December 1967
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2 DEC 67
Co. D KIA:
Pfc. Donald Wayne Thompson (22) of Montezuma, IA
perished in Binh Duong Province. Posthumously promoted to Corporal.
Private First Class Thompson was originally assigned to Co. A and when Co. D was formed he was assigned to Delta. He was acting as a squad leader in Delta at the time of his death.
Co. D's Lieutenant Ron Hendricks has to say about the events on the 2nd;
"It was the same day the mech fired on A Co.. Between the time Thompson was KIA and the A Co. incident we lost a combat engineer to a command detonated bomb. I don't remember the exact location, we were working with the mech heading toward Dau Tieng. We assaulted a small village at the site but found nothing. We were then told to load onto the APCs to get back to Dau Tieng ASAP. We had specific orders not to fire into the bush as A Co. was strung out along the road to provide security. The mech never should have fired. The A Co. CO was hit in the buttocks by a .50 cal round."
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OPERATION YELLOWSTONE
7 December – 16 December 1967 (Phase I)
28 December 1967 – 31 January 1968 (Phase II)
Mission: During Operation Yellowstone 2/12th was called on to perform missions in several different areas.
a. On first mission, 9 December 1967, commencing H-Hour, D+1 2/12th Inf (–) conducts combat assault into LZ 1, secures southern portion of FSB HOOD (Bde Base). On D+2 effects link-up with TF 2/22 and conducts offensive operations in assigned AO to locate and destroy VC/NVA Forces and instalations until D+7. On D+8 2/12th (–) conducts airmobile move to FSB RENO and continues to contact and destroy VC/NVA Forces until D+15. From D+15 to D+60 2/12th conducts detailed Reconnaissance in Force Operations in assigned AO.
b. On 2nd mission, 28 December 1967, commencing 0700H, 2/12th Inf (–) conducts airlift by fixed wing aircraft to Katum, becomes OPCON to 1st Bde, 25th Inf Div.
RESULTSS:
US Losses 5 KHA 47 WHA
Enemy Losses 35 VC killed (BC), 1 VC killed (poss)
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8 DEC 67
OPERATION YELLOWSTONE begins in War Zone C.
2/12th(–) preparing for operation.
Co. C tasked as 3rd Brigade Ready Reaction Force (RRF).
[SOURCE: HQ2/12th INF AAR 15Mar68]
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9 DEC 67
From 0935 to 1100 hrs the batallion (minus Co. C) is airlifted into an LZ at (XT387704) – FSB Hood, 25 klicks NNW of Dau Tieng on the old Soui Tre/FSB Gold battlefield. Fire Support Base Hood was built a few hundred meters southeast of Gold.
Co. C at Dau Tieng as 3d Brigade Rapid Reation Force.
Co. C sends one platoon by air to FSB Grant (XT380620) 18 klicks northwest of Dau Tieng near Ap Tan Thiet/Xa. Loc Ninh – off LTL13 and near its intersection with LTL-19.
[Map Sheet 6231-1 TRI TAM]
Co. D found 2 bouning betty mines on LZ and destriyed.
SOURCE: 25th Div AAR YELLOWSTONE, and also HQ 2/12th Yellowstone AAR 15 March 1968]
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10 Dec 67
Eliment of Co. C at Dau Tieng airlifted to FSB Grant (XT382625) at 8:35 am for security and returned Chinook to Dau Tieng at 9:30 pm. Co. C sweeped just south of Dau Tieng to verify report of 10 VC in the area (XT502465). One platoon was left OPCON to Task Force Romeo and remained as RRF/.
Battalion (minus) conducted CA at 1:00 pm vic XT442686.
[SOURCE: 3rd Brigade, 25th Division AAAR (Yellowstone) 19 March 1968]
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11 DEC 67
BN (-) operations vic XT4696.
Co. C at 9:50 pm ambush patrol (XT509465 sprung with movement in area. Negative results.
[SOURCE: 3rd Bde, 25th Div AAR 19 March 1968]
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12 DEC 67
BN (-) operations XT462698, to XT467679, XT470684 and XT476693 then returne. Negative contact.
