This File is Dedicated to Scotty Burgett

This File is Dedicated to
Scotty Burgett
That was KIA on February 5th, 1968
In Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam
Serving with
Bravo Company
3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry
199th Light Infantry Brigade
Contents
This File is Dedicated to .................................................................................................................................................... 1
1
On February 5 h, 1968 ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
44 Years Later .................................................................................................................................................................. 3
From the Command Chopper ........................................................................................................................................... 4
From the Rifle Platoons .................................................................................................................................................... 8
Comments from Rifle Platoons ..................................................................................................................................... 9
From the Mortar Platoon and Rifle Support .................................................................................................................... 14
Comments from Mortars with Rifle Support ................................................................................................................ 15
Email Exchanges and responses with Mortars ................................................................................................................. 17
Remembrances of LT Scotty Burgett ...............................................................................................................................20
Remembrance of Top that has passed since Vietnam ...................................................................................................... 21
1
h,
Pictures Taken on or about February 5
1968 ................................................................................................................ 22
The Kansas City Times on June 26, 1968 .......................................................................................................................... 26
Battalion Daily Staff Journal ............................................................................................................................................27
Credits ............................................................................................................................................................................36
On February 5th, 1968
Bravo Company was alerted for an Air Mobile Assault on the morning of February 5th, 1968.
They were to be a blocking force west ofthe Kinh Sang canal and adjacent ofVC Island. The
company hit a hot LZ landing on top of 150 NV A. On the same day their Mortar Platoon
headed up river and was hit by automatic weapons and RPG's.
*L T Scotty Burgett as he was known in Bravo Company, his full name is Joseph Scott Burgett.
51
To eliminate confusion when reading this, Scotty was originally the 1 platoon leader and was
the 3rd platoon leader when he was KIA.
44 Years Later
Forty four years later the events of February 5th were discussed by some of the guys that were
there. The discussions were through email, phone calls and their website that spanned from
2012 to 2013. This file describes what the action looked like through the eyes ofthe participants
and is, at times, very personal. This then is the recollections of those involved together with
documentation from the Battalion Daily Journals.
From the Command Chopper
Captain Kent Pietsch
Tony Zanotellie
Lary Beck
1st
SGT Bobby Dalrymple
Larry Beck Wrote:
As the company commander's RTO, I should have a better understanding than most about the
circumstances surrounding our deployment on 5Feb68, but my first memory starts with the
news that our mortar platoon was moving by RAG boats on a river and receiving small arms
fire as we were preparing to load up on choppers for an airlift to our new area of operation. I
thought no big deal; we will land near them and sweep the area to scare off a few VC. I could
not have been more wrong.
The first sign that this situation was more than a typical LZ was the door gunners opening up
sooner and firing longer than any other time. Normally, the door gunners fired a few bursts
from their M-60s or not at all. I thought, "holy crap, we've hit a hot LZ." To my recollection it
was the only one I experienced during my year in country.
At this point the situation went into slow motion for me. The CO, Capt. Pietsch and the other
RTO, Tony Zanotelli did not exit the chopper as they were hit on the approach. There was
small arms fire coming from everywhere, but my attention was riveted on a face-to-face
encounter with an NV A just a few yards outside the right door ofthe chopper. For a split
second my mind was in disbelief; my experience took over and I fired at the camo clothed NV A
lying in the rice paddy. A few rounds and I began to turn away, but unbelievably the end of the
AK began to rise towards me again. I turned back and returned a few more rounds. This
happened again and each time I was stunned at the determination of my foe.
During these few seconds, the chopper had touched down and lifted off and before I had time to
exit , we were on our way out of the LZ and I must say I was relieved and panicked that I had
not gotten out to join the rest of the company on the ground. We flew a few seconds, maybe
200 or 300 yards and touched down again. I quickly moved to the pilot to signal that there was
wounded, as I now understood the reason for Tony and the Captain not exiting on the LZ. The
pilot pointed out to the left and I observed another chopper landing aside us some 50 yards
away. The meaning dawned on me immediately. This chopper was not going any farther
because of damage and we needed to exit quickly. For all I knew it was about to blow up.
In the midst of exiting it became clear that the right-side door gunner and the co-pilot were
wounded and needed help. Tony and the CO were going to need help, as Tony had a leg wound
and the CO had been shot in the ass. There is some difference in memory between myself and
Capt. Pietsch about exactly what happened next. I understand that my recollections at this point
have been clouded by my successful attempt to bury my VietNam experience. Those that have
better memory have paid a terrible price with PTSD that I have been largely able to avoid. I
grabbed Tony and the CO under the armpit to assist both to the waiting chopper. The Captain
made a step or two and collapsed to the ground on his hands and knees. As his helmet fell into
the paddy, it became obvious that he was not able to stand. I grabbed him in the middle of his
back by the web gear and began to drag him along as he crawled on his hands and knees. While
I was looking for additional NV A, I remember wondering where was the famous burst of
adrenalin strength that I was supposed to have at a time like this. Every step took huge effort as
my foot buried up to my knee in the muddy rice paddy. It occurred to me that I might not make
it in one trip with both men, but the guts and determination by the critically wounded Captain
Pietsch was enough to help the three of us get to the chopper.
