A 173d Airborne Brigade Hawk Team's patience in a game of hide-and-seek paid off recently when Paratroopers surprised a group of VC and killed six of them.
   The 3rd Platoon, Co B, 1/503rd Inf received reports of enemy movement near the Nui Loi Mountains six miles northeast of Landing Zone Uplift. A Hawk Team set up an observation post on one of the mountain tops. From the mountain top, the team moved to within 300 meters of it's base, which overlooked a hamlet. The Sky Soldiers remained there until late the following day without seeing anything unusual.
   Then, while Pfc John M. a Whittenberg, Crescent Okla, was on guard, he noticed an old Vietnamese woman working in the rice fields. She was gathering wood and depositing it near a hedge row next to a large boulder. "At first I didn't pay any attention to her," he said. "I thought she was just another old woman collecting fire wood and let it go at that. But then I saw her look around and signal someone hidden from my view. I became suspicious and called one of the other Scouts to have a look."
   Then the 19 year old trooper saw a group of 20 people appear. In groups of two and three, they left their hiding places and approached the area where the woman had been working. Staff Sgt Francis S McMillan, Montpelier Vt, a Squad Leader remarked, "we watched them as they transported food and water to a hiding place, then return for more." The team informed its Commany Commander of the situation and kept watch until dark.
   The next day, the 2nd and 3rd Platoons searched the area. Four booby traps were found and destroyed by the element's Pointman, but no people were seen. The Platoons returned to their larger sites as the Hawk Team continued its vigilance. At almost the same time as before, the people returned and began inspecting the area where booby traps had been blown by the Paratroopers.
   From it's vantage point 300 leters away, the team watched and informed the CO once again. He told the Infantrymen to ambush the VC, and that he would send reinforcements. Since the team couldn't approach their foe without being seen, two men positioned themselves and opened up with Ml6 and a M79 grenade launcher. "I must have lobbed 25 to 30 rounds at them as they scurried for cover" said Sgt Charles M Radcliff, Shelbyville Ky. "I saw three or four of them go down. Some of the VC attempted to drag the bodies away."
   The 20yr old Sgt grabbed his rifle, a bandoleer of M16 ammunition, and ran down the mountain yelling for the men to follow him. Another Paratrooper was right beside him, both firing their weapons as they charged. When they reached the bottom, the two Paratroopers searched the hedge rows and the rocks. "There were numerous blood trails leading into some caves, so I followed them," continued Radcliff.
   Inside the caves, the Sergeant found the body of one VC who had been dragged off during the fire fight. He also found some rucksacks, a pistol belt with hand grenades attached, and miscellaneous documents. Because it was getting dark, the Security Squad sent to help the team, returned to its laager site. The Hawk Team remained until the next morning.
   That morning, the Team filed through the hamlet that the Scouts had been observing. As they did so, one of the soldiers noticed an old women crying and recognized her as the one who signaled the VC, she was detained. Later that day a Cheiu Hoi, wounded in the previous day's encounter, informed the Company that six enemy soldiers were killed and many wounded.

