327th Infantry
The 1969 cordon of the village Phu Bai 3
The 1969 cordon of the village Phu Bai 3
located near the city of Hue, Vietnam
by Ranger LT. Tom Carpenter
This true Vietnam War story occurred during a three night / three day “cordon” operation during March 1969. The simplest definition of a military cordon is when the enemy is surrounded, then they are given the option to surrender or die.
Our mission was to cordon the village of Phu Bia 3, in Thua Thien Province located southwest of the large city of Hue in South Vietnam. The small village was laid out on the flat coastal plain of the South China Sea, next to rice paddies that butted up to the foot hills (which we called “the golf course”) that then butted against the jungle covered mountains. A small creek ran along the South side of the village and the paved Highway One bordered the east side.
With the wet and cold, rainy monsoon season starting to dry out, our Colonels and Generals had decided to move, sort of like a chess game, their men and equipment so as to send us into concentrated enemy territory. We were to find the enemy, engage, and defeat them. The Viet Cong enemy was supplemented by the North Vietnam Army, which were very competent and disciplined soldiers as well as a formidable enemy. We referred to the Viet Cong as “Charlie”, and to the North Vietnamese soldiers as “Mr Charles”.
The infantry company I was with was Delta company of the “No Slack” 2/327thInfantry Battalion of the 101stAirborne/Air Assault Division. We had spent most of the wet season in the rice paddies and coastal plains where most of the civilian population lived. Delta’s three rifle platoons were spread out in three different locations, securing two key bridges (Lang Co bridge and Nuc Knoc bridge) and two firebases (Hill 88 and Los Banos). Delta had done well for itself and had succeeded in reducing the enemy numbers while bringing security to the rural rice producing area.
On roughly March 20, 1969, with only a few hours notice, we were told that our sister battalion, the “Above the Rest” 1/327thInfantry Battalion would be arriving at our several locations in canvas covered Army trucks. The 1/327th Battalion would unload, and Delta was to immediately get into those same trucks and depart for Camp Eagle which was about 3 hours distant via Highway One. This main north/south highway had two paved lanes, and had been nicknamed by the French as the “Street with no Joy”.
There was no time allowed to brief our replacements. The 1/327Infantry Battalion would have to learn by themselves almost everything we had learned the hard way about the AO (Area of Operations) of the coastal plains.
Our morale was high as we thought we were heading to Camp Eagle for a “stand down”. We had had no relaxed time at Camp Eagle for at least the past five months. Usually a “stand down” will last for three to four days. During that time our equipment would get repaired or replaced; our bodies would receive health exams and rest, and accomplish the administrative things that seems to run any Army. We soldiers would be given a break from the constant 24/7 pressures of danger common in a war, especially in the infantry. We would also be given a break from patrolling, ambushing, work parties and general security duties. The best part, as far as the soldiers were concerned, was that we would have access to cold showers, naps, letter writing, a chance to visit the P.X. (Post Exchange), watch an outdoor movie and see a live stage show brought to us by the U.S.O. (United Service Organization). During the evenings, there were copious amounts of beer and liquor. Sometimes steaks were grilled for us. Unfortunately, even though our thoughts were on the opposite sex, women were officially off limits and we were not allowed to leave the Camp Eagle compound. Regardless, stand downs were still a great experience.
Unfortunately and much to our dismay, this particular stand down would last only one day. Rumors were rampant about a combat operation in the immediate future that would involve us. Whatever it was, we were ready with our clean fatigue uniform. Our backpacks (rucksacks) had 5 days of food and other essentials to include our weapons, ammunition, and explosives. Many of us were nurturing hangovers from the previous night of stand down celebrations. The things we carried, especially after a resupply, weighed 80-90 pounds. When we walked, we were hunched over. Our necks were bent so we could see our surroundings and our weapons were at the ready. This level of readiness would vary from unit to unit as per the S.O.P.s (Standard Operating Procedures) which where dictated by our commanders and sergeants. Our commanding officer, Captain Lester D. “Red” Walkley was strict and kept us on our toes whether the enemy was close or not.
The security for the upcoming operation was top secret and no details were given until we were trucked from Camp Eagle to Firebase Anzio. This location was adjacent to Highway One and about an hour distant from Camp Eagle. It had been named after one of the 101stAirborne Division’s famous World War 2 battles. The enemy was constantly watching our comings and goings and paid close attention to our routines. They constantly looked for opportunities to kill or wound their enemy (American soldiers and Marines). One of our routines that would have been noticed was that our stand downs would usually last 3 to 4 days. Part of the reasoning for a one day stand down was that the enemy would think we were doing a four day stand down. Planners prayed the enemy would become complacent as our covered trucks arrived at Anzio near dusk.