I noticed the overloaded chopper took off and skimmed the paddy for a long time before it was
able to make altitude while I was looking to stop the bleeding from Captain Pietsch. His wound
had begun to clot and the quantity of jellied blood all over told me this was serious. I was
grateful that the ride to the field hospital was short.
At the Bearcat field hospital the medics moved quickly. Tony and I had been together 24/7 for
many months and as the medics took him away I didn't realize that I would never see him
again. Captain Pietsch was placed on a gurney. I remember talking to him for a bit before he
was taken away. I would not see him again for 45 years.
About this time a doctor walked up to me and said, ''What are you doing here?'' In my mind I
heard, "What the hell are you doing here?" It had been a while since I had looked at the
shrapnel wound in my hand and when I held it up to answer the question, I was shocked at how
swollen it had become.
I walked offwith the doctor to a recovery area. It had rows of folding metal chairs lined up
with a supervisor monitoring the walking wounded. After a while I was taken to have my
armpit shaved and was stuck with a big needle to block the nerve and feeling in the arm. In
short order I was carrying around a lump of flesh that I had absolutely no control over. I was
placed on a gurney; the doctor irrigated the wound and began plucking out bits of the bottom of
the chopper. It really was like an episode from MASH as the bits of metal plinked into the
metal container next to me. The injury had happened when some of the NV A lying on the LZ
had fired through the bottom of the chopper and caused all the carnage. I later found out the
door gunner had died, the co-pilot had received a leg wound and our 1st Sergeant had been
wounded in the heel as he exited on the LZ. All in all, half the soldiers on that chopper had
been WIA or KIA. The results had taken out the entire B company command group.
After spending hours in recovery, Charlie was not done as those of us who were able to walk
were stuffed into a sandbagged bunker with the field hospital staff to wait out a mortar attack.
The next day I was transferred to the Long Binh hospital and I realized how fortunate I was
while spending a couple days in a ward with some seriously wounded soldiers. Due to the large
number of wounded caused by the North Vietnamese TET offensive, many of us walking
wounded were flown to Japan for recovery. I spent a couple weeks there and when I returned to
the field about the first thing that I heard was from Pogo, something to the effect "I am glad to
see you, but sorry you had to come back". Pogo and I had been transferred together to the 199 1h
LIB from another brigade up north.
Now I had more doubt that I would be going home alive with five more months left in country.
Except for two days in April of'68, I have no memories ofthe rest of my time in VN. Rarely a
day goes by that I don't relive the experience of setting down on that hot LZ.
CPT Kent Pietsch Wrote:
Serving as my Battalion net RTO, Lary Beck certainly does have a better understanding o~the
circumstances leading to the action of the day. L too, recall we first learned of "sniper fire"
received by our mortar platoon aboard the RAG boats on the river toward VC Island
immediately after lift off from the confused PZ when only 9 choppers arrived instead of 10 as
ordered. Lift off was 1025 hrs; my "sniper" report (submitted by Lary) to Bn was logged at
1030 hrs. The Battalion's Daily Staff Journal erroneously reports our lift touching down on the
LZ at 1029 with no mention ofhostile fire. In fact, we descended on final around 1035, which
fits better with the next journal entry reporting the casualties aboard my slick.
I, too, recall the door gunners suppression fire as we began to flare into landing. Gunships were
abreast unleashing an unusual volume of sustained firepower. Instantaneously, I saw incoming
green tracers and it dawned that the landing was hot. Simultaneously. I heard the door gunner
next to me cease firing and saw he was hit in the gut below his chest armor-plating. It was then
I saw the NVA uniformed attacker masked by a flashing AK47 muzzle crouched 2-3 meters in
front ofme. I don't recall getting a round off at him before my world went upside down from
the impact of at least one round that tore up through my groin taking most of my left buttock
with it on exit. I was aware of Lary blasting away one-armed even though wounded over my
body as I was tangled up in Tony Zanotelli's wounded torso. The last thing I saw was 1st Sgt
Dalrymple rolling out of the chopper's left door firing his .45 calM 1911 A 1 between the
chopper's skids and belly.
Face down on the chopper floor's steel plate I recall we careened upward in a wobbly lift off
above slicks grounded on the rice paddy. I agree with Lary Beck's recollection we were only
airborne a few short seconds and a couple hundred yards before we crashed down onto the
paddy with a crunching impact. Bodies scrambled out of our ride toward another Huey 40-50
yards abreast. My primary fear was we would all soon be caught in a hail of incoming artillery
from our own batteries that would inevitably be called by my warriors on the hot LZ. I threw
myself out onto the paddy but fell flat on my face as my left leg crumpled. I thought, "this is it:
I'm not getting out of this killing zone." I don't recall Tony Zanotelli's presence as does Lary,
but I sure remember Lary saving my life dragging me by my web gear to that nearby bird and
heaving me into the overloaded chopper. Without his heroism my name would definitely be on
the Black Wall in Washington D.C. I will never understand how he accomplished the
superhuman feat with me alone or by also helping Tony too as Lary remembers.
