Comanche Home
     History Main     Reunions     Guest Book     Stories     Search

1965     1966     1967     1968     1969     1970     1971     1972

January 1971     March 1971     April 1971    May 1971     June 1971
     July 1971     August 1971     September 1971     October 1971     November 1971     December 1971


Summary February 1971

Except for a three day stand-down in Bien Hoa, the company operated out of FSB Sandra near Tan Linh in Binh Tuy Province northeast of Saigon.


February 1

Charlie Company flew from the field by Huey to secure Fire Support Base Sandra.   Battalion Headquarters moved to FSB Sandra with the mission of locating and destroying elements of the Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 33rd North Vietnamese Regiment.  1LT Romeo Trevino joined the company as the 2nd Platoon Leader.  (Sources:  Battalion Newsletter February 1971 and Romeo Trevino)

Return to Top of Page


February 3

A low-approaching Chinook set off  trip flares which in turn started a fire.  After bringing in the Claymores, 2nd Platoon went out the fight the fire.  1LT Trevino saw one Claymore was left, but when he went to remove the fuse, the fire detonated, sending him sailing.  Except for a sore knee, he was unhurt.  (Source:  Romeo Trevino)

Return to Top of Page


February 7

During a normal airmobile combat assault, Charlie Company lost PFC Johnny Mack Tinney.   He was killed, and three others injured, when the Huey they were in suffered a mechanical failure as the helicopter was coming into a single ship LZ.  The loss of the tail rotor caused the bird to hit a tree eighty feet above the ground.  Others who saw the wreck believe Johnny Mack was killed by a tree limb as the helicopter fell to the ground.  (Sources: Bob Moore, 2/5 Cav Operations Report for Period 1 Nov 70 - 30 April 71 dtd 29 April 1971, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.)

Return to Top of Page


February 8

The company went back to the field via UH-1H Hueys from FSB Sandra to conduct normal search and destroy operations in a free fire zone.  (Source:  Romeo Trevino)

Return to Top of Page


February 20

After leaving the field on slicks to the Tan Linh Air field, the company boarded Air Force Caribou twin-engine fixed wing aircraft and flew to Bien Hoa for a three day stand down. (Source:  Romeo Trevino)

Return to Top of Page


February 23

It was back to the field. After a flight on Caribou aircraft to Tan Linh, the company boarded Chinooks and flew to FSB Sandra, then by Hueys to the field for search and destroy.  The company landed in a large grassy area with the mission of clearing the valley floor and a stream.  While LT Al Vaxmonski's 1st Platoon had the left flank, LT Trevino's 2nd Platoon had responsibility for the stream and the right flank.  The sweep was not productive, and as evening approached, each platoon began to set up its night defensive positions.  One of 2nd Platoon's sentries spotted two Viet Cong drawing water and retrieving traps from the stream.  The VC fled up the steep stream bank, and LT Trevino organized a squad sized element to pursue them, keeping the main part of the platoon back in the NDP.  CPT Connelly held the pursuit squad in position until 1st Platoon pulled its defensive claymores.  The squad then crossed the stream and deployed along both sides  the hard-packed trail until they came to an abandoned campsite.  After clearing the site and setting up a perimeter,  the squad found woven baskets, small animal traps, a rice sifter, fish traps, and two hammocks.  They brought the items back to the night-time forward operating base.  All but the hammocks were turned over to the S2 the following day.  The hammocks were kept by the troopers as they were compact and easy to set up.  (Source:  Romeo Trevino)

Return to Top of Page


February 24

Mike Combs is awarded his second Army Commendation Medal per 1st Cavalry Division General Order 3580

Return to Top of Page


February - Exact Date Unknown

Movin' Out!  This shot was probably taken somewhere in the vicinity of FSB Sandra in Binh Tuy Province.

 

Comanche_Moving_Out_1971_McBride.jpg (19569 bytes)
Click on Photo to See Larger Version

Courtesy Gerhard McBride


Comanche Home     History Main     Reunions     Guest Book     Stories     Search

1965     1966     1967     1968     1969     1970     1971     1972

January 1971     March 1971     April 1971    May 1971     June 1971
     July 1971     August 1971     September 1971     October 1971     November 1971     December 1971

Updated October 29, 2009