by Phil Ball
Also in regard to weapons, when you’re short on ammunition like we did—small arms ammunition, (?) M79s, which we make it a point to carry alot of and hand grenades. Of course the advantage here is that they can’t really tell where they’re coming from and this is what we did to them. We had a good strong line set up in case they tried to assault us. But we kept them down with 3.5s and M79s and grenades…
HM2 Emanuel D. Layos, Senior Corpsman with F/2/3
I was first notified that enemy troops were approaching our position during the early hours of May 28, 1968, approximately two o’clock in the morning. At that time I got in my fighting hole where I was to remain for most of the time.
Some time after three o’clock, as close as I can recall, the battle was at its biggest quantity—really got underway, and there commenced a series of explosions, some of which were RPGs, some of which were grenades from both sides and of course automatic weapons fire, basically from the (?) side. (?) to conserve on ammunition…
I was told from people from our LP that the western end of our position, a piece of high ground overlooking the main position, that they were firing at people on our LZ. And they were doing this with both American and foreign weapons, because they had been running low of American ammunition for their weapons and I think they had some malfunctions, so they were using any available weapons because of the good position above everyone else, they were able to accurately fire at the enemy on our LZ. As I said before there were many explosions of which I was told they were RPGs—rifle propelled grenades.
And eventually quite soon after the fighting really got thick, we called in artillery and 81s. Both of these were called in very close to our position. They were adjusted as close as they could possibly be called in. I feel this was very effective and I believe this was one of the most important factors in our defense. This of course is my opinion.
As I said also previously, I spent most of the time in my hole because there was quite a bit of shrapnel flying. The rounds could be heard coming very close over our heads from even our own rounds.
There was (?) when I had to render medical assistance and I did so (?) close to my hole. I either had the patients brought to me or I went to some. (?) The majority of medical assistance was (?) by my platoon corpsmen…
The First Platoon corpsman was cut off from the main body of troops when the First Platoon got overrun. He spent the night there with several patients. He kept them alive for many hours. I cannot say exactly how long. He kept them alive as long as he could. They were under siege. He told me that one of his patients gave a groan and the NVA troops heard it and they subsequently put a round through each of the patient’s heads and killed them and almost killed my First Platoon corpsman except the round just penetrated his helmet, and just grazed the right side of his face. He just narrowly escaped death. He spent the night out there and came in the next morning very shook up. His name is HN Frank Sarwicki. He did a very good job.
At some time in the morning—it was still dark, the First Platoon got overrun—(?), and dropped back and formed a hasty defense between the point where Third Platoon and First Platoon joined.
Some of the First Platoon were still out in their original positions. And then later it was found that some made their way down to Route 9.
During most of the fighting we were provided with artillery and illumination and there was, of course, a good deal of artillery and 81 mortars in support of us. This was, it seemed, almost constant.
At daybreak, approximately 5:30 the artillery was stopped and we received aerial support from what is known as “Puff the Magic Dragon.” (?) There was some close air support by jets. They dropped several high explosive bombs. And then one or two hours after the initial jets with bombs there was some very close air support in the form of two napalm bombs, one which landed what seemed to be the south side of the hill about the Third Platoon’s position, and the other one which seemed to land directly in the middle of the LZ which was the middle of First Platoon’s position. I believe these did quite a bit of good with the remaining NVA that were still in the First Platoon’s position. The napalm, however, caused a grass fire. Many of the people in the center of the position, maybe even most of the position—I can’t determine—had to withdraw down beneath the north side of the hill to escape the fire. In doing so, much of the 782 gear was left up there in their haste and it was burned beyond any use. Also, I might add, two of the KIAs which were received early in the morning were accidentally left on top of the hill and the fire charred their bodies. This is unfortunate, of course, but I think I can understand the men’s haste in returning down the hill with the rounds we were still taking and the fire—a rather hot fire. There was very little left… (?)
After the fire died down, everyone returned to their original position. There was, of course, a good deal more visibility and less cover.
There was a (?) more shooting—small arms and some automatic weapons firing, but there was less explosions of grenades as the morning got later … (?) …
After the medevacs were evaced [1400] Fox Company mounted out with the little gear that they had left and came down off the hill, leaving Echo Company to secure the hill and clean up.
Fox Company returned to what is referred to as a permanent patrol base near Bridge 35.