Lary reports we eventually landed at Bearcat Forward Aid Station. I didn't know where I was
except I was swimming in a blood bath on a gurney. There were brilliant lights everywhere and
then I remember nothing. Afterwards, I was told the doctors stitched my missing buttock
together with piano wire since no other suture material would close the gaping exit hole. By the
good Lord's decision my femoral artery had been missed by only 1mm. As Lary mentioned I
recall getting mortared that night. Medical staff put us non-ambulatory on the concrete floor and
heaped piles of flak jackets on us. My quonset hut took a direct hit but all the shrapnel went up
and over us. Captain John South visited me with Col Gibler the next morning before I was
transferred to a huge Saigon medical facility somewhere to await the next flight to Tokyo. I was
shot full of morphine and very much in la-la-land so I only remember John promising to take
care of my men. He kept his word and in doing so paid the ultimate price. I pray the good Lord
has mightily blessed John South who justly earned the unreserved respect, admiration, and love
ofB Company warriors.
The single regret I can never assuage is that I was unable to join my men that day on the ground
of the hot LZ. You who fought valiantly 5th February 1968 together with Lt. Burgett (KIA) and
all the WIA will always occupy thee place of highest esteem in my mind ... forever!
From the Rifle Platoons
2"d Platoon
LT Bill Trotter
Bill Plains
Skip Spratt
Eric Noeldechen
Don Cargile
Jamie Triplett
No Picture
Available
Tom Bala
Bill Redding
Tim (Mike) O ' connor
3rd
LT Scotty Burgett
James Watts
Harold Brown
Gerry Brown
Platoon
Ed Albers
Ron Whelan
John Tiegreen
Jerry Plambeck
Comments from Rifle Platoons
Ed Albers Wrote:
I was maybe 20 feet away when the Lt. got it. He had just got back from a 30 day leave as his
dad had passed away. We, all25-35 of us, were all belly crawling to the dike. He stood up
rallying the troops when an AK opened up on him. I will never forget the sound of the rounds
hitting him. I think he was gone before he hit the ground.
Out of ten choppers that landed only two made it off the LZ and only one made it back to
brigade. The chopper me and my squad was in was shot to shit. The door gunner on the ville
side along with the pilot got hit. Ifi remember pretty bad.
There were about 100 hardcore VC in the ville heading for TET and they shot the shit out of us.
We were lucky no one else was killed.
We were getting ready to move from the rice factory to "VC Island". The mortar platoon left
first in landing craft. As they passed the ville Charlie opened up. At the time there were about
two squads, including mine, waiting for the rest of the company to arrive. We were ordered to
mount up and we left the rest of the company behind. The CO, can't remember his name, and
TOP was with us. As we came in a VC was laying in the paddy and was riddling the bottom of
the ships .The CO got shot thru his hips and TOP was hit in the foot. As the chopper landed on
top of Charlie TOP John Wayn'ed it swung out and shot Charlie with his .45. One ofthe best
TOP's I ever had. Really cared about us troops.
As we were coming in four Huey and two cobra gun ships were strafing the ville. What an
awesome site and the ville was a vision of hell. It was Razorback gunships. It took two sister
companies and three batteries of arty to get us out.
We had expended just about all of our ammo. I was completely out ofM79 rounds.
Sgt. Ed Albers (roadrunner) 3rd. squad, 3rd. platoon, B co
Eric Noeldechen Wrote:
What I remember about Vietnam is being tired all the time from lack of sleep, without water,
hungry, dirty in need of a bath, bitten by ants, getting shot at both day and night and not having
a really good day for quite some time. I Remember Cpt. Pietsch being shot when he landed on a
company ofNV A, details second hand and at best not very good] I wasn't part of that particular
action. We were moving base camp and I was to take the second waive of helicopters. I heard
the Lt that was killed stood up to draw fire away from wounded comrades and sacrificed
himself for others.
Bill Trotter Wrote:
This is my reflection of that day, 5 Feb 68, and may not be accurate. I've reviewed my notes that
I provided to Col Tonsetic for his book; 'Days of Valor', for his Chapter 12 (Cottonbaler Hot
LZ).
I remember that Scotty's platoon and mine (2d platoon) had been out on platoon size
patrols/ambush the night of 4 Feb . It was one of the darkest nights I've ever experience. You
couldn't see the man in front of you, had to hold on to his LBE harness. Anyway .... we return at
sunup and Scotty and I had breakfast together ( C -rats of peaches & pound cake that we had
been saving). We got the order to saddle up for an Eagle Flight. Scotty's platoon and mine, plus
the company hq would go in the first lift ( 10 UH-1 ).
If memory serves, we did not have topo maps (1 :50,000 or 1:25,000) of the area we were going
into. I didn't have a clue where we were. I guess it was around 0900-0930 hrs that we went in. I
found out later that only 9 UH-1 went in, the other falling out due to maintenance. I believe
Scotty's platoon sgt (SSG Watts ?)was on that down bird.
I didn't know it was a hot LZ until we starting taking fire. Per SOP, we got off the UH 1 and ran
for cover behind a rice paddy burm some 40-50 meters away. It was the dry season so we could
run in those rice fields. The rice paddy burm/dike was between us and a tree line some 150-200
meters away that was occupied by the VC/NV A. Scotty's platoon was on my right as we moved
towards the dike.
My memory is that Scotty was some 40-50 meters from me in this rush for the dike. He, and his
CP section had jumped out of there UH1 because the pilot wouldn't go all the way to the
ground. His M60 gunner jumped and hurt his back when he landed. Scotty ran over, got the
M60 and was putting down fire on that tree line when he was shot in the heart with an AK47.
I remember seeing the VC/NV A soldier that had shot Scotty. He was behind the burm/dike that
we were running to get behind. I guess he was some kind of security that the VC/NV A had
spotted out there. I saw Scotty fall and I ran over to jump up on that dike, that the VC/NV A
soldier was hiding behind. He was putting a new mag into his AK4 7 and was raising it towards
me when I put a whole mag (18-19 rounds) into him with my CAR 15.
I closed Scotty's eyes and took his watch and ring. His R TO (can't remember his name) took
control ofthe platoon. We were all behind the burm/dike by now.
Back at my platoon CP, the 2-40th Arty (B Battery) FO and his RTO were there. They had been
riding in the company hqs UH-1. The company commander and the 1st sgt had been WIA and
were flown out. I was the only company officer left on the field. The 2-40th Arty FO was a 1LT
and had date of rank on me. I remember asking him if he had any problem with me taking over
command of the company. I don't remember his name, but he was completely dis-functional.
His RTO was also disgusted with him. I remember thinking that I should just shoot him. He
spent the whole day laying down with his face in the dirt. He never used his PRC 25 (arty net),
so I took it away from him and put it on the company push. I understand (again, I could be
wrong- bad memory) that 2-40th Arty awarded him the Silver Star. This was a big plug for
there unit history. I know that Scotty was put in for a Silver Star, but don't recall if it was ever
presented. II Field Forces was the approving authority for Silver Stars ( 199th LIB could only
approve Bronze Stars). I've often though that Scotty's Silver Star allocation was given to 2-40th
Arty.
We stayed in that position until late afternoon when A Company joined us on the LZ. It seems
that we were out of the arty fan and used Army gun ships. I also think that our weapons platoon
had a 81 mm set up in some kind of boat that supported us. I do remember thinking that I should
coordinate Army gun ships to fire on that tree line and assault across 150-200 meters of dry rice
fields into that tree line. Maybe they could have laid down smoke to screen us. I do know that it
would have been a huge butcher bill to pay if we had.
Like I say, my memory could be wrong. The old saying, that every time the fish story is told,
the fish gets a little bit bigger.
Keep up the fire .... Bill Trotter (2nd platoon leader)
Bill Plains Wrote:
I agree with Bill Trotter on the happening of that day. I was in a chopper that would not land so
we jumped but I went waste deep in mud for better words of what it was. I do remember
looking down and seeing them setting back to back firing at us before we jumped. The reason I
know it was muddy because I lost my watch that my grandmother had given to me before I left
for Nam.
Ron Whelan Wrote:
Bill Plains mentioned on the hot LZ that he also had to jump from his helicopter hovering 10-15
feet offthe ground. He was perhaps 2-3 choppers behind the one I was in, as he described being
pinned down behind the dikes to the left of Lt. Scott Burgett when he was KIA. I was pinned
down to the right of Lt. Burgett.
Harold Brown commented from a phone call:
On Feb 4th they were in Saigon on a search and destroy. Going through the buildings Scotty
didn't think twice about kicking a door open checking out what was in there. Instead of letting
someone else do it he would jump in there and do it. He "was real brave" said Harold. That's
basically why he got shot (regarding the 5th). If he had put his head down he might be alive
today.
On Feb 5th the chopper was about 10 or 12 feet off the ground when the door gunner pushed
Jim Darly off the chopper. It was about 4 or 5 feet off the ground when Harold jumped and in
another chopper the company commander had got hit. John Tiegreen took a round in the neck
somewhere around his juggler vein. Harold was the 3rd Platoon RTO for Scotty and no more
than a arm length away when Scotty got hit. Scotty had stood up to shoot at someone when
he got shot. He never said a word and Harold doesn't think that he suffered.
Darly and Tiegreen were dusted off after they cleared the area. Another chopper was sent in
to pick up Scotty and Harold was sent in the same chopper to escort Scotty's body back to Tan
Son Nhut Air Base. Then Harold went back to the rear where the rest of the company was.
From the way Darly hit the ground he injured his back and went to the rear to spend the rest
of his tour.
Jerry Plambeck commented from a phone call:
Jerry thought there were 7 out of 8 choppers hit that day during the Air Mobile Assault. There
was a boat that came up the canal on the other side of the village and the VC came out of the
boats and was seen shooting at us when we were in the choppers. The chopper that Jerry was
in got hit in the sights with a B-40 (RPG) right beside the door gunner when they were about
50 feet off the ground. The pilots grabbed the door gunner and put him on another chopper.
He mentioned that the door gunners pushed the machine gunner Jim Darley out and another
guy that fell on his back. The chopper came down and let the guys off in the rice paddies and
then the chopper caught on fire. There was a fire burning in one of the choppers a soldier
grabbed a fire extinguisher running around trying to put the fire out while being shot at. LT
Scotty Burgett had got up behind the dike and started shooting from the hip and that is when
he got hit. Jerry went through 18 magazines for his M 16 that day.
