulated calling for a two battalion operation to include the SONG TRAM and SONG VANG Valleys. The 1-501 Inf would initially combat assault two companies into the SONG TRAM Valley and one company would air move into an LZ and construct and secure a firebase to be occupied later in the day by A/2-320 Arty. On the following day the 1-502 would combat assault two companies into the west end of the SONG VANG Valley with a mission to conduct RIF operations to the east. Two other companies would combat assault into the east end of the SONG VANG Valley and establish blocking positions on the avenues of escape to the east of the other two companies of the 1-502 and south of the two companies of the 1-501. AUGUST 2nd: The new OPLAN was executed as two companies of the 1-501 conducted a combat assault into the SONG TRAM Valley and another began construction of FSB BOXER. LZ's were green but later, at 2:00pm, B/1-501 ran into intense automatic weapons fire. The contact was heavy for a short period as the unit suffered 5 KIA and 3 WIA. Enemy losses were unknown. At 10:20am an element of A/1-501 found 1 grave with two VC killed by ARA. At 11:00am a Brigade LOH reconnaissance team engaged and killed 1 VC with their M60 machine gun. AUGUST: 3rd Operations continued with light enemy contact as the 1-502 conducted a 4 company combat assault into the SONG VANG Valley complex. All LZ's were green but there was scattered contact in the AO. At 9:15am D/1-501 observed and killed 3 VC while suffering 1 WIA. At 11:25am B/1-501 found a grave with a day old Chinese body KBA. Also at 11:25am B/1-502 engaged and killed 1 NVA. At 2:30pm D/1-501 found a 19 year old female VC killed by ARA. AUGUST 4th: All units reported light enemy contact as extensive RIF operations continued in the AO. 9:15am B/1-502 engaged and killed 1 NVA. At 12:05pm B/1-501 found 2 graves each containing a VC body wearing khakis. At 2:10pm Recon/1-46 engaged an unknown size enemy force with small arms fire killing 1 VC. At 5:45pm B/1-501 engaged 3 VC with ARA and 81mm mortars killing 1 VC.
AUGUST 5th: Air to ground contact predominated today as aerial missions by Brigade Aircraft netted 1 NVA and 4 VC killed. At 8:30pm B/2-17 Cav engaged and killed 1 VC. At 9:45am a LOH from Brigade reconnaissance team observed and engaged 1 VC with ARA resulting in 1 VC KIA. At 2:30pm a LOH from the Brigade reconnaissance team received 15 rounds of small arms fire and returned fire with ARA, killing 1 NVA. At 2:50pm a LOH from the Brigade reconnaissance team received small arms fire and was forced to land with 2 US WIA. One VC was also engaged and killed in this action. At 2:55pm B/2-17 Cav observed 1 VC killed by an air strike. In ground action at 7:00am a booby trap was detonated by a man from A/1-46 resulting in 1 US wounded. At 2:00pm A/1-501 found 2 assault weapons, 9mm French type. At 4:30pm an element of B/1-502 engaged and killed 1 NVA with small arms fire at approximately 10 meters. AUGUST 6th: Action was highlighted by several small contacts by the 1-502 in the SONG VANG Valley area. At 9:30am an element of B/1-502 engaged and killed 1 NVA with small arms fire at a range of approximately 10 meters. At 10:35am an element of B/2-17 Cav observed a grave with 2 VC. At 11:26am D/1-502 found 1 AK47.
At 3:00pm C/1-502 engaged 2 NVA with small arms fire. One was killed while the other fled south. AUGUST 7th: Several enemy contacts were reported today including contacts which resulted in the downing of two LOH's from the 2-17 Cav. Recovery of the downed LOH's resulted in still further enemy contact as the ARP from B/2-17 Cav was inserted to secure the downed aircraft. Contact for the day began at 8:40am as A/1-502 engaged two NVA with small arms fire at 40 meters resulting in 1 NVA KIA and 1 weapon captured. At 9:30am Recon/1-46 captured 1 VC with medical supplies. At 11:30am an element of A/1-502 found a large hut complex which contained two individual weapons. At 1:10pm one aircraft from B/2-17 Cav received ground
fire and
went down. The ARP from B/2-17 Cav was inserted to secure the area. Two
soldiers in the LOH were wounded and evacuated. While on the ground the security force found two SKS At 3:30pm an element of B/1-502 captured two .51 cal machineguns and uncovered 3 NVA graves.
At 3:45pm a LOH from the Brigade reconnaissance team engaged and
killed 1 NVA with ARA.
At 5:00pm another LOH from B/2-17 Cav was downed by enemy ground fire. The ARP from B/2-17 Cav was again inserted to secure the area. While
on the ground the platoon had a sharp engagement with 3 NVA in a
bunker. 1 NVA was
killed and 2 fled. US casualties were 2 killed and 10 wounded.
AUGUST 8th: At 9:35am D/1-501 found 5 VC bodies killed by artillery.
At 10:55am B/1-501 OPCON to the 1-502 received small arms fire from an unknown size enemy force suffering 1 wounded.
AUGUST 9th: At 7:15am an element of D/1-46 engaged approximately 10 VC dressed in
black pajamas. No US or enemy casualties reported.
At 3:30am an element of B/1-502 found 1 grave approximately 2 days old which contained 1 NVA dressed in khakis.
Final plans were coordinated to begin the withdrawal of the 1st brigade. The move would be executed using CH47*(Chinook) and UH1H *(Huey) aircraft to extract from the AO and Air Force C130 and Navy LST*(landing ship transport) to move back to CAMP EAGLE. AUGUST 10th: In ground action, at 9:20am an element of A/1-502 found a grave with 1 NVA KIA.
At 10:10am an element of D/1-46 engaged 5 to 6 VC at 400 meters with small arms fire, killing one.
At 2:15pm an element of Recon/1-46 engaged and killed 1 NVA at 30 meters.
AUGUST 11th: In other activities, the 1-502 Inf released two companies to the OPCON of the 1 -46 and extracted two others to FSSE, CAMP PAPE.
In the only action reported, at 12:20pm an Air Force FAC observed and engaged with ARA several VC in black pajamas killing one.
AUGUST 12th: The 1-46 continued RIF operations around LZ PROFESSIONAL. The 1-501 returned OPCON to the 2d Brigade 101st Airborne Division upon arrival at CAMP EVANS.
In the only contact of the day, at 10:15pm an element of B/1-46 engaged 4 enemy dressed in black pajamas and captured 1 AK47.
AUGUST 13th: The 1-46 continued RIF operations in the vicinity of LZ PROFESSIONAL and then reverted
to OPCON of the 196th Inf Bde at 12:00pm. The 1-502 moved two companies
to FSSE, TAM KY to assume a security mission.
AUGUST 14th: Results: b. Enemy losses, categorized as follows:
c. Friendly losses:
d. Body-to-weapons ratio (enemy): 1.84 to 1. *Amen
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