Saber Article Index
2018 Mar-apr
I received a phone call from Bob Tortolani in reference to his
diary about a Valorous Unit Award citation for A Co. 15th MED, 11-12
Aug 69, which I had mentioned in the Saber previously. Bob was 1-7 Cav
Battalion Surgeon ‘68-’69 and finished his Vietnam tour of duty in 1969 at A
Co. 15th MED in Tay Ninh.
I called him back to clarify what he had
mentioned to me. Bob read from his diary, that after returning from a
leave in Japan, things got very busy at A 15th MED August 8-16, 1969. He
said that it got very depressing seeing all the casualties.
When he first
called, Bob read that on August 15th there were a lot of casualties from
Jamie. I said that my battalion, 2-7 Cav, was on LZ Jamie, which surprised
him because he didn’t know that. I said off the top of my head that I
thought my company, C 2-7 Cav-was working down by the river then, Song
Saigon-and I didn’t remember any notable activity or enemy movements.
Later in the day I remembered that C 2-7 was on Jamie once when it got
hit. My platoon was on the NE corner sector, and the attack seemed to
be concentrated on the corner in the next platoon’s sector. That was at
night, and our RTO said that Ligons was killed.
I then looked up on
the C 2-7 website on the Memorial page which lists those KIA in Vietnam
http://www.charlie2-7.org/memorial.html and found: Raymond Ligons, 2nd
Platoon, KIA 8/15/69, Panel 19W, 46. So, that did confirm that C 2-7
Cav was doing base security at the time. I don’t recall anything else
happening after that, which seemed to be a brief period of flashes. Bob
had read from his diary that Jamie had a sapper attack. That would
explain why my platoon’s sector was seeing no activity. And, that the NVA
sappers were probably concentrating their attack trying to get to the
artillery.
The National Archives e-mailed complimentary copies of the
Daily Staff Journals to me for 2-7 Cav and 15th MED for August 15th
and I see that the attack happened at 0325 listing the SW portion of the
LZ taking small arms fire with bunker 15 taking a direct hit with a
B-40 (RPG). Other B-40s (09 listed) and Chicom grenades being thrown
by seven NVA thirty feet in front of bunker 14 and were returned with
artillery, 81mm mortars, small arms and frags. It says Blue Max (ARA
Cobras) arrived and expended.
Results were 07 NVA KIA, 01 US KIA, 10
US WIA, 02 KCS (Kit Carson Scouts) WIA. 04 US were MEDEVACed at 0350
listing all by name and line numbers, but I do not see any of them on
the C 2-7 website. The Daily Journal wouldn’t just make them up.
Something doesn’t jibe. More to research.
The 15th MED Daily Journal does
not mention MEDEVAC to LZ Jamie. I have to consider their journal not
helpful for this information. At 0920 2-7 Cav Bn. Aid requested
MEDEVAC for 04 individuals, three from C Co. and one from A 1-30. Names
and line numbers are given, but again I do not see them on the C 2-7
website. It also mentions that E 2-7 was using a lot of radar effectively,
adding 05 NVA KIA at 0650. At 0810 A 1-9 Cav saw one NVA S of LZ and
killed the same.
I did find one website <http://www.honorstates.org/index.php?do=q&-
date=08-15-1969> that lists all KIA on 15 Aug 69 in RVN. As well as
Raymond Ligons, I found two artillerymen, Frank Charles Armijo, and
Chester Leon Goins, who are listed as 1st Cavalry Division, 1st
Battalion, 30th Artillery, Battery A. I also found on the 1-30 Hard
Chargers’ website that those Troopers were KIA on LZ Jamie, as I
suspected.
Bob read that Jamie was mortared later. I do remember a
day, if not later, on the 15th and then on the 16th, that the LZ took
incoming. I had no memory or diary to know when that happened;
probably then, but it all just blurs together. While doing this
research I read that LZ Becky, about fifteen clicks northwest of Jamie
and closer to the border, was badly attacked on 12 Aug 69. The attack
was termed by a gunship pilot as “the most intense stand-off attack on
a firebase I’ve seen since the Cav moved to War Zone C.†Some four
hundred enemy mortar and rocket rounds repeatedly riveted holes in the
surface of the LZ, as the enemy battalion launched a ground attack from
the north. 2-8 Cav was on LZ Becky and A 1-30 Artillery again suffered.
All casualties were MEDEVACed to A 15th MED in Tay Ninh. All this is why
Bob and staff were so busy and shared in the Valorous Unit Award citation
for 15th Medical Battalion mentioned.
Bob was very “short†at the time.
He read from his diary that all previous DEROS drops were suspended
because of the activity. Tay Ninh itself was expecting an NVA attack. He
read that he left Tay Ninh on the 19th. He said no notations on the 20th.
Bob said he plans to attend his first 1st Cavalry Division Association
Reunion in West Virginia. You can talk to him there if all attend.
I also
received a phone call from Ron Rousseau. He called to mention PFC Frank
David Garrett being added to the 15th MED Bn Assn Memorial Wall. Ron said
that he and Frank David Garrett served together in the 11th MED which was
in the 11th Air Assault Test Division which became the 15th Medical
Battalion when the 11th Air Assault Test Division and the 2nd Infantry
Division became the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and deployed to
Vietnam.
Ron said he was with Frank David Garrett on 28 Oct 65 when he
was killed in an accident. They were picking up a water blivet, which is
quite heavy and bulky when filled. They had it on a mule or US Army M274
Truck which is a small flatbed transporter. Ron stepped inside a building
and didn’t see what happened. When he came out, the bladder had rolled
over on Frank David Garrett impaling him to the mule. The water blivet
was not properly secured.
Ron says they would not let him see the body
because it was so badly mauled. Ron says that he was a proud Combat Medic
and had been in 2-8 Cav. He said that he also was chosen to serve as
General Kinnard’s orderly. His phone number is: (480)203-1289. He gives
ronsilvereagle617@gmail.com as his e-mail.
Ron was just ready to return
to Vietnam to revisit when I returned his call. If you can get ahold of
him he will have a lot to talk about. He did anyway.
I was notified of
the death of MEDEVAC Medic SP5 Kenneth R. Flowers, AKA “Doc Noseâ€. He is
listed on the 15th MED website page “FINAL DEROSâ€
<https://15thmedbnassociation.org/final-deros>. I see many other names I did
not know about.
FIRST TEAM!
Garryowen,
Mike
Bodnar C 2\7 '69
MEDEVAC 1-7\70
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE