Saturday, May 3, 2025

 BATTALION HISTORY

BATTLE OF DONG XOAI, 10-20 JUNE 1965


At 0100 hours, 10 June 1965, the 118th AHC was directed by the III

Corps Tactical Operation Center to send its standby fire team immediately

to Dong Xoai. They were told that the Dong Xoai Special Forces Camp had

been under extreme heavy mortar and small arms fire since midnight. The

fire team approached the town at 0130 hours and started making firing

passes once they were in position over the town. They were engaged by the

Viet Cong as soon as they began firing and the tracers from their guns

kept the enemy gunners aware of their position. Without the slightest

hesitation, the two armed helicopters kept up a steady stream of fire to

silence the enemy guns surrounding the Special Forces compound. Not until

after they had expended all their ammunition, and the fire team leaders

helicopter was hit by ground fire and the pilot wounded, did the two

helicopters leave the battle area.

At the time that the light fire team was closing Bien Hoa, III Corps

had decided to reinforce Dong Xoai by helicopters at first light with

Vietnamese infantry. At 0430 hours, flight crews of the 118th Aviation

Company were on flight line preparing for the combat assault at day light.

The town of Dong Xoai is situated at the most important road junction

in the heart of War Zone D. The United States Special Forces has

established a fortified compound and numerous strong points at strategic

locations taking the entire area under their command. Many parts of the

fortifications were still under construction when the first mortar shells

awoke the defenders.

At 0600 hours, 10 June 1965, all flyable 118th Aviation Company

aircraft departed Bien Hoa for a combat assault on Dong Xoai. The morale

of the company was high. They had grown fond of the Special Forces over

three years in which the company has served in Viet Nam. Many members of

the Special Forces B Detachment at Dong Xoai were friends of the company.

Although the tactical situation was extremely confused at Dong Xoai and

only scattered intelligence as to the enemy's strength and positions had

reached III corps, the 118th was ready to do anything within their

capability to aid the garrison under attack.

Phuoc Vinh, the nearest fortified town to Dong Xoai, was the staging

area. Elements of the 1st Battalion 7th Regiment ARVN, were going to make

the first assault with the 118th Aviation Company. Due to the urgency of

the situation, there was little time to gather data on the enemy

situation. The landing zone for the first assault was an open field two

miles north of Dong Xoai and next to the road that led to the Thanh Loi

Plantation. In case more ground troops were needed, two more landing zones

were chosen at suitable strategic areas in the vicinity of Dong Xoai.

The formation of 118th helicopters begin to receive fire as they

began to descend east of Dong Xoai. On final approach into the first

landing zone more fire was received. The flight held suppressive fire as

it was not known at the time whether friendly troops were in the area.

Seconds before the flight touched down the lead helicopter reported what

appeared to be friendly civilians waving to them from the edge of the

landing zone. The flight leader at once gave the order to the crews to

hold their fire because they were friendly civilians in the area. As soon

as the ships landed and the troops started unloading the civilians dove

into concealed fox holes where they had their weapons hidden and

immediately engaged the helicopters. Due to the fact the whole flight of

helicopters were low on fuel and were able to become airborne and out of

the range of small arms very quickly, no major damage to the flight

element resulted. However,with the departure of the helicopters, the Viet

Cong directed their fire on the assault troops in the landing zone. The

enemy had utilized the lack of intelligence on the part of the allied

forces to their best advantage at the crucial moment by deceiving the

heliborne force.Once the troops were committed, they were ambushed. The

Viet Cong, from their well prepared positions, systematically cut down the

lead elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment. Later when the battle

was over, it was disclosed that the 1st Battalion ceased to be a fighting

unit twenty minutes after it was committed into the Viet Cong trap.

When the 118th Aviation Company returned to Phuoc Vinh for more

soldiers and fuel, they were informed that the Viet Cong had anticipated

heliborne reinforcements for the surrounded Special Forces Camp were

employing strong units with heavy weapons and they intended to occupy Dong

Xoai. It was also disclosed that all the friendly troops had been forced

to reposition themselves inside the main compound that had the best

defensive capability.

When the 118th helicopters, loaded with soldiers of the remaining

elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th ARVN departed Phuoc Vinh they set their

organic armed helicopter platoon ahead of the flight to conduct a

reconnaissance of the intended landing zone. The armed fire zones made

repeated passes over the air strip at the Thanh Loi Plantation for traces

of the enemy concentrations but were able to find no evidence of the Viet

Cong using the plantation to stag attack on Dong Xoai. The fact that the

enemy up until the battle of Dong Xoai, had never used a plantation openly

as a headquarters and staging area caused the flight elements to hold

their suppressive fire power again as the helicopters approached to land.


