 "THE INITIAL ASSAULT"*
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Date: 14th November 1965*
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Time: 10:10 *
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Mission type: Training with the game mechanism*
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NVA Units/Formations present on map: 16/6 *
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Map size: Huge (160 x 200)*
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Visibility: 10*
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Turns: 17*
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Lt. Col Hal Moore's After Action Report :*
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B. THE INITIAL ASSAULT: *
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Due to last minute positioning of the artillery pieces 
caused by air movement delays, the preparatory fires did not begin 
until 1017 hours. I was, in the lead aircraft and had a good view 
of these fires. They were precisely where required, and beautifully 
timed with the landing of lead elements of the assault company. Fires 
were concentrated principally around the landing zone, in the trees 
and high grass, and on a finger and in a draw leading down from the 
high ground northwest of X-RAY. The aerial artillery came in on the 
heels of the tube artillery fires and worked over the area for 30 seconds 
expending half their loads - then went into a nearby air orbit 
on call. The lift battalion gun ships took up the fires and were 
immediately ahead of the UH-lD’s. As we came in for the assault land- 
ing all door gunners fired into the trees and high grass. We landed 
and ran from the landing zone into the trees firing our M-16's at 
likely enemy positions. My command group consisted of myself, the 
Battalion Sergeant Major, the Battalion S-2, my two radio operators, 
and a Vietnamese national, sent down by Brigade, Mr. Nik - a Montagnard 
who could speak good English. In my command chopper orbitting between 
Plei Me and over the IA DRANG Valley ware my S-3, Artillery Liaison 
Officer, and Liaison Officer from the helicopter lift company, and my 
Forward Air Controller. I had placed them there during the assault 
for best execution of their duties, for a communications relay, and 
for an air OP. On the ground we received no enemy fire and made no 
contact upon landing. The terrain was flat and consisted of scrub 
trees up to 100 feet high; thick elephant grass varying in height from 
one foot to five feet; and ant hills throughout the area up to eight 
feet high with thick brush and elephant grass on and around them. 
Along the western edge of the LZ, the trees and grass were especially 
thick and extended off into the jungle: on the foothills of the moun- 
tain. Photographs of the area are at Tab D and E. These photos were 
taken several days after the action ended hence the area is less 
foliated than on 14 November when we went in. The 16 UH-1D’s returned 
to the Plei Me area to pick up the remainder of Company B and a port- 
ion of the next company to be brought in - Company C. Thus began the 
process of shuttling the battalion into the area of operations. The 
time of the assault was precisely 1048 hours.*
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C. SECURING OF THE LANDING ZONE AND INITIAL CONTACT: *
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(1) In compliance with my instructions, the B Company  
Commander secured the landing zone by having one of his platoon lead- 
ers dispatch his squads into different areas, 50 to 100 meters off 
the landing zone to reconnoiter, while he retained the balance of his 
company concealed in a clump of trees and high grass near the center 
of the LZ area as an offensive striking force. At approximately 1120 
hours, one of the recon squads took a prisoner. I immediately took 
my S-2 and the Vietnamese, Mr. Nik, and went to the location and ques- 
tioned him. He was unarmed, dressed in dirty khaki shirt and trousers 
with a serial number on one of the shirt epaulets, and carried an empty 
canteen. He stated that he had eaten only bananas for five days, and 
that there were three battalions on the mountain above us who wanted 
very much to kill Americana but had been unable to find them. He 
stated that he was in the North Vietnamese Army. *