Upon our arrival at Anzio, we were given our orders to conduct a cordon of Phu Bai 3 that same night. My rifle platoon, then approximately 30 soldiers, initially played a key role in this “cordon”. Our heavy rucksacks were left in the back of the cargo trucks and would be brought to us after the cordon was set up. All we were to carry on this road march was our weapons and “web gear” (aka L.B.E. “load bearing equipment”) which consisted of suspenders that had our combat gear attached to it, to include two or three canteens of water, grenades, smoke bombs, first aid kits, flashlight, and more. We carried our weapons (without any slings which forced us to have it always “at the ready”) and wore the bandoliers of extra ammo hanging on our chest. Each rifleman had no less than 400 rounds for the M-16 rifles. Each machine gun had over a thousands rounds and radio operators carried extra batteries. Medics carried most of their own supplies. Often the weight of these items was distributed through out the squad. All this equipment was secured to our bodies so that it would make no noise when we moved. This was before the invention of bungee cords and duck tape so we used electrical tape, first aid tape, and parachute cord to tie everything down. Each man had to jump up and down to test that he was not too loud with his gear. We referred to our rucksacks as our “elephant”, or our “ruck”.
My First Platoon was chosen to lead the company on a night March then become the platoon that would sweep the village hooch to hooch (small thatched residences) looking for the enemy. I told my men these two job assignments were given to us because of our successes on the coastal planes and I was proud of them. Most of my men would have preferred a lesser role rather than being a part of the “point”. About half my men had been drafted and ending up as a rifleman in the 101st Airborne Division was, for some, their worst nightmare. Most of my men were leery of being the point but followed their orders unless we had very good tactical reasons not to.
From four different places, 500 Army men, under the cover of darkness were forced marched to their positions in the cordon. For the 100 men of Delta company, we departed about 2 am from Firebase Anzio and we went straight up the two lane paved Highway One. We had been trained in the states about informal tactical troop movements so we were no strangers to what was expected of us.
At the head of Delta company was my First Platoon led by one of my three squads. Each squad was composed of two fire teams ( 3 -4 men each), with each on different sides of the highway. The E-5 Sergeant squad leader was in the middle of the road with his radioman. This placed him where he could best control his squad by using voice (loud whispers in this case) or hand signals. Following close behind the “point” was myself and my radioman Tony Morano, and the Kit Carson Scout that we nicknamed Sam (because he came from our Uncle Sam). Sam was a former enemy soldier who had surrendered to our side and retrained as a scout and interpreter then eventually assigned to an American rifle company. Sam was new to the platoon and he had not yet earned the trust of the other men.
We had to pass several small villages that butted up to Highway One. At each village concertina wire was strung across the highway, making a simple road block and a village militia guard was on duty all night long. We would be traveling to and through several of these friendly road blocks. Hwy One was completely closed as the curfew started at sunset then reopened at dawn. Anybody or anything we found on the highway during curfew could be considered enemy.
I had studied the map and knew how many road blocks there were. Our plan was to halt our company’s movement at each road block then Sam and myself would go forward, quietly calling to get the guard’s attention and telling him we would be passing through his position. Sam, and I must have done this successfully at least three different village road blocks before we reached the fourth and last roadblock.
At each pause, this allowed our strung out company to catch up and close up and reform into spacing conducive to a text book night movement. It is the nature of such movements for the front to go at a good even pace while the rear gets separated and spaced unevenly, like an accordion.
As Sam and I approached the last road block, suddenly and quite unexpectedly, the road guard fired his M-16 rifle toward us on full automatic. Fortunately his aim was high. Sam started yelling “don’t fire we are friendly” in Vietnamese. I started yelling to my men behind us to “don’t shoot, don’t shoot, don’t shoot”. I was trying desperately to maintain stealth and fire discipline. Nobody in my First Platoon fired their weapon but behind us an M-60 machine gunner returned fire in our direction. The machine gunner’s name was Howard Baldwin from Texas.
I was living one of my worst nightmares. Dealing with automatic friendly fire on two sides, forward and rearward, and my men caught in the middle. Somebody convinced Baldwin to cease fire as did the road block guard to our front.
