SECTION 2 NARRATIVE 

a. At approximately 0320 hours, enemy medium mortar, rockets, and recoilless rifle fire unleashed a devastating barrage on the battery. Several U.S. sentinels reported hearing the low wail of a siren moments before the barrage fell. As the initial rounds fell, the guards on the howitzers to the north were wounded and grenades began to fall throughout the area. The CIDG outposts had provided no early warning. The North Vietnamese Army ground force attacked in a line from the battery executive officer’s post to the ammunition storage area, a distance of approximately 200 meters. In the first minutes, the fire direction center was surrounded by an estimated 8 NVA who hurled grenades into the bunker. Four men were inside the FDC. All FDC personnel were wounded, but managed to stay calm, attempting to return fire although confined in an area 12 feet by 12 feet. Specialist Five Wil1ie S. Pruitt fired a burst at one side with his M-16 as the NVA attempted to lift the blackout tarp which draped over the sides of the bunker. He was wounded almost immediately by a grenade. PFC E3. Lawrence S. Byington fired repeated bursts at the NVA and PFC P3 David L. Prewitt was hit in the head with a grenade and as it bounced off exploded, rendered. him senseless with a skull fracture. An enemy satchel charge exploded as it was layed on the radios causing immediate destruction to the two VRC-46 radios, and causing the batteries to light up the whole inside as they shorted out and ignited a fire. The fire direction living quarters absorbed a direct hit from an enemy mortar round.  SGT E5 Archie J. Maple Jr. was killed almost instantly by a grenade which followed and PFC E3 Larry T. McBurnett was critically wounded along with PFC E3 Edmund L. Audelo. Unbelievably SP/4. Richard W. Oyas withdrew from the FDC area and dashed to the Battery CP with PFC Edmund L. Audelo to alert the Battery Commander. The NVA were only a few meters from the CP when the Battery Commander fired a hand flare, illuminating the enemy followed by two hand grenades thrown by the 1st Sergeant, apparently slowing the hostile advance. The NVA threw a satchel charge against the CP bunker which exploded and caved in one side. The Battery Commander, Captain Craig H. Mandeville, 1SGT Henry J. Zangwill, the Battery Commander's driver PFC Edward Keller, PFC Edmund L. Audelo and SP/4 Richard W. Oyas, and the Battery Switchboard Operator made a dash from the CP into the firing battery parapets.  

b. Simultaneously with the attack on the FDC and CP, the ammunition section was overrun by the NVA who threw satchel charges and grenades as they came under the cover of mortars. Realizing that the position was no longer tenable, Staff Sergeant E6 James E. Morrow attempted to 1ead his men from the confined area to the more secure area of the guns. After moving approximately 10 meters up the slope, a heavy mortar barrage of rounds killed SSG E6 James E. Morrow and PFC E3 Wayne A. Podlesnik.  The remaining men in the section returned to the ammo bunker, fighting for their lives. 

c. Along with the FDC, CP and ammunition section, the firing battery was hit concurrently. No warning was provided the crews. As the crews rushed from secured bunkers to man howitzers and parapets, the NVA were on1y inches away, using the parapets to lie behind as shielding while throwing grenades into the parapets. While mortars, rockets, recoilless rifle, grenades and automatic weapons deluged each parapet the men moved to meet the determined ground force. The 5th howitzer section initially moved to the parapet, but were diverted by Staff Sergeant E6 Burnell Simmons, the Chief of Section, who directed them to the howitzer to fire direct fire in an attempt to slow the attack. In this valiant attempt, all personnel in the section were wounded.  SSG Burnell Simmons was wounded by a grenade but continued to load, traverse and fire alone.  SP/4 Franklin D. Wezyk was seriously wounded and as SSG E6 Simmons rushed to his aid, SSG Simmons was struck by an enemy satchel charge and died instantly. SP/5E5 Willie S. Pruitt from FDC charged from the FDC bunker into the 5th Section. The NVA/VC ran around the FDC “like Indians around a wagon train”, throwing grenades into the small area. The sixth section had moved to the parapet only to find the enemy at the other side. In an attempt to fire over the parapet at enemy with his M-16, Sergeant E-5 Nathaniel Dabon, acting Chief o£ Section, was hit by a rocket and killed instantly.  His section moved to the howitzer, but all were wounded from the enemy mortar rounds. The 1st Section, under the control or SSG Webster Anderson, moved to the parapet. to find the same situation. . SSG E6 Anderson rallied his men to the howitzer, and gallantly directed them. Grenades fell around him, but he did not falter. Two mortars landed at his feet, severely mangling his lower legs. He managed to move to the protective parapet and, although in great pain, he continued to inspire his men. An enemy grenade fell next to one of his wounded crew members and, with comp1ete disregard tor his own safety, he grabbed the grenade in an attempt to throw it from his parapet. SSG Anderson received the full shock of the exploding grenade and his hand was blown off as he pitched the grenade from the parapet.

