"My brothers have my back" : inside the November 1969 battle on the Vietnamese DMZ / Lou Pepi ; foreword by Sterling Eugene Kelly, Jr. ; Afterword by Clyde "Bud" Wagner.
Three generations of military service -- The train to Fort Dix -- Fort Dix, April to July 1968 -- 52nd Ordnance Company, July 1968 to June 1969 -- The drawdown -- The first 100 days -- The first 10 days of November -- Overview of the November battle -- Veterans' Day, 11Nov69 (Day 1) -- 12Nov69 (Day 2) at the Jump CP -- 2Nov69, mission "Bald Eagle" -- 13Nov69 (Day 3) -- Unfriendly fire and survivor's guilt -- Leaving 1970 -- Utah Mesa and Bravo Company; 18Jun69 -- Chris Martin and the Americal Division.
Summary:
On November 10, 1969, during Operation Fulton Square, heavy fighting erupted in Quảng Tri Province about 2 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), at a location called Leatherneck Square. US Army Task Force 1-61 fought three reinforced battalions of the 27th NVA Regiment in the vicinity of Hill 162. According to Time Magazine, captured documents indicated that the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) believed a successful surprise attack timed to correspond with the large US peace marches scheduled for November 14-16 (the Vietnam Moratorium) would provide a bargaining chip for peace negotiations. The author, who served with the US 61st Infantry, 1st Battalion, Alpha Company, has assembled this account from the recollections of nearly fifty participants who were present at this relatively unknown battle. "Three companies of Task Force 1-61 met 2,000-3,000 North Vietnamese. American forces fought for two days, inflicting heavy casualties and suffering eight killed. The author, a member of Alpha Company who rode in on the last helicopter, offers unique insights into the story of the men who fought those three days in 1969"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.