Page 14

As the 118th Aviation Company's formation of fourteen troop

helicopter approached the landing strip a heard of cattle appeared and

moved up the strip to the intended landing area. The lead helicopter made

a decision to land the troops short of the original intended area. The

decision saved many lives. No sooner had the skids of the first helicopter

touched ground when a tremendous explosion was seen and heard and felt.

The enemy had detonated a hugh claymore mine planted at the original

landing area. The explosion of the mine was a signal. Within seconds of

the explosion, reports of automatic weapons are came from all members of

the formation. The soldiers and helicopters were caught in a hail storm of

bullets and exploding mortar rounds. The enemy fire was coming from

everywhere. In the well kept and beautiful plantation mansions they were

firing from windows and roofs. Among the rubber trees fire from concealed

bunkers and fox holes. At once, the armed escorts of the 118th Aviation

Company charged in and fired everything they had on both sides of the

helicopters still unloading their troops. At the same time the door

gunners of the troops carries were burning up the barrels of their machine

guns to suppress the enemy fire. It was only a few seconds since the

formation of the helicopters had landed, and yet it was already eternity

for the helicopter crews and the ARVN solders on the ground. Scores of the

brave little Vietnamese solders were falling in front of the eyes of the

helicopter crews as they watched them leap from the aircraft and fall as

enemy bullets slammed into their bodies. The helicopters were also

receiving heavy damage in those seconds on the ground. One of the troops

carriers had a mortar round explode right outside the cockpit causing it

to roll over immediately on its side. A split second later it exploded in

a ball of fire. The entire crew was killed. The remaining helicopters were

taking off at this time. All guns were firing, but the enemy fire was not

decreasing in intensity. From roof tops, windows doorways and trenches,

enemy bullets ripped into helicopters, When at last the whole formation

was out of range of the enemy weapons, only one helicopter reported

negative damage.

The Viet Cong had planned the attack on Dong Xoai with superb care.

There was no question left in anyone's mind that further heliborne

assaults into available landing zones would mean annihilation to the

majority of the ground troops and at tremendous risk to the aviation

elements. The 118th Aviation Company commander, in temporary command of

the entire Army Aviation efforts in Dong Xoai at the time ordered the

remaining elements with troops aboard back to the staging area. The last

helicopters to land at Phou Vinh were two armed helicopters from the

118th. The fire team remained over the battle area to act as radio

communication relay and fire support for the ground troops. The light fire

team had expended ammunition and had lost all communications with the

ground assault elements. It was not known at this time whether the Special

Forces compound was still holding out after almost 18 hours of continuous

attack.

The 118th Aviation Company's flight surgeon in charge of the medical

aid station at Phuoc Vinh was at the communication center requesting Air

Force C/130 transports to evacuate over a hundred wounded ARVN solders

when a relayed radio came through from Dong Xoai. It was one of the

Americans in the Dong Xoai Special Forces compound. The massage was tragic

and heroic. It said I am using my last battery for my radio and there is

no more ammunition; we are all wounded, some of the more serious wounded

are holding grenades with safety pins already pulled. The Viet Cong are

attacking in human waves. The last wave has been defeated but we are

expecting the next wave now.

The commander of the 118th who was present and heard the radio

message stood up and said "I am going in". With that he went to the parked

helicopters. Five other officers followed him and enlisted crew members

just climbed into their seats and waited for take off.

Three Helicopters departed Phouc Vinh for Dong Xoai to evacuate the

brave solders who were holding out to the last grenades. When they were

about to close Dong Xoai, A message to all air units in the Dong Xoai area

came over the radio. Dong Xoai was declared to a free strike area and

everything that moved would be bombed and strafed. The three helicopters,

nevertheless, pressed on without hesitation. Such was the moral present in

the 118th Aviation Company. Had there been need for the entire company to

go to Dong Xoai, the company would have volunteered to the man.

The 118th Aviation Company's own organic helicopters again played a

vital role in the successful execution of the mission. The armed escort

contacted Air Force fighter bombers in the area and ask for their fire

support. While the Air Force made their bomb runs over the town the armed

escorts went in from the south with all guns firing. One quarter of a mile

south of Dong Xoai compound was a water crossing. The Viet Cong had

concealed in the area two French armored cars that were captured earlier

in the battle. The armed helicopters were able to discover these mobile

weapons platforms during their low reconnaissance by fire and engaged them

with rockets. Their accurate fire effectively rendered the armored cars

incapable of further combat. Had the .50 cal. machine guns on those

armored cars not been put out of action, they would have taken a serious

toll of the troop carriers as they approached Dong Xoai.

