The Ambush

  ... we both saw him take a hit and found out later he was struck 3 times, once in the head and twice in the chest...

Contributed by Frank Reyes, Combat Engineer

My name is Frank Reyes; I was assigned to Charlie Co.14th Combat Engineers on October 17, 1970. The day started off pretty much like any other. We had formation at 05:45am at which time each platoon was given its assignments for the day. 1st platoon was given point as usual. After breakfast, SSG Tom Scott and I took off about an hour prior to the rest of the company. Tom and I were the point men. We had been walking point for the last 7 months and everybody let us. I guess because we both like walking point. We had just passed checkpoint #7 when Tom mentioned that something was wrong. I asked what was bugging him and he said, “Look out in the rice paddies.” “There is no one out there.” That was not normal because there were always people from the village working in the rice paddies or kids playing. There was not anyone to be found. SSG Scott made a situation report to our TOC (tactical operation center) to let our new company commander Capt. Raymond Morse knows what was going on. We couldn't get a hold of him for whatever reason and so we stopped at checkpoint #10 to wait for the rest of the company.

We knew that 1st platoon was in the lead position and that the heavy equipment guys from the 59th land clearing were right behind them, the dozers, the graders, the bucket loaders and then the 5 tons. Tom and I were sitting in this culvert because we both had this bad feeling that something was really wrong. SSG Tom Scott first spotted a couple of guys who were doing the mine sweeping and then we both saw the lead jeep with Sp/4 John Zager and a Sergeant whose name I don't recall at this time, come around checkpoint #8. That's when all hell broke loose.

We both saw him take a hit and found out later he was struck 3 times, once in the head and twice in the chest. He died instantly. The Sergeant was hit twice in the chest, but survived mainly because he was wearing his flax jacket. The dozer directly behind the jeep hit a land mine and Norman Crane was blown off his dozer. He landed about 20 feet away and took some shrapnel over 70% of his lower body. We could hear over our PRC 25 that the rear guard was being hit. The enemy had ambushed the rear of our convoy and had taken out the last two 5 tons to block any method of our escape. They had us boxed in good.

We could hear Sp/4 Shirley Koskela from 2nd platoon over his PRC 25 radio screaming that we were being hit and hit hard. He was also screaming that our primary medic had jumped off the back of a 5-ton and landed on a land mine. He was going to run up front to render aid to our wounded. We later learned that he did survive his wounds. At this time we could see SSG Turner and SSG Matthew's screaming at the rest of the company to get the hell off the trucks and set up into a defensive position to start repelling enemy fire.

We could also see guys coming forward to render assistance, but the firepower that was coming from the enemy was over powering at this time. We had RPG's, mortars, and AK fire coming from both sides of the road. SSG Scott told me that we needed to get down there and help out. Just then we heard SSG Turner scream at us to stay down because they had us pinned down pretty good, which was true, because every time we started to get up, we took heavy fire. We couldn't move. Then we saw Sp/4 J.J. Quinn get up and start running toward us. He took a hit to the chest and was dead before he hit the ground. We could still hear the SP/4 Koskela over his radio, informing our tact center of what was happening on Barbara Road. We knew that they were still taking a tremendous amount of heat from the enemy. As it turned out, SP/4 S. Koskela had the only working PRC 25 radio that was in communication with FSB Nancy.

We learned later that Lt. Gribble and Sgt. Bruce Kennedy were pinned down by heavy enemy fire while trying to direct the rest of the company to dismount all the vehicles and start repelling enemy fire. A squad of Dusters with quad 50's showed up from who knows where to also help repel the enemy fire. By the time SSG Scott and I made our way down Barbara road, we decided to go behind checkpoint #10. Everything was pretty much over by then and we were in the process of cleaning up. Our secondary Medic Sp/4 Mark Tuggle was busy as hell. He was pretty shaken up because he and Hoppy had been real close friends. Our X.O. Lt. Gribble started getting our people out and on E-Vac choppers to the nearest MASH, which was the 18th MASH in Quang Tri. At this time 1st Sgt. Smith and Lt. Gribble told SSG Scott and myself to bag and tag all of our dead so we could take them home for a proper burial. By the time all this was done, we had 2 KIA's.

SSG Turner told Sp/5 Tony Eschuk to dig a hole with his bucket loader so we could dump all the dead NVA bodies into it. He released the 1/39th Artillery and sent the rest of the company back to FSB Nancy. He held our platoon back to police up all the dead. Sp/5 Eschuk had to dig 3 holes so we could bury all the dead off to the side of the road next to checkpoint # 7 through #10. After we got back to FSB Nancy we got cleaned up and ready to go to the TOC for debriefing.

This is when we learned who we lost and who was wounded. The debriefing consisted of who was where and what was done wrong. At that time we were informed that key personnel were considered for certain commendations and a few medals. SSG. Turner, SSG Matthews, for there leadership while under heavy enemy fire. Sp/4 Shirley Koskela for remaining in constant communication and rendering aid while under heavy enemy fire. Lt. Gribble for his leadership.