Two companies of the 2nd Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade (elite US infantry) were airlifted onto a steep hill near Hill 1338 on June 16th, 1967 to help defend a nearby Special Forces camp that was under attack. The two companies had set up camp for the night, intending to assault the top of the hill later in the day. During this time, a scout sent out on night reconnaissance was shot and killed, while one US sentry accidentally killed a GI who had momentarily stepped out of the perimeter to relieve himself. On June 22nd, Company A commanded by Captain David J. Milton (the guy talking on the radio who would later be KIA) began gradually moving down the ridge. The lead squad from Company A opened fire on several NVA squads before withdrawing uo the ridge. The battalion commander Lt. Col. Edward A. Partain then ordered the company to reestablish contact and engage the NVA. Before the company could react, the lead platoon was hit by fire along its front and both flanks by the NVA’s 6th Battalion, 24th Regiment. Company A immediately radioed for aerial and artillery support. Milton sent another platoon forward to reinforce the lead platoon forcing a hold on artillery fire. Air strikes and helicopter gunship support were largely ineffective due to the thick jungle canopy. A NVA platoon attack hit the two US platoons, followed 40 minutes later by a larger attack. Milton tried to move up the rest of his company and clear a landing zone at the same time. Only the 1st Platoon made it through. The other platoon was forced back to Milton's position, leaving the Company divided into two pockets. Meanwhile, Partain had ordered one of his other companies located about 1.5 km south of the fire fight to assist Milton. He also prepared to air-assault another unit, in reserve at Dak To, into a one-ship landing zone approximately 800m north of the besieged platoons. Back at Dak To, General John R. Deane Jr. began putting together another reserve force consisting of the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry, then fully committed east of Highway 14. Before any of these forces could arrive, however the NVA launched an all-out assault. Already, all three platoon leaders of the trapped US element had been killed and all of the platoon sergeants critically wounded, judging the situation hopeless, the surviving NCO ordered the few able-bodied men and those less seriously wounded to make their way up the ridge to Milton's position. Only a few survivors reached the Company A command post. Around noon, the NVA hit Milton's position, then held by some 30 men forming a perimeter around 35 wounded. Company C was ordered to move in to reinforce Company A, however, NVA forces later entrenched alongside both sides of Company C's position while the terrain made movement extremely difficult. Artillery support was rendered ineffective, while US forces failed to spot enemy positions. It was not until midafternoon, with the arrival of reinforcements, that the NVA finally withdrew. Intermittent sniper fire continued into the late evening, when the Americans were able to clear a landing zone to evacuate the surviving members of Company A. A roll call at Dak To that night counted 75 men missing. On June 23rd, US forces searched the battlefield finding the missing American soldiers. Only four were still alive, and over half of the dead had head wounds inflicted at close range, indicating that the NVA had systematically executed the wounded Americans in the middle of the night. Company A's losses totalled 79 dead and 23 wounded out of 137 men #vietnam#war#history#combat#footage#interview#documentary#pilot#airborne#jet#plane#helicopter#1960s#us#coldwar#army#marines#navy#airforce#spaceforce#coastguard#fyp#fypシ#fy#f#capcutoriginal sound

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