by
James Rowe II

   The following.is a narrative of a night actionon 3 Feb. 1967 when enemy forces
attacked the 2nd Squad,2nd Platoonof "A"Company, 1stRecon BN., 1stMar. Div.
occupying a hilltop observation post S.W.of Quang Ngai City dwmg "Operation
Desoto,"in support of the 7th Marines.
   The mission objective of the 2nd PIt, as a whole, was to establish observation
posts at the mouth of a valley which was a suspected "staging"area for enemy forces
engaging units of the 7th Marines.
   With the "mouth" of the valley being approximately 10 miles wide, a decision
was made, by higher authorities,to insert the 2ndPIt. by squads,and establish two(2)
OPs at the north and south ends of the "mouth".
   During the night of 3 Feb., the 1st Squad Cornn 1anded by the PIt. Leader, Lt.
Samuel Williams, was probed by enemy forces,using grenades. The main enemy effort,
by means of an infantry assault, was directed at the 2nd Squad, commanded by the PIt.
Sgt., Robert Starbuck.
   The 2nd Squad was inserted, by helicopter,at the base of a hill ringed by a plateau
on which were hundreds of "spikes", resembling huge punji stakes, and intended to deter
helicopter landings. In spite of these "spikes", 2nd Sq. was inserted onto the plateau,
forming an assault line.
   As the Squad moved up the hill from the plateau, a ring of underbrush was
encountered. Although thick enough to obscure visibility, this underbrush was not so
thick as to impede movement, with the Squad passing easily through and emerging onto
an open plain that also encircled the hill all the way to its crest.
The hill, being in the shape of a "knob", endedon a wide rounded" crest" with the
only concealment being two large bushes.
   Once the crest was reached, the Squad discovered that a wide trail had been cut
through the ring of underbrush on the reverse slope, ending at the two large bushes. The
enemy had previously occupied this hill, evidenced by several "U" and "L" shaped
fighting positions dug into the crest. Unfortunately, these fighting positions were for
defense against threats from the east or seaward side of the hill and were quite useless to
the Squad which would be primarily concerned with observing the valley and defending
against assault from the southwest, or landward side of the hill.
   Based on these findings, Sgt.Starbuck, a career Marine much loved and respected ,
by the lower ranks, decided to place the 11 Marines of the 2nd Squad into a "V"
formation which would best provide for observation and defense over the large area
encompassed by the crest. The crest of the hill was of hard gravel,and the Squad did not
possess entrenching tools with which to dig better, more suitable fighting holes. It is of
note that when higher authorities inserted the 2nd PIt. by squads,the contemporary
uniform style worn by Recon Marines was discarded in favor of the "steelpot" helmets
and "flak" vests worn by regular Marine infantry. This cosmetic change in the Squad's
appearance was hoped to disguise the reconnaissance mission from the enemy. However,
the suspicions about the Valley were correct, and the close proximity of any Marine unit
at the "mouth" would have provoked an enemy response, regardless of the unit's mission.
With the point of the "V" facing the trail, the left wing allowed for defense on the
seaward side of the hill and the right wing allowed for defense and observation.
The point of the "V" was defended with an M-60 machine gun manned by Pvt.
Charles Davis (gunner) and Pfc. Edward Smith (loader). The right wing was defended by
Cpt. Robert Shaffer, Pfc. Robert Armitage, Pfc. James O'Leary, LCpl. David Verkeyn,
and Pfc. Raymond Chaplin. The left wing was defended by Sgt. Robert Starbuck. LCpl.
James Rowe (radio operator), Pfc. Roger Smith (with a "back-up"radio), and Pfc. Klaus
Zubaniak. .
   A "string" of claymore mines, outward from each wing, completed the defensefor
the 2nd Squad.
   Not long after "setting in", Cpl. Shaffer reported three enemy soldiers near the
base of the hill, observing the Squad through binoculars.
    Sgt. Starbuck briefly considered the extraction of the 2nd Squad but was
determined to complete the assigned mission of the observation post before making any
decision to abandon the hill. He then ordered a rotation process of chow, smoking,and
rest among the Marines to be completed before sunset, with a 100% alert for the night
hours. Finally, with the basic needs accomplished, the Marines watched as darkness
envelopedthe hill with an eerie quiet.
