Days of Valor: An Inside Account of the Bloodiest Six Months of the Vietnam War

By Robert L. Tonsetic

A Vietnam War battalion commander with the 199th LIB recounts the intense combat he saw during the Tet Offensive and NVA attacks in this candid memoir.
 
This visceral combat memoir chronicles the height of the Vietnam War from the nervous period just before the Tet Offensive through the defeat of that campaign and into the lesser-known yet equally bloody NVA offensive of May 1968. On January 30, 1968, Saigon and nearly every provincial capital in South Vietnam came under assault by the Viet Cong. Author Robert L. Tonsetic writes not only from his personal experience as a company commander, but also from extensive research, including countless interviews with other soldiers of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade.
 
The book ends with a brief note about the 199th LIB being deactivated in Spring 1970, furling its colors after suffering 753 dead and some 5,000 wounded. This fascinating book will help to remind us of the sacrifices made by all Vietnam veterans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Casemate Publishers
• Release date: Jan 31, 2007
• ISBN: 9781612000343

Robert L. Tonsetic

Robert Tonsetic was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English Literature in 1964. Upon graduation, he entered the US Army as an infantry second lieutenant. After completing Special Forces training in 1966, he served a tour in Thailand with the 46th Special Forces Company. He was subsequently assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam, serving as a rifle company commander during the Tet and May Offensives of 1968. In 1970, he returned to Vietnam as a senior advisor to South Vietnamese Ranger and Airborne battalions. His decorations for his wartime service include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star for Valor. He retired from the Army at the rank of Colonel in 1991, after completing a three year assignment as a faculty member at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. Upon his return to the US, Robert earned a Doctorate in Education, and was employed at the University of Central Florida as a staff member and adjunct professor. He died in April 2016 in Easton, MD.

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Published in the United States of America and Great Britain in 2010 by

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Copyright © 2007 Robert L. Tonsetic

Reprinted November 2010

Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-935149-38-5

Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-61200-0343

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CONTENTS

For the brave men of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade who gave their lives for their country, and for the men who shared their foxholes during 1967–1968.

PREFACE

This book is about acts of courage and valor, and the men who performed them. Few, if any, of the men described in this book consider themselves heroes. Among them, this accolade is reserved for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Most of the veterans who contributed their stories to this book attempt to downplay their experiences and deeds. Nonetheless, it is important that their stories be told. For as the Greek poet Pindar wrote, Unsung, the noblest deed will die. The intent of the author is not to glamorize war or justify it, but rather to preserve the stories of heroism and sacrifice. Since the experience of war—the fighting, the dying, the surviving—is all but impossible to comprehend unless one has experienced it, those who may be called upon to take up arms in defense of the nation must have role models for proper behavior in war.

As we begin our fifth year in the war against terror, we face a prolonged conflict that may test our national will as never before. There exists a possibility that a catastrophic attack will be launched against the US homeland, or against our deployed forces that will make the 9-11 attacks pale in comparison. The generation of men and women coming of age today face challenges not unlike those that confronted the much heralded greatest generation.

The heroic deeds, selfless sacrifice, and valor demonstrated by our fighting men in past wars provide necessary models for the youth of America as they assume responsibility for the nation’s security. Sadly, the deeds of valor from our most prolonged conflict, the Vietnam War, remain mostly unreported and forgotten. Unlike the almost legendary stories of heroism that evolved from World War II, such as the Army Rangers’ assault on the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc or the Marines’ capture of Iwo Jima, the number of stories emerging form the Vietnam War are few. The reasons are complex and rooted in the political and strategic miscalculations of that war. Perhaps the most odious reason is that the opponents of that war unjustly focused their anger and frustration with the conflict on those who fought it. Despite the fact that there were far more heroes than miscreants in the ranks, stories of atrocities and abuses far outnumbered the reports of American valor and sacrifice. Unfortunately, the anti-war movement’s efforts to discredit the rank and file who fought the war was abetted by the media. Stories of atrocities and criminal conduct perpetrated by members of the armed forces, like airline crashes, are rare, but make front-page and prime-time news. A similar trend is beginning to emerge in Iraq and the war on terror. Reports of prisoner abuse and other discreditable acts should be reported, but equal attention should be paid to the numerous individual and unit acts of valor and sacrifice. The latter far outnumber the former.