The three troop carriers now moved in from the south. They were fast

and low and their door gunners were firing at any trace of Viet Cong

activity in range. There was constant firing and marking of targets all

along the flight route into the soccer field at Dong Xoai. With complete

surprise they touched down in the soccer


Page 15

field outside the Special Forces compound. Hastily, the Viet Cong

organized an attack. The crews reported enemy standing up on the compound

walls and firing down at the helicopters not more then fifty feet away.

While the helicopters were being hit from all directions and the door

gunners firing at point targets at close range, a crew chief leaped from

the helicopter and exposed himself completely to the enemy fire. He fired

a full magazine from his M14 at the compound entrance, then with disregard

for his own safety, fought his way into the compound and brought out the

last defenders of the outpost. For this act of valor the crew chief was

awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. There were nine wounded Americans

and eight Vietnamese that were rescued from Dong Xoai that afternoon. They

were the last survivors of the original defenders of Dong Xoai.

At the debriefing held at Phuoc Vinh after the three helicopters had

returned, an interesting event came to everyone's attention. Within

seconds after the take off of the evacuation helicopters, the area where

they had landed exploded into mortar fire and it was raked with large

caliber machine gun fire in all quadrants. The fact that the helicopters

were able to successfully complete their mission can be attributed to the

element of surprise and the daring courage of the 118th helicopter crews.

The Viet Cong were evidently expecting a landing in the heart of Dong

Xoai. The extra seconds it took them to reposition their weapons to bear

down upon the helicopters that were making the evacuation allowed the

successful accomplishment of that daring mission. For their courage above

and beyond the call of duty, the three crews were decorated with one

Distinguished Service Cross, five Silver Stars, one Distinguished Flying

Cross and five Air Medals for heroism.

With the evacuation of the compound, the armed helicopters and Air

Force fighter bombers were free to make strike over the entire area. The

armed helicopters made strike after strike stopping only to rearm and

refuel. There was constant rain of fire from the sky in the whole area,

was the remark made by III Corps advisor in a 118th Aviation Company

command and control helicopter.

Late in the afternoon of 10 June 1965, the 52nd Ranger Battalion

arrived in Phuoc Vinh. Plans were immediately put into effect to take them

to Dong Xoai. Verbal orders were given to the aviation company commanders

while the crews made last minute checks on their helicopters prior to

becoming airborne. As the battalion-sized airmobile force neared Dong

Xoai, the final decision was to put the Rangers into the soccer field

where the successful evacuation was made a few hours before.

The 118th Aviation Company was again given the honor of leading the

combat assault. The flight route was the same as we used on the previous

evacuation mission. The helicopter slipped into the soccer field receiving

only scattered small arms as they landed. Once on the ground, however, the

Rangers were being shot down as they tried to move from the landing zone

to the compound and toward the center of town. The enemy, nevertheless,

must not have expected another daring assault that day and the air strikes

must have done their job well. The Viet Cong hastily prepared a defense

around the church in town witch had become their forward command post.

However, resistance was slowly put to an end, the compound was secured,

the town reoccupied. Dong Xoai was under control of the allied forces once

again when darkness came that day. The success of the last assault must be

attributed to the high degree of mobility and flexibility of our fighting

force, and the determination and willingness of our flight crews in their

helicopters.

The 118th Aviation Company returned to Bien Hoa after the lift of

52nd Ranger Battalion on 10 June 1965. The day of heavy fighting had

caused the loss of one entire helicopter crew and aircraft, plus almost

every helicopter having received bullet and shrapnel damage. Ten purple

hearts were awarded to members of the 118th Thunderbirds as a result of

this action.

During the night, more detailed intelligence of the enemy situation

was developed. The enemy had initially committed a full regiment of

regular troops with heavy supporting elements. Seven Viet Cong

anti-aircraft gun positions were destroyed by air in and around Dong Xoai.

Hundreds of mortar round from enemy mortars had destroyed practically

every fortification in the Special Forces Compound. But the devastation

air strikes and bombardments had caused the Viet Cong to suffer heavy

losses. During the day a second regiment with headquarters at the Thanh

Loi Plantation had to be committed for the attack on the compound. The

Viet Cong used human wave attacks on the compound was repeatedly beaten

back before the defenders were evacuated when their ammunition gave out.

However, even though the Viet Cong occupied all of Dong Xoai by late

afternoon 10 June 1965, it was not long before they were overwhelmed by

the allied forces. The arrival of the battle wise ARVN Ranger Battalion

was enough to break all organized resistance in the immediate vicinity of

the town.

The next morning 11 June 1965 118th Aviation Company was back in full

strength at Phouc Vinh. There was to be a battalion sized combat assault

with the 118th as the lead element. One hundred paratroopers of the 7th

airborne Battalion ARVN were lifted by the 118th into the soccer at Dong

Xoai. Although fire was expected by the aviation units, the armed escorts

flew low to draw fire from the enemy prior to the arrival of the troops

carrying helicopters, no enemy fire was received. The assault was

completed with the arrival of the remaining elements of the airmobile

battalion.