RECON platoon located and destroyed seven bunkers at (XT472691) south of the Soui Bu Chiem (Bu Chiem stream) at 0950 hours.
The battalion laagered at (XT464498) that evening.
Co. C(-) remain Dau Tieng as Bde RRF.
[SOURCE: 25th Yellow AAR]
[Recon platoon] "The bunkers were 10' x 15'. Inside were a table, chairs,canteen and twoentrenching tools."
"Laager site for the Bn is (XT464498)."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12 INF AAR Yellowstone 15 March 1968]
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13 DEC 67
"2/12th (-) conducted Eagle Flights into 4 areas of AO Otter, (XT3877), (XT38777), (XT3978) and (XT3478). At 1625H [?untel?] fire from (XT3478). Laager for night (XT34?785)."
{SOURCE: HQ 2/12 Yellowstone AAR 15 March 1968]
XT463696 BN (-) operations.
BN (-) Eagle Flights into four areas of AO Otter. tp XT3?3775, XT376757, XT375769, and XT73775.
[SOURCE: 25TH DIV YELLOWSTONE AAR 1968]
RECON platoon drew sniper fire, at4:40 pm, from (XT3478). Gunships and artillery results no negative results. No US casualties.
7:44 pm Co. D XT467702 ambush patrol observe 3 VC north digging in their ambush site. Artillery called in and 3 VC KIA (poss). Sweeping the next morning, two bicyles fownd and destroyed.
Battalion laager for the night of the 13th at (XT340785).
Co. C(-) at Dau Tieng as RRF as 3rd Brigade.
[SOURCE; 3rd Bde, 25th Div Yellowstone AAR]
"2/12th airlifted back to Dau Tieng due to possible enemy offensive action. Base camp received 45 rounds enemy mortar fire, scatered small arms fire, but no major offensive action. "
[SOURCE: Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry , Combat After Action Report, Operation Yellowstone, 15 March 1868 reported (HQ 2/12 INF Yellowstone AAR 15 MAR 68)]
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14 DEC 68
"2/12rh on Eagle Flight lifted to (XT3279). They then returned to Dau Tieng because of Inteligence Report. Last element arrived 1525H. Bn wenton Red Alert 1800H for possible attack. [?] camp c[?] under mortar attack at 2130H. Approximately 45 mortar rounds fell in Bn across. 2/12th suffered 3 WHA's."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12 INF Yellowstone AAR 15 March 1968]
Co. A air assaults into (vic XT359798). without contact returns to DAU TIENG by 1525 hours [3:25 pm] because of Intell report of poss. attack on base. The first helicopter lift received small arms from XT479465 with no damage.
The battalion is put on Red Alert at DAu Tieng. The base received approximately 45 rounds of mortar fire between 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. resulting in three WIAs.
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15 DEC 67
"Recon went on mounted patrol in Ben Cui Rubber departing 0905H. They closed base camp at 1430H. Co's C & D departed base camp 0700H to establish two ambushes in Michelin. Co D established their ambush at (XT512483) and C at (XT519496). As C Co prepared to leave the ambush camp at 1535H. One platoon from C Co remains at FSB GRANT. OPCON to [??]."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12 INF AAR (yellowstone) 15 MAR 2968]
RECON crossed the Saigon River and moved west into the Ben Cui rubber plantation.
Co.'s C(–) & D left Dau Tieng Base for a patrol and to set up ambuses in the Michelin, north-northeast of the camp.
Co. C's ambush site was one klick north of Ap 6 (at XT510496). Co. C hit two mines just north of Ap 6 (at XT510488) wounding two. They closed the wire at Dau Tieng near 3:30 pm. One platoon of Co C was still detached at FSB Grant (XT380620).
Co. D's ambush site was just outside and south of Ap 6 (at XT512483).
