OP Orders 1st Sept, 1967

After much consideration of the tactical and strategic situation in the AO, the Company command team, in agreement with Battalion, decided to site the FSB in sector X5/Y3 alongside National Route 9 and just west of the bridges.

It was agreed that the FAC's could possibly use Route 9 itself as an interim 'runway' while a new runway was constructed.

The Op Order was issued containing Bravo Company's Objective:  Establish FSB on National Route 9 in sector X5/Y3

The day started clear and dry but with high humidity and this was going to fatigue the troops once they started working on the base.

The plan for the insertion was as follows;

1. Artillery Prep Fires
2. 1st Platoon will make a combat air assault to position X5/Y3 and secure the position.
3. Once position is secured, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Platoon and Company HQ to be inserted by Truck
4. Artillery Battery 1 will be inserted by Helicopter.
5. Engineers will be inserted by Truck.

The insertion of 1st Platoon went OK, for about three minutes, when no sooner had the platoon disembarked from the lift helicopters when a shot rang out across the LZ.  Everybody hit the deck thinking we were being taken under sniper fire. Nobody was hit but it soon became clear that it wasn't a sniper but an accidental weapon discharge and we had a seriously wounded trooper.

Quickly following the landing of 1st Platoon, the rest of the Company arrived by truck and took up positions on the planned perimeter digging foxholes and scrapes. 3rd Platoon prepared a small LZ for the landing of one of the 10mm artillery batteries.

The battery was landed and put into a hasty position with a very primitive berm thrown up. Our wounded trooper was medevac'd out on the departing helicopter.

Not long thereafter, the Engineers arrived by truck and were immediately set to work on the perimeter.
Later that afternoon we heard two pieces of news that demonstrated what a crazy war this was turning out to be; in an AO east of us the enemy had been given a savage beating and their losses were high. This was expected to have a detrimental effect on the morale of enemy forces in our own AO. At the same time, a large terrorist bomb exploded in the market at Thon Thien killing many civilians.   

FSB Mary-Helen AO

The date is 28th August, 1967. Bravo Company have their new orders; establish a Fire Base on National Route 9 (QL9) in Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Provence.

The Company is to prepare for a move to it's new AO on 1st September, 1967 and all preperations for that move are now underway.

The Company CO, XO and First Sergeant have carried out initial aerial reconnaissance and have studied the map of the AO. Their first consideration is where to locate the FSB...

The new Area of Operations

The primary mission is to secure National Route 9 that runs East to West through the centre of the AO. In particular, the two bridges at X5/Y3 and X6/Y3 must remain intact so that the route, which is a major line of supply, remains open.

Naturally, their is also the 'Hearts and Minds' mission to consider and Intel suggests that Victor Charles is beginning to put the squeeze on the area and is in the middle of a troop build-up.
 
Take a good look at the AO and then check out the details about it and the Intel we have.