Unit History - vietnamphotosbyrbm.net

UNIT HISTORY bushes along the 2.4 miles of road
from their CP to LZ Montezuma.
Supplement February 1967 - January 1968 This was done to prevent mining of
the road.

At the beginning of January, A/39 ous; everything from mine sweeps, In May, C/39 and HHC/39 closed
had the job of continuing the mine to timber bridges, to furnishing the at Chu Lai. Also in May B/39 was
sweeps and maintenance of QL-1, infantry with sweep teams and de- transferred from OPCPN of the 577
along with continuation of work on molition squads, to blowing bun- th Engr Bn to OPCON of the 19th
the airstrip at Tuy An. The airstrip kers and tunnels. The artillery also Engr Bn. A/39 continued work on
was completed at that location along required various jobs of the Engi- the Duc Pho airstrip, completing the
with drainage on the Bong Tre air- neers which only added to the larg- grading of the strip itself, and laying
strip. The entire battalion had the er job of the Engineers. All work the MX19 matting. Although not
continuing job of support to the had to be done with no loss to the complete, the airfield was opened
infantry units. B/39 had much the Engineer mission. to C-130 traffic on 15 May. In late
same job as did A/39 during this May D/39 was called upon to build
period of time. They furnished a On 10 April the advance party left a 20 pad ASP at LZ Montezuma.
squad of men to the Infantry for the Tuy Hoa for Duc Pho. The pri- Working around the clock they
purpose of demolition work on the mary mission was the recon of a hauled over 88,000 cubic yards of
access road to Signal Hill. C/39 also proposed Pioneer road building fill and completed the berms in less
contributed to the operations of and project planning for the C-130 than two weeks. The Commanding
the Battalion with continued road airfield. When construction began, Officer of Oui Nhon Support Com-
maintenance in the ROK canton- the perimeter had to be extended to mand commented that it was the
ment area. In the Battalion’s work the north about 2500 meters. This best forward area ASP in Vietnam.
to complete the stretch of road as- involved the complete relocation of Upon arrival in Chu Lai, C/39 be-
signed to it on QL-1, it was mainly a village in that area, which is pres- gan improvements on the company
involved in the installation culverts, ently artillery hill. Through coordi- and Battalion areas. On 23 May
building Timber Trestle and Bailey nation with the local MACV advis- they departed Chu Lai, moving
Bridges, construction of by-passes, ers, the people were moved to a new south on QL-1 to Tu Nghia. They
removal of destroyed bridges and location with new houses. A bridge were primarily working on mine
the replacement of them. Along had to be built across the stream to sweep and construction work in the
with the Battalion’s normal work, aid the villagers in travelling from TFO cantonment area. They also
they are often called upon to go out their homes to the northern rice had responsibilities from Quang
and work with the infantry. paddies. The bridge only lasted two Nghai to Mo Duc, and replaced
nights before it had to be rebuilt as decking on Bailey Bridges. On 24
February of 67 found the 39th do- a result of VC destruction. May C/39, minus the 2nd Platoon,
ing a never relenting job of the relocated to Tu Nghia with the mis-
minesweeping of QL-1 and roads in As D/39 built the road in from sion of reopening Route QL-1 south
the area of operations. Of course, Guadalcanal to Montezuma it was to Mo Duc. When the unit moved
while mine sweeps are a never- not rare for one of its platoons to into the area at Tu Nghia it was nec-
ending phase of operations, there provide Engineer security for the essary to clear an ARVN minefield
is much to be done after the road Infantry who were, in turn, provid- around the existing outpost in or-
is clear. The VC never tire of blow- ing security for the Engineer mine der to expand the defensive perim-
ing culverts and bridges and are sweep team on the road. Several eter. By 28 May, twenty loads of
always present to harass the Engi- meters of enemy trench lines and fill had been hauled from a borrow
neers when they are trying to get bunkers were destroyed and caches pit to replace the dropped span of a
the job done. The different tasks in of rice discovered. D/39 was also three-span French concrete bridge.
the month if February were numer- called upon to provide night am- A 30 foot gap had been destroyed in
the roadway with mine damage to
the double-single panels.