John Tiegreen Wrote:
I remember the Feb. 5, 1968 date as a day that started out with excitement and ending with pain
for me and many others.
Don Cargile commented from a phone call:
During the landing on the Hot LZ, SGT O'Connor his squad leader had pushed him out of the
chopper and landed on top him pushing him down in the mud of the rice paddies.
Jamie Triplett Wrote:
I remember our door gunners M-60 jammed as we were coming in he jacked with it for a
moment then reached for his M 16 and emptied the clip.
James Watts commented from a phone call:
The company was headed out to VC Island and there were not enough choppers available so
James, his machine gunner, ammo bearer, and RTO were left behind. They got word that
company had got hit and James and the rest of his guys loaded up on a LCM (Landing Craft
Mechanized) and headed down the river to get to VC Island. There was mortar support fired
from the LCM's. By the time they arrived the location the company had left the area.
Tom Bala Wrote:
It started out like any other day, saddle up; move out to the PZ. The slicks picked us up and off
we went. I thought it was going to be just another sweep; rest up; search a village, saddle up and
go home, maybe back to Cholon.
The slick descended quickly; the door gunners opened up in a continuous burst. someone
pushed me out of the slick. I hugged the ground; let out a burst and belly crawled toward a dike.
2 or maybe 3 gunships tore up the village. there was continuous machine gun fire from the
river. The rest of the day is lost to the cacophony of battle; the sound that can only be
experienced now left to memories past.
From the Mortar Platoon and Rifle Support
Mortar Platoon Leader, L T Jerry Doiron was getting ready for R&R when word of the battle came
through. He cancelled his R&R and returned to the company
Billy Brady and Charles Turner from Mortars
Teddy Ojeda and Bob Figley from
1st
Platoon
Comments from Mortars with Rifle Support
From the Diary of Billy Brady dated February 6th, 1968
Billy Brady Wrote:
"Well, it had to come eventually and this last week was the week. The V.C. used the Tet truce
as D-day to launch an all-out drive throughout the country. We were choppered into Saigon
where the fighting was heavy. We held up in the Phu Tho racetrack and on the second day
there, all hell broke loose. Sniper fire came in from at least three different places. As usual, in a
fire fight, confusion is the definitive word for it. Some of our guys were hit and the worst thing
was that you weren't sure where to fire. Our company was spread out all around the track and
grandstand and you don't want to hit your own guys. Crazy! But worse was yet to come.
"Yesterday we were going up the river by V.C. Island, just our platoon in "rag" boats loaded
down with ammunition. Tommy Skaggs and I noticed two Vietnamese running along the bank
thru the village. We suspected something was up and unlocked our weapons. Good thing we
did! They really opened up on us. Twenty of us in those rickedy (sp?) old boats in the middle of
the river. The fire got heavier and after about a half hour the gunships arrived and let loose with
mini-guns and rockets. The Vietnamese boat captain kept making runs up and down the village
and we had to keep changing sides each time the boat made the turnaround. Peterson jumped up
to the captain's postion to man the mounted thirty caliber machinegun. Each time we turned he
just kept firing right over our heads as we were changing sides. I remember thinking "who has
to worry about the V.C. when you have Peterson on the 30 cal?"
"We were just as afraid of our guys hitting us as Charlie. Scruggsie got hit in the arm but it
wasn't too serious. Bastards sent him back out to the field last night saying he'd be okay. Some
of the villagers were also hit and I felt sorry for them but there was nothing we could do to help
them. I really thought we would all buy the farm, especially with all that ammo on board.
"The rest of our company and "A" co. were choppered in to save us. In the end, Lt. Burgett was
killed and we had 8 or 9 wounded, including "top" and the the "c.o. ". Alpha co. lost a man too. I
can see them having services for him now. We just had them for Lt. Burgett. I feel so sorry for
his mother. He'd just come back from emergency leave due to his father's death. That poor
woman---a husband and now a son in a short time. God help her! I hate this goddamned war!!!
"Our bodycount on Charlie was 45 and they're supposed to have captured some important
documents. I don't know about that. The only one who speaks the lingo is Pete (our translator)
and I don't think he had any time to do translations. Oh well, I suppose somebody must think
they're important. What a crock!"
Charles Turner Wrote:
There was a village on the west side of the river or on our left as we went up river. We had the
mortars and ammo and our platoon on board along with 2 AR VN's running the boat. We were
going up river to fire on an area in the Pineapple. They opened up on us from the village mostly
on the left with some fire coming from our right. The boat captain it seems was ready to fight
because he did not run. We called in the gunships both cobra and huey for support. Our Pit. Sgt
, acting Pit leader was lying down in the floor saying save your ammunition. The boat Captain
pulled against the bank but couldn't drop the ramp because we were taking so much fire from
that angle.
Another Company, I'm not sure who landed across the rice patty behind the village and
assaulted the enemy position from the rear and it scattered the group that ambushed us.
I had always wondered why the rest ofB Company had not came to relieve us. When I talked to
Captain Pietsch at the re-union I found out that they had also been ambushed when they landed
at their position and he was badly injured.
