Southern Cross information
for 198 BDE 23 INF
1/52 INF 23 INF
For date 700102
198 BDE 23 INF was a US Army unit
1/52 INF 23 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Ngai Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, LZ STINSON
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Bold NVA Sappers Scatter" by 198th IO.
Quang Ngai City - Division soldiers of the 198th Inf. Bde. proved to be stunning hosts when the forward firebase of its 1-52nd Inf., eight miles northwest of Quang Ngai City, had midnight guests recently. SP4 David J. Marks (Tuscon, Ariz.), a B Co., rifleman first spotted the visitors from an estimated platoon of NVA sappers entering the outside perimeter barbed wire in front of a bunker on his right. Quickly alerting the other guards on the bunker line, SP4 Marks and other members of B Co.'s 2nd Platoon released a barrage of small arms fire that forced the enemy to retreat. An hour later the sappers made another probe of the perimeter and found the infantrymen ready for them. Small arms fire supported by artillery, 4.2 inch and 81mm mortars broke the silence that had engulfed the base - LZ Stinson - after the enemy's first attempt. "It gave the men confidence hearing that their battalion commander, LTC, Arthur E. Brown (Savannah, Ga.) personally adjusted the artillery that was coming in from LZ Dottie (six miles northeast)," said SSG John E. Garcia (Long Beach Calif.), a platoon sergeant with the 1-52nd Inf. "And the firepower displayed was really impressive." At daylight, the 3rd Platoon made a sweep of the sides of the hill on which LZ Stinson is perched. The platoon first found a dead sapper in the perimeters barbed wire, and then followed 10 to 15 scattered blood trails downhill to the point where they converged, thought to be a spot where the NVA had set up a temporary aid station. "Here we found two more NVA - these had been killed by a mortar." said SSG John W. Sausville (Bennington, Vt.), a platoon sergeant. "Both bodies had had bandages applied by someone who knew what they were doing." In addition to 15 blood soaked bandages, the infantrymen found an AK-47, a 9mm pistol, four Chicom grenades and various NVA uniform shirts and caps.
Photo Caption - This infantryman has learned that it takes patience and strength to "hump" triple canopy jungle. The soldier is from the 5-46th 198th Bde. and what is on his face is not a frown but a grimace of determination. (Photo By SP4 D.K. Williams, Americal IO)
Photo Caption - Four men of the division's 1-52nd Inf. 198th Bde. watch their own private air show as a pair of Phantom jets drop their ordnance on a well dug-in NVA bunker near a firebase northwest of Quang Ngai.(U.S. Army Photo)
Photo Caption - Auto-Get 'Em
This Division trooper keeps his finger on the trigger during tense moments in a sweep. Fording a river leaves the men vulnerable. (Photo By PFC James Small, 523d Sig. Bn.)
The source for this information was 7001_340.SCR supplied by Les Hines (Southern Cross newspaper from 23rd Inf Div)
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Last updated
12/26/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023