d. 1st Lieutenant Wayne P. Kubasko, Battery Executive Officer, moved from his bunker and dashed to the forward gun section. He rallied the men of the section to continue firing. When he reached the fifth section, he found the crew all dead or wounded. He quickly moved other men to the parapets and assisted in evacuating the wounded. As he rushed to the sixth howitzer section, he found the howitzer jammed. While assisting the removal of the jammed round, all the men who assisted him became wounded. He continued to fire the howitzer alone until other cannoneers came to assist him. A similar situation occurred in the 1st Section. Al1 were wounded, but 1LT Kubasko, now also wounded removed SSG E6 Webster Anderson to medical aid, which probably saved his life. 1LT Kubasko was thrown to the ground numerous times by grenades and mortar rounds but never dodged, swerved or sought cover.  1SG Henry J. Zangrilli moved throughout the battery aiding in evacuating the wounded. Captain Craig H. Mandeville moved throughout the sections, assisting in. directing the howitzer fire and aiding the many wounded. Number 6 howitzer was jammed. Captain Mandeville, with PFC Edward L. Keller and PFC Tomes, un-jammed the round and began to deliver direct fire. Captain Mandeville was thrown to the ground by a mortar round which landed beside him, wounding him only slightly. Arriving at the fifth section, he found that all were wounded, and Captain Mandeville then aided his injured men. Seeing the Battery Executive Officer had control, the Commander moved to the only remaining radio in the battery in an attempt to call in the defensive targets and provide illumination. The 4.2 inch and 81. mortars of the 1st Bn, 327th Infantry CP commenced firing on all sides. The AN/MPQ/4 radar located the enemy mortar position and WO Savage, the radar warrant, adjusted the fires of Btry D (Prov), 2d Bn, 320th Arty onto the mortar position. Captain Mandeville observed secondary explosions, but continued to fire along the ridge where mortar flashes had been observed. 1LT Kubasko, PFC Keller, SP/4 Lane, SGT Whitehead and PFC Tomes fought to the burning FDC and removed the wounded, PFC Byington, PFC Wallace and PFC Prewitt.  

e. The 155m battery adjacent to the 105m battery had been untouched. Its battery Executive Officer offered assistance. His men were used to move the wounded to the 155 battery helicopter pad for extraction, and some helped man the howitzers. One of the 155men was injured by grenade fragments as he moved with LT Kubasko toward FDC. Again, LT Kubasko, with the 1SG, moved to the ammunition section across an open area of some 50 meters. Grenades and mortars burst all around them, but they reached the area and removed seriously wounded troops. The Battery Commander continued to adjust artillery along the ridges, finally silencing the mortars. Howitzer Section #4 fired battery self-illumination after firing direct fire for over 30 minutes. The section, led by SSGE6 Miller, provided the illumination needed to distinguish the NVA from the CIDG and American soldiers. The battery executive post was used as an aid station and, as each man was treated by the battery medic, PFC Rothwell, the wounded were moved to the 155mm battery helicopter pad. PFC Rothwell had moved throughout battery treating the wounded. His swift action undoubtedly saved SSG E6 Webster Anderson and many others.

 f. Medevacs, gunships, C-47 “Spookie" and flare ships were requested but because of bad weather, only medevacs could fly. As "Dust-off 55" came into the area, WO Savage used his Q-4 radar to direct the aircraft’s approach, since the weather made it impossible to see. Two other medevacs came in, and, under the excellent, professional guidance of WO Savage, were successful in landing and evacuating the dead and wounded.

g. The Infantry CP was not fired on. The Battalion Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Morse offered aid, but the Battery Commander declined since the infantry had to move uphill through a dense area and the risk was to great. Additionally, the assault on the battery may have been a diversion. The battery perimeter was reestablished after one hour and 30 minutes of hard, close quarter fighting, and, after another 40 minutes the entire area was cleared of enemy forces.

h. When the morning broke, it found Battery A with 6 U.S. killed and 29 U.S. wounded. Only 22 of the wounded were medevaced. The CIDG posts had been completely overrun with 6 CIDG killed and 5 C1DG wounded. The 155’s radar and infantry CP were untouched. The battery FDC and FDC troop bunker were completely destroyed. The base plate of number 5 Howitzer was destroyed and the sight on number 6 Howitzer was damaged. Seven NVA/VC bodies were found and blood trails indicated some 20 or more enemy were wounded or driven off. The enemy had attempted to blow up the ammunition dump but failed. The entire action lasted 2 hours and 10 minute's at close quarters. Fifty-six 82mm mortar craters were counted in the battery’s position. At least 5 mortar rounds had landed in each section’s parapet.  Rockets and recoilless weapons flashes were observed by the 155mmbattery.  One AK 47, one 7.62mm pistol and some 100 grenades were captured in the battery position along with rucksacks and various other items. Battery "A" expended 5 anti-personnel, 200 HE and 75 illumination rounds during the attack.

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