Nobody had been wounded or killed but we all thought our cordon would no longer be a surprise. Captain Walkley notified his higher ups at battalion level that we had arrived. Walkley notified his Lieutenants that our orders were changed and Delta company would secure the south side of the village cordon. Originally, my First Platoon had been designated, not only to lead the company’s night movement but to conduct the house to house sweep once the cordon was established. Two different No Slack Battalion companies, Company A and B, were still approaching the village from two different directions as was a company of South Korean Army infantryman. Sometime later a company of South Vietnamese soldiers were to join the cordon. “Vietnamization” had been ordered by President Nixon so we were to include them, interspersed among our positions so they could learn from us.
Captain Walkley and his four lieutenants, with a few radio operators, did a recognizance of the area we were to secure so as to figure out the lay of the land we had been assigned. We found the southeast border of the village and Walkley figured that we could secure our sector by placing two man positions about every 30 meters (about 100 feet) and we were to leave an unmanned position between each of our manned positions for the South Vietnamese Army. We had no idea where they were and when they were to arrive. As it turned out, they did not arrive until the next day.
So, Delta company turned left at the village entrance and followed the creek that seemed to be the south boundary of the village. We stayed in single file and every 30 meters or so, two men would peel off and set up a guard position facing the village. This was done in the dark and nobody had any idea of what things really looked like but we could see the shadowed image of the creek and knew that was our place in the cordon. I don’t remember any moonlight. After Delta got deployed, the Lieutenants went up and down the line, making adjustments so that each position knew who was to their left and to their right. This also tied the three platoons together as one long continuous element. 30 meters is a long space between two man positions and often the men could not see the positions closest to them. The theory was that the Vietnamese would fill in the blank positions when they arrived. Nobody seemed to know when that would be.
With two man positions every 30 meters, we were able to secure the entire south side and beyond of Phu Bai 3. The other units quietly arrived and tied in with each other. By 4-5 am the cordon had been established and all were waiting for the enemy. The only noise coming from the village was barking dogs which did not seem to be out of the ordinary for the village.
As a platoon leader, it was my job to walk the line and tweak the two man positions. I did this with the squad leader NCOs (non commissioned officers, also called Sergeants). Later I would again move up and down the line and make adjustments and talk to the men in each unique position. Even in the dark, I was able to tell the men who was on their right and on the left. Each position had a field of fire that was their responsibility. Each of us three Lieutenant platoon leaders took a position that was central to their platoons. This allowed us to have the best command and control possible. I purposely did not commit myself to a two man position as I needed to be able to freely move up and down the line, consequently freeing me up to check my men as needed.
I somehow had an extra sergeant, Sgt Ruben Costello, and an extra M-60 machine. I placed him with my radio operator, Anthony “Tony” Morano, straddling a high speed trail, facing the village. The trail seemed to be a back entry into the village. Each position in the cordon had laid out their rifles, grenades, and anti-personnel claymore mines. Whatever or whoever came down that trail, we were ready although, other than our steel helmets, we had no overhead protection against enemy grenades or mortars.
After dawn, if we had any non-enemy time, all the men were improving their positions. Later they would try to get some sleep while maintaining one man alert at all time. One soldier remained on guard while the other would fortify their fighting positions or catch a wink of sleep. Initially, all the two man positions were crude and simple. During that first day, Morano and Costello found some solid stone blocks and built a mini fort directly on the trail with a portal in the middle for the machine gun.
Somehow the other units got to the village and closed the encirclement. Our trap was ready to be sprung and so far, we had remained undetected. It was quiet and we were set in place and it was a nice change of pace. Officially no smoking was allowed but I know many smoked cigarettes, (including myself) under their ponchos. Tobacco smoke was often the only thing we had that was warm and dry.
About an hour before first light, the artillery from several miles away, fired aerial parachute flares above the village that created a surrealistic swinging light. At the same time a loudspeaker barked in Vietnamese, telling the village that they were surrounded and to leave their hooches (usually thatched shacks) and that everyone was to come to an area near the mayor’s hooch where their identification papers would be checked. Any villagers without proper identification would be considered enemy prisoners. This collection point was under guard by our MPs (Military Police). When it seemed like most villagers had assembled, the Korean and a Vietnamese sweep team started searching the village hooch to hooch.
In the initial confusion, the enemy began scattering and fleeing like rats from a sinking ship.
