The Battle of the 506 Valley
December 17, 1966
Roy Benson, Commanding Officer
B Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry (Airborne)
During the day of December 17th, 1966, B Company had been assigned a search mission in the southwestern part of the Crow’s Foot mountain complex southwest of Landing Zone Pony. Sometime around 1338 hours of that day, I got a call over the radio from the Battalion S3 Operations Officer, Major Leon Bieri, to get off the mountain as quickly as possible and move to an area that was conducive to being picked up by choppers for movement to an area about 4 kilometers’ south of LZ Pony in the 506th Valley. The company literally slid down the mountain side and moved to a cleared area at the base of the Crow’s foot and informed “Sideshow 3" (radio call sign for the Battalion Operations Officer) that we were deployed on an LZ ready for pickup. It was around 1642 hours when our lead elements lifted off from the Pickup Zone and began the airmobile assault by flying some 22-25 kilometers’ to the new LZ. We initially flew northeast along the river past LZ Bird and when we reached the junction of the 506 valley close to LZ Pony we made a sharp turn south. At this juncture in the flight, you could look out of the door of the in-flight choppers and see tracers, rockets, as well as smoke and knew at that moment where we were headed. The lead elements of B Company touched down to the north of the battle area (see map below) just when it was beginning to get dark. The LZ appeared to be a small rice paddy area available next to some palm trees, shrubbery, and village buildings. I was informed that we would make a hot (hostile) LZ landing just to the north of an area where elements of our C Company had taken a beating by a large NVA unit. When Lt. Joe Anderson (XO at the time) and I landed in one of the first choppers, we were receiving sniper fire in a rather constricted area that did not permit the landing of the entire company in one felt swoop. So, we go out some flash lights and began to guide in the remainder of the company that had to land in a modified trail. It was the beginning of what would not be a fun night.
Once we got the entire company on the ground it was dark and probably the best decision I made that night was for the all of the platoons to take off the heavy rucksacks and leave them near the LZ to be guarded by a rifle squad along with a medic. I did not want to engage in a night attack burdened down by all that weight. We could hear gunfire to the east and south of us and by that time I got a movement order from the Battalion S3 (Leon Bieri) to attack south in an effort to break though the NVA and reach a beat up group from C Company. At the time, I wasn’t aware of it, but Leon Bieri (the Battalion S3) was on the ground with the remnants of C Company and was seriously wounded.
We organized the Company for the attack in what I would refer to as a box formation (two platoons forward and two platoons trailing) for balanced firepower to both the front and sides for 360 degree security. Our movements towards the surrounded remnants of C Company and the Battalion S3, Leon Bieri, that night were guided by radio contact from the Battalion S3. He could hear our firing at the enemy and would give me instructions on which way to go verbally
over the radio. His initial radio calls sounded normal, but as time passed, I could hear his voice becoming weaker and weaker. I can’t recall from memory exactly how long it took us to finally get to the location where the Battalion S3 and the wounded of C Company were huddled up in a defense, but the official battalion Daily Staff Journal indicates that we reached the location of the Battalion S3 (Leon Bieri) and the 1st Platoon of C company around 2130 hours. I can assure you that it seemed a heck of a lot longer that it actually took.
One of the “interesting” incidents that occurred during the drive to the position where the Battalion S3 was guiding me was the dealing with NVA snipers. We were getting harassing sniper fire from positions in palm trees all throughout the area as we drove southward. We were fortunate to have some “starlight scopes” with us which allowed us to see during the darkness. With the starlight scopes we were are able to notice some snipers in the palm trees and when this happened we would knock them out of the trees with our rifle fire. Immediately after knocking one of the NVA snipers out of a palm tree, another NVA would shimmy up to replace the other, and we would wait till he got in position and then knock that NVA out of the tree. Obviously, they had no idea that we had this capability of seeing at night, and they must have assumed that we got a lucky shot. I don’t recall how many NVA snipers we knocked out of palm trees that night, but it was quite a few.
When we finally linked up around 2130 hours with the wounded of Company C and the Battalion S3 (Leon Bieri), it was an absolute mess. Leon Bieri was seriously wounded from automatic AKA fire from an NVA and was weak from loss of blood and a long afternoon and night. Lt. Joe Anderson, the Company XO and I requested medical evacuation choppers and because of enemy fire and several small probing counterattacks, we had a hard time getting them into our position due to enemy ground fire. After several attempts, we finally had success and we were able to get most of the injured out on the choppers for evacuation. I personally helped load Leon Bieri onto a medical evacuation chopper and was sad to see a good friend so badly wounded. He never returned to the battalion and was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions that day and night.
At first light the next morning, LTC George Eggers, the Battalion Commanding Officer, got together with some of us company commanders and worked out a plan to airlift a couple of rifle companies into blocking position astride the Crows foot mountains in order to prevent the NVA force from escaping back into the mountains just to our west. It was a long day and unfortunately we didn’t have much luck in encountering any escaping enemy.
Webmasters Note: There were four Distinguished Service Crosses awarded to members of the 1/12th Cavalry for their actions on December 17, 1966:
Leon Bieri, HHC
Sherman Fuller, Company A
Roger Hattersley, Company D
Alton Kennedy, HHC
Note: If I incorrectly recalled or misrepresented the events related to this incident, please contact me at
homeat4331-giantbird6@yahoo.com or the webmaster at webmaster@12thcav.us and corrections will be made.