Bob Figley Wrote:
As I recall after Tet and down town Saigon and the Phu Tho Race track, on February 5, 1968
the mortar platoon was going up river to either VC Island or the Pineapple Grove. What was left
ofthe 1st platoon third squad I believe consisted ofjust myself and Teddy. Everyone else in our
squad had rotated back to the states in November or had been lost in the July lOth ambush. So
Teddy and I were sent with the mortar platoon as rifle support. We boarded onto Armored
Troop Carry (Rag Boat or Tango Boat some of us called them.) The boat we were on had a
canvas cover, covering half of it where the Vietnamese Captain, pilot and machine gun operator
were located. On the boat was a 30 caliber machine gun at back of boat.
We headed up river when all hell broke loose and we were receiving automatic fire and RPG
rounds from either side of boat. The boat pilot kept us moving back and forth up and down the
river. We were receiving automatic weapon fire from a mound of dirt or bunker on the right
side of the boat. Ifl remember right Teddy fired a law at the dirt mound and the automatic fire
stopped. At same time a grenade hit the top of the canvas on the boat and bounced in the air and
went off. We keep receiving fire as we also returned fire off and on until a gun ship came in and
firing stopped and we returned to the landing where we loaded the supplies.
We had no idea that the company had also gone in on a hot LZ. I am not quite sure where the
orders came from for the mortar platoon and us to go down the river in the Rag boat but I
believe it was a last ditch effort to get everyone at the final location as quick as possible and I
am not sure Captain Pietsch had the last say in this either. One thing I do know is everyone on
that boat that day stuck together and thank God for the canvas top on the boat.
Ed Albers Wrote in response to Bob Figley:
Glad to hear from someone else that was there. I'm sure we are speaking of the same fire fight. I
was on the other side of the canal in the air assault. I think I was on the second chopper but we
were on the village side. I'm hearing now there may have been more than two companies of
hard core VC. If 150+ VC (NV A?) were KIA I'm glad I didn't know then. It is a little scary
now. Fortunately, most of us made it out. I don't recall all that were lost as the only one I
remember was the LT. I heard one of our sister companies lost several in a delaying action by
the VC.
The loss of men from the squads was sometimes staggering. I became squad leader at the
pineapple groove and when we left the groove there was only two of us in the squad. Most did
return after getting patched up.
Email Exchanges and responses with Mortars
In an email to CPT Kent Pietsch about Feb 5th, 1968
Charles Turner Wrote:
Capt.
I am Charles Turner. I talked with you for 1 minute after the Banquet in Vegas. I told you that I
was with the mortar Platoon in the boat on that faithful day, Feb. 5 1968. I told you that you had
answered a question that I had always only guessed about.
I was on the (Rag Boat) that morning going toward VC Island.
We left on the (Boat) going up to cover your landing with our 3 81 mm mortars . We were
ambushed about the time your first lift left the pickup. From what I knew we had an e-7 Sgt as
acting Platoon leader with me SP.5 as pit sgt of the guns. When we passed the village on our
left we drew fire and returned same. The AR VN's running the boat were ready to fight. We
returned fire on both sides of the river from where we were receiving. As we went back in the
kill zone I was firing the new tear gas rounds with my M 79 into the hooches making the NV A
move to the open.
When I talked with you in Vegas I found out about your ambush up stream at the LZ.
We had Cobra gunships and Hueys supporting us and I do not think it was B Co that landed at
rear of village as Lt Doiron stated. I think it was A Co. There was a body count of 45 between
us, the choppers and the Co that came in behind us. We had 1 WIA Tommy Skaggs bullet in
arm.
The Lz you were in had a totally different count at the same time I 0:3 5 on the river, around the
same time you were hit.
I had the Georgia Flag on my pit and wore a small rebel flag on the back of my steel pot. I was
the one that operated the round fire direction board telling the guns where to fire.
Thank you for getting me and my men out of that hell hole. I was in Mortars from November 67
until August 68. I talked with you many times in mission prep. We fired for the ambushes or
your R TO directed fire as needed.
CPT Kent Pietsch Responded:
Hi Charles, I remember our chat together at the reunion very well indeed, because I had never
heard what happened to you guys on the Rag boats until you informed me at the reunion. When
I spoke briefly with Top at our Tokyo hospital in I968 he didn't know either. So you really
answered a lot of questions that had bothered me for years.
The first point about the operation is who ordered the use of Rag boats. It wasn't me! The Bn
CO (LtCol Gibler) and/or the Bn S3 (Major MacGill) decided B Company's Weapons Platoon
would travel by Rag boat. At the time I was not particularly concerned about splitting our forces
into two modes of movement simply because I was not given any intelligence that major enemy
presence known. Furthermore, the two stage Huey lift would go easier and quicker if the
Weapons Platoon did not have to fly. Our company's mission was to interdict stragglers
exfiltrating out of the Saigon area post-TET.
When I read years later in Tonsetic's book that Battalion officers were [I] aware of the presence
of a large, concentrated enemy force, and [2] it was the LTC Giblr's fervent intent to find and
destroy that enemy concentration I was angry. I had been specifically told we were simply
returning to the Bn's old AO and taking up normal night ambush & LP operations. Had I known
we expected major contact I might have contested the decision to split B Co into three groups (2
lifts & Rag boats).
