Comments on: 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry in the Battle of Hoa Hoi http://www.historynet.com/1st-battalion-12th-cavalry-in-the-battle-of-hoa-hoi.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1st-battalion-12th-cavalry-in-the-battle-of-hoa-hoi From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:36:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Jerry Dolloff http://www.historynet.com/1st-battalion-12th-cavalry-in-the-battle-of-hoa-hoi.htm#comment-779113 Jerry Dolloff Sat, 08 Oct 2011 20:49:56 +0000 #comment-779113 Isn't it great the way the "official" version lays out certain things. I was with B Co, 1/12th. Our M-60 gunner, Stephens and his assitant, Jim Main, shot a Water Buffalo that tyhe NVA tried to use as a screen, later, VC civilians were sent the same way and shared the fate of the Water Buffalo. I know...I buried them..... Isn't it great the way the "official" version lays out certain things. I was with B Co, 1/12th. Our M-60 gunner, Stephens and his assitant, Jim Main, shot a Water Buffalo that tyhe NVA tried to use as a screen, later, VC civilians were sent the same way and shared the fate of the Water Buffalo. I know…I buried them…..

]]> By: Terry Foote, C, 1/12 http://www.historynet.com/1st-battalion-12th-cavalry-in-the-battle-of-hoa-hoi.htm#comment-365083 Terry Foote, C, 1/12 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:58:06 +0000 #comment-365083 This was my babtism of fire having arrived in August. It seems distant to me for who knows what reasons. I remember patroling through the rice paddies. I saw my first dead NVA while moving through the village. I do remember hitting the dirt in a hurry when they opened up on second squad. I volunteered myself and I believe his name was Eddie Harris to move up on the end of the company line to help stop them from getting away. As we were setting up SSgt Grant came down to our position and told us to move back to the 2nd squad positions. I have the feeling he did it because he didn't think I realized the seriousness of the entire situation (which I can say to this day he was correct). It never really hit me until I saw the dead bodies then I realized the position I had volunteered to man would have most certainly been over run. I thank SSgt Grant to this day for understanding my train of thought. This was my babtism of fire having arrived in August. It seems distant to me for who knows what reasons. I remember patroling through the rice paddies. I saw my first dead NVA while moving through the village. I do remember hitting the dirt in a hurry when they opened up on second squad.

I volunteered myself and I believe his name was Eddie Harris to move up on the end of the company line to help stop them from getting away. As we were setting up SSgt Grant came down to our position and told us to move back to the 2nd squad positions. I have the feeling he did it because he didn't think I realized the seriousness of the entire situation (which I can say to this day he was correct).

It never really hit me until I saw the dead bodies then I realized the position I had volunteered to man would have most certainly been over run. I thank SSgt Grant to this day for understanding my train of thought.

]]> By: Philip T. Lewis http://www.historynet.com/1st-battalion-12th-cavalry-in-the-battle-of-hoa-hoi.htm#comment-317722 Philip T. Lewis Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:12:10 +0000 #comment-317722 I was the A team platoon leader that day in October 66. We were told to take the day off and kick back for a change. The call came in to saddle up. We were on line. The point unit took out a 50 caliber machine gun and killed some off its crew. I called Col. Mcllwain telling him this can’t be a platoon with a 50 cal and then the s___ hit the fan. Sgt Brown’s platoon was on the left flank and was drawn away by a scout chopper that was directing him; he lost two men. The village was shaped like an hour glass. I was with one squad at the stem between the two villages stopping the NVA from moving between the two villages, killing all that tried. My two squads were on line. On my right pinned down by many NVA machine gunners in prepared bunkers, we could not break out. The Col and his choppers made many passes all morning, refueling several times, telling us to mark with smoke to no avail. What saved our three squads was a mistake by our radio man. He threw CS gas; he had run out of smoke. The wind was blowing in from the ocean. The NVA broke; they ran in front of my squad and started setting up their machine guns, at least 75 or more. Col. Mclwain’s chopper hovered above, firing all machine guns. We were firing; we fired every round we had. We killed them all and withdrew. Brown was surrounded by 5 NVA machine gunners. Col. Mcllwain, the bravest man I have ever known, crashed his chopper on two NVA, killing them with his skids. The door gunners killed two more and the fifth NVA machine gunner fired at the chopper from behind. Pat, the chopper pilot, kicked the chopper around killing the NVA with his tail rotor. We were relieved and withdrew. We returned a day or two later. The dead NVA were stacked up like cordwood. A dozer was digging a hole to bury them in the ground. No band played, no prayers were said; not a fit cemetery for any solider. My name is Philip Lewis not Robert Lewis, and I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was the A team platoon leader that day in October 66. We were told to take the day off and kick back for a change. The call came in to saddle up. We were on line. The point unit took out a 50 caliber machine gun and killed some off its crew. I called Col. Mcllwain telling him this can’t be a platoon with a 50 cal and then the s___ hit the fan.

