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Unit Crest
A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry 25th ID - Vietnam

Campaign Streamer
Counteroffensive Phase V, 1 July 1968 - 1 November 1968

     We are building timelines for the Troop's service in Vietnam. If you have award citations, SITREP's, AAR's or other documents, they can provide dates that can add to the timelines.  Mel Moss, Trp Cdr from Sep. 68 to Feb. 69, is our volunteer coordinator for the Phase V timeline.  (Note: Email us and provide additions or corrections for this timeline.)

July 2
 - Troop establishes NDPs on MSR. 1st platoon near villiage outside of Trang Bang.
 - Mission to provide security for night resupply convoy from Tay Ninh to Cu Chi.
July 3
 - At 0130 hrs convoy and C Troop escort are ambushed 4 miles south of Go Da Ha.  - Troop sent as reaction force.
 - 1st platoon is in the lead for the Troop.  3rd vehicle A19 hits mine, burns, & is a combat loss. (photo)
 - Troop halts temporarily, bypasses minefield, and moves up road to reach C Troop and convoy.
Early Aug
 - 16,000 soldiers of the VC/NVA 5th & 9th Divisions infiltrate into War Zone C preparing to attack Tay Ninh.
Aug 3
 - MG Williamson assumes command of 25th ID.
Aug 17
 - Battle for Tay Ninh begins. (Division AAR)
Aug 18
 - Troop attached to 1st Brigade, 25th ID.
 - Troop NDP in vicinity of Trang Bang.
 - 1SG Veara gives intelligence briefing about heavy NVA movement in area and to be ready.
Aug 19
 - Culvert blown by VC/NVA on main MSR.  Resupply convoy to use alternate MSR.
 - Troop ordered to outpost alternate MSR and then move to Tay Ninh to reenforce Tay Ninh Base Camp.
 - At 0937 hrs 2nd platoon and Trp HQ are ambushed on Hwy 26 in the Little Rubber by 2 battalions of the 275th VC/NVA Regiment.  Lead tank hits mine and Trp Hq elements under heaviest fire.
 - Ambush is about 1 mile long.  NVA in fallen trees from Rome Plow operations.
 - 3d platoon leaves outposts to assist Trp Hq elements.
 - 3d platoon place fires on enemy positions to the north of road.
 - A number of vehicles have fired basic loads of ammo and are using small arms.
 - 3d platoon secures the wounded pulls back to regroup and calls in medivac.
 - 1st platoon is last platoon moving towards ambush.
 - Helicopter lands on road in front of lead tank of 1st platoon.  Instructs them not to enter the kill zone.
 - 1st Bn 5th Mech sent to assist A Troop. (1st Bn, 5th Mech Inf 1968 narrative)
 - A Co 1/5th Mech links up with A Troop.
 - Air strikes and artillery called in thoughout the day long battle.
 - Battle lasts until 1745 hrs.
 - 1SG Veara, SGT Hodges, SGT Kever, & PFC Sexton are KIA. SP4 Langford, a medic is KIA treating the wounded.
 - Sweep of area finds 34 NVA dead and assorted weapons.
 - 1st platoon establishes platoon position at intersection of  Hwy 26 & Hwy 239.
 - At 1600 hrs 1st platoon moves towards Dau Tieng to link up with B Co. 1/5th Mech on Hwy 239 who is in heavy contact.
 - Command and control has broken down and NVA are in the B Co. positions.
 - SSG Jenkins, acting 1st plt ldr, gets B Co. APCs on 1st platoon frequency and moving towards Dau Tieng. (see narrative by Bob Schneider, 1st Platoon)
 - Enroute to Dau Tieng column starts receiving fire at 1823 hrs and at 1843 hrs receives rpg fire at grid XT456449.  Attacking unit is the 33rd VC/NVA Regiment.
 - As both units fight their way east four B Co APCs and two 1st platoon tanks are hit.
 - 1 tank and 1 APC are too damaged to be towed and are abandoned on the road.
 - Artillery and gunships place fires on enemy and unit arrives at Dau Tieng Base Camp at 2050 hrs.
 - 1st platoon has 1 KIA, SP4 Harbaugh, and 13 wounded. B Co 1/5 Mech has 9 KIA and 43 wounded.
Aug 20
 - At 0945 hrs B Co, 4th Bn 23d Mech at grid XT325470 in the Cau Khoi Rubber Plantation comes in contact with a company size enemy force.
 - A Troop minus 1st platoon is sent to reinforce the infantry company.
 - Battle rages until 1850 hrs when enemy breaks contact.  Support includes 14 Air Force sorties and 466 artillery rounds fired.
