We got an early start this morning. A rocket and mortar attack at 0200 hrs. got everyone going at Camp Holloway this day. Several unhappy camper drag their ponco liners and weapons out to the perimeter because we were now on 100% alert. Wrapped in liners most of us tried to get a couple hours sleep before dawn. Little did we know what was happening around us.
Enemy tanks were used for the first time in the war. Fifteen PT-15 tanks supported ground forces which attacked Ben Het. Air strikes and artillery were employed and the enemy broke contact. Two enemy tanks were disabled and one US tank was damaged. Two tank crew members were killed. Rockets and mortars fell on Polei-Kleng. A ground assault would be repelled later this night. LZ Swinger and LZ Pause were being probed. FSB 20 and LZ Mile High were also receiving in-coming. The remaining men of A/3/8 waited out this long night as Spooky gunship flew over their position.
We made an early pre-flight this morning. We needed to get troops into A/3/8 area. B/3/8 had enlarged their landing zone and was ready to go at first light. Artillery pounded the northern ridgeline to where A/3/8 was located. We were sent to pick-up Recon/3/8 which were located at LZ Pause. We would make the first assault. A long valley dead ended into the ridgeline. The approach was well guarded. The higher ups had decided on which way we would enter the zone. The infantry telling pilots how to fly is not the best approach to an assault.
Entering the zone it was determined that two ships cause land at one time. As we were on short final the whole ridgeline opened up. There were people in the landing zone waiting to ambush us. An NVA soldier broke cover to get a better shot at us. He was carrying a B-40 rocket. Sempek and Vedder who were behind us saw the soldier and starting firing at him. Because of the angle they were unable to hit him. They radioed us and I spotted him but was unable to hit with my machine gun. Pulling out my .45 I just shot under the ship. The soldier seeing this backed up and my gunner Gary Eggleston got him with his gun. Unable to land we pulled pitch and headed out.
Artillery was called in and we waited at Polei-Kleng. During this time A/3/8 were again under attack by ground forces. We again tried to assault the ridgeline and again we were forced to withdraw with dropping off any troops. Again artillery was called in. By down A/3/8 had broken contact and was retreating out of the contact area. A Hummingbird would help led them away from the enemy and to an extraction area. Shortly after noon we again assaulted the ridgeline. This time we were able to get troops in. We continued to take fire from the top of the ridgeline. We completed the assault with Recon/3/8 and then ships from the 7/17th Cav. were brought in to complete the assault with B/3/8.
A Tactical Emergency was called. We had a number of ships damaged so the call went to Holloway to scramble all ships that could flying. A/3/8 had made it an area where we could pull them out. A wide spot in a creek bed was the best that could be found. These soldiers had fought for their lives. Many were wounded and without weapons. They had carried each other a great distance. We were unable to land so we would hover as the soldier lifted the wounded into the ships. The crew members would hang half out of the ships to pull the men aboard. As each load was removed the fear of attack grew greater. Taking these men to LZ Pause reduced the turn around time. This was the one thing that some of these guys didn't have was time. As the ship began running low on fuel larger numbers of men were pulled into the ships. Ten, eleven and twelve passengers were loaded.
Once all the troops were out the medics now made the choices of who would go and who would stay. We loaded the ones which we thought had the best chance to make it. As each ship was loaded we raced to LZ Mary Lou. We did what we could which was not much. As the sun disappeared we finished getting the last of the wounded out.
Recon/3/8 and B/3/8 had established a night location half way the ridgeline. D/3/8 who had been moving towards the contact area all day stopped for the night near Hill 947. C/3/8 remained at LZ Pause and would assault the same area we were in today. Part of A/1/35 had been air lifted to Pause. The remainer of that company would be brought in tomorrow before we made another assault.
Company A/3/8 had left LZ Mary with 105 soldiers on March 2nd. By the end of this day 31 were killed, 52 wounded, and 3 missing. The remainer of the company would stay at LZ Pause for the rest of the month. During this time they were not consisted a combat unit.