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James W. McCarter, Jr., to replace Phillips, but enemy fire killed him before he
reached Golf Company. During the confused, hand-to-hand combat some of the
North Vietnamese fought their way within grenade range of the battalion command
post in the center of the position.

In the command post, although wounded by a grenade, Sergeant Paul H. Foster, a
member of the fire support coordination center, continued to direct mortar and
artillery fire upon the enemy. Another grenade landed among a group of six
Marines. Sergeant Foster threw his flak jacket over the grenade and jumped on top
of the jacket. The grenade blast mortally wounded him, but this action saved his
fellow Marines. Before the melee ended, the North Vietnamese killed or wounded
the entire forward air control team. The enemy also killed the battalion medical
chief, and wounded the fire support coordinator, headquarters commandant, and
battalion sergeant major.

Lieutenant Colonel Hammond moved what was left of his command group to a
better location within Hotel Company's position. He ordered Fox Company to move
to Golf Company's right flank and counterattack to push the NVA forces out of the
perimeter. Illumination and automatic weapons fire from "Puff," the AC-47
requested at the beginning of the fight and which arrived about 0330, aided the
counterattack. By 0430, the enemy began retreating out of the position, pursued by
Echo Company.

The next morning the 2nd Battalion reconsolidated and evacuated casualties. There
were twenty-one dead (18 from 2/4 Marines) and two dozen or more wounded. The
NVA lost at least 24 killed. That afternoon, Lieutenant General Cushman and Major
General Hochmuth visited the bridge site. They granted a request from Lieutenant
Colonel Hammond that the new bridge be named "Bastard's Bridge" to honor the 18
Marines of the 2nd Battalion who gave their lives in its defense. At 1400,
Hammond's battalion turned over the bridge to Lieutenant Colonel Needham's 3rd
Battalion, 3rd Marines and then moved to Dong Ha where it assumed the mission of
regimental reserve after 42 days of close combat.

The men killed in action at Bastard's Bridge were

x H Btry, 3rd Bn, 12th Marines
o 1stLt William F. Mullins, Short Hills, NJ
o Sgt Paul H. Foster, San Francisco, CA (Medal of Honor)
o Pfc Robert J. Araujo, New York, NY

x G Co, 2nd Bn, 4th Marines
o Capt Jack W. Phillips, Mission, KS (Silver Star)
o 1stLt Charles Yaghoobian, Pawtucket, RI
o 2ndLt Eric C. Egge, Hopkins, MN
o LCpl John P. Avery, Elizabethton, TN

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