Ambush of Bravo Company
1st Battalion 4th Marines
May 22, 1968.**

On May 19, 1968, Bravo Company was alerted for a sweep around the area of Con Thien, designed to keep the NVA off balance. The operation was to start at 1000 the following morning. The Company CO, Capt. ROBERT E. HARRIS, held his briefing at 1700 on the 19th. He already had orders transferring him to Little Creek, Virginia, for duty there, but informed his officers and staff NCO’s that he was staying with them for this operation so that he could observe the new CO in the field. At the briefing, Capt. Harris was presented with a watch from Switzerland as a going away present.

At the same time Capt Harris asked the platoon leaders for their report on a charity drive that was then being held. One of them refused to canvas his men because, as he stated, he felt that they were doing enough for Viet Nam just by being there. He was relieved of his command and transferred immediately. Three days later he would weep tears of bitter anguish because of this transfer.

On May 20, a platoon from Delta Company arrived at Yankee Station to garrison it while Bravo Company was away at war. When Bravo moved out morale was high, and everything that could be required of the Marines was covered by their instructions. They did not lack for anything. They had their full quota of attachments: air, artillery, mortars, a full boat so to speak. The weather was hot with the roads dusty and the grass deep.

They moved out in column with platoons staggered. Their direction was eastward, angling off between C-2 and Gio Linh. The terrain here slopes away from Con Thien towards the Ben Hai River, which is the center line of the DMZ. Their first night’s defensive perimeter was about 500 meters north of the spot where they had rescued a recon team earlier.

The second day the seeep moved northward towards the DMZ and the river, then to the west paralleling them. Most of the movement was visible from the OP on Con Thien. The company formation was on line with flankers out on both flanks. They found plenty of signs of the enemy, old fighting holes, trenches, guns pits and such. But they sighted no troops. There was a lot of sweat and dry throats as they methodically moved out. Bravo’s night defensive positions were the same as the first night with, again, no action.

May 22 dawned bright, sunny, and very hot. Bravo Company continued to move in a westerly direction along the DMZ. A few Marines remarked that Con Thien looked different from this location. They could see bunker apertures against the blue sky background. Their formation was the same as before, and their progress was good. The grass was about waist high.

During the late afternoon halt, the Marines were informed by the Battalion CO that they were to return to Yankee Station after 0800 on May 23, entering from the northwest. This was the area where Bravo had rescued Alpha Company back in March so most of the men knew the area rather well. Capt. Harris issued the night orders at this halt. They were to pass through an old experimental pig farm and set up defensive positions about 500 meter beyond. As they passed through the farm the stench was still there to urge them on. Now the last order issued, as well as contemplation of their night halt, may have distracted their undivided attention that tiny bit which can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Good holes were to be dug that night because B-52’s were to strike to the north and no chances were to be taken.

The terrain here was rolling with successive swales and ridges. The waist high Kunie grass was interspersed with patches of heavy brush, and hedgerows divided off the countryside. As they moved beyond the farm 1st Platoon, commanded by Lt. Westphall, occupied its customary position at the point, providing a security screen for the headquarters group. Presently one of the long low rises that characterized the locality crossed their line of march. Several of the point men had crossed over it when an L-shaped ambush was sprung.

Suddenly, ferociously, Bravo Company was hit with a devastation fusillade of machine guns, mortars and grenades. The yell of ‘tubing’ mingled with the din of battle, and most of the Marines hit the ground. Capt. Harris promptly issued the command to open fire and move up. The men of Bravo as quickly complied, but no enemy was to be seen. Corpsmen were called for. Air and artillery FO’s radioed for support.

Capt. Harris ordered assault fire and personally moved out toward the point. Now some 100 of the enemy appeared in assault formation moving in on 1st Platoons lead squad, the point. Heavy weapons fire was sweeping the company’s front from the north side of Bravo’s line. The officers and NCO’s moved out quickly trying to form a firing line to stop the assault. Most of the 13 killed and 27 wounded were lost at this time. These included every officer, radioman and all but two staff NCO’s. But for their timely and heroic action, Bravo company would surely have sustained immensely more grievous losses.

Capt. Harris had moved up to cover a wounded machine gunner while his teammate got the gun back into action. Capt Harris was killed instantly, shot through the heart. Lt. Westphall rushed forward to move up a squad in order to build up the firing line and stop the enemy assault. He was killed as he advanced, struck by maching gun fire along his left side. His radioman, Charles Kirkland was killed by his side with the same burst of fire as he loyally stayed with him to provide vital communication.

The enemy assault wavered when it didn’t see the 2nd Platoon as it moved in on the 1st platoon to cover it, but some half dozen actually entered the Bravo company lines before being killed or driven back. The engagement had started at 1720, now at 1740 the firing stopped as quickly as it had started. The 2nd Platoon, the farthest from the point of contact closed up and formed a perimeter into which the CP moved. The wounded were attended to and brought into this tight perimeter, while the dead were placed side by side at the company aid station.

The NVA left 22 dead on the field as well as many blood trails as they withdrew. They also left strewn on the field of battle eight machine guns, three 60mm and two 81mm mortars, and 28 rifles.

The 3rd Platoon sent a reinforced squad on a fast sweep in the direction of the rise to check on the men who had crossed over. All were alive, but wounded. They came in on their own power. Battalion was notified of Bravo’s predicament and soon helicopters came in to fly out the wounded.

Bravo spent the night in a very tight perimeter. No one thought of sleep or thirst, only of their heavy losses. At dawn Delta Company with a platoon of tanks came out and escorted Bravo Company back to Yankee Station. The dead went back on the tanks. Later, at Charlie Med at Dong Ha, 1st/Sgt Tom McKinney saw and talked to the wounded. They were just great, not angry, bitter, or remorseful, just stunned at their heavy losses. Then 1st/Sgt McKinney identified each of the dead, not an easy task, but a necessary one.

Looking back, the men of Bravo Company were professional Marines, each and everyone. They were not angry with the enemy, or anyone for that matter. They were just doing the job for which they had been trained, and doing it well. The leadership was of the best. Captain Harris was killed on the day that he would have landed in Okinawa going home, but he would not turn over command to a younger officer until he had personally observed him in the field.

The Lt who had rebelled against the relief fund drive came to 1st/Sgt McKinney several times with tears in his eyes asking, ‘God, why didn’t I stay with them? I might have prevented some of it.’ He’d had the 3rd Platoon on the right side of the line and the platoon Sgt had taken over as platoon commander for the operation. He also was killed that day.


**This narrative is an excerpt from the book, 'David's Story' a biography of Lt. Victor David Westphall III, 30 Jan 1940-22 May 1968.