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Arthur Watson - NOTES FROM THE VIRTUAL WALL

The 20 January 1969 operations summary sent by the III MAF Combat Operations
Center contains the following entry:

"201045H [10:45 am, 20 Jan]: A and B [Companies] 4/21st Infantry in attempts to
make contact with the NVA battalion reported in the area 11 kilometers north of
Quang Ngai City received heavy small arms and automatic weapons fire from an
unknown size enemy force in and around a village. The infantrymen cordoned the
village and employed organic weapons. The contact continued until 1500H [3:00
pm] with the enemy still using S/A, mortars, and RPG fire. Shortly after, the
infantry dropped back and called artillery and air strikes with C Company arriving to
supplement the cordon just before dark. Illumination and artillery fire was kept up
all night and a sweep scheduled for first light. 3 NVA are known killed with 2 US KIA
and 16 WIA (evacuated)."

Subsequent reports advise that the enemy force "is well entrenched in the village
and is not inclined to sneak away." Additional forces were deployed around the
village and by nightfall on 23 Jan there were 26 known enemy dead with two US
infantrymen killed and 26 wounded and evacuated. At about noon on 24 Jan the
4/21st infantrymen entered the village proper, receiving only sporadic fire. Further
sweeps around the village on 25 Jan uncovered additional NVA dead, while US
casualties were limited to a single wounded soldier. At sundown on 25 Jan the toll
stood at 46 NVA and 2 US dead, with 28 US wounded severely enough to require
evacuation. The two US dead, both from the initial 20 January contact, were

x SGT Robert W. Smith, Lake Cormorant, MS, and
x SP4 Arthur Watson, New York, NY.

Section III 176