The Ambush & Firefight of 13 May 1968 -- CO A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade

The Ambush & Firefight of 13 May 1968
CO A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade

NAVIGATION

Home
The Recon Platoon
To The Rescue
On The River
Ambushed
Engaging the Enemy
Air Power
The Bunkers
Night Attack
Night Attack (Cont'd)
End of Day Results
1968 Unit History
They Gave All
Other Action
WebsAlbum
Acknowledgments
Guestbook
Links

Baldwin
Cullinan (Page 1)
Cullinan (Page 2)
Dump
Hoekstra (Page 1)
Hoekstra (Page 2)
Hoekstra (Page 3)
Hoekstra (Page 4)
Greene
Harrison
Miller
Sanders
Schwartz
Smith
Sprole
Ward

Guestbook

Welcome to my guestbook.

Name:
Email:
Leave your message here:

Name: tom tolbert
Email: rttolbert@yahoo.com
Date: Wed Oct 06 08:11:52 EDT 2004
Thanks from a modern day soldier.

Name: valerie
Email: jvkdimick@yahoo.com
Date: Thu Sep 23 16:10:27 EDT 2004
I would like to hear form anybody who may remember my father he served with the 199th 68-69 Donald Sandstrom probably a quiet kid from small town West Virginia

Name: chris
Email:
Date: Sun Aug 08 17:22:20 EDT 2004
cool site...your son

Name: John Z. Walker
Email: captain21615@yahoo.com
Date: Mon May 24 19:34:15 EDT 2004
I was a member with A Co. 5Th and the 12Th. 199th Light Infantry. March 22 1968 to March 22 1969 Mortor Plat. I was there that day.

Name: Gary Pierce
Email: gpierce@peoplepc.com
Date: Wed Aug 20 13:41:16 EDT 2003
Robert
Excellent website!!! It is way beyond what I expected.
Job well done.
Gary

Name: Sam Sanders
Email: ssanders@sunline.net
Date: Thu Aug 21 08:51:20 EDT 2003
Bob, you have done a great job of putting this together and a outstanding job of helping me and others cope with the experience of Vietnam. Thank You for letting me share my story.....Sam

Name: Tim Moore
Email: morlaw@aol.com
Date: Thu Aug 21 19:37:01 EDT 2003
Great job, one of the best.

Name: Joseph W. Miller Jr
Email: joseph.miller@us.army.mil
Date: Fri Aug 22 08:35:16 EDT 2003
Was on the boat that was hit with the RPG. I was actually sitting between Davis and McGovern, and for some unknow reason, got up. Was looking over the boat and saw the NV shoot the grenade. Will give my accounts if so needed. As you say, soem things are a blurr, but that day remains in my thoughts.

Joe Miller (Harley)

Name: Don C. Hall
Email: DonCHall@I-Served.com
Date: Sat Aug 30 13:56:26 EDT 2003
Awesome site! God bless you all.

Hot Steel 26, OpCon for the 199th LIB.
F Co., 51st LRP (Abn.) Infantry
www.I-Served.com

Name: Chris Sprole
Email: csprole@mmsa.com
Date: Thu Oct 02 09:27:40 EDT 2003

Name: Larry Baldwin
Email: baldwin_lj@hotmail.com
Date: Tue Oct 14 00:21:04 EDT 2003
itsbeen 35 years but that night and the next mrning are , at times, as clear as yesterday.

Name: Mike Cullinan
Email: mikey@pics.com
Date: Tue Oct 21 13:39:21 EDT 2003
Thanks for going to all the trouble. This site brings back alot of memories. A tribute to all who served.

Name: ALAN HEMBERGER
Email: AHEMBERGER@AOL.COM
Date: Tue Oct 21 17:55:42 EDT 2003
ROBERT,
ON BEHALF OF ALL THE COMBAT VETS FROM VIETNAM THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU HAVE PUT INTO THIS SITE.
WE ARE IN AN EXCLUSIVE FRATERNITY. SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES IS VERY THERAPUTIC FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITH OUR MEMORIES EVERYDAY. SOMETIMES ITS JUST NICE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE.
THANKS AGAIN, ROBERT...PEACE BE WITH YOU.

Name: Richard w. Gibson
Email: gabbyrwg@peoplepc.com
Date: Wed Oct 22 23:17:31 EDT 2003
a great sight and true story for every vet and family member to see and read.i was in a-5-12- dec. 68- june-69 wounded
they call me gabby.the last fsb i was at was chris. gabby

Name: jim baxter
Email: jbaxter@ameritech.net
Date: Fri Oct 24 09:36:41 EDT 2003
Thank You

Name: E F Dump
Email: efdump@mocic.riss.net
Date: Tue Oct 28 17:17:01 EST 2003
I was on the first boat also. I was one of the M-60 gunners for 3rd platoon. I remember going through the village and for a moment I saw a woman going to each person and whispering something to each villager. That is one thing I would like to do differantly in life. Thanks for looking out for me Rudell, you too Schwartz. I remember stepping over Davis and McGovern as we were reorganizing,looking down at their bodies. I wrote a letter to myself that day and sent it to my wife. I haven't looked at it in all these years. I don't think I did any thing special that day, But I know a lot of guys who did. Like every one else I was just trying to stay alive. I am honored to be a friend of some of these men. We all were blessed to have the experience of Capt. Ward. He had been there before. Capt Ward, I'm one of the guys you threated with an Article 15 because we "lost" our steel pots a couple of weeks before. Thanks

My congratulations and thanks on a well done product.