Tet Truce Broken 5 NVA Killed

Chief Aids Paratroopers, Night Ambush Catches VC

   A hamlet chief in one of Vietnam's formerly Viet Cong controlled provinces helped Pararoopers of the Brigade to catch three Communists red-handed. Last month the Cong Luong hamlet chief, Binh Dinh Province, informed a Platoon Leader in Co A, 2nd Bn, 503rd Inf, that within three days the Viet Cong would be moving into his hamlet to collect food stuff.
   First Lieutenant Leonard B Scott III, 2nd Platoon Leader realizing how symphathizers warn VC of approaching allied forces, took great pains in moving his unit into position around the village without alerting the occupants. "We reconed the village for good ambush sites," he recalled. "Then, to keep from making noise with a large unit, I took three men and infiltrated into the hamlet."
   Quietly they moved into the village. Scott noticed a hut where there was an unusually bright light and loud noises, and keeping in the darkness of shadows, the four Paratroopers approached a gathering of people who had just come out. Suddenly a weapon opened up from the left of the hut. Ducking quickly, the four Paratroopers returned automatic fire hitting two figures in the shadows. An exploding grenade sent shrapnel flying into Scott's arm.
   "Just after I felt the metal tear into my arm, I saw a figure running toward us with something in hand," said Scott. "I fired a quick burst and sent him reeling down the path." Taking cover behind logs in the village, the men strained their eyes, trying to spot movement or weapons. For several long seconds there was a deafening quiet.
   Then an explosion leveled the hut near them, but miracuously none of the Paratroopers were hurt. Almost as soon as the tremendous noise rocked the entire village, Scott took his three man and charged a large clump of vegetation outside the village, with M16's firing into the thick undebrush. Scott quickly called in his Platoon reaction force as a large volume of fire ripped through the area, making him and his men take cover.
   The firing stopped five minutes later when the Platoon linked up with Scott. "We made a quick sweep of the area and found three dead VC, seven grenades, 200 feet of monofilament lines 100 pounds of rice, peanuts, potatoes, fruit and batteries. The crater made by the explosion that demolished the hut was more than four meters in diameter and nearly three feet deep. How we kept from getting wounded in that blast, I'll never know." Shortly after the battle, the Platoon found two rifles.

   Hawkeye hauls itself in from the south, slides onto the air over the mountians west of LZ Uplift and drops toward the earth. He dips his wings in salute to the grey monsoon clouds, passes under them and towards the jungle.
   Hawkeye, the plane feels the weight of the two humans in the cockpit. It senses the fuel in its wing tanks, oil in its crankcase and electricity in its magnetos. Above all, it knows the air sweeping past its body and responds to it. Hawkeye, a green O1-G Cessna "Bird Dog" fixed wing reconnaissance aircraft knows well.
   Hawkeye, the man, balances himself in the aircraft. His toes juggle rudder pedals, his right hand holds the control stick, his left adjusts the throttle, fuel mixture, carburetor head, and radios. The seat of his pants is firmly planted in the front seat of the plane. A parachute grips his backs. Hawkeye is a U.S. Army Officer, a pilot for the 203d Aviation Company.
   Today, in Phu My district, the human Hawkeye is 1st Lt David M. Stamat, of Phoenix, Ariz, now based at the Qui Nhon Army Airfield. Without the aircraft, Hawkeye is but a ground-bound man. Without the man, machine Hawkeye is only a mass of dull metal, glass, and plastics. Hawkeye resembles the legendary Centaur, but instead of being half horse and half man, Hawkeye is half man, half machine.
   The bird dog goes into a left bank, and the pilot calls a Brigade Hawk Team in the area. "Ya got anything you want checked out?" The Hawk Team, a group of six men from Co E, 3/503 Inf, wants Hawkeye to look at the draw stretching from its position and down into the valley on the west side of the Tiger Mountains. It takes Stamat a few minutes to locate the right one. He circles, lines up with the draw and puts the plane into a shallow dive. The bird dog shoots over the ridgeline the Hawk Team is on and drops into the draw. It bucks and settles in the downdraft of air boiling over the ridgeline. Then it scoots on between the two green hills bordering the wrinkle of ground it seeks.
   Below the trees flashing by under the plane, runs a creek with its water foaming white,next to the creek is a well-used trail. No one is on it now, but the nameless men who used the stream as a guide left their mark beside it. The man with a hawk's eyes sees and notes. Stamat kicks in left rudder, opens the throttle, pulls back on the stick and feeds in left aileron, all in one smooth motion. The bird dog lifts its nose and enters a climbing turn.
   "OK," Hawkeye tells the radioman on the ground, "there's a trail down there by the stream. It runs all the way into the valley. Looks pretty well used. Anything else need to be checked out?" In the next few minutes, Hawkeye looks at an old tunnel complex, and then scares up a group of birds. "We thought they were chickens," the Infantry radio operator tells him. The Hawk Team leaves for another location.
   Hawkeye climbs until the clouds seem to be living things, waiting to leap on him from their perch a few feet above. Stamat heads the plane north, until he is almost to the Bong Son pass. There, he descends to check out the area. Flying at three hundred feet, he spots two men fleeing toward the mountains. A quick call confirms that there are no friendlies in the area.
   Stamat changes frequencies on his radio and scrambles helicopter Gunships from Phu Cat Air Force Base. He turns half way 'round in his seat and says, "We can call in Gunnies from either Phu Cat or LZ English." While he waits for the Gunships to arrive (they are there in ten minutes) Stamat flys calmly around the area. He never gets far enough away to lose the two men on the ground and never gets close enough to let on that he knows they are there.
   When the Gunships come, Hawkeye kicks over rudder and stick. The bird dog goes into a power dive. Stamat lines up on his target, and the aircraft lurches as a marking rocket leaves its launcher on the left wing. A white cloud and a soaring burst of glowing, smoke trailing debris marks the Gunship's target. Hawkeye pulls up and orbits while the Huey Cobras do their thing.
   When their job is done, the Gunships leave. Hawkeye moves in for a close look at the area. Coordinating with a 173d Airborne Brigade Ranger team that has just come down the mountain he discovers a trail with fresh footprints. In a stream bed is a concealed trench used for high Angle NVA rockets.
   Had there been more men, Hawkeye could have called in blocking and pursuit forces. As close as his radio, are airstrikes more Gunships and Artillery.
   Throughout the day Hawkeye observes. He lands at LZ English for fuel, and food to keep himself running. Then he takes to the sky again. At dusk he heads south to Qui Nhon. Hawkeye buzzes the airstrip at LZ Crystal and drops a smoke grenade to find out the wind direction. He lands to drop off his back seat observer and then heads on.
   Hawkeye has a freedom unknown to the ground pounder, the artilleryman, engineers and ground support personnel. Perhaps the pilots of larger aircraft can only remember it, the freedom and closeness that comes from a small plane opening the windows to hear and feel the air whistling through the cockpit. Joy in the knowledge that he can climb above angry clouds and fly for a few minutes in the light of a sun that non-flyers have not seen for weeks.
   When Hawkeye makes a low pass by a Hawk Team on some bare ridge and wags his wings in farewell, the back seat observer catches a flash of the Infantry's face. In that moment he knows the brotherhood Hawkeye has with the Rifleman, and at the same time knowing the envy of the men who do not fly.

