Apparently, the NVA had used expert sappers who had been able to sneak up and put a hand grenade in each of those positions, killing everyone inside. One of the casualties was Lieutenant Johnson. The injuries suffered by the two wounded soldiers were minor, and they did not have to be evacuated. Our good defensive setup, the proper use of artillery, the excellent performance of the gunships and the actions of Lee Morrow that night were the key reasons we survived the attack. Our intelligence later learned the attacking force consisted of elements of two enemy battalions.

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When it was light we had a chance to assess the enemy losses more thoroughly, and I made a helicopter reconnaissance to survey the battlefield from the air. There were about two dozen dead enemy soldiers within several yards of our bunkers. They obviously had been killed by our troops. They had gotten so close you couldn't miss. There were many others farther out that the artillery and gunships had accounted for. The division and brigade commanders visited and praised my troops for the job they had done.

Lee Morrow, modest to a fault, accepted little credit for our success. I knew that he was the glue that had held the defense together, moving about the perimeter, exposing himself to enemy fire, and doing those things that I had little time for after the initial attack. Issuing orders and receiving reports from two companies, reporting to brigade headquarters, and coordinating artillery and gunships was as much as I could handle. At one point, when I had a momentary problem with a radio to brigade headquarters, Morrow filled in for me and kept things going without missing a beat. In effect, he was my deputy commander during the fight, and without his calm presence, things might have turned out differently. Although I have not seen or heard from him since those days back in 1969, my admiration for this brave soldier knows no bounds. Lee Morrow is the best captain I have ever known.

This article was written by Lt. Col. John Mann, U.S. Army (ret.) and was originally published in the October 1996 issue of Vietnam magazine.

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