“Sniper’s Gap” was a source of daily one platoon constructed a 45 foot encountered small arms fire and a
enemy harassment - until Charlie dry span. The following morning hail of grenades. The concussion of
Company moved in with bulldoz- it was discovered that this span had a grenade which had been lobbed
ers and demolitions. The Engineers been destroyed during the night. A alongside the driver caused him
had been working on Highway temporary bivouac was established to lose control of the vehicle. He
QL-1 just north of the small Vil- at this site and two 60 inch culverts swerved into a ditch on the side of
lage of Nui Dep when they started were installed. On 5 June an APC, the road about 50 yards from the
receiving small arms fire. Unable providing security for the sweep crater. The VC opened up with au-
to do any work on the road, Cap- team, detonated a mine. This re- tomatic weapons fire and another
tain Peter Kelly, CO of C/39, decid- sulted in one WIA from the APC rain of grenades. Finding them-
ed that the only alternative was to crew and one local national WIA. selves crowded in the ditch by the
flush the snipers out. On 11 June, Company A moved to truck, two of the men moved to the
location at Thagh Tru. On 13 and front of the vehicle. One of them,
During the first day the Engineers 14 June, Company A supported taking advantage of a brief pause
used only grenades, no explosives. Company B, 2/35 Infantry with a in the firing, crossed the road to a
Moving cautiously where Viet demo team and 2 dozers to destroy ditch on the other side. Positioned
Cong or North Vietnamese were VC tunnels and bunkers in the vi- to cover as much area as possible,
once dug in, they tossed grenades cinity of Duc Pho. The pioneer the men located the enemy and re-
into bunkers, trenches, tunnels and opening of QL-1 was completed on turned fire. They could hear the VC
punji traps, destroying anything the 14th of June when A/39 linked yelling to each other in the brush,
that might have been missed by up with C/39 who had been work- and saw them advancing in groups
the air strikes. Four 11th Armored ing south from Quang Ngai. Mine of three and four. Under cover of
Cavalry armored personnel carri- sweep teams were prepositioned intense fire, one of the attackers
ers positioned themselves on the along the road to facilitate clearing managed to get within 25 yards of
hill over looking QL-1 ready to cut of the road on the night of the 15th the truck, and threw nine grenades.
loose. The Engineers destroyed 30 and the first convoy passed over the Three of the grenades were duds,
bunkers and removed all possible road on the 16th. but the others slightly wounded
havens for snipers. SP4 Purucker and another man.
What started as a routine recovery SP4 Johnston recalled, “He (the VC
At this same time A/39 was work- job by personnel from the mo- grenadier) put himself out in the
ing on construction of the Air- tor pool of A/39 ended in a fiery open, and one of us, or all of us, got
field from 0400 - 2400 hours, and demonstration with the engineers him when he was ready to throw
maintenance of equipment from using successful counter-ambush another grenade.” An attempt by
2400 - 0400 hours. In addition, a techniques. Five men were head- the VC to recover the dead grena-
daily mine sweep was conducted ed south at about 1730 hours on dier was futile - resulting in another
east to the Beach Access Road. On Highway 1 near the village of Mo enemy killed. Twenty-five minutes
18 May 1967, heavy rains caused a Duc to aid a disabled truck. About after the ambush started, and with
two-day delay in construction due a mile and a half from their com- the engineers running low on am-
to flooding of the area. This con- pound, the Viet Cong blew a com- munition, a relief column arrived
dition was exactly opposite to that mand detonated mine 10 to 15 from the south. The VC fled hast-
which plagued the construction feet in front of their truck. Dirt, ily. A search of the brush conceal-
from the outset. The weather had rocks and asphalt rained down on ing the VC revealed two killed, and
been hot and dry and water added the men causing then, to duck for several bloody trails leading away
for compaction evaporated too cover. SP4 Purucker managed to from the scene. Another body was
quickly, even when added at night. drive through the huge crater, even found the next day, and brought the
An additional mission was initiated though a piece of shrapnel had total enemy killed to three.
on 21 May with the construction of punctured the left front tire. With
an Access Road from the Airfield his cronies hollering “Keep Mov- Working to beat the onset of the
to QL-1. Construction started in ing”, he stepped on the gas. As they monsoon season, and under con-
earnest on QL-1 on 1 June when passed through falling debris, they stant Viet Cong harassment, ele-