Days of Valor covers a six-month slice of time during the Vietnam War from December 1967 through May of 1968. These months, which encompassed both the Tet Offensive and the May Offensive of 1968, were the bloodiest months of the war for US forces. Most of the book is focused on the infantry battalions of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade as they struggled to disrupt the enemy’s build-up and subsequent attacks on the strategic installations in and around Saigon, Bien Hoa and Long Binh. Though the author’s experiences are included in the book, they are written in the third person format. The book is not intended to be a personal memoir. There were many other US units that played key roles in defeating these attacks, and similar acts of heroism and valor occurred in all of these units. The narrow focus of this book allows the author to tell the stories of the men who performed the deeds of valor through their own eyes and words. There is much to learn from the experiences of Vietnam combat veterans, and they deserve a chance to contribute to the history that is written about the Vietnam War.

The majority of this book focuses on battle, even though the number of days spent in battle during a one-year tour in Vietnam was a small percentage of the average twelve-month tour. Most days for the average combat soldier consisted of exhausting marches and tedious searches for an elusive enemy. The physical and mental demands on the combatants during these periods were exceeded only by the relatively short periods of actual battle. Full descriptions of the everyday life of a combat soldier in Vietnam can be found in the many fine personal memoirs of the war.

Few of the men who provided details of their Vietnam experience for this book had discussed their service with anyone outside the veteran community since the war. In some cases, the men who related their stories to the author were personal acquaintances. Others were introduced during reunions, or contacted by telephone or email. As a fellow veteran, there was an element of trust between the author and the men who related their experiences. Shared combat experience generates a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood that withstands the tests of time. In some cases, the author gained a new perspective of his own experiences after talking with other veterans. Without exception, the men with whom the author communicated were remarkably honest and forthright about their combat experience and the effect it had on their lives. Their recollections of combat are corroborated by other sources such as official records and documents held by the National Archives.

It is hoped that the reader will gain a new appreciation for the men who fought in Vietnam. The stoicism that they demonstrated in the midst of an unpopular war is impressive. Their ability to endure under the most difficult conditions and continue on with the mission, even though worn out and exhausted, and fighting for a cause they little understood, is remarkable. Those who gave their lives, as well as those who survived, should serve as an inspiration for all those called upon to defend the nation in current and future wars.

The author thanks the many veterans of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade who over the past several years shared their memories and recollections of the events described in Days of Valor. In particular, I appreciate the insight and encouragement provided by Colonel William Schroeder, who was at the center of many of the events described in this book, both as a battalion commander and later as a key staff officer at II Field Force Headquarters. While the research for this book was in progress, it was brought to his attention that two members of his battalion never received the Silver Stars that he had recommended. Bill Schroeder reinitiated the award recommendations, spending days of his personal time to insure that his men received the awards, and then organized an appropriate ceremony for the presentation of the awards in 2005.

Additionally, the author thanks and commends the efforts of Bill Hill of Columbus, Georgia who provided copies of many of the documents used as sources for this book. Bill was also the primary organizer of a 2005 reunion at Fort Benning, Georgia for veterans of the 4/12th Infantry, many of whom contributed their stories to this book. Bill is a tireless worker who has assisted many veterans in preparing the necessary documentation for their disability claims.

Also, I would like to thank and commend Peter Joannides and George Holmes, co-founders of the Redcatcher Association, for their efforts to locate hundreds of veterans of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade and reunite them with their former comrades-in-arms. Larry McDougal, historian of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade Association, is also deserving of special recognition for his efforts to document the history of the brigade over the past decades. Clifford Snyder, military archivist at the National Archives, was also extremely helpful in identifying and locating after-action reports, unit orders, and daily staff journals of the units involved in this book. A special thanks is also given to Mike Podolny of MP Cartographics for his preparation of the maps found in this book. My sincere appreciation is also extended to David Farnsworth of Casemate Publishers, who thought this book worthy of publication, and to my editor, Steven Smith.