Large scale medical evacuation of ARVN casualties began immediately

after the air landing of the paratroopers on II June 1965. Hostilities

were coming to a halt in Dong Xoai except for isolated and rear guard


Page 16


 


action. The wounded were brought to the soccer field and loaded on

helicopters. There were almost no medical facilities at Dong Xoai all the

casualties were taken to Phuoc Vinh where the 118th Aviation Company

flight surgeon had set up a clearing station. The doctor had been working

for over forty hours with little rest when the mass evacuation of wounded

ARVN soldiers began. Helicopters continued to bring to Phuoc Vinh

seriously wounded and the medical personnel were overwhelmed with the

work. At one time there were over two hundred wounded awaiting treatment

at Phuoc Vinh. The medical personnel worked diligently and many soldiers

lives were saved.

On 12 June 1965, again staging from Phuoc Vinh, Republic of Vietnam,

the company lifted elements of the first battalion 48 Regiment ARVN. The

mission of the 1st Battalion was to reinforce the garrison already located

at Dong Xoai. The troop strength at Dong Xoai was approaching a thousand

and sufficient strength was present to secure the town.

Except for isolated snipers and enemy soldiers that were trapped in

the town itself, the maine body of the enemy had vanished. There was only

small units engagements on 12 June 1965. The 118th provided armed

helicopters support on a continuous basis to give fire support to the

ground forces. There was enemy fire but no casualties were sustained by

the flight crews. The armed helicopters also made an extensive

reconnaissance and search of the areas where the elements of the 1st

Battalion 7th Regiment were committed to battle on 10June 1965. They were

unable to detect any signs of the ARVN unit. The 118th thus prepared for

an assault on the following day.

After being in continuous operations for over 72 hours, the 118th

Aviation Company still provided the majority of the helicopters for the

assault on 13 June 1965. Despite the heavy casualties and excessive damage

to the helicopters, the morale of the company remained extremely high.

Many of the helicopters now carried volunteer gunners consisting of clerks

and cooks from the company.

The company went to Xuan Loc to pick up soldiers belonging to the

ARVN 43 Regiment. A hundred soldiers were lifted into a landing zone a

half mile north of the original assault area conducted on the first day of

the operation. From the landing area, the soldiers were to move through

the jungle and rubber trees to search for the troops that had disappeared

shortly after they were landed. During the conduct of the assault,

scattered small arms fire was received from the enemy hiding in the vast

Thanh Loi Plantation. The company did not sustain any damage to the

helicopters, nor any casualties. The enemy in this assault, turned out to

be the weather witch became to be a serious hazard to flight.

The lift of the 43 Regiment was conducted at night under minimum

lighting conditions. All during the daylight hours, fire teams searched

for the 7th Regiment soldiers. Finally the situation become too urgent not

to risk an air assault and ground search. The 118th was the only airmobile

company experienced in night assaults. The assault was accomplished

according to schedule. However due to the rapidly deteriorating weather on

the return flights, the pilots were unable to hold their formation and

helicopters were scattered all over "War Zone D". There was hidden

thunderstorms through out the area. Heavy rain reduced visibility to bare

minimum and winds gusting up to forty knots made any helicopter flying

extremely difficult. Only the high degree of training and professionalism

of the aviators prevented sure disaster and loss of crews and helicopters.

The flight returned to Bien Hoa individually with every helicopter

accounted for at 2330 hours. Many of the helicopters had but few minutes

of fuel remaining.

The Dong Xoai battle was to have a final chapter on 20 June 1965. On

that date the largest heliborne operation in the III Corps area was to

climax the closing of the battle. The 118th Aviation Company was again

chosen to lead the assault of seventy-seven troop carriers and forty armed

escorts. Staging for Hon Quan, the mission of the heliborne force was to

conduct combat assaults to the area north of Dong Xoai where

reconnaissance patrols and intelligence indicated a concentration of Viet

Cong forces in a rubber plantation it was believed that they were remnants

of the two enemy regiments that had attacked Dong Xoai. It appeared that

the enemy was now attempting to withdraw and break contact.

One thousand and eighty-nine paratroopers witch were the entire 3rd

and 8th ARVN Airborne Battalions, cream of the Vietnamese Army, were

landed by combat assault. Minor damages were sustained by a single

helicopter witch was caused by one enemy small arms bullet. There was no

other incidents of enemy resistance that day.

On 20 June 1965, the battle of Dong Xoai came to a close for the

118th Aviation Company.


 


Distinguished Unit Citation were awarded to the 145th C.A.B., 117th

AHC, 118th AHC, 120th AHC, 197th AHC, and Company A/501st Avn. BN. for

their actions between 10 June 1965 to 13 June 1965.