   Later, the darkness and quiet was shattered by a frantic alert yelled by Edward
Smith, at the point, when he saw a squad-sizede nemy unit rushing silently up the trail
towards the Marine gun position. Pvt. Davis engaged the enemy with the M-60 for a
brief period until Pfc. Smith was shot down by return fire from the enemy. Apparently
already dead, Smith fell over on top of Davis. As he struggled to free himself from
beneath Smith's body, Davis was shot, and he watched as a lone enemy soldier rushed
forward to finish him off with a knife.
   Freeing himself, Davis and the enemy engaged in hand to hand combat resulting
in Davis plunging the soldier's own knife into his chest and the enemy collapsing on top
of Smith's body and the M-60. As Davis then reached to pull the M-60 from beneath the
bodies, he saw the remaining enemy Squad sweep into the gun position. Davis withdrew
from the point of the "V" but suffered three (3) more gunshot wounds, falling in the
center of the Marine position between the wings.
   Sgt. Starbuck, seeing all of this, moved from his position and single-handedly'
engaged the enemy squad at the gun position, forcing them to retreat but not before the
M-60 was captured and taken away by the enemy soldiers. Sgt. Starbuck then took up a
position allowing as much as possible for the defense of the point of the "V" and his
portion of the left wing.
    While Sgt. Starbuck was engaged, both wings began receiving heavy small arms
fire and grenade attacks from the ring of underbrush.
   LCpl. Rowe, shortly after reestablishing radio contact, was repeatedly wounded
by both small arms and grenades, which also destroyed his PRC-25 radio. Rowe then
crawled along the left wing to Pfc. Roger Smith's position only to find Smith wounded as
well and the "back-up" PRC-25radio also destroyed.

   Then the night sky was filled with brightly burning flashes that had been
requested to be fired "over" the hill top, by Rowe, before the radios were destroyed.
Rowe now watched helplessly as the flares, falling short of the hill, bathed the Marine
positions in glaring light, while cloaking the enemy in darkness. With no means of
contacting the flare source to correct and adjust, the Marines were forced to continue to
battle fully exposed in the light. .
    Cpl. Shaffer had alerted Sgt. Starbuck of an impending infantry assault on the
right wing with Sgt. Starbuck ordering the claymores fired. Pfc. Armitage, who was
nearest the "triggers", responded by waiting for the enemy assault line to emerge from the
underbrush and as they charged towards the crest, Armitage fired the "string"of mines
with the attack evaporating in the blast. During this action, Armitage was shot repeatedly
and killed.
   A second assault line emerged from the underbrush and rushed forward to be met
by Cpl. Shaffer who, standing erect to better fire down the slope, fired several magazines
of ammunition causing the enemy to waiver and the assault-finally to collapse. However,
Cpl. Shaffer, by exposing himself, also died from multiple gunshot wounds.
As best that recolect l will allow, at this time the Marines have suffered 7 casualties
out of 11 engaged. The point gun position has been destroyed and being sporadically
defended by Sgt. Starbuck. The right wing has suffered two dead and 1 wounded
(Veskeyn) out of 5. The left wing has 2 seriously wounded out of 4. Of the eliminated
M-60 team, 1 is dead and 1 is seriously wounded.
   The left wing now becomes the focus of enemy asssua1t and being the claymore
triggers" are located near the two (2) seriously wounded, Pfc. O'Leary sprints from the
right wing across the crest, and to the triggers" on the left wing. As with Armitage, Pfc.
O'Leary waits for the enemy assaultline to rush up the slope, and he then obliterates it
with the last "string" of claymores.
   O'Leary pauses to check on Rowe and Roger Smith, and then crosses over the
crest but before reaching the right Wing, he suffers a crippling gunshot wound to a leg
which breaks the thigh bone, and he tumbles out of sight into one (1) of the enemy
fighting holes.
   Later in the night, an enemy soldier notices O'Leary and further injures him by
throwing a chicom grenade into the fightinghole.
Now, for unknown reasons, came a lull with the enemy making no attempts to
assault the Marine positions.
   Sgt. Starbuck, taking immediate advantage of the opportunity, began checking the
condition of his Squad, already knowing that the majority were casualties. Realizing then
that the Squad had been decimated, with only himself and two (2) other Marines
remainin gun impaired; Sgt. Starbuck wanted to quickly collect the wounded and
uninjured into a more compact defense. He focused on the crippled Charles Davis still
lying in between the "wings" and in the most exposed part of the hill. The Sgt. assigned
himself the task of recovering Davis first, returning with him to the area of the left wing, where the new defensive positions were to be established.