Caves Yields To 474 Explorers

   Typical construction activities of the men of the 326th Engineer Battalion, attached to the 3/506th Inf, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), were interrupted recently by clashes with VC and NVA forces on Hill 474 northwest of Bong Son.
   The Engineers, under the skillful leadership of Sergeant First Class John W. Anders, Clarksville Tenn, took up the task of cave exploration in search of Viet Cong caches. Equipped with .45 caliber pistols, knives, and ropes, the Engineers crawled into the caves on Hill 474, some of which were 60 feet deep.
   Sp5 Thomas L. Blair, Detroit Mich, of the 326th Engineers, described the massive citadel; "The caves were under solid granite rocks of tremendous size-some as big as a house. The caves had as many as three or four chambers. These chambers had stores varying from munitions to medical supplies and clothing." Massive air strikes delivered by F4 fighter-bombers left many of these caves undamaged.
   Sp5 Garry F Emery, Memphis Tenn, also a 326th Engineer commented on the work of the men in the tunnel search; "Sergeants Wilson and Hunter went right down in there with us. They were a great help. They pointed out the caves they had discovered the previous day and then crawled through the caves with us." Sgt Michael A Wilson of Lincoln Ill, and Sgt Allan D Hunter of Wheaton Ill, are Infantrymen of the 3/506th.
   So far the 'Currahees' and Engineers have uncovered 20 B40 rockets, five rocket fuses three rocket launchers, three AK-47 rifles, 4,500 AK47 rounds, 16 grenades, six anti-tank grenades, one shaped charge and other explosives timing fuse, electrical wire, and substantial quantities of rice and other materials.