Delta company’s first enemy action was at the bridge crossing the creek nearest to the highway. Platoon leader Ranger 1Lt Bill Drypolcher and his radio operator were manning the position at the end of the bridge. Bill said his radioman had his back to the bridge when Bill saw a group of seven enemy running on the bridge toward him. His weapon of choice that day was a single shot M-79 grenade launcher. He fired an explosive round into the front of the enemy group and three enemy dropped. Bill tells the story that he was debating which type round to reload the grenade launcher with then realized the enemy did not know that the round came from the direction they were running and, the four remaining enemy continued their run toward him. Bill quickly loaded another explosive round and fired toward the advancing four. Two more fell to the ground, also dead. The remaining two turned and ran back into the village and disappeared. That was the extent of action at that bridge for the duration of the cordon.
Up and down the village borders, both enemy and non-enemy were firing at shapes, shadows and movements. As dawn came, most of the firing ceased and the sweep team started through the village.
During the day, another group of five enemy tried to break through our side of the cordon. Sergeant Kenneth R. Anderson had been at a meeting of other sergeants and was returning to his squad’s “C-rations” food when he heard weapons firing from his area. He moved closer and saw three of his squad members were pinned down by five enemy hidden in a grove of small trees on the other side of the creek. The enemy had gained fire superiority over Sgt Anderson’s men but nobody had noticed Sgt Anderson coming from a different direction. Sgt Anderson dropped the food boxes and engaged the enemy with his M-16 rifle. The enemy shifted their fire toward Anderson which gave his squad a chance to return fire at the enemy. Besides firing his weapon at the enemy, Anderson crept close enough to toss three “baseball” grenades into the trees, killing four enemy. To give credit to others who were in the involved, machine gunners Howard Baldwin and a man named Lorme “Swamp Fox”Merle, also rifleman Michael “Pop” Overland fought bravely too. One enemy surrendered. Sgt Anderson was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor for his bravery.
Leaflets offering good surrender terms were spread over the village by helicopter. Lt Gene Lee, in Alpha or Bravo company (I don’t remember which) was with his platoon at the far side of the cordon. He remembers an enemy soldier approached their position from across a rice paddy, waving a leaflet. For some reason, the enemy soldier was determined to be a threat and was fired upon by many. With a hale of friendly rifle fire, the enemy was instantaneously disintegrated into a pink mist. I imagine this slaughter was seen by the enemy’s cohorts. Few prisoners were taken from that side of the cordon.
Not all the bullets we were receiving came from the enemy. It is the nature of shooting into a circle resulting in the bullets passing through and coming out the other side… where we were. It was my first real experience of being shot at by multiple weapons for an extended period of time. We all stayed low to keep from getting hit by these rogue bullets. Meanwhile we fired at the enemy who were trying to break out of the entrapment. Wherever we went, we had our weapons and moved in a crouched position. Our S.O.Ps required us to wear our steel helmets all the time. I mentioned in a letter to a friend that being shot at resulted in sustained high anxiety but as long as they kept missing, it was bearable.
During the second full night, most of the gun fire had died down. At dawn of the third day, word was spread that the cordon was completed and had been a success according to the standards of that time. 37 enemy were taken alive and became Prisoners of War. 17 were taken dead, all with weapons. Delta company got credit for nine enemy killed. My platoon killed or captured no enemy but we certainly plugged a gap in the cordon. The operation had no friendly KIAs (Killed in Action) and only a few WIAs (Wounded in Action). By anybody’s standards, except the enemy’s, the mission had been a success.
Also at dawn of the third day, we received new orders to form groups of 6-8 men, with our rucksacks, and be prepared to get picked up by Huey helicopters and to make a CA (Combat Assault) onto a different objective.
We were headed into the jungle covered mountains adjacent to the infamous A Shau Valley where we would be spending the next four months trying to find and destroy the enemy. These months were to become some of the most active and intense times of my life and the lives of my men during our tour of duty in the Vietnam War.
I remained a rifle platoon leader for another four months. Altogether I served as First Platoon leader for more 7 1/2 months total, then left the field and got an administrative job in the rear as XO (Executive officer) for Delta Company. My dates of my Vietnam tour of duty were December 1968 – Nov 1969.
Post Vietnam Tour of Duty:
Upon my return from Vietnam to the Nebraska National Guard in November, 1969, I was released back to civilian life. In 1970 I relocated to Oregon, restarted college and got married. In 1975 I settled in Carroll County, Missouri and helped start Carpenter Nursery, Landscaping and Greenhouses in Carrollton. I am proud of my Vietnam service and would do it again if ever needed. I try to live an honorable life where my priorities are God, Family, and Community.
In War, In Peace, In Christ
Ranger 1LT Tom Carpenter
Carrollton, MO
Email: [email protected]