C 2/5 Cav February 1969

Summary February 1969

The month began with the company on LZ Rita (which sat astride Route 244, about 1.3 kilometers south of the Parrot's Beak area of the Cambodian border), and ended with the company moving south into the northern area of IV Corps at LZ Terry. (Source: Tactical Journal of 1SG Richard Soloway.)

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February 18

1LT A. Michael Patacca joined C 2/5 Cav as the 1^st Platoon Leader, after having done his "on the job training" with Company A.

(Source: Mike Patacca. Note: The Morning Report lists him as arriving in the company April 30th from Headquarters Company. Such inaccuracies were not uncommon. Most new officers were entered on the Headquarters Company Morning report, then "transferred" to the line companies later.)

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Courtesy Mike Patacca,
taken Nov 1969

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February 18

During normal day reconnaissance, 1^st Platoon spotted two NVA soldiers on a trail south of the company's perimeter. Later that evening, 2^nd Platoon spotted more NVA coming down the trail from the north on bicycles, and engaged them with small arms. Artillery was also called in. A short recon by 2^nd Platoon found four bicycles. (Source: Tactical Journal of 1SG Richard Soloway)

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February 19

At approximately 9:10 AM, 3^rd Platoon came under heavy automatic weapons fire from the west, and the rest of the company moved to assist them. Cobra gunships were called in the hit the area, and an air strike shortly thereafter. About 10:30, 1^st and 2^nd Platoons moved into the contact area and found one dead NVA soldier with his AK47 rifle, along with pictures and other papers. These were sent in to the Battalion S2. (Source: Tactical Journal of 1SG Richard Soloway)

Webmaster Note: Mike Patacca had just been assigned as the 1^st Platoon Leader on February 18^th. Both Mike and Jay Phillips, who served as the 1^st Squad Leader, 1^st Platoon, recall that contrary to "Top" Soloway's journal, it was actually 1^st Platoon involved in the action. At the time, Jay was still a Fire Team Leader in 1^st Squad. Jay had served with C 2/5 Cav in 1967-68, then after a hiatus at Cam Ranh Bay, rejoined the company. He had been back for a month when this action took place.)

1^stPlatoon was assigned a reconnaissance mission, while the remainder of the company stayed in the area of the previous night's position. One fire team of 1^st Squad was on point, while Jay Phillip's fire team was next in line. The undergrowth in the area was passable, and the platoon moved parallel to and 20 meters or so from a trail that went through the company position. They had gone only about 100 meters when the point man found a blue wire. (Webmaster note: Blue wire was used by the NVA for both ground communication and as a trip wire for booby traps.) As per good tactics, the platoon halted while a team went forward to cut the wire.

PFC Charles Foulks Jr. was in the fire team that was on point - about two places in front of Jay Phillips. Like everyone else, he looked for a place to sit, and found a three-foot tall anthill to rest against. It was just at the edge of the trail. Within a minute or so, there was a long burst of automatic weapons fire - either an AK-47 or an RPD machinegun - and Charles was seen slumped over. While the lead fire team provided cover, Jay Phillips and the 1^stPlatoon medic, Claude "Doc" Luke (from Flint, Michigan) moved forward. Jay writes in an email:

"He had taken six or seven rounds in the head and upper torso, with one round cleanly through the neck. He did not speak. Although 1SG Soloway's journal says we took "heavy automatic weapons fire", that is not what I recall and no one was hit except for Charles by the ambusher's fire.

After the medic had a quick look, he and I carried Charles back down the trail for a short distance, where two or three additional troops aided us in carrying him to the clearing, secured by the rest of the company. Once at the clearing, I held Charles' head while the medics continued to work, although probably fruitlessly. I remember that I became angry that it seemed to be taking so long to get a DustOff bird in, and either the 1st Sergeant or one of the Platoon Sergeants told me to calm down. I think Charles was dead before the chopper arrived.

Later, when we moved back through the area of the ambush, I remember that we identified a vacant "blind" in a tree near the trail as the likely spot from which the fire had come. The narrative on the site indicates that gunships and an air strike were called in and that we later found one dead NVA with weapon. I don't recall any of that, but I think second platoon actually had point when the move re-commenced, so perhaps they found the NVA.

I did not know Charles well, as I had only been with the Platoon a short time, but I remember him as something of a "country" boy, with a very laid-back friendly demeanor. I'm sure he didn't realize he was placing himself in mortal danger by resting near the trail we were trying to avoid walking down.

(Sources: Mike Patacca, Jay Phillips, and Jim O'Malley)

An email from Jim O'Malley, the 1/6 RTO at the time, who also knew Charles:

I believe Charles came to Tall Comanche on the same day as I did in mid October 1968. He had a very sick parent so he went back to the States on leave for a long time. My recollection was that he had only rejoined us about a week earlier, so that, along with his quiet nature, left most of us not knowing him too well. I also thought he came from Arkansas.

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February 23

The NVA hit LZ Rita with mortars and B-40 rockets at 1:45 AM. Comanche suffered two wounded, SP4 Moore and SP4 Kenneth Tatham. Tatham wass hit seriously enough that he is Medevac'd out at 2:30 AM and transported to the 24^th Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh. (Source: Tactical Journal of 1SG Richard Soloway and DA Form 1 dtd 14 June 1969)

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February 25

C 2/5 moved by helicopter from LZ Rita to LZ Jake at approximately 4 PM. (Source: Tactical Journal of 1SG Richard Soloway)

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February 26

As part of the 1st Cav's Navajo Warhorse area of operation, Comanche moved from LZ Jake to Cu Chi, then on to LZ Terry, near the Angel's Wing. While at Cu Chi, James "Tree" Machin had time to have his picture taken.

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Courtesy James Machin

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February Exact Date Unknown

Members of 3-6 (Third Platoon) taken at LZ Rita, near the Cambodian border:
Back row from left: Alton Wilcox, David "Gomer" Carpenter, "Kentucky", and Domingo Tellis

Front row from left: Unidentified, "Doc" Bovie, Charles.
Anyone knowing the names of the unidentified troopers, please contact the Webmaster.

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Courtesy Richard Bovie

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February Exact Date Unknown

1^stSquad, 1^st Platoon
Standing Left to Right: Jay Phillips, Danny Hyatt, Bob Stanko, Joe Brinsko, Glenn ??, Mike Ruhter, Bob Hrncirik

Seated Left to Right: Kenny Wilmoth, Andy Tridento, Jim O'Malley

Anyone knowing the full identity of those partially named, please contact the Webmaster.

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Courtesy Bob Hrncirik

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February - Exact Date Unknown

This scenic garden spot was LZ Rita. It was west of Quan Loi in Binh Long Province, and very near the Cambodian border. Comanche was on Rita during two different periods, the first starting January 28^th and leaving February 3^rd, then again from February 21^st and leaving February 25^th. (Source: Tactical Journal of 1SG Richard Soloway)

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Courtesy Richard Bovie

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