   Four North Vietnamese regulars sang their way to death as a 173d Airborne Brigade Ranger team shattered their musical notes with small arms fire and captured five AK47 rifles.
   The team was operating nine miles nofthwest of Landing Zone English, located near the coast about 300 miles northeast of Saigon. Team Bravo, Co N, 75th Infantry, Rangers, observed lights and heard shots and voices at the base of a mountain during the night.
   "The next morning we headed down a finger toward the area where we saw the light," explained Sgt Darryl J. Paul of Monrovia, Calif, a scout with the team. "We moved about 500 meters and came across a trail." The Rangers followed the trail until it branched out into a fork. Assistant Team Leader, Sp4 Jimmy D. Gray, Porterville Ca, said, "Two of us dropped our rucksacks and continued on the trail leading off to the right. After following it for about 50 meters, we found ourselves on top of a small hill used as an observation position. We heard people singing on the other side of the hill."
   The two Paratroopers rejoined the other scouts who also heard the voices. Sp4 Lielie D Elegel, Coeur d'Alene Idaho, the radio telephone operator, requested Gunships. "I informed our rear area that we located a possible Base Camp and people were in it," he said. The Team Leader, Sgt Scotty L Norwood, Meridian Miss, briefed his team. "We moved real slow because of the loose rocks and stones in the area. We made the least noise possible."
   After advancing 20 meters the Pointman, Sp4 John R Knaus, Newark, NJ, saw two enemy soldiers standing among some boulders near caves. "I signaled the team that I saw the soldiers and we got into position." Firing their weapons and tossing hand grenades, the Rangers charged the enemy. "We caught them by surprise," commented Pfc Donald F. Bizadi, Chinle Arizona. "The ones that were fortunate enough to escape will never forget that song fest." Following the 45 minute fire fight, the team collected 10 chicom hand grenades, six rucksacks, 10 pith helmets and five pounds of documents.

   Aspirin couldn't cure the throbbing headache of a Paratrooper in the Brigade and a Surgeon wanted to know why. Sgt Avon W Jones, Co B, 3rd Bn, 503rd Inf, had complained to Doctors for more than a year about periodic headaches similar to those attributed to migraine. The Medics X-rayed his head, gave him pills and medicines but couldn't cure his problem. Finally, Jones went to the Battalion Surgeon, and the trouble popped out. Captain Donald C Weiser, Carlisle, Pa, found a cyst on the side of Jones' head while examining him in an effort to find out the cause of his headaches.
   "We can lance this for you," he told Jones.
   "Does the cyst have anything to do with my headaches?" he asked.
   "I doubt it," he came back. The Surgeon cut open the welt.
   "Hey !" he exclaimed. "There's metal in here!"
   "Huh?"
   "Metal!"
   Carefully digging further into the scalp the surgeon lifted out a small piece of metal about half an inch long. He cleaned the blood off and held the metal up to the light. It was half a round from an AK47. The Surgeon looked dubiously at the Freeport NY, native.
   "How did this get in your head?"
   Jones scratched the other side of his skull, thought a minute, and snapped his fingers. "I was shot in March, 1968 on my first tour."
   "Oh, in the head."
   "No, in the arm."
   "Wait a minute!" said the Doctor. "What, pray tell, has getting shot in the arm got to do with a bullet in the head?"
   "Well," Jones said somewhat sheepishly, "When I picked up my rifle to return fire, the sights were gone. I guess the impact of the bullet was absorbed by the sights before the round went into my head. I though I had been grazed by shrapnel or something."
   The Surgeon looked over the "something" more carefully and handed the bullet to Jones. "Here's a souvenir. Go on back to your Company." Jones left for the door. "Wait," called Weiser. He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a bottle of apirin and handed them to Jones.
   "You're liable to have a slight headache for a couple of days until your wound heals."