[SOURCE: 25th Div AAR Yellow]
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16 DEC 67
"Co. A combat assaulted to (XT455530) then started moving to nightambush site. At 1540H at (XT455522) they found 10 bunkers. At 16??H at (XT463522) located 3 bunkers 10' x 24' x 8'. All bunkers were destroyed/. At 1720H at (XT464524) they located 2 bicycles along the river, also one [?unkn?] boat and one sampan. Co A's ambush site the night estlished at (XT465523). Bn (-) remained at Camp Rainier with mission of Bde Reaction Force. The platoon from Co C returned to Dau Tieng from FSB GRANT 0930H. Recon ambush patrol at 1845H was in contact at (XT509461) on all sides. Artillery, gunships and firing from checkpoint was used to get patrol back to base camp at 2000H. Checkpoint at Poost #1 at 2330H received incoming grenade with negative casualties."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12 INF After Action Report (AAR) Yellowstone 15 March 1968]
Co. A flew 7 klicks north-northwest of Dau Tieng to a cold landing zone (vic XT455534) near the Saigon River (at XT455530). They moved over a klick southeast and discovered and destroyed three bunkers (at XT463522). Moving northeast towards the river, they found two bicycles, a submerged boat, and a sampan. Alpha then moved due south and established an ambush site along a trail (at XT465523). End of day XT465525
Co. C(–) at FSB Grant returned to Dau Tieng in the morning. The remainder of the battalion was acting as the 3rd Brigade's Ready Reaction Force.
RECON's ambush patrol received fire from all sides at 6:45 pm (at XT509461) – a klick SEE of the base. Artillery and gunships helped the patrol to disengae and return to base by 8 pm. At 11:30 pm, Post #1 received a grenade with no friendly casualties.
[SOURCE: Yellow OR-LL 25th Div and 3rd Bde, 25th Div AAR]
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OPERATION CAMDEN
December 17 to December 27, 1967
2/12th participated in Operation Camden.
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17 DEC 67
2/12th continues as RRF at Dau Tieng.
Co. A operations from XT465525 to XT465500 [NW of Dau Tieng. - b.h.] where the company extracted at 3 pm back to Dau Tieng.
1:50 pm Co. B and C eagle flight to XT519517 and conducted operations until 4:37 pm. In the Michelin 2 miles o Dau Tiengf Base Camp. No contact and returned to Dau Tieng.
[SOURCE: 2rd Bde AAR]
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OPERATION YELLOWSTONE (Phase I) ENDS,
OPERATION CAMDEN BEGINS December 18, 1967.
OPERATION CAMDEN
18 DEC to 27 DEC 1967
The 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division attempt to destroy the 101st NVA Regiment in the "Trapizoid" AO (south of Dau Tieng).FSB Lafayette East XT586423 in the bulb of "the Onion."FSB Allen XT541492 in the Michelin plantation at a crossroad 3/4 klick east of Ap 3. Five klicks northeast of Dau Tieng Base Camp.
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18 DEC 67
Co. A(–) at Dau Tieng acting as the camp Ready
Reaction Force.
Co. A assault to cold LZ vic XT585419 at 7:21 am.
One platoon of Co. A is OPCON to
2/77th Field Artillery as security at FSB Allen (XT541492) in the Michelin.
Base camp established XT57?415
In
addition, Co. A is tasked with providing road security and convoy escort south out of Dau Tieng along Highway LTL-14. Company A maintained these duties throughout Operation Camden.
At 0721 hours, 2/12th Inf(-) makes a combat air assault into a "cold" landing zone in an area known as "the Onion" (vic XT585419).
[see Maps 1 & 2 at http://community.webtv.net/eileencampbell/MAPS2 ]
The 12th's landing in the rice paddies was followed an hour latter by elements of the 3/22nd Inf. The 2/12th moved (generally) south-west-west 1½ klicks – patrolling as they went – and established a Night Defensive Position (NDP) at XT570415. A "Night Kit" of sandbags, barbed wire, claymores etc. was flown in at night and was "extracted" in the morning by the Muleskinners of the 242nd Aviation Co. – a practice that continued throughout Operation Camden.