 


Page 17


 


At 0100 hours, 10 June 1965, the 118th AHC was directed by the III

Corps Tactical Operation Center to send its standby fire team immediately

to Dong Xoai. They were told that the Dong Xoai Special Forces Camp had

been under extreme heavy mortar and small arms fire since midnight. The

fire team approached the town at 0130 hours and started making firing

passes once they were in position over the town. They were engaged by the

Viet Cong as soon as they began firing and the tracers from their guns

kept the enemy gunners aware of their position. Without the slightest

hesitation, the two armed helicopters kept up a steady stream of fire to

silence the enemy guns surrounding the Special Forces compound. Not until

after they had expended all their ammunition, and the fire team leaders

helicopter was hit by ground fire and the pilot wounded, did the two

helicopters leave the battle area.

At the time that the light fire team was closing Bien Hoa, III Corps

had decided to reinforce Dong Xoai by helicopters at first light with

Vietnamese infantry. At 0430 hours, flight crews of the 118th Aviation

Company were on flight line preparing for the combat assault at day light.

The town of Dong Xoai is situated at the most important road junction

in the heart of War Zone D. The United States Special Forces has

established a fortified compound and numerous strong points at strategic

locations taking the entire area under their command. Many parts of the

fortifications were still under construction when the first mortar shells

awoke the defenders.

At 0600 hours, 10 June 1965, all flyable 118th Aviation Company

aircraft departed Bien Hoa for a combat assault on Dong Xoai. The morale

of the company was high. They had grown fond of the Special Forces over

three years in which the company has served in Viet Nam. Many members of

the Special Forces B Detachment at Dong Xoai were friends of the company.

Although the tactical situation was extremely confused at Dong Xoai and

only scattered intelligence as to the enemy's strength and positions had

reached III corps, the 118th was ready to do anything within their

capability to aid the garrison under attack.

Phuoc Vinh, the nearest fortified town to Dong Xoai, was the staging

area. Elements of the 1st Battalion 7th Regiment ARVN, were going to make

the first assault with the 118th Aviation Company. Due to the urgency of

the situation, there was little time to gather data on the enemy

situation. The landing zone for the first assault was an open field two

miles north of Dong Xoai and next to the road that led to the Thanh Loi

Plantation. In case more ground troops were needed, two more landing zones

were chosen at suitable strategic areas in the vicinity of Dong Xoai.

The formation of 118th helicopters begin to receive fire as they

began to descend east of Dong Xoai. On final approach into the first

landing zone more fire was received. The flight held suppressive fire as

it was not known at the time whether friendly troops were in the area.

Seconds before the flight touched down the lead helicopter reported what

appeared to be friendly civilians waving to them from the edge of the

landing zone. The flight leader at once gave the order to the crews to

hold their fire because they were friendly civilians in the area. As soon

as the ships landed and the troops started unloading the civilians dove

into concealed fox holes where they had their weapons hidden and

immediately engaged the helicopters. Due to the fact the whole flight of

helicopters were low on fuel and were able to become airborne and out of

the range of small arms very quickly, no major damage to the flight

element resulted. However,with the departure of the helicopters, the Viet

Cong directed their fire on the assault troops in the landing zone. The

enemy had utilized the lack of intelligence on the part of the allied

forces to their best advantage at the crucial moment by deceiving the

heliborne force.Once the troops were committed, they were ambushed. The

Viet Cong, from their well prepared positions, systematically cut down the

lead elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment. Later when the battle

was over, it was disclosed that the 1st Battalion ceased to be a fighting

unit twenty minutes after it was committed into the Viet Cong trap.

When the 118th Aviation Company returned to Phuoc Vinh for more

soldiers and fuel, they were informed that the Viet Cong had anticipated

heliborne reinforcements for the surrounded Special Forces Camp were

employing strong units with heavy weapons and they intended to occupy Dong

Xoai. It was also disclosed that all the friendly troops had been forced

to reposition themselves inside the main compound that had the best

defensive capability.

When the 118th helicopters, loaded with soldiers of the remaining

elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th ARVN departed Phuoc Vinh they set their

organic armed helicopter platoon ahead of the flight to conduct a

reconnaissance of the intended landing zone. The armed fire zones made

repeated passes over the air strip at the Thanh Loi Plantation for traces

of the enemy concentrations but were able to find no evidence of the Viet

Cong using the plantation to stag attack on Dong Xoai. The fact that the

enemy up until the battle of Dong Xoai, had never used a plantation openly

as a headquarters and staging area caused the flight elements to hold

their suppressive fire power again as the helicopters approached to land.