I told the Bn CO I would land the Weapons Platoon at the location where I intended to establish
our Co CP. The LZ I chose for the remainder of the unit was approximately I km to the north.
After landing the Rifle Platoons would sweep south to join the Weapons Platoon to consolidate
the Co CP. By so doing the Rifle Platoons would have the advantage of seeing and traversing
the entire area wherein we would setup our ambushes and LPs in the upcoming days & nights.
That was the plan.
We now know Lt. Doiron gave my operations order to the Weapons Platoon the evening of 4th
Feb and then prepared to depart on R&R. That is why the E7 Platoon Sgt was in command.
When you initially took fire you advised me. I was either already in the air having lifted off the
PZ or was in the process of lifting off. I think it was the former. I'm not entirely clear how you
got the message to me as Glen Pagano was carrying my Company net radio and he had been left
standing on the PZ with no Huey. So, perhaps I was still on the PZ. With me aloft were Lary
Beck carrying my Bn net radio and Tony Zanotelli carrying the Arty FO's radio.
I asked the pilot if he would divert from the planned LZ and land the 1st lift nearby where you
were on the river/canal taking sniper fire. He refused saying it was too late and the formation
was already committed to the original LZ approach. So everything that developed in your
fire fight I knew nothing of. Yes, we were upstream of your location. I do not know where A
Company landed, but the Bn Staff Journal reports they had completed insertion at 0842
approximately 1 hour 50 minutes before B Co's first lift touched down on the hot LZ. C Co had
inserted somewhere in the Bn AO between 0856 & 0907 an hour 20 minutes beforehand. By
that time A Co had already reported having been advised some 120 enemy were in the Bn's AO
that morning.
Charles, it is a great pleasure for me to exchange memories with you, and I am so glad that the
Weapons Platoon personnel did not come to grief on that operation. You were clearly on your
own, and by all accounts handled yourselves in outstanding, professional manner dealing a
severe blow to the enemy who were doing their best to blow you out of the water. It must have
been really tense sitting out there in the Rag boats knowing RPGs were being fired at you.
I do recall planning 81 mm fire support missions with you for our nighttime operations, and I
think I remember the Rebel flag, which would never have concerned me as I ain't no damned
Yankee. I'm an Idaho potato-head©.
LT Jerry Doiron Wrote:
Apparently the mortar platoon is getting some recognition for their valorous performance. With
all the things going on that day, communications broke down and few people knew what
happened to the rag boats before and during the fight. They were never asked and nobody
seemed to care. They had one WIA, and if I recall it was a deflected round. There were bigger
things to worry about I guess based on above note you sent from CPT Pietsch and Charles
Turner, CoB was not aware of the number of NV A in the area. The rag boat drivers we aware
because, they told the mortar men they did not want to go up/down stream. "To many VC". I
wish CPT Pietsch had known or been aware of that from intelligence. Apparently I do have a
good memory. Turner stated he was firing the new tear gas round. He might of been one ofthe
individuals I talked to the next day or so. He and the men were real proud as I recollect, of
having used to new gas rounds and the fight they put up. The mortar platoons sometimes played
second fiddle to the 11 B platoons. One advantage the mortar PL T. had was a good attitude and
tremendous fire power. In my OP order I had briefed them to set up all extra M60's they were
bringing onto boats and to make the boats guns were operational. I recall they would be
vulnerable and fire power was the only good response. It was unusual to use the rag boats in
this way. It appeared like somewhat of an admin move, were we would be building a new base
camp and it would be a nice ride.
Note: In reference to comment in above about CO A I knew nothing about them or where they
were operating.
Remembrances of LT Scotty Burgett
LT Bill Trotter Wrote:
Scotty and I were in the same OCS class at Fort Benning. By chance, we ended up in the same
rifle company in RVN. He had the 3d platoon and I had the 2d platoon. Our two platoons were
inserted into a HOT LZ on 5 Feb 1968, and Scotty was KIA (gsw) while leading his men off the
HOT LZ. The most important thing to Scotty was the welfare of his men. He died for them. I'll
see ya on the high ground buddy
LT Jerry Doiron Wrote:
Harold is correct. Scotty was real brave. I had talked to Scotty a few weeks before, when I was
told by some of the men in third platoon about his risk taking. I talked to him privately about
what he had done one night on ambush. He took unnecessary risk and exposed himse If to the
enemy. I stated this was a dangerous place and the enemy can and will kill if your not cautious.
About that time the whole war was changing in the DELTA. The VietCong were pretty much
ineffective and had been beaten down. The battles were small and hit and run. With the TET
offensive, the NVA were well armed and trained and in much larger groups. They also were
regular soldiers with greater fire power. Scotty had a couple good breaks prior to his KIA.
Unfortunately it did not go on. I can say I was happy that he had third platoon. He had a
powerful look about him and had gained the respect off all who knew him.
Jerry D.
LT Jerry Doiron Wrote:
I'll confirm that his shoulders were as wide as he was tall. He was a strongly built individual.
When he was KIA I thought he was so tough that it was a mistaken identity. From my
observation the men looked up to him and in my opinion, he was a good platoon leader. He
cared about his men and was proud of what he was doing. I was pleased with turning over the
platoon to him.
