DUC PHO — Battling for every inch, C CO., 3d Bn 1st Inf. and E Trp., 1st Cav stormed a deserted village 3 1/2 miles north of Duc Pho and killed 32 NVA and captured 15 weapons in a recent encounter from noon till dusk.
"When we entered the village, they opened up with a machinegun," said SP4 Chuck Burne (Atlanta ), "We fired back immediately and killed six NVA."
Moving out to search nearby bunkers, C Co. ran into heavy RPG and automatic weapons fire from a well-entrenched enemy force.
Staying on line was made easier by E Trp. tracks which spread .50 cal. fire to pin down the enemy sharpshooters.
Ominous Click
SGT Michael Krueger (Houston), a platoon squad leader, rode on the lead track as E Trp. charged through the village. "I knew where the NVA were hiding," he said," as we moved forward, they threw Chicom grenades from all directions." At one point, SP4 Marco Jimenez (San Antonio) stooped in front of an NVA bunker to help a wounded soldier. When he picked the man up, Jimenez heard the click of an empty NVA weapon and quickly scooted to cover.
(11th Bde. (IO)
An original copy of this document was donated to the Americal Division Veterans Association (ADVA) by LTC Paul Parham who served as Information Officer for the Americal Division.