SOURCE: 25th DIV Yellowstone OR-LL and 3rd Bde AAR]
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19 DEC 67
The 2/12th Inf(-) patrolled (generally) northwest and established a NDP at XT565425 near a tributary of the Rach (stream) Can Nom (approx. 2 klicks due west of The Onion). There was negative contact during the day. Unfortunately, one platoon of Alpha was not so lucky. Shortly after 10 a.m. mines were detonated on the convoy along LTL-14 at XT523413 causing 9 KIA and 7 WIA amoungst the convoys' personnel.
[SOURCE: HQ 25th DIV Yellowstone OR--LL]
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20 DEC 67
WIA:
Ron Mosley wounded.
2/12th Inf(–) continued to work out of the NDP at vicinity XT565425 – an area some 3 klicks (1¾ miles) south of the southern-most edge of the Michelin rubber plantation.
At 0920 hours Company C spotted 4 VC at XT562426 and engaged them with artillery fire with unknown results.
At1205 hours Co. A, while working road security south of Dau Tieng of LTL-14, suffered 5 WIA from booby traps (vic XT501441) norh of the bridge over the Soui Duo at Xom Dua village – some two clicks SE of the base..
[SOURCE: 25th Div Yellowstone AAR 1968]]
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21 DEC 67
2/12th Inf(–) continued operations out of a night defensive position (NDP) in the vic of XT564424, a base they had been at for three days now, with negative contact.
[SOURCE: ibid]
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22 DEC 67
2/12th Inf(–) contnued operations in the same area west of "the Onion." They patrolled southeast three klicks and established a NDP in the vic of XT576393.
Co. A, while on road security along LTL-14, at 1050 hours exploded a mine wounding one Alpha trooper south of the bridge at Xom Dua. [Going south on LTL-14 out of Dau Tieng, there were two bridges pretty close together and then this bridge – the same bridge as the December 20th incident.]
[SOURCE: ibid]
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23 DEC 67
HHC KIA:
Pfc. John R. Phillips (20) died of wounds (DOW)
recieved in Binh Duong Province.
2/12th Inf(–), working out of a NDP (vic XT576393), patrolled SSE to vic XT583377.
At 0835 hours Co. A, while on road security southwest of Dau Tieng along LTL-14, detonated a booby trap resulting in 1 US WIA (vic XT476393).
Shortly after 2 p.m. Co. D found a VC body (1VCBC) in a bunker, in the middle of the Xom Ben Tranh(2) rubber plantation (XT535391).
[SOURCE: ibid]
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24 DEC 67
Co. D KIA:
Pfc Larry W. Pierce (21) of Baden, PA perished in
Binh Duong Province.
2/12th Inf(–) continued patrolling and established a NDP at XT588364. Co. A continued to guard Dau Tieng as the Ready Reaction Force(RRF).
[SOURCE: 26th Div Yellowstone OR-LL]
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25 DEC 67
2/12th Inf(–) continued to work out of the NDP (vicXT5834) and prepared for the end of Operation Camden.
At 1955 hours a 2/12th Dau Tieng ambush patrol was engaged by an estimated force of 4 VC, with small arms, in the vicinity of XT512408. Fire was returned with organic weapons with unknown results. [NOTE: This incident poss. happened 25DEC67 (Christmas night).]
[SOUCE: HQ 25th Div Yellowstone OR-LL ]
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26 DEC 67
OPERATION CAMDEN ENDS.
Co. A KIA:
Spc4 Sammy Buffington (22) of Barnesville, GA
perished in Binh Duong Province.
Carl Swon wounded in action (WIA).
Co. A(–) swept LTL-14 to the vic of 519418 and outposted the road. This brought them to a location just north of the village and rubber plantation of Ben Tranh – future site of FSB Kien (aka Mahone III).
Co. A continued to outpost the road for the eventual passage of D/2/12th Inf and the 2/22 Inf (M) "Tripple Duce."
At 1136 hours Co. A recieved 2 rounds of sniper fire at XT499449. They returned fire with their organic weapons with unknown results.
At 1150 hours a command detonated mine was blown on Alpha resulting in the death of Specialist Buffington (vic XT509432).