   Being fully aware of the hazard involved with this rescue of Davis, Sgt. Starbuck
made his dash to the crest of the hill.
   As the Sgt. neared to within a few feet of Davis, enemy small arms erupted and
his forward movement stopped abruptly. He turned slowly and then fell backwards,
rolling down towards the left wing positions. Rowe and Roger Smith crawled to him,
finding a gunshot woundto his head. He was alive but unconsciousand with labored
breathing. Not long afterward, Sgt. Robert Starbuck succumbed to his wound and died
among the Marines of his squad.
   For the time being, the enemy contented themselves with occasional bursts of
small arms fire and clusters of grenades thrown into the Marine positions. With the
supply of ammutution and grenades nearly exhausted, the Marinescould offer little
resistance.
   During the lull, LCpl. Rowe, among others, continued to suffer additional
wounds form exploding grenades and in Rowe's case, the blast of those grenades
repeatedly threw him down the slope away from the Marines positions.
However, each time Rowe made a "trip" down the hill, hewas followed,
recovered, and dragged back up the hill by RogerSmith.
   During Pfc. Roger Smith's numerous rescues of LCpl. Rowe, he suffered two
gunshot wounds but successfully brought LCpl.Rowe back to safety in spite of these
additional wounds.
   Now, for lack of a better explanation, the enemy seemed to wish to prolong the
agony of the 2nd Squad and instead of a final assault to end the fight ,enemy soldiers,
singularly and in small groups, swept over the Marine positions.
   During one such sweep, a lone enemy stumbled upon LCpl. Rowe. Obviously
with the idea in mind to administer a quick "coupde grace" Rowe with a bayonet
thrust, the soldier was startled, to say the least, as he was promptly shot to death instead by Pfc. Roger Smith. Another rescue was added to the growing list between these two
Marines.
   Finally, the flares mercifully stopped, shroudingthe hill and slopes in blessed
darkness. Pfc. Roger Smith was able to drag LCpl.Rowe to the crest one last time where
they joined the survivors, including Davis and O'Leary who had been brought in from
where they had fallen.
   The end of the fight began to unfold as the enemy, unseen in the darkness,could
be heard forming for a last attack up the hill.
   With the outcome of this expected attack never really in doubt, but with the
Marines lackof intending to just give up and die, the all but forgotten CS gas grenades
were passed among the survivors while each assisted the other with gas mask fittings.
These grenades and masks, which normally were not carried by Recon Marines, were at
first issuance, received as cumbersome and unnecessary weight but in the end, the
equipment became the vessel on which the survivors were delivered to salvation.
The eneny confidently emerged from the ring of underbrush and their assault line
rolled up the slope towards the crest. Just then the grenades were "popped" and the
Marines were enveloped by a "wall" of gas. The assault line crashed againstthe "wall"
and amidst the sounds of choking, coughing and sputtering, the attack faltered, collapsed,
and the enemy retreated back down the hill neverto return.

   With the morning sun, the survivors viewed the toll exacted on the 2nd Squad in
defense of the hill top observation post. The dead lying where they had fallen among
those still alive but battered and wrecked.
    An "AO", flying a Piper Cub, swept out of the sky and over the hill. In the distance
towards the sea, a flight of helicopters suddenly changed course, towards the hill, with
Marine jet fighters seeming to materialize, and take the lead.
   As the first fighter made a "pass"over the hill top, the long silent enemy, as if to
remind the survivors they had not been forgotten, fired automatic weapons into the air.
The response was predictable and a magnificent "show" unfolded as the survivors
watched the Marine fighters bomb and strafe the lower slopes, underbrush, and Plateau at the bottom of the hill.
   From then on, nothing further was heard out of the enemy.
   A lone Marine chopper then landed on the hill. The Marine dead and wounded,
aided by the two uninjured survivors were loaded aboard.
   Scattered equipment was collected and piled on the hilltop, with the chopper
finally lifting off into the morning sunlight.
    As the hill faded into the distance, the Marine jets returned for the "finale" ,
dropping napalm onto the crest which disappeared into a rising fireball capped with
plumes of black smoke meeting the blue sky.
   For over 200 years, the American military has purchased real estate, "in every
clime and place," with their blood.
   In Vietnam, there is a nameless hill that forever will be the property of the 2nd
Squad, 2nd'Plt., 1stRecon Bn., 1stMarineDiv.