"Alpha Blues Surprise NVA Force" — Dog's Head, War Zone C

Alpha Blues Surprise NVA Force

A surprised North Vietnamese soldier picked up his .30 caliber machinegun and charged down a trail toward the Alpha Troop Blues of the 1st Sq, 9th Cav, March 19 to touch off a series of contacts that left 39 enemy soldiers dead in the Dog's Head area of War Zone C.

The aerial rifle platoon had been inserted to conduct ground reconnaissance into the region, a bulge in the surrounding border being shaped somewhat like the head of a dog. The Cavalrymen had just followed a trail toward the border and were on their way back when contact was made.

The platoon passed through a small NVA training area, complete with bamboo models of American tanks, and headed up a trail. "We had contact immediately. We came across three or four NVA, one with a .30 caliber machinegun. He charged us, firing, and our '60 gunner let 'em have it. The enemy pulled back and we moved on," said 1st Lt. Jack Hugele, the platoon leader.

Sniper fire began snapping through the bamboo. After checking out some bunkers, the Blues kept moving, picking off snipers as they went. Elements of Delta Company, 2nd Bn, 8th Cav were inserted and linked up with the Blues, but only after several snipers were cleared out of trees in the surrounding jungle.

The two units formed a perimeter to formulate plans, all the while taking sniper fire. They moved out toward a pick-up zone and saw an enemy squad trying to set up an ambush with a .30 caliber machinegun. The ambush was broken up and five enemy killed.

Throughout the contact Aerial Rocket Artillery (ARA), Cobras and birds from Alpha Troop flew in support of the contact, saturating surrounding terrain with minigun and rocket fire.

At one point, a supply of smoke grenades dropped by helicopters, intended for the Cavalrymen, fell into enemy hands. When the NVA popped it, the ground forces directed Cobra fire into the pilferers.

The Cavalrymen made it to the pickup zone and the Blues were extracted, having suffered no casualties. Delta Company stayed the night, detecting heavy enemy movement around the position but engaging them only once, that with a blast from a Claymore mine that killed one NVA. In addition to him, the earlier contacts had resulted in 23 enemy killed by the Blues, nine by helicopters, and four by ARA.

The same day and somewhat to the north of that contact, another 39 enemy were found dead by Delta Company, 2nd Bn, 8th Cav. The dead NVA had been killed by Delta Company the day before, March 18, and carried from the battle site by the remnants of the enemy force. The contact had lasted only fifteen minutes, during which the enemy employed small arms and B-40 rockets. They were driven off by Delta Company backed by artillery, ARA, and a light fire team.

On March 16 the Fourth Company of the 8th ARVN Airborne Bn made contact northwest of FSB Nguyen Trai six miles south of Bu Gia Map in northern Phuoc Long Province. In support of that contact ARA Cobras from B Battery, 2nd Bn, 20th Arty killed three NVA immediately outside the friendly perimeter. They then caught 20 NVA in a clearing to the northwest and killed them all.

Numerous helicopter and ground contacts resulted in a total of 268 enemy soldiers killed by the division during the week March 15-21.

Transcribed from the original clipping by the archive, 2026. Original scan held in the cavair research folder.