Sgt Brown’s platoon was on the left flank and was drawn away by a scout chopper that was directing him; he lost two men.

The village was shaped like an hour glass. I was with one squad at the stem between the two villages stopping the NVA from moving between the two villages, killing all that tried. My two squads were on line. On my right pinned down by many NVA machine gunners in prepared bunkers, we could not break out. The Col and his choppers made many passes all morning, refueling several times, telling us to mark with smoke to no avail. What saved our three squads was a mistake by our radio man. He threw CS gas; he had run out of smoke. The wind was blowing in from the ocean. The NVA broke; they ran in front of my squad and started setting up their machine guns, at least 75 or more.
Col. Mclwain’s chopper hovered above, firing all machine guns. We were firing; we fired every round we had. We killed them all and withdrew. Brown was surrounded by 5 NVA machine gunners. Col. Mcllwain, the bravest man I have ever known, crashed his chopper on two NVA, killing them with his skids. The door gunners killed two more and the fifth NVA machine gunner fired at the chopper from behind. Pat, the chopper pilot, kicked the chopper around killing the NVA with his tail rotor.
We were relieved and withdrew. We returned a day or two later. The dead NVA were stacked up like cordwood. A dozer was digging a hole to bury them in the ground. No band played, no prayers were said; not a fit cemetery for any solider. My name is Philip Lewis not Robert Lewis, and I remember that day like it was yesterday.

]]> By: PLA's First Heli-Assault Battalion BattleGroup. http://www.historynet.com/1st-battalion-12th-cavalry-in-the-battle-of-hoa-hoi.htm#comment-151475 PLA's First Heli-Assault Battalion BattleGroup. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:28:56 +0000 #comment-151475 [...] was a hell of a lot bigger than a platoon. It was time to bring in the rest of the battalion. 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry in the Battle of Hoa Hoi HistoryNet quote from page 2. The US used flying command posts that let the battalion commander get over the [...] [...] was a hell of a lot bigger than a platoon. It was time to bring in the rest of the battalion. 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry in the Battle of Hoa Hoi HistoryNet quote from page 2. The US used flying command posts that let the battalion commander get over the [...]

]]> By: larry d whitman C 1/12 abn http://www.historynet.com/1st-battalion-12th-cavalry-in-the-battle-of-hoa-hoi.htm#comment-46871 larry d whitman C 1/12 abn Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:01:17 +0000 #comment-46871 I remember the night, the flares lit the sky, the shells crashed into the ground, after what seemed like an eternity we left the trench that divided the village, and made our way through a village of craters. Along the way we collected the villagers that emerged from their bomb shelters, and the enemy that was also shell shocked. A night of pounding by shells left the place looking like a desolate moon scape. Charlie Company 1/12 survived another battle. Larry D Whitman I remember the night, the flares lit the sky, the shells crashed
into the ground, after what seemed like an eternity we left
the trench that divided the village, and made our way through
a village of craters. Along the way we collected the villagers that
emerged from their bomb shelters, and the enemy that was also
shell shocked. A night of pounding by shells left the place looking
like a desolate moon scape. Charlie Company 1/12 survived another battle.

Larry D Whitman

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