ments of the 39th and the 103rd now relocated at Trach Tru with and his assistant, Staff Sergeant Jo-
Vietnamese Engineer Battalion C/39 at Mo Duc. The joining of A seph Wallace, were back two days
completed construction of the and C Companies opened the road later with not only medicine and
longest Bailey Bridge on Highway and the two companies began Phase candy, but enough cement to en-
QL-1. In early July, the Engineers, II: upgrading the road to a class 50, able the townspeople to start recon-
working with their local Amy of all weather road. Culverts were struction of the school. Admiring
the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) continuously blown by the VC. the doctor’s courage, more of the
counterparts, emplaced 100 feet of Many culverts were replaced three villagers now came out of hiding.
dry span on the original 27 year- and four times. During this period Doctor Mainz said, “We told the
old bridge. This combined effort the companies were constantly sub- village chief that we would provide
opened the bridge for the first time jected to enemy fire. the material if his people wanted a
in seven years. In 45 days, expend- school, but that they would have to
ing over 25,300 US man-hours and The middle of August brought an- do the actual construction.” Dis-
2530 equipment hours, engineers of other alert for a new road opening. covering that the VC were stealing
C/39, the first platoon of the 509th On August 21 A/39 began recon- the bags of cement, the doctor fur-
Panel Bridge Company, the 554th naissance and mine sweeps on the ther informed the village chief that
float Bridge Company, the Heavy road from QL-1 to LZ Liz. The no more supplies would be pro-
Equipment Section of HHC/39, mission proved to be another big vided until there were visible signs
and A/103 constructed five con- challenge. Heavy rains fell continu- of construction progress. Not long
crete and pile piers for intermediate ously, and, as a result, the pioneer after this contribution to the vil-
support, and closed in the bridge. road was under two feet of water. lage, the school was complete. The
Work persisted and upon comple- school was not Doctor Mainz’s only
The work that had been done by tion of the 60-foot pile bent bridge contribution to the village. As often
the engineers and the ARVN En- on 4 October, the opening to LZ Liz as he could, he made a MEDCAP
gineers was nearly destroyed when was in sight. Then more rain came visit to treat the children for malnu-
an intense attack by the VC was di- and portions of the road washed trition and various skin diseases.
rected at the 2nd Platoon of C/39 out. Despite arduous working con-
the night before the bridge was to ditions, the road to LZ Liz was open With better than 200 children liv-
be opened. The VC attacked the for traffic on 31 October. ing in Khuong Nhon, the Engineers
bridge site from the south with an of B/39 felt that the children’s edu-
estimated two-company force. The Although continuous work was cation was of utmost importance.
men from the 2nd Platoon, with ex- being done by the line compa- They cheerfully devoted their spare
cellent support from G Troop, 2nd nies, they were not the only por- time in providing technical assis-
Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry tion of the 39th that was doing an tance and supplies for the construc-
Regiment, fought 45 minutes un- outstanding job. Captain David L. tion of two more classrooms. Also,
der an intense barrage of 60mm Mainz, Battalion Surgeon with the believing in the old adage that “All
mortar and 57mm recoilless rifle 39th, could not be kept from as- work and no play makes Jack a dull
and automatic weapons before the sisting the villagers of Kuong Nhon boy”, they decided to make a play-
enemy withdrew. All through the Village on the outskirts of Chu Lai. ground for the school children.
night the enemy directed harassing Prior to the doctor’s first visit, the
sniper fire at the security force. At village was considered under the Much work was done at this time
dawn an examination of the bridge control of the VC. On his initial ar- to try and win the confidence of the
revealed minor damage, and later rival, only a handful of women and people. One outstanding example
in the morning the launching was young children worked up enough is that of a young engineer with
completed. courage to greet him. Angered by D/39 who had placed a demolition
the visit of the American Doctor, charge over a suspected VC mine
On 12 June D/39 relocated to Mon- the VC burned the one-room vil- on OL-1 north of Due Pho. The
tezuma and began pioneer opening lage school-house to the ground charge had been ignited and the
of QL-1 south from Montezuma to the night that Doctor Mainz left the mine sweep team had taken cover,
the I Corps boundary. A/39 was village. Undaunted, Doctor Mainz waiting for the charge to explode.

As the charge was burning, a Viet-
namese farmer appeared from a
rice paddy and headed down the
road toward the ignited charge.
Members of the mine sweep team
shouted to the man, warning him of
the danger. He did not understand
and kept going toward the charge.
SP4 Michael D. Mijan, realizing the
danger, removed his gear and ran to
the civilian. He pulled the, old man
to safety - seconds before the charge
exploded.

On 1 September, clearing was start-
ed for a new ASP on the north side
of LZ Montezuma by D/39. Work-
ing with only 2 dozers, they cleared
a 1400 foot by 400 foot area and
graded it for drainage. Over 50,000
cubic yards of earth were moved by
the dozers to complete the drain-
age alone. Once the drainage was
complete the 3rd Platoon D/39
worked 24 hours a day for five days
to complete the first 5 pad cell.
While hampered by having only
one loader operational, the job was
completed by hauling 25,000 cubic
yards of fill.

The experience that the men of the
39th have gained during this period
has been immeasurable. The only
thing that has been regretted by the
men is the loss of their friends and
fellow workers. The 39th Engineer
Battalion will continue to drive
ahead with the motto “We’ll Try”.
When there is a job to be done, the
“Blue Bull” will be there first to do
it right.