Page 14

As the 118th Aviation Company's formation of fourteen troop

helicopter approached the landing strip a heard of cattle appeared and

moved up the strip to the intended landing area. The lead helicopter made

a decision to land the troops short of the original intended area. The

decision saved many lives. No sooner had the skids of the first helicopter

touched ground when a tremendous explosion was seen and heard and felt.

The enemy had detonated a hugh claymore mine planted at the original

landing area. The explosion of the mine was a signal. Within seconds of

the explosion, reports of automatic weapons are came from all members of

the formation. The soldiers and helicopters were caught in a hail storm of

bullets and exploding mortar rounds. The enemy fire was coming from

everywhere. In the well kept and beautiful plantation mansions they were

firing from windows and roofs. Among the rubber trees fire from concealed

bunkers and fox holes. At once, the armed escorts of the 118th Aviation

Company charged in and fired everything they had on both sides of the

helicopters still unloading their troops. At the same time the door

gunners of the troops carries were burning up the barrels of their machine

guns to suppress the enemy fire. It was only a few seconds since the

formation of the helicopters had landed, and yet it was already eternity

for the helicopter crews and the ARVN solders on the ground. Scores of the

brave little Vietnamese solders were falling in front of the eyes of the

helicopter crews as they watched them leap from the aircraft and fall as

enemy bullets slammed into their bodies. The helicopters were also

receiving heavy damage in those seconds on the ground. One of the troops

carriers had a mortar round explode right outside the cockpit causing it

to roll over immediately on its side. A split second later it exploded in

a ball of fire. The entire crew was killed. The remaining helicopters were

taking off at this time. All guns were firing, but the enemy fire was not

decreasing in intensity. From roof tops, windows doorways and trenches,

enemy bullets ripped into helicopters, When at last the whole formation

was out of range of the enemy weapons, only one helicopter reported

negative damage.

The Viet Cong had planned the attack on Dong Xoai with superb care.

There was no question left in anyone's mind that further heliborne

assaults into available landing zones would mean annihilation to the

majority of the ground troops and at tremendous risk to the aviation

elements. The 118th Aviation Company commander, in temporary command of

the entire Army Aviation efforts in Dong Xoai at the time ordered the

remaining elements with troops aboard back to the staging area. The last

helicopters to land at Phou Vinh were two armed helicopters from the

118th. The fire team remained over the battle area to act as radio

communication relay and fire support for the ground troops. The light fire

team had expended ammunition and had lost all communications with the

ground assault elements. It was not known at this time whether the Special

Forces compound was still holding out after almost 18 hours of continuous

attack.

The 118th Aviation Company's flight surgeon in charge of the medical

aid station at Phuoc Vinh was at the communication center requesting Air

Force C/130 transports to evacuate over a hundred wounded ARVN solders

when a relayed radio came through from Dong Xoai. It was one of the

Americans in the Dong Xoai Special Forces compound. The massage was tragic

and heroic. It said I am using my last battery for my radio and there is

no more ammunition; we are all wounded, some of the more serious wounded

are holding grenades with safety pins already pulled. The Viet Cong are

attacking in human waves. The last wave has been defeated but we are

expecting the next wave now.

The commander of the 118th who was present and heard the radio

message stood up and said "I am going in". With that he went to the parked

helicopters. Five other officers followed him and enlisted crew members

just climbed into their seats and waited for take off.

Three Helicopters departed Phouc Vinh for Dong Xoai to evacuate the

brave solders who were holding out to the last grenades. When they were

about to close Dong Xoai, A message to all air units in the Dong Xoai area

came over the radio. Dong Xoai was declared to a free strike area and

everything that moved would be bombed and strafed. The three helicopters,

nevertheless, pressed on without hesitation. Such was the moral present in

the 118th Aviation Company. Had there been need for the entire company to

go to Dong Xoai, the company would have volunteered to the man.

The 118th Aviation Company's own organic helicopters again played a

vital role in the successful execution of the mission. The armed escort

contacted Air Force fighter bombers in the area and ask for their fire

support. While the Air Force made their bomb runs over the town the armed

escorts went in from the south with all guns firing. One quarter of a mile

south of Dong Xoai compound was a water crossing. The Viet Cong had

concealed in the area two French armored cars that were captured earlier

in the battle. The armed helicopters were able to discover these mobile

weapons platforms during their low reconnaissance by fire and engaged them

with rockets. Their accurate fire effectively rendered the armored cars

incapable of further combat. Had the .50 cal. machine guns on those

armored cars not been put out of action, they would have taken a serious

toll of the troop carriers as they approached Dong Xoai.

The three troop carriers now moved in from the south. They were fast

and low and their door gunners were firing at any trace of Viet Cong

activity in range. There was constant firing and marking of targets all

along the flight route into the soccer field at Dong Xoai. With complete

surprise they touched down in the soccer


Page 15

field outside the Special Forces compound. Hastily, the Viet Cong

organized an attack. The crews reported enemy standing up on the compound

walls and firing down at the helicopters not more then fifty feet away.

