SUNDAY, MAY 12, 1968
Beginning at 3:30 AM, the battalion field CP was hit with 23 rounds of 75mm
recoilless-rifle fire; there were no casualties.

The brigade commander argued with higher headquarters to lay in air strikes
that morning in the vicinity of the Y-Bridge.  The day was spent "mopping up"
in the area of the previous day's contacts, making sporadic contact with
small groups of VC.  At 8:30 AM, A/3-39th found 20 VC bodies, plus an RPG
launcher, several AK-47s and AK-50s, and web gear.
    At 10:50 AM, B/3-39th came under sniper fire from a nippa palm area.
"The company attacked the area," noted a brigade-level after-action report,
"engaging and killing 5 VC and capturing 1 AK-47.  The company continued to
search the area.  At [4:30 PM] . . . [B/3-39th] engaged a VC platoon[,]
killing 15 VC."
    A/3-39th reported 4 US WIA, and B/3-39th reported 1 US WIA.
    At 5:15 PM, a gunship supporting B/3-39th put a rocket into a house from
which sniper fire had been received.  There was a large secondary explosion.
    During this "mop up," the attached mech company (B/2-47th Mech) took a
short U.S. artillery round at 5:45 PM, which killed two men and wounded a
half-dozen.  The mech troops thought the artillery fire had been called in by
the 3-39th, but records are unclear on the matter.  "After cease fire was
called," noted the brigade log, "data was found to be correct on guns.
[Accident believed] to be caused by cooling of tubes."

The Recon Platoon of E/3-39th also made contact.  SP4 Richard F. Grubb, a
radioman, won the Bronze Star:  "When his platoon became held down by intense
enemy fire, Specialist Grubb was occupying a security position on the roof of
a nearby building.  He immediately located the hostile positions, reported
their location and, at great risk to himself, placed effective fire upon
them."  SP4 Walter L. Hall, a grenadier in the Recon Platoon, also won the
Bronze Star for firing an M79 round "through a window 200 meters away,
effectively silencing the enemy fire from that location."

Most of the contacts petered out by dusk, but A/3-39th remained in contact
until after 8 PM.  SSG Long, a platoon sergeant in A/3-39th, earned the
Silver Star:  "While clearing the enemy from a vital stretch of houses, his
platoon came under intense machine gun fire and sustained many casualties. .
. . Sergeant Long courageously assaulted the nearest machine gun bunker with
grenade and rifle fire, completely neutralizing it."

SSG Duane P. Taylor, a squad leader in A/3-39th, won the Bronze Star:
"Observing that several of his men were having difficulty in repairing a
damaged machine gun, Sergeant Taylor courageously ran across an open rice
paddy under intense small arms fire to reach the friendly position and repair
the weapon."

PFC David M. Gunderson, a rifleman in A/3-39th, won the Bronze Star for
"assault[ing] a machine gun position which had immobilized his platoon.
Although wounded in the process, Private Gunderson took up a position from
which he could place a[n] accurate volume of suppresive fire on the enemy
positions for the remainder of his platoon to maneuver."

PFC Willo T. Naramore, a rifleman in A/3-39th, earned the Bronze Star:  "When
his platoon became pinned down by intense hostile fire, Private Naramore left
his covered position and charged the nearest enemy bunker, eliminating it
with hand grenades. . . . Private Naramore moved from bunker to bunker,
firing his M-16 rifle and throwing grenades."

C/3-39th also made contact, reporting 1 US KIA (SP4 Jaime A. Rivera-Lopez)
and 2 US WIA..  SSG Rivera, a platoon sergeant in C/3-39th, won the Bronze
Star:  "Seeing his point man fall wounded from automatic weapons fire,
Sergeant Rivera courageously attempted to reach the casualty's position.
While moving forward, Sergeant Rivera rallied his platoon into a position
from which it could engage and eliminate the automatic weapons emplacement."
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