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Summary - September 1971

To be written

September - Exact Date Unknown

CPT Adolf Carlson assumed command from CPT Vic Aliffi at FSB Mace.  From one of Dolf's email messages:

Vic Aliffi had left me a fine, well trained leadership cadre within the company.  The First Sergeant was 1SG Howe, who commanded respect and took no crap from anyone, and who was always reliable in making sure that the troops were fed and resupplied on time, and always got their mail.  I also remember the supply sergeant, SSG Murphy, who had been a Marine during a former enlistment and called me “Skipper,” which I took as a great compliment.  The platoon leaders were 1LTs Tom Thomas, Jim Ratliff, and John McCorkle, three brave and capable young Americans.

(Webmaster's Note:  Dolf Carlson was the last commanding officer of C 2/5 Cav in Vietnam.  His remembrances, The Last Days, are in the Stories section.)

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September - Exact Date Unknown

The company is given the mission of finding an enemy headquarters in a location called "The Elbow" by searching the area with platoon-sized patrols.  As the company moved towards the point where the platoon would move in separate directions, the supporting artillery unit was to fire CS (tear gas) rounds in an effort to force the enemy out of any fortifications.  Two factors almost proved disastrous:  the company was not equipped with gas masks, and the firing battery used the wrong firing table, causing the CS rounds to air burst directly overhead.  This send 118 men in 118 different directions.  Fortunately, good leadership brought everyone back together before night fall.  

The next morning. CPT Carlson put the platoons on line, and the company moved north to find the enemy headquarters.  As luck would have it, there was a light rain that masked the sound of their movement.  After moving approximately 450 meters, the lead point element (including CPT Carlson) walked up on an enemy group of five or six enemy personnel sitting at a picnic table.  Immediately, PFC Cristoo Tedtaotao opened fire with his M-60 machinegun, killing one enemy soldier, and scattering the others.  In short order, the rest of C Company maneuvered through the area, killing the rest of the enemy soldiers, and capturing a large amount of documents, medical supplies, and Vietnamese money.  They also destroyed approximately six bunkers.

The medical supplies were unusual in that there were antibiotics, vitamins, and herbal medicines.  (Source: Kuzriel Mier)  But, the Vietnamese money (known as piasters) amounted to about 1.3 million piasters, and was in 500 piaster notes.  Though some of that money found its way into the pockets of C Company soldiers, once LTC Bieri told everyone it was actually extorted from the local population by the Viet Cong, the money was returned.  It probably will never be known if it was "VC taxes" or payroll for the enemy troops.  (Sources: Dolf Carlson and Kuzriel Mier)

SP5 Medic Donald Hewitt Click on Photo to See Larger Version Courtesy Kuzriel Meir

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Updated July 23, 2007