 - Search of area finds 28 enemy dead and assorted gear.
 - 1310 hrs C Co, 1st Bn 5th Mech and 1st platoon of A Troop reach the abandoned tank and APC on Hwy 239 south of Dau Tieng.
 - The 1 KIA is recovered from the tank. Vehicles are towed to Dau Tieng.
 - Sweep of area by 1st Bn 5th Mech finds 76 enemy bodies and assorted equipment from the previous day's battle.
Aug 21
 - A Troop minus 1st platoon and A Co, 4th Bn 23rd Mech sweep the Cau Khoi Rubber Plantation.
 - At 1502 hrs, A Troop minus 1st platoon and A Co, 4th Bn 23d Mech come in contact with an unknown size enemy force at grid XT355440.
 - Sweep of area after contact is over has negative results.
Aug 22
 - At 0640 hrs, Co B, 1/5th Mech with 1st platoon, A Troop attached depart Dau Tieng.
 - At 0918 hrs, Co B, 1/5th Mech with 1st platoon, A Troop reach intersection of Hwys 239 & 19.
 - At 0928 hrs, the unit is in heavy contact with NVA forces. Receiving small arms and RPG fire.
 - At 1040 hrs, 2 APCs from 1st platoon are hit with RPGs.
 - At 1145 hrs, the units falls back to regroup and calls in artillery fire on the enemy.
 - The unit moves to the abandoned Ben Cui airstrip to establish a NDP at grid XT444457.
 - Pfc Parker, Pfc King, & Pfc Sanders KIA.
Aug 23
 - At 0950 hrs, 1st platoon is released from OPCON to 1st Bn 5th Mech and departs NDP.
 - FSB Schofield at grid XT407440 is occupied by elements of A Troop 3/4 Cav, 2 companies from  2d Bn, 27th Inf, A Battery, 1/8 Arty and C Battery, 7/11 Arty.
 - 2345 hrs perimeter starts taking heavy small arms fire.
 - Cpt. Mooreland wounded when A6 takes RPG in cupola detonating a M72 LAW.
 - Command group pinned down by heavy fire. A8 commo track out of action and commo lost with higher headquarters.
Aug 24
 - At 0030 hours FSB Schofield is under full attack by the 33d VC/NVA Regiment.
 - Supported by artillery (more than 2000 rounds fired), gunships, and AC-47 "Spooky" aircraft the camp defenders repulse repeated human wave assaults.
 - At 0430 hrs the enemy breaks contact and withdraws.
 - A sweep at first light locates 103 bodies, 1 POW, and assorted equipment.
 - 4 APCs and 2 tanks are destroyed.  - SGT Rasmussen, SP4 King, SP4 Spinler, PFC Griffin, & PFC Kovach KIA.
Late Aug
 - LT See assumes command of Troop.
Aug 31
 - LT Moore assigned as 1st platoon leader.
Early Sep
 - Troop on MSR, Hwy QL1, above and below Cu Chi for route clearance & security.
Sep 21
 - CPT Moss assumes command of Troop. (photo)
 - LT See reassigned as Troop XO. (photo)
 - Troop on MSR around An Duc for route clearance & route security.
 - Troop establishes 3 separate platoon NDPs on highway QL1.
 - 3d Platoon east of An Duc near Phuoc My.
 - 1st platoon east of 3d Platoon between Phuoc My and Cu Chi.
 - 2d platoon to the west of An Duc.
Sep 22 AM
 - 0100/0200 hrs S-3 directs Troop Hq & 3d Platoon to drop back 1 km from hamlet due to ARVN arty mission to be fired in too close proximity.
 - Area to both sides of 3d Platoon NDP was rice paddies and seemed clear.
 - 3d Platoon & Troop Hq blow Claymores & moves back 1km.  Herrringbones on  highway QL1.
 - 0340 hrs small arms & RPG fire directed at new 3d Platoon night defensive position 500 yds west of Phuoc My.
 - 3d Platoon responded with fire from all weapons systems.
 - One APC hit with RPG with no major damage.
 - SFC Yingling in cmd of 3d Platoon.
 - Sp4 Garvin on 4.2 mortar fires immediate illumination rounds.
 - LTC Riley, Squadron CO, checked in with Troop Cdr and remained in radio contact throughout engagement. Provided advice and direction where needed.
 - LT Klar, FO, initially asleep on cot, bullets whizzing all round, jumps on nearest APC and switches to ARTY net to call in fire support.
 - Arty lands on opposite side of position. The north side of the road.
