The Saturday morning pre-flight had began our day before the sunrise. Now ten slicks and four guns were staged along the dirt road which led to the CIDG camp near Plei-Mrong. We had learned from the briefing that we would be conducting a combat assault into the Plei-Trap Valley.
Company A/3/12 Infantry would assault the abandoned firebase of LZ Swinger in the central part of the valley at grid map location YA 837965. They would secure this base for the 155mm howitzers of C/1-92 Arty(GS). At the same time elements of the 1/8th Infantry would assault into the northern part of the valley near Firebase 20.
Artillery from LZ Bass at Polei-Kleng had preped the landing zone for us in the early hours of this morning. Gambler Guns from the 4th Avn. Bn. would prep the area before we arrived. The Crocs would supply our cover as we assaulted the base.
The NVA knew we were coming. They had battled the 4th Infantry before and knew we would first secure this base for our artillery. They had mined the landing zone and had concealed an anti-aircraft gun in one of the bunkers. They would allow two or three ships to land before exploding the mines and springing their ambush.
The cobras from the 4th Avn. had completed their runs and the Crocs were now firing rockets as we approached the abandoned firebase. Two things went wrong almost immediately for the enemy. The crew of the anti-aircraft gun was killed by the rockets from either the Gambler Guns or our own Crocs. Second, instead of landing on the old sandbag pad which they had booby trapped, the lead ship landed to the up hill side of the pad because the ground appeared to be more level.
The first ship landed and deployed its troops without incident. With the ambush foiled the NVA opened up on Gator 390, the second ship, with heavy automatic weapon's fire and small arms. During the exchange Sp/5 John C. Schiffhauer RA 13858922 Age 21 would be mortally wounded while he defended his side of the ship. Efforts of the crew to save him while enroute to Pleiku were in vain. The third ship Gator 606 entered the landing zone. Heavy fire continued and Sp/4 Paul Smith the crew chief of Gator 606 would be wounded several times in both legs. Although badly damaged A/C WO1 Hawkins (The Hawk) would still be able to get the wounded bird to safety. Paul would later be evacuated to Japan where he would recover.
The battle continued from bunker to bunker as the slicks landed at the firebase. Gator 110 which was near the end of the formation would be greeted by the landing pad exploding just as they sat down. One of the NVA defenders had been determined to destroy at least one helicopter before this battle was over. The detonator to the mines would be found in the enemy soldier's dead hand after the battle was over. Although shaken the ship and crew would continue until the lift was completed. Later Pfc. John Morrison would be treated for facial wounds and Sp/4 Bob Legacy suffered a concussion which in later life cause him hearing loss in both ears.
The simple assault had lasted three hours. Company A/3/12 would suffer one killed and thirteen wounded. Sp/4 Douglas J. Markovich US 51983710 Age 21 would also die this day. The NVA losses totaled thirty dead and one wounded POW.
The next forty-five days would test everyone involved in Operation Wayne Grey. The 4th Infantry Division and the 119th Assault Helicopter Company were again battling the NVA in the Plei-Trap Valley. This would mark the fourth time in three years. The end result would be the same. Many young men from both sides would die in this place which very few people would ever hear of.