Co. B flew back to Dau Tieng and "closed" shortly after noon.
Co. C relieved the scout platoon of the 2/22 Mech Inf, at FSB Lafayette, to perform security for the closing of that base. At 1727 hours FSB Lafayette was closed and Co. C flew back to Dau Tieng.
Co. D moved at noon by helicopter to vic XT57631 to assist the 2/22 Mechinized Infantry in a Cordon and Search of the village of Thanh An. Co. D 2/12th remained with the 2/22 Inf (M) as they began to move up LTL-14 towards Dau Tieng.
[SOURCE: ]
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27 DEC 67
2/12th Inf (–) remained at Dau Tieng and prepared for future operations.
Co. A, 2/22 Mechanized Infantry, while reconning by fire, hit Co. A 2/12th Infantry resulting in 8 wounded in what the offical records call "non-battle injuries" (NBI). [Non-battle my ass! Try telling that to the eight Alpha Warriors who were wounded this day. – Sarge]
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MOVE TO KATUM
OPERATION YELLOWSTONE (Phase II)
28 Dec 67 ~ 2/12th airlifted to Katum and became OPCON 1st Bde.
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28 DEC67
OPERATION YELLOWSTONE (Phae II) RESUMES
"2/12th resumed Opeation Yellowstone. They were airlifted by fixed wing to Katum (XT333897). Last lift completed 1100H. Bn came under OPCON to 1st Bde, 25th Inf Div. From Katum they will combat assault to (XT282925) and will recon in force from laager site until 2 Jan 68. Co B and Recon platoon are in Dau Tieng as 3d Bde, Ready Reaction Force."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12th Inf (Yellowstone) AAR 15 March 1968]
"....comconcing 0700H, 2/12th Inf (-) conducts airlift by fixed wingaircraft to Katum, became OPCON to 1st Bde, 25th Inf Div. Conducts combat assault in vic (XT2893) andto locate and destroy VC/NVA Forces and installations until 2 Jan 58. On 2 Jan 68 returns OPCON to 3d Bde, 25th Inf Div ..."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12 Inf AAR Yellowstone 15 March 1968]
Chuck Mohr wrote "A couple of days after
Christmas 1967 we moved to Katum airstrip."
The 2/12th Inf – minus Co. B & Recon Platoon who remain at Dau Tieng as the 3rd Brigade Ready Reaction Force – are lifted to Katum by fixed wing aircraft the morning of the 28th. At Katum they become OPCON to the 1st Brigade (25th Div.). From Katum the Battalion (–) air assaulted six klicks northwest to a landing zone at (XT282925) 4 miles northwest of Katum.
Co. B and RECON platoon remain at Dau Tieng as the 3rd Brigade's Ready Reaction Force.
2/12th BN(-) moved by fixed wing to KATUM. Came under OPCON 1st BDE, 25th DIV.
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29 DEC 67
OPCON 1st Bde 1st Brigade KATUM
Moving northwest from the landing zone, the 2/12th (–) discovered three large rice cashes at (XT279934) and established a night laager.
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30 DEC 67
"2/12th Inf (-) continues OPCON to 1st Bde, 25th Inf Div. Bn is currently running Recon in Force opperations from their laager site at (XT279934) in A/O MITCH."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12th Inf (Yellowstone) AAR 15 March 1968]
2/12th (–) continues to exploit rice cashe and run operations from their night laager at (XT279934). Approximately seven tons of rice were evacuated on the 30th.
2/12th INF OPCON 1st Bde.
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31 DEC 67
Co. A KIA:
Pfc. Guillermo Estrada (24) of Gary, IN died of
wounds (DOW) recieved in Binh Duong Province – most likely due to the 26-27Dec67 event along Hwy 14.
""Began extraction [?unkn?] for large rice cache. Approximately 7 tons were extracted on the 30th of Dec and another 30 tons today."
[SOURCE: HQ 2/12th Inf AAR (Yellowstone) 15 March 1968]
Cashe (4 miles NW of Katum..
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