Last but not least, I offer my gratitude and thanks to my wife, Polly Tonsetic, for her love, encouragement, and support during the many months that it took to research and write this book.

GLOSSARY

PROLOGUE

A mantle of pre-dawn darkness enshrouded the jungle around the fire base. Only the faintest streaks of light brightened the sky to the east. Specialist Cliff Kaylor of Charlie Company was on radio watch at his platoon command post (CP). The 20-year-old Ohio native finished heating his C-ration coffee in his canteen cup, and leaned against the sandbagged bunker to sip the brew and watch the day rise. Suddenly, mortar rounds began to fall near the helicopter landing pad on the far side of the battalion perimeter. He recalled, It was like watching a thunderstorm from a distance. Charlie Company and Alpha Company manned the outer perimeter of Fire Support Base (FSB) Nashua while Bravo Company manned the inner perimeter that protected the battalion headquarters and the howitzers of Charlie Battery, 2nd Battalion, 40th Artillery. FSB Nashua was still a work in progress. Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Bill Schroeder’s Warriors of the 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry had established the base only two days earlier, December 4, 1967.

The shelling was not heavy and did minimal damage. Twenty to twenty-five mortar rounds, probably meant for the helicopters or the battalion CP bunker, missed their targets and exploded in the Alpha and Bravo Company defensive sectors. Like his counterpart in Charlie Company, PFC John Sayers of Alpha Company was standing radio watch outside his bunker when the barrage began. He had no time to reach the bunker. A mortar round impacted a few meters away from him, and searing hot shrapnel tore into his arm and hand. A tree that he was standing beside protected most of his body. PFC John Nawrot, also a member of Alpha Company, was dozing on top of his bunker and was not as fortunate. Nawrot was seriously wounded by the blast and was evacuated to a hospital in Japan for treatment of his wounds. Sayer’s and Nawrot’s platoon leader was more fortunate. Newly assigned First Lieutenant Wayne Morris was asleep on the ground ten meters from his bunker. He had been warned by his platoon sergeant Dan Garrison not to sleep in the open, but ignored the advice. It nearly cost him his life. As the first rounds impacted in his platoon’s area, Morris dashed to his bunker just ahead of the next salvo, narrowly escaping the blasts.

Captain Eaton’s Bravo Company on the inner perimeter had just finished stand-to when the mortars rounds began to explode. Eaton stood outside his CP bunker as he prepared to make his rounds of the company perimeter. He took cover after the first round exploded. Specialist-four Allen Phillips followed the Captain’s lead and sprinted toward his bunker, but never got there. He was hit in the legs with multiple pieces of white-hot shrapnel.

Five minutes after the mortar attack began it was over. Bleary-eyed cannoneers from the 2/40th Artillery, and mortar crews of the 4/12th ran to their sandbagged gun pits and began sighting their M102 towed howitzers and 81mm mortars on the suspected location of the enemy mortars. Captain Grinnel, the Charlie Battery commander, requested radar surveillance for the counter-battery mission, but there was none available. The artillery fire direction center computed the firing data for the counter-battery fire mission using a back azimuth to the target and an estimated range. At best, it would take a lucky shot to nail the enemy mortars and their crews, since they moved quickly to alternate firing locations after each mission.

The howitzer crews loaded the 33-pound 105mm shells, slammed the breeches closed, and awaited the command to fire. Seconds later, the howitzers belched flame and smoke as the rounds left the tubes. The mortar crews dropped round after round into their mortar tubes adding to the crescendo. The explosions of impacting howitzer and mortar rounds reverberated through the jungle, shattering the morning calm. All told, the enemy drew three or four times the fire he delivered, but it was impossible to know if the counter-battery fires had destroyed their target.