   An alert and intuitive Pointman of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, saved the lives of his fellow Infantrymen as well as his own when he found four booby traps along a trail during a patrol in Vietnam's Coastal Highlands.
   "I pulled point because I was familiar with the region we were going into. I knew the VC had saturated the area with booby traps and I wanted to be up front where I could find them," remarked Sgt Manlio H Salazar, a Squad Leader. Salazar's Squad was the lead element during a Company size operation at the base of the Nui Loi Mountain six miles northeast of Landing Zone Uplift, about 300 miles northeast of Saigon.
   When he reached the mountain he found a freshly used trail that ran between two palm trees, then twisted and turned along the mountain's edge. "When I got to the trees I noticed the grass on both sides of the path was bent toward the trees," said the Paratrooper. "I had a feeling a booby trap had been set in the vicinity."
   The Sky Soldier knelt on one knee and began feeling around the grassy area. He found a barely visible fish wire strung across his way. "I didn't know on which side of the trail the booby trap was set, so I told my slackman to run and warn the others," continued Salazar. As the slackman left, Salazar tripped the booby trap and ran for cover. Nobody was hurt in the ensuing explosion. After the smoke and debris cleared, the troops prepared to move again.
   After taking one or two steps Salazar spotted a wait-a-minute vine lying across the trail between a small bush and a clump of rocks only four meters from the first booby trap. The 21 year old trooper commented, "I was going to step across it but something told me to check it out." The Santa Barbara Ca, resident picked up the vine and began inching his fingers along it toward the bush. He heard the ping of a spoon flying off a hand grenade. "I yelled a warning and everyone dove for cover," said the soldier, "but nothing happended." As it turned out a safety pin (in this case, one normally used on baby diapers) remained in the grenade, which was imbedded in the ground. Salazar retrieved the explosive and threw it into the bush were it harmlessly exploded. Salazar remarked, "By this time I was a little nervous. I became even more alert from then on."
   The two Platoons of Co B, 1/503rd Inf, continued on their way. Salazar moved down the trail and up a small knoll. Again he heard the sound of a spoon fly off a grenade and yelled a warning. After waiting approximately 10 seconds the explosion never occured. The rusted dud grenade was also triggered by his foot striking an unseen fish wire. Salazar disposed of the blasting cap and kept the grenade.
   By this time the Company was in the area where an enemy element was spotted a day earlier. The Infantrymen began breaking down into groups of two to search the surrounding area. Salazar checked a trail with fresh foot prints, branching in another direction. About 10 meters down the path he saw a trampled area. He stuck his hand into the grass and followed another fish line to a small bush, across from a hedgerow. The grenade he found was hanging in a branch. It needed only somebody to trip the wire to blow up.
   Salazar showed the grenade to his Company Commander, Captain Dennis M Hirsch, Cleveland Ohio, who was astonished. "Salazar found all those booby traps less than 75 meters apart. A good man is always alert, and he proved himself by finding all four of the explosives. I have nothing but praise for him. Salazar knows his job and does it well."
   A native of Mexico City Mex, and not yet an American citizen, Salazar has found more than 30 boobytraps during his 10 months in Vietnam. Most of the booby traps he found were 105mm artillery rounds. "The big ones are usually easy to find," he concluded. "Its the small booby traps that are easily missed."

Ambush by VC Foiled

   A bolt of an AK47 rifle betrayed an enemy ambush, and soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) turned the tables on the Viet Cong.
   Pfc Joseph Holmes, Augusta Ga., was walking point for 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company 3/506th Inf, when he heard the bolt of a rifle go forward in the treeline to his front. Holmes hit the ground and opened up with his M16. A firefight developed quickly and the lead Squad was pinned down. The rest of the Platoon was deployed to the enemy's flanks, and "Charlie" found himself in a crossfire.
   When the Gunships arrived and began working out on the enemy positions, the 101st soldiers continued to fire into the enemy positions. Finally, as darkness began to fall, the fire fight subsided, and the enemy chose to clear out rather than risk continued fire from the Americans.
   The ambush which was so alertly detected by the men of the 101st, was completely ineffective, there were no American casualties. Enemy casualties are not known at this time, but the alertness of these soldiers will surely he remembered by the enemy. The action took place close to the Suoi Phu My River near LZ North English, where the 101st is working with the 173d Airborne Brigade.