Name: Bill Hoekstra
Email: BILLHOEKY@aol.com
Date: Tue Oct 28 21:39:58 EST 2003
Robert and all of you others who were there. What a great site and recollections of the events of that day. Good to see so many of us still around.
Y'all take care.
Bill

Name: ALBERT MASSEY
Email: AYATOLLA@COX.NET
Date: Wed Oct 29 14:08:41 EST 2003
GOOD SITE. I WAS THERE...I WAS SGT. AL.MASSEY. SGT. JOHN LYNCH AND I WENT TO "O" SCHOOL TOGETHER. CALTIBIANO WAS MY LT. DURING THIS ENCOUNTER. I WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF OLSEN, AND WAS ON THOSE THAT DRAGGED HIM OUT, WHEN WE LEFT HIM LYING THERE OVER NIGHT.

Name: Steve McDonald
Email: smcdo199@earthlink.net
Date: Mon Nov 03 01:27:18 EST 2003
Robert,

It was many months after this action when I joined A/5/12 as a replacement NCO in the 3rd Platoon. Some of the same men who fought this battle became my friends and helped keep a green sergeant like me alive. When their tours were over, those of us who were left behind sure missed those guys. They were great soldiers.

Name: Rick Jones
Email: redcatchergrunt@aol.com
Date: Mon Nov 03 03:42:40 EST 2003
Robert,
You've done a great job in keeping a big part of the unit history alive. Your contribution is to be highly commended. Please visit my site at: www.geocities.com/lilracoon_30/index.html and view my photo albums at: http://community.webshots.com/user/rott357 Keep up the good fight, brother.
Rick Jones
D/4/12 69/70

Name: Michael Kelley
Email: M60Kelley@hotmail.com
Date: Tue Nov 04 20:44:33 EST 2003
What a pleasant surprise to find this handsome and well-organized website. I certainly wish it had been available while my book (Where We Were In Vietnam) was under construction, as it would have contributed significantly to the content. Should those of you who purchase or otherwise read the book have any questions, corrections, additions or suggestions for a possible future addition, please feel free to contact me with them. In any case, the hat of this Screaming Eagle is off to you men of the 199th LIB...
M-60 Mike Kelley D Co/1st/502d Inf, 101st Abn Nov69/Sep70

Name: James A. Smith
Email: james.smith@hccs.edu
Date: Tue Nov 11 11:22:16 EST 2003
I served in the military (Army) from September 1964 to September 1967. My MOS was Chaplain's Assistant. I was stationed in Thailand from June 1965 to June 1966. I am inspired by the first-person accounts of the vietnam war. Great website.

Name: Rod Townsend
Email: townsendre@mfr.usmc.mil
Date: Tue Nov 11 12:08:20 EST 2003
Great job Robert.
Thanks for your service and that of your comrades.

Name: Al. Massey
Email: ayatolla@cox.net
Date: Tue Nov 11 23:08:21 EST 2003
I visited the site again...and have remembered alot about the events of that day...I think I will always recall it as our first real babtism under fire..we all lost good friends and we will never forget them...we also formed strong bonds amongst ourselves for those of us that survived this encounter...

Name: Craig T. Bubier
Email: bubier@txucom.net
Date: Wed Nov 12 21:57:58 EST 2003
Robert
Thanks for taking the time to put this together. It is time for us to speak and think about our lost comrades. Maybe this site will help bring our troops home now instead of 10 years from now.
PEACE BE WITH US!

Name: DENNIS D. HARRISON
Email: hummer6@mindspring.com
Date: Sun Dec 21 07:34:12 EST 2003
Great site. I would like to thank all those brave men of 3rd Platoon and all of A company for saving my life that day. I was the Platoon Leader of the lead boat that got hit first. I got hit in the first attack and don't remember much. If anyone remembers how I got rescued and by who, I would love to hear form you. Again, great job on this web page. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Name: Angel R. Flores
Email: floresa@dany.nyc.gov
Date: Tue Jan 06 13:33:45 EST 2004
Bob, Outstanding job. I was with the Company A 4/12 in the battle of Dec. 6, 1967. We all have alot to be thankful for and these websites heal alot of old wounds God bless, Angel

Name: Robert Smith
Email: oldiesdude@juno.com
Date: Thu Jan 15 21:01:52 EST 2004
Just want to thank everyone for visiting this site & signing the guestbook. If anyone has additional details of what happened that day/night or if you feel that something needs to be corrected please let me know. Also, anyone who was in the 199th at any time please send me a picture of you so it can be included in the photo album. Take care my ol' friends...

Name: E F Dump
Email: efdump@mocic.riss.net
Date: Fri Feb 13 17:13:49 EST 2004
I just stopped by to see who else had been here. I am "humbled" ever time I visit here. That day changed all of us. As I remember us then, and as I see some of us today, I see men of strong convictions, of whatever political convictions they are. But mostly, I see associations and friendships I am very proud of. To "all" of the men who served in Apache Company, May you be Blessed in your endeavors.

Name: Frank J. Auer
Email: fauer@wi.rr.com
Date: Sat Feb 21 22:28:24 EST 2004
HOLY SHIT! I can't believe the detail. My hell day was April 18th,1968. I don't even know my 199th unit anymore. We flew out of WA State day after TET Offensive. THANKS!

Name: E.F. Dump
Email: efdump1@mocic.riss.net
Date: Tue Mar 02 19:53:23 EST 2004
Please note E.F. Dump's new email address

Dedicated to those who died that day