D Company Base Attack — FSB Becky, Tay Ninh Province, August 11-12, 1969
August 11-12, 1969 — attack on FSB Becky, Tay Ninh Province
In the early morning hours, Fire Support Base Becky — held by Company D and Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry — came under an intense rocket, mortar, and ground attack. The division's own quarterly report dates the action to 0300 hours, 11 August 1969: an unknown number of 60mm and 82mm mortar rounds, followed by RPG and small-arms fire, then a ground assault by a company-sized enemy sapper unit. The contact broke at 0345 hours. Results: 17 NVA killed, a substantial weapons cache captured (rifles, RPG launchers, grenades, bangalore torpedoes, satchel charges) — and 4 US killed, 14 US wounded.
PVT Daniel Moran Zuniga, 21, of San Antonio, Texas, was killed this night — his official casualty record gives 11 August 1969, matching the ORLL. He is the only D Company, 2/8 Cav KIA on record for that date.
See PVT Daniel Zuniga.
SSG Clyde Bonnelycke, Platoon Sergeant, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, left the safety of his own bunker and went to a bunker that had taken a direct hit. He pulled the wounded personnel to safety, then raced to the berm and placed suppressive fire on the enemy with a machine gun. When that gun ran out of ammunition, he moved to a second gun and kept firing. Despite his own wounds, he returned to the berm repeatedly and helped carry the wounded to safety.
Bonnelycke was awarded the Silver Star with Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster (3rd Award) for this action — his second Silver Star in thirty days, and his third of the war. General Orders No. 5044, HQ 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), April 4, 1970.
If you served with D Company, 2/8 Cavalry in Tay Ninh Province in the summer of 1969, we'd like to hear from you. SSG Clyde Bonnelycke held the perimeter under a major ground attack on the night of August 11-12, 1969, and was awarded the Silver Star for his actions. PVT Daniel Zuniga was killed the same night. Any detail — a grid, a name, additional personnel involved — is welcome.
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