Jerry D
Remembrance of Top that has passed since Vietnam
Glen Pagano
Glen Pagano Wrote:
Bobby Dalrymple, better known as Top was a great leader. I remember us setting up a company
perimeter with the rice paddies skirting our position. I have no idea what area we were in at the
time. He had some rifle range targets and handed them out. I was carrying the Ml6 at the time.
He had everyone zero in their weapon. After taking a few shots and returning to the CP group
he asked if I zeroed in and my reply was yes. Top then took my weapon and took aim at the tree
line, A couple of hundred meters from our position. I couldn't see nor did I know what he was
aiming at. He squeezed off a round and this bird fell out of the tree. He then handed me back
my Ml6 and sent someone else to fetch the bird and he cooked it and ate it. I truly believe that
had he missed my ass was in a sling
Pictures Taken on or about February 5th, 1968
This was in the thick of the firefight as we were going back and forth strafing
the village ... Billy Brady
Taken after battle wound down. There is a downed chopper on the ground
Billy Brady
I remember this just as we were making our first turn around going back into
the village area. In the middle of the river is a sampan carrying an old couple.
They came right through the firefight. Crazy!!! Billy Brady
Taken probably right before we made contact on Feb Sth ... Billy Brady
The Kansas City Times on June 26, 1968
J- .,._
.... ...... . ...
~
• . - · · · - - -·- - -
a people at wat," she said.
1\ot until the 'fet offensive of
the Reds against Saigon did the
middle class itself realiie how
John Tiegreen, specialist
four from Chanute, Kas., is
stationed just outside Saigon.
He was wounded during the
Tet offensive.
states, and pass m•lcS 01 u. >:> .
milHary installations. You pass
the headquarters of the U. S.
Army. Vietnam, a huge, air
conditioned complex or office
buildings like several life insurance companies put together.
You pass the econd biggest
supply and ammunition area in
lhe world.
Bravo company, 3rd be~U.al­
ion, 7th regiment, of the 199lh
had just come in from lhe field
and was having a beer party.
''You can go into the mud up
to your neck a stone's lhrow
from the cool cafes of Saigon,"
said John Ticgreen, specialist
four, from Chanute, Kas.
Tiegrcen is now company
clerk. During the TeL offensive,
which started on January :H, he
was airlifted into lhe Phu Tho
race tta ck. Seven choppers
were kno<:kcd out. Tiegrecn
was wounclccl.
During that offensive the
Vietnamese army and police of
SLligon were caught unprepared. The American military
police, the 199tb brigade and
the 9th division were ready.
They saved Saigon.
A Second Attempt
The enemy tried ag<1in on
May 5 to take the city; 26
batlalions moved in for the kill.
Most of them were cau~ht outside the city by the 199th and
the 9th.
.Some enemy batla1ions gol
into the 6th precinct ~ nd the
8th. They wandered about looking for their weapons caches
which had already been found
~ •• ,.,..,o.•<tU.
ILIJIS::io;.IJ
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The 19!lth is a uew outfil,-~cf '
up specifically for th~ war in
Vietnam. The quality of its men
is a mystery lo the public. Few
journalists come here: the
l!l91.h has not yet gotten the
knack of publicity.
Eldon, Mo.
Johnny-hoy and family are
back from vacBlion and repOtt
finding a unique resort. All remodeling and expansion conslruclion was complete.
The volunteer fire department has adopted a new ruling,
aimed to allay a threatened
rupture in the espriL de corps.
Effective as of lhe next alarm,
first man to reach the firehouse
gels to drive.
Sunday baseball is ahoul to
become ::~. thing of t.he past in
these parts, Je<tving only the
privacy fences around backyard pools to keep the Knothole
Gang alive.
The old man of the house has
just received a hammock in-
tend-ed to reach him for Fath er's day. Thal's the day he
, pent trimming down the shade
tree.
Tom Eilerls
Battalion Daily Staff Journal
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!aeh-iiacbe ~nll.
RAteapj.tulation or emeQ contacts A Co-l VC
·KIA, l-VC POW, 2 AK-.1.7'e at m%'&..4; B Co.
1 amo cache of M-1 amo destroyed at IS6958 9J
qqof-, gunner rrom "tnunderbird • Mli lcllled
1-VC at XS70:5835: 'Jhunderbi.rd gunsb1f.s des-
tro)"Cd 5 easrpana. killed ll vc at .:CS?l283CI.
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orr not. J<:nown a~ uu• UDe i more iil'o to
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"f'"'ltU "'"""ll '"' " OfUIOt 01' Of'IF t C!'II O•
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to'l' medbac, will talc& ae.n to 93rd Ene •
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tbeir location~ villageJ"s "port monment io
f'rQl Sai.lonJ b-J Haj, !".acGill advieee to eet
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lS..'J Ma_i MlcGill
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'White, ~~, ~>remer a rriTO back at thia
location att•r leaving Kt 1300 h:re !or C&C
!oUow
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Credits
Rag Boat pictures provided by Billy Brady
Battalion Daily Journal provided by Gerry Brown
Newspaper Article provided by John Tiegreen
Many thanks to the Men of Bravo Company for sharing their memories