Vietnam in My Rearview by Dennis D. Blessing Sr

Author:Dennis D. Blessing, Sr.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Published: 2021-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

8

Saving “A” Company in the Ia Drang Valley

August 9, 1966. Well lover you might say we have really been going. I will get this mailed today. We have really been into it; I guess you have been reading about it in the papers. Right now, we’re somewhere west of Pleiku and yesterday A Company just about got wiped out. We lost a lot of men and weapons yesterday, but the NVA troops lost quite a few also. It was a nasty night. We were the first company in to relieve them. We captured one, I imagine we could have taken a couple of more but all we needed was one for questioning. Well, let’s just hope they’ve left the area. I’m not sure, but I think they’re messing with my transfer. But nothing to worry about because when we get back to base camp and I can check on it…. Our first platoon messed up yesterday morning. It was early in the morning and the company was gathering to start on patrol from the night ambush. The first platoon had been on this trail and they went up the side of a hill to wait for the rest of the company. Then low and behold here comes about 30 NVA down the trail and so the first platoon opened up on them with unbelievable firepower and believe it or not they didn’t hit a single one. We did get two packs, but not a single NVA. How about that!

The first platoon ambush, August 8, 1966. The S2 was estimating at least three NVA regiments were operating in the same area as we were, within the Ia Drang Valley. This would amount to 12 companies of soldiers or approximately 1,440 enemy troops.

Ambushes didn’t require digging a foxhole, and digging those things was a dirty and tiring job, but having a foxhole at least gave me some sense of security. I must have dug 300+ foxholes in my year in Vietnam. But when setting off an ambush there was no such sense of security; most of the time you were on top of the ground where grazing enemy fire could wound or kill you.

We all knew ambushes required absolute quiet. Keeping quiet was one of the most difficult things for us to do. It’s hard to remain still and not make any noise while you’re setting up an ambush. Once the ambush has been set, it’s a waiting game and you pray no one accidentally sets the sucker off before it’s needed. When the time comes and the ambush is initiated, things happen quickly. Once the rifle firing stops, your central objective is to get back to the main body of your friendly forces as soon as possible. Remember, you’re not dug in and do not know if you have ambushed a squad, a platoon, a company or worse. You run like hell and can’t relax until you’ve returned to the safety of your own unit. Ambushes are scary, but they’re a necessary element of combat.

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