While the helicopters were being hit from all directions and the door

gunners firing at point targets at close range, a crew chief leaped from

the helicopter and exposed himself completely to the enemy fire. He fired

a full magazine from his M14 at the compound entrance, then with disregard

for his own safety, fought his way into the compound and brought out the

last defenders of the outpost. For this act of valor the crew chief was

awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. There were nine wounded Americans

and eight Vietnamese that were rescued from Dong Xoai that afternoon. They

were the last survivors of the original defenders of Dong Xoai.

At the debriefing held at Phuoc Vinh after the three helicopters had

returned, an interesting event came to everyone's attention. Within

seconds after the take off of the evacuation helicopters, the area where

they had landed exploded into mortar fire and it was raked with large

caliber machine gun fire in all quadrants. The fact that the helicopters

were able to successfully complete their mission can be attributed to the

element of surprise and the daring courage of the 118th helicopter crews.

The Viet Cong were evidently expecting a landing in the heart of Dong

Xoai. The extra seconds it took them to reposition their weapons to bear

down upon the helicopters that were making the evacuation allowed the

successful accomplishment of that daring mission. For their courage above

and beyond the call of duty, the three crews were decorated with one

Distinguished Service Cross, five Silver Stars, one Distinguished Flying

Cross and five Air Medals for heroism.

With the evacuation of the compound, the armed helicopters and Air

Force fighter bombers were free to make strike over the entire area. The

armed helicopters made strike after strike stopping only to rearm and

refuel. There was constant rain of fire from the sky in the whole area,

was the remark made by III Corps advisor in a 118th Aviation Company

command and control helicopter.

Late in the afternoon of 10 June 1965, the 52nd Ranger Battalion

arrived in Phuoc Vinh. Plans were immediately put into effect to take them

to Dong Xoai. Verbal orders were given to the aviation company commanders

while the crews made last minute checks on their helicopters prior to

becoming airborne. As the battalion-sized airmobile force neared Dong

Xoai, the final decision was to put the Rangers into the soccer field

where the successful evacuation was made a few hours before.

The 118th Aviation Company was again given the honor of leading the

combat assault. The flight route was the same as we used on the previous

evacuation mission. The helicopter slipped into the soccer field receiving

only scattered small arms as they landed. Once on the ground, however, the

Rangers were being shot down as they tried to move from the landing zone

to the compound and toward the center of town. The enemy, nevertheless,

must not have expected another daring assault that day and the air strikes

must have done their job well. The Viet Cong hastily prepared a defense

around the church in town witch had become their forward command post.

However, resistance was slowly put to an end, the compound was secured,

the town reoccupied. Dong Xoai was under control of the allied forces once

again when darkness came that day. The success of the last assault must be

attributed to the high degree of mobility and flexibility of our fighting

force, and the determination and willingness of our flight crews in their

helicopters.

The 118th Aviation Company returned to Bien Hoa after the lift of

52nd Ranger Battalion on 10 June 1965. The day of heavy fighting had

caused the loss of one entire helicopter crew and aircraft, plus almost

every helicopter having received bullet and shrapnel damage. Ten purple

hearts were awarded to members of the 118th Thunderbirds as a result of

this action.

During the night, more detailed intelligence of the enemy situation

was developed. The enemy had initially committed a full regiment of

regular troops with heavy supporting elements. Seven Viet Cong

anti-aircraft gun positions were destroyed by air in and around Dong Xoai.

Hundreds of mortar round from enemy mortars had destroyed practically

every fortification in the Special Forces Compound. But the devastation

air strikes and bombardments had caused the Viet Cong to suffer heavy

losses. During the day a second regiment with headquarters at the Thanh

Loi Plantation had to be committed for the attack on the compound. The

Viet Cong used human wave attacks on the compound was repeatedly beaten

back before the defenders were evacuated when their ammunition gave out.

However, even though the Viet Cong occupied all of Dong Xoai by late

afternoon 10 June 1965, it was not long before they were overwhelmed by

the allied forces. The arrival of the battle wise ARVN Ranger Battalion

was enough to break all organized resistance in the immediate vicinity of

the town.

The next morning 11 June 1965 118th Aviation Company was back in full

strength at Phouc Vinh. There was to be a battalion sized combat assault

with the 118th as the lead element. One hundred paratroopers of the 7th

airborne Battalion ARVN were lifted by the 118th into the soccer at Dong

Xoai. Although fire was expected by the aviation units, the armed escorts

flew low to draw fire from the enemy prior to the arrival of the troops

carrying helicopters, no enemy fire was received. The assault was

completed with the arrival of the remaining elements of the airmobile

battalion.