 - Arty moved to correct side of position and walked over area for duration of battle.  - 4 batteries provided fire support for the battle. - A39, mortar squad, continued to fire throughout firefight.  At times, mortar rounds stick in tube and crew had to dismount/clear tube/remount and continued to fire, all while under intense enemy fire.
 - 0400 hrs D Troop gun ships & LOHs on station providing fire support at low level and in close range of night defensive position.
 - Enemy fire subsided, dust off landed to evac PFC Baum, PFC Hamm, PFC Sarvela, & PFC Caputo.
 - PFC Hamm, PFC Sarvela, & PFC Caputo KIA.
 - 0500 hrs enemy fire stops.
 - Dawn breaks, Squadron CO directs Centaur's Aerorifle Platoon to be lifted into rice paddy to the far South of 3d platoon position. (photo)
 - Aerorifle sweep area and finds NVA who refused to surrender.  Individual had explosive charges strapped to body.
 - 1st & 2d Platoon began MSR sweep and move to outpost positions. 3d Platoon remained in place.
 - ARVN Major appeared and walked out into rice paddy area, poked around in the paddy with long pole, motioned for help, platoon troopers to location, found 3 NVA surfacing w/RPGs oriented at 3d Platoon  position and directly in front at point blank range. (photo)
 - Aerorifle Platoon found and captured AK47s, 60mm mortars, RPGs, demo charges, and miscellaneous equipment. (photo)
 - 21 enemy dead & indications of several wounded carried off.  3 POWs.
 - 3d Platoon and Trp Hq's return to CC w/3 POWs, weapons.
 - Debriefing indicated NVA moved in to positions with the intent to ambush the Saigon-Cu Chi-Tay Ninh daily convoy.  3d Platoon's night move placed Platoon in the kill zone.
 - Later Troop received word that VC responsible for the repeated mining of Hwy QL1 was killed that night.  He was buried in hamlet cemetery.  His tombstone read, "The Brave Destroyer of Armored Vehicles."
Sep 22 PM
 - 1st and 2d Platoons outpost MSR
 - Troop Hqs and 3d Platoon departed Cu Chi Base Camp for NDP on MSR.
 - Passed by the scene of firefight, freshly dug graves along paddy dikes.
 - Troop prepared for NDPs.
 - Troop Hq and 2d Platoon moves through An Duc to the Trang Bang side.
 - Units received small arms fire.  Platoon returned fire and cleared An Duc.
 - Troop Hqs and 2d Platoon halt along MSR waiting for nightfall.
 - Troop Hqs and 2d Platoon began moving to NDP and Ambush Patrol site w/Handler and dog deploy to AP site.
 - Troop Hq and 2d Platoon laager in cemetery above An Duc.
 - Troop submits negative sitreps.
 - 2d Platoon reports movement around AP site with increasing intensity.
 - Ambush Patrol requests extraction from ambush site, enemy activity intense, dog alerting.
 - Squadron notified and 2d Platoon and Troop Hqs uncoil from laager, moved down MSR towards An Duc and extracted AP w/Handler and dog.  SA and RPG fire received and returned.
 - 2d Platoon tank takes RPG in road wheel.
 - 2d Platoon and Troop Hqs laagered back in cemetery above An Duc
Sep 23
 - In the early morning many torches appear on MSR coming from An Duc moving toward 2d Platoon.
 - Squadron notified and 2d Platoon fired on torchs. Torches go out momentarily and reignite.  Platoon fires again and torches go out.
 - Squadron directed sweep of area at daybreak---negative results.
 - Troop conducted sweep of MSR and reported route open for convoy.
 - Later in the day Lt. Hogue assigned as 3d Platoon Leader.
Sep 27
 - Battle for Tay Ninh ends.
Late Sep
 - Church service under AVLB bridge erected as a chapel in FSB Stuart. (Photo)
 - Cleared MSR above and below Cu Chi daily, outpost MSR, escort resupply convoys.
Early Oct
 - Operations continued along the MSR.
Late Oct
 - Troop moves through Cu Chi and out Ann Margaret Gate.
 - Troop deploys for operations in FIHOL AO.
 - 1st Platoon tank falls into tank trap in camouflaged bomb crater.  1st Platoon and Troop Hqs laagered around tank for the night in thick brush.  60mm mortars periodically fired throughout the night.
 - Next day VTR snaps wench cable attempting to extract trapped tank. Finally, several vehicles daisy chain a number of vehicles together to get tank out.
 - 1st platoon crew unbeknownst to Platoon Ldr & Trp Cdr shoots large hawk during recovery operation. (photo)
 - Troop conducted RIF operations with C Troop in FILHOL AO.

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