Garamillo, Eldon, SP4

ATTACK ON FSB BURT (SOUI CUT), 13 KM EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BO TUC (ON ROUTE 246), NIGHT OF 01-02JAN1968

POSTED ON 6.3.2018
POSTED BY: [email protected]
New Year's Day Battle of 1968

On the night of January 1-2, 1968, the 2-22 Infantry (Mechanized), 3-22 Infantry, and the 2-77 Artillery for 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry, were involved in a massive human wave attack by four battalions of North Vietnam Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) at Fire Support Base Burt in Tay Ninh Province, RVN. After skirmishes the previous day suggested a significant enemy build up near the base, enemy 60mm mortars began falling inside of the base perimeter at 11:30 PM on January 1st. Approximately 200 rounds total would fall on the base. The main force of the attack began at one minute after midnight, beginning on the northern portion of the perimeter. Almost simultaneously, a heavy attack of rocket-propelled grenades (RPG’s), machine guns, and small arms opened up on the southern portion of the base. Within minutes, the eastern perimeter was also attacked by a large force with RPG’s, machine guns, small arms, and grenades, as they attempted to penetrate the company perimeter. The VC continued to cover their attack with 60mm mortar fire. All US personnel not occupying listening posts or ambushes defended from sandbagged bunkers. Between 1:00 AM to 2:30 AM, 105mm “beehive” anti-personnel rounds were requested and fired along Company C perimeter to blunt the frontal assault occurring there. Fierce close-in fighting continued until approximately 5:00 AM, when the VC began to withdraw, leaving behind their dead and wounded. By 6:30, the fighting had nearly stopped, with only occasional sniper and some automatic weapons fire. The Americans were victorious in repulsing the attack. Over 400 NVA and VC were killed with U.S. losses at 23 killed and 153 wounded. The lost Americans included PFC Ronnie E. Ballard, 2LT John W. Beckett, SP4 Thomas G. Bernardy, SGT Robert E. Bowman, PFC Houston C. Box Jr., SP4 Robert L. Campbell, SGT Kenneth B. Carpenter, SP4 Ennis E. Crow, SSG Fred C. DuBose III, SP4 Eldon Garamillo, SGT James J. Lind, SP4 James W. McCaffrey, PFC Jack W. Miller, PFC Willie Petty Jr., PFC Samuel Rivera-Fernandez, PFC Ralph L. Rotter, SGT Anderson L. Ruderson, SP4 David R. Smith, PFC Odell Stokes Jr., CPL Abel C. Stroud III, PFC Victor D. Tomczyk, CPL Alton L. Watkins Jr., and CPL Bobby J. Winkler. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and vietnamtripledeuce.org]