The commander of the 4/12th Infantry, LTC Bill Schroeder, USMA 1952, had five months of command behind him on the morning of December 6, 1967. The lean and fit 36-year-old was no stranger to Vietnam, having been one of the first US military advisers assigned to the country. When he arrived in Saigon in 1961, Schroeder was assigned as senior advisor to the Vietnamese Airborne Division’s 6th Battalion at Vung Tau. He understood the Vietnamese including their culture and language, and this coupled with his tactical acumen made him a highly effective battalion commander. The present author, who was the Charlie Company commander in Schroeder’s battalion, recalls that he had a very professional, calm demeanor. Roberto Eaton, Bravo Company commander, described him as Absolutely the best. He was a fighting commander who knew his stuff…. He understood the strain and danger that the common soldier lived on, especially when on point. It was not out of character for LTC Schroder to land his C&C helicopter and walk with a line company on a mission. His men would follow him to hell and back if he asked.

The mortar attack did not disturb Schroeder’s calm and deliberate demeanor. As the battalion radio operator, Specialist Pancho Ramirez, took the casualty reports from the rifle companies, Schroeder huddled with his S-3 Operations Officer, Major Ed King, and his S-2 Intelligence Officer, Captain Stone, readjusting the rifle company missions for the day. The officers had no inkling that 6 December 1967 would be the bloodiest day of the war for the Warrior battalion, and a prelude for the nationwide carnage to come.

CHAPTER 1

WHAT CAME BEFORE

The 4/12th Infantry was assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade (LIB). The battalion’s regimental affiliation was with the storied 12th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Warriors. The men who served in the 4/12th in Vietnam shared a revered heritage with other brave men who had fought with the regiment in previous wars. The 12th Infantry traced its lineage back to the Civil War during which the regiment participated in twelve campaigns with the Army of the Potomac. The Warrior regiment fought with distinction at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, and finished the war in the blood-soaked trenches of Petersburg. Following the Civil War, the 12th Infantry participated in the Indian Wars, the Spanish American War, and more recently in World War II.

On D-Day, the Warriors of the 12th Infantry landed on Utah Beach with the 4th Infantry Division, and then fought their way through five European campaigns. During the Battle of the Bulge, the regiment was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award for a unit participating in combat. During the Vietnam War, the 12th Infantry had more battalions deployed than any other infantry regiment. Two of its battalions, the 4th and 5th, were assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade (LIB), while three other 12th Infantry battalions served with the 4th and 25th Infantry Divisions.

The 4/12th Infantry joined the 199th LIB when the brigade was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia in June of 1966. It was one of three infantry battalions assigned to the brigade. The 2/3d Infantry, nicknamed the Old Guard, and the 3/7th Infantry, the Cottonbalers, were also assigned to the 199th LIB upon its activation. Six months later the brigade shipped out for Vietnam, arriving at Vung Tau on December 10, 1966.

The 199th LIB spent most of its first year in-country securing and pacifying the area surrounding Saigon. When LTC Schroeder assumed command of the 4/12th in July of 1967, the battalion was in the closing phase of Operation Fairfax/Rang Dong, a joint Revolutionary Development and Pacification program in which US and Army of Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces were intermixed to form a combined forces team. The objective of the operation was to secure and pacify the countryside surrounding the sprawling city of Saigon and its environs. Schroeder’s battalion was teamed with the 30th Vietnamese Ranger Battalion, and was assigned an area of operations (AO) centered on Thu Duc, north of Saigon. It was the type of mission that Bill Schroeder was well prepared for given his previous tour as an advisor to Vietnamese forces and his considerable skills as a trainer.

LTC Bill Schroeder was a second generation Army officer who grew up on Army posts around the world. He was born in Tientsin, China in 1929, the son of Army sergeant in the 15th Infantry Regiment. Schroeder’s father had joined the Army at 15 and served in World War I. At the outbreak of World War II, Schroeder’s father was commissioned in the Army Air Corps, and retired after the war with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. There was never much doubt about which career Bill Schroeder would pursue. After graduating from high school he joined the Army, took the US Military Academy admissions test, and received an appointment to West Point. He graduated in the class of 1952. With an airborne infantry and Special Forces background, and a previous tour as an advisor to ARVN forces, Bill Schroeder was well qualified to command an infantry battalion in combat.

LTC Schroeder turned each operation into a learning experience for his troops. He never missed an opportunity to make on-the-spot corrections when he saw something he didn’t like, but he always made them in a calm and even-tempered manner. On one occasion, when a company commander was having difficulty navigating in some rough terrain, Schroeder landed his helicopter, and gave the Captain a quick course on how to properly shoot an azimuth, and move on a compass heading. Schroeder also debriefed his officers and NCOs on a regular basis, and distributed a series of Commanders Notes on subjects like ambush procedures, marking of helicopter landing zones, booby traps, treatment of POWs, communication procedures, and daylight and night movement. His purpose was to save as many lives as possible. Soon after he took command, his subordinates and superiors alike recognized that his leadership was making a difference in the battalion.

Schroeder’s battalion was highly successful during Operation Fairfax. Viet Cong influence over the villages and hamlets surrounding Thu Duc began to decline as a result of the joint operations conducted by the 4/12th Warriors and the ARVN Rangers. By August 1967, the 4th VC Local Battalion was assessed as ineffective in the Thu Duc District, and intelligence reports suggested that it had departed the district for training and refitting.

On August 7th, Schroeder’s Echo Company and a company from the 30th ARVN Ranger Battalion conducted an integrated airmobile assault in the Hoc Mon District, engaging an estimated VC Company on the landing zone (LZ). Five UH-1D helicopters were shot down during the combat assault and the Echo Company Commander was killed. After a tough fight to secure the LZ, Schroeder’s mixed force regrouped and attacked the dug- in enemy force driving them from their positions. Twenty-two VC were killed and nine were taken prisoner by Schroeder’s men. Another casualty of this battle was the 199th Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Fritz Freund, who was severely wounded when he landed his C&C ship on the hot LZ to evacuate casualties. Freund was evacuated to the States, and Lieutenant General Fred Weyand, the II Field Force Commander, looked around for a replacement. Fortunately, he had a qualified candidate close at hand.

Brigadier General Robert C. Forbes was General Weyand’s Chief of Staff at II Field Force Headquarters. Forbes had held the position since February 1967, and had earned Weyand’s trust and confidence. Prior to his assignment to II Field Force, Forbes was the Assistant Division Commander of the 9th Infantry Division, one of three divisions under Weyand’s command. Without question, Forbes’ reputation in Vietnam was firmly established. He was also well connected with the Army’s hierarchy. Forbes joined the Army in 1939 after graduation from the University of Pennsylvania. He served with distinction in World War II and Korea, and later served multiple tours in the Pentagon. Forbes was known personally by a number of the Army’s four star generals. There was no one close at hand who surpassed Forbes qualifications for the job, and he assumed command of the 199th LIB on 4 September 1967.

Later that month, Schroeder’s men killed the battalion commander of the Viet Cong’s 4th Local Force Battalion in Thu Duc effectively breaking the back of that unit’s operations in the district. By mid-October, the 30th Ranger Battalion was declared fully combat ready by the new 199th LIB commander, Brigadier General Forbes, and Schroeder’s 4/12th Infantry began to phase out of Operation Fairfax.

Forbes was anxious to conclude Operation Fairfax. He sincerely believed that the ARVN Rangers were completely competent, and were ready to be cut loose from their American support in order to assume full responsibility for the defense of Saigon. Moreover, he was concerned that his combat brigade was being tied down in a relatively inactive area and was gradually losing its combat edge.

After a series of briefings and discussions with his superiors, including General Westmoreland, Forbes gained approval for a plan to move the center of gravity of the 199th LIB north into the southwestern portion of War Zone D. There was, however, one proviso. The 199th LIB