Appendix B: Awards, KIA, and Other Statistics of Foxtrot Ridge
Had I known how the citation award procedures worked in the Marine Corps, I could have written up Chico, Hillbilly, Lampkins, Don and others. Here are a few awards I know of:
I believe our commanding officer, 1st Lieutenant James Jones, Jr., received a Silver or Bronze Star, as did Gunnery Sergeant Larsen. Echo Company’s commanding officer, Captain William E. Russell, received a Navy cross medal for his role, in the days that followed.
Fox Company 13 KIAs from May 28, 1968:
On May 29, 0900, Companies E and F conducted thorough search of area where massive enemy attack occurred on May 28. Found 54 more NVA KIA, one .30-caliber heavy machine gun, eight AK-50s, 46 AK-47s, 14 AK-47 magazines, four SKS rifles, four AK-50 drums, four RPG launchers, seven RPG rounds, eight RPG rocket boosters, 15 Chi-Com grenades, approximately 2,000 rounds assorted small arms ammunition and miscellaneous 782 web gear, papers, and documents.
On May 31, 1968, one NVA POW was captured and taken to LZ Hawk. He claimed to be a member of the 302nd Regiment, 308th Division. This unit could very well be the same enemy force that hit us on Foxtrot Ridge, May 28, 1968.
F 2/3 Roster— May 1968, Foxtrot Ridge
Although some pseudonyms were used in the text to protect the privacy of certain individuals, only real names appear below. Not all these Marines were in the field on May 28, 1968.
Military History: Phil Ball
Phil Ball enlisted in the Marines on November 8, 1967, in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from basic training at the Marine Corps Depot, San Diego, California, on January 17, 1968, and completed his infantry training at Camp Pendleton, California, on March 8, 1968. While at Camp Pendleton, he qualified at the rifle range as an Expert with the M-14.
Before leaving for Vietnam on April 25, 1968, Ball received additional combat training with the 3rd Replacement Company, Staging Battalion, Camp Pendleton, in March and April. Upon arrival in Vietnam, he was assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. Ball served as a Combat Radio Operator in the northernmost regions of South Vietnam, frequently patrolling deep inside the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone).
While in Vietnam, Ball was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on July 1, 1968, and to Corporal on February 1, 1969. He participated in ten named Combat Operations, as follows:
Operation Scotland II, April 29, 1968, to June 19, 1968
Quan Huong Hoa and Quan Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Lancaster II, June 20, 1968, to June 23, 1968
Quan Huong Hoa and Quan Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Napoleon/
Saline, June 30, 1968, to July 1, 1968
Quan Huong Hoa and Quan Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Thor, July 1, 1968, to July 9, 1968
Quan Huong Hoa, Quan Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Returned to Operation Lancaster II, July 12, 1968, to August 18, 1968
Quan Huong Hoa and Quan Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Returned to Operation Lancaster II, September 1, 1968, to September 17, 1968
Quan Huong Hoa and Quan Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Trousedale North, September 18, 1968, to October 8, 1968
Western DMZ, RVN
Received frag wound in abdomen from enemy mortar, September 21, 1968
Returned to Operation Lancaster II, October 9, 1968, to October 22, 1968
Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Dragon, October 23, 1968, to December 28, 1968
Huong Hoa and Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Roa Vinh, November 13, 1968, to November 24, 1968
Huong Hoa and Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Kentucky, November 25, 1968, to December 28, 1968
Quang Tri Province, RVN
Returned to Operation Dragon, January 19, 1969, to February 27, 1969
Huong Hoa and Cam Lo districts, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Returned to Operation Kentucky, January 19, 1969
Operation Dewey Canyon–Ashau Valley, February 28, 1969, to March 5, 1969
Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Maine Crag, March 9, 1969, to May 3, 1969
Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Ball received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered on the DMZ during Operation Trousedale North, September 21, 1968. He was also awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, as well as the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Meritorious Unit Commendation with one bronze star, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars, the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross Colors), and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Ball left Vietnam on May 15, 1969, and received an Honorable Discharge on July 16, 1969.
List of Names and Terms
A-6 Intruder
After Action Reports Command Chronology
air observer
AK-47
“Alabama”
Armbruster, Robert A.
Armed Forces Radio
arrival in Vietnam
Arthur, Lawrence K.