Large scale medical evacuation of ARVN casualties began immediately

after the air landing of the paratroopers on II June 1965. Hostilities

were coming to a halt in Dong Xoai except for isolated and rear guard


Page 16


 


action. The wounded were brought to the soccer field and loaded on

helicopters. There were almost no medical facilities at Dong Xoai all the

casualties were taken to Phuoc Vinh where the 118th Aviation Company

flight surgeon had set up a clearing station. The doctor had been working

for over forty hours with little rest when the mass evacuation of wounded

ARVN soldiers began. Helicopters continued to bring to Phuoc Vinh

seriously wounded and the medical personnel were overwhelmed with the

work. At one time there were over two hundred wounded awaiting treatment

at Phuoc Vinh. The medical personnel worked diligently and many soldiers

lives were saved.

On 12 June 1965, again staging from Phuoc Vinh, Republic of Vietnam,

the company lifted elements of the first battalion 48 Regiment ARVN. The

mission of the 1st Battalion was to reinforce the garrison already located

at Dong Xoai. The troop strength at Dong Xoai was approaching a thousand

and sufficient strength was present to secure the town.

Except for isolated snipers and enemy soldiers that were trapped in

the town itself, the maine body of the enemy had vanished. There was only

small units engagements on 12 June 1965. The 118th provided armed

helicopters support on a continuous basis to give fire support to the

ground forces. There was enemy fire but no casualties were sustained by

the flight crews. The armed helicopters also made an extensive

reconnaissance and search of the areas where the elements of the 1st

Battalion 7th Regiment were committed to battle on 10June 1965. They were

unable to detect any signs of the ARVN unit. The 118th thus prepared for

an assault on the following day.

After being in continuous operations for over 72 hours, the 118th

Aviation Company still provided the majority of the helicopters for the

assault on 13 June 1965. Despite the heavy casualties and excessive damage

to the helicopters, the morale of the company remained extremely high.

Many of the helicopters now carried volunteer gunners consisting of clerks

and cooks from the company.

The company went to Xuan Loc to pick up soldiers belonging to the

ARVN 43 Regiment. A hundred soldiers were lifted into a landing zone a

half mile north of the original assault area conducted on the first day of

the operation. From the landing area, the soldiers were to move through

the jungle and rubber trees to search for the troops that had disappeared

shortly after they were landed. During the conduct of the assault,

scattered small arms fire was received from the enemy hiding in the vast

Thanh Loi Plantation. The company did not sustain any damage to the

helicopters, nor any casualties. The enemy in this assault, turned out to

be the weather witch became to be a serious hazard to flight.

The lift of the 43 Regiment was conducted at night under minimum

lighting conditions. All during the daylight hours, fire teams searched

for the 7th Regiment soldiers. Finally the situation become too urgent not

to risk an air assault and ground search. The 118th was the only airmobile

company experienced in night assaults. The assault was accomplished

according to schedule. However due to the rapidly deteriorating weather on

the return flights, the pilots were unable to hold their formation and

helicopters were scattered all over "War Zone D". There was hidden

thunderstorms through out the area. Heavy rain reduced visibility to bare

minimum and winds gusting up to forty knots made any helicopter flying

extremely difficult. Only the high degree of training and professionalism

of the aviators prevented sure disaster and loss of crews and helicopters.

The flight returned to Bien Hoa individually with every helicopter

accounted for at 2330 hours. Many of the helicopters had but few minutes

of fuel remaining.

The Dong Xoai battle was to have a final chapter on 20 June 1965. On

that date the largest heliborne operation in the III Corps area was to

climax the closing of the battle. The 118th Aviation Company was again

chosen to lead the assault of seventy-seven troop carriers and forty armed

escorts. Staging for Hon Quan, the mission of the heliborne force was to

conduct combat assaults to the area north of Dong Xoai where

reconnaissance patrols and intelligence indicated a concentration of Viet

Cong forces in a rubber plantation it was believed that they were remnants

of the two enemy regiments that had attacked Dong Xoai. It appeared that

the enemy was now attempting to withdraw and break contact.

One thousand and eighty-nine paratroopers witch were the entire 3rd

and 8th ARVN Airborne Battalions, cream of the Vietnamese Army, were

landed by combat assault. Minor damages were sustained by a single

helicopter witch was caused by one enemy small arms bullet. There was no

other incidents of enemy resistance that day.

On 20 June 1965, the battle of Dong Xoai came to a close for the

118th Aviation Company.


 


Distinguished Unit Citation were awarded to the 145th C.A.B., 117th

AHC, 118th AHC, 120th AHC, 197th AHC, and Company A/501st Avn. BN. for

their actions between 10 June 1965 to 13 June 1965.


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