LZ Torch

11 June 68

From 0215 to 0430H, received small arms, RPG, satchel charges and chi-com grenades.  Assault was oriented toward C Battery/3/12 and Alpha/1/4.  Enemy forces, estimated at company size, assaulted on two sides.  Battalion elements repelled assault with small arms and automatic weapons, frag grenades, M-79’s, 60mm and 81mm mortar missions and direct/indirect arty fire.  Had a flare ship providing illumination. 

Friendly casualties:

C Btry – 4 KIA, 13 WIA

Alpha Co. – 8 KIA, 5 WIA

Delta/1/3 – 1 WIA

Comment:  Assault was not repulsed until after the NVA broke into the perimeter, both in Alpha/1/4 and C Btry/3/12 area.

Alpha/1/4 KIA’s were mostly from 1^st Platoon:

PFC        Robert S. Castelot

Cpl          Bernard Dickerson

L/Cpl       Robert J. Irwin

L/Cpl       Sam Jones

L/Cpl       Wilbur D. Monroe

PFC         Dwight A. Price

PFC         Bernard J. Snead, Jr.

L/Cpl       Charles C. White

In an 82mm mortar barrage at 0900 the next morning, Capt. Richard R. Minnila, the CO of Alpha/1/4 and 2^nd Lt. Phillip Cotterman, 2^nd Plt Cmdr, Alpha/1/4, were wounded and med-evaced.  At 2100H that evening, 1^st Lt. Walter Jones, replacement CO of Alpha/1/4 was wounded by sniper fire and med-evaced.  Jones had previously been the CO of Alpha/1/4 for six months and had been replaced by Mannila less than a week before.

Contributed by Jim McIntire