ARVN
Ashau Valley
Atwood, Mike
AWOL
“’Bama”
“Barney”
Battalion CP
“blood dreams”
boot camp
Bravo Co. 1/12
Bridge #34
Bridge #35
Bru village
Buddhist faith
“Butterball”
C-4 plastic explosive
C-130 cargo plane
Ca Lu
Cam Lo
Cam Ranh Bay
Camp Carroll
Camp Pendleton
CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter
“Chick”
“Chico”
“Chief”
CIA
“Cincinnati Kid”
“Clark”
claymore mines
Co Roc
Combat Action Ribbon
Communists
Con Thien
conex box
“Cool”
cowboys
Crow’s Nest
Cua Viet River
Cutri, Mike
Da Nang
Da Nang Airport
Delta Co. 1/9
desertion
DMZ
“Doc”
Dog Patch
Dong Ha
draft
drug use
“dumb bombs”
Echo 2/3
“elbows and toes”
enemy base camps
engineers
entrenching tool
F-4 Phantom jet
“finger area”
1st Air Cavalry
flare ship
flashbacks
FNG (fucking new guy)
four-deuce mortars
Fox Co. 2/4
Fox Co. 2/3
Foxtrot Ridge
Franks, Gunnery Sgt.
freedom bird
Frick and Frack
friendly fire
Friends of the Wall
Gable, Clark
George
Gio Linh
Golf Co. 2/3
Goodwin, Rob
grunts
Hamburger Hill
Hamilton, Ray
Hanoi
Harmon, Bill
hazardous duty pay
heat stroke
Heavy Equipment Operator’s School
Highway #1
Hill 461
Hill 1015
“Hillbilly”
Ho Chi Minh
Holt, P.F.C.
honorable discharge
hospitalization
Hotel Co. 2/3
Huber, Randy
Hue
“Huey”
Huey gunship
Johnson, Lyndon
Jones, James
Kestler, Gary
Khe Sanh Combat Base
Khe Sanh Siege
Khe Sanh stew
“Killer”
Knight, Thomas
KSCB
Labonte, Gary
Lang Vei
Laos
Laotian border
Larsen, Ralph
Lattier, Kathy
LAWS
Layos, Emanuel D.
Leatherneck Square
lifers
listening post (LP)
Little John
Long Binh jail
L-shaped ambush
Luebbers, Ralph
LZ Hawk
LZ Stud
M-149
M-16
M-60
M-79
MAC-V (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam)
McNamara’s Line
Mai Loc
Malcolm X
Maxwell, P.F.C.
Meritorious Unit Citation
MIA
Military Occupation Status (MOS)
Monkey Mountain
montagnards
mortar pit, 60 MM
Mount Fuji
“Mouse”
MP station
Mutter’s Ridge
My Lai
napalm
Naval Support Activity
nightmares
Ninth Marines
Northern I Corps
North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
NVA
101st Airborne
Operations
pencil flares
Phy Bai
popular forces (PFs)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
POWs
Prick-25 (PRC-25) radio
Puff the Magic Dragon
Quang Tri
Quantico
R&R (Rest & Recreation)
racial prejudice
recruitment
refugee village
regional forces (RFs)
“Rocketman”
Rockpile
Rodriguez, Freddy
Rouge #558
Route #9
Route #1
Russell, William
“Sal”
Salcido, George
“Salient”
salts
Sarwicki, Frank
satchel charges
“Schoolboy”
Schuck, Donald Phillip
Schwarzkopf, Norman
Sea Knight helicopter
Sherill, P.F.C.
short-timers
“Shorty”
sick call
“Silk and Satin”
“Skipper”
sleepwalking
Smith, Mike
“Snake”
Sniper, Golf 2/3
South China Sea
Special Forces camp
“Spooks”
starlight scope
Stubbe, Ray
Stuerenberg, Richie
Task Force Hotel
Tet Offensive
“Tex”
Third Medical Battalion
Tiger beer
tiger cub
12-gauge shotgun
UFOs
unauthorized absence
Viet Cong
Walking Dead (9th Marines)
walking point
Weaver, P.F.C.
Wetzel, Drill Instructor
winter rainy season
“Wop”
World War II
wounded in battle (author)
Yerman, Drill Instructor
Yokohama
