SP4 JOEL JOHNSON

At approximately 1730 on 6 February, I was at the new camp with SGT Allen when we started drawing artillery fire from Co Roc. It stopped and we went back to the old camp with the Laotians. At 2400 hours 6 February the new camp started taking artillery rounds. They took between 40-50 rounds in all. At 0030 hours 7 February the tanks were sighted by SFT Charles Lindewald with many ground troops behind them, an hour and a half later, planes arrived without rockets: he also called the Marines at Khe Sanh for artillery support. At the old camp we received only sporadic small arms fire. During this time 2 tanks had maneuvered into the drop zone below our camp. When I spotted them, I asked SGT Ashley to give me 50 men and a 3.5, and I would knock those tanks out. He said, "okay, ask the Laotian commander". When I asked him he said, "too many NVA, cannot do anything till morning". Meanwhile, unimpeded, the tanks pounded the front of the camp.

Spooky was also sent out with only a few flares. When the jets finally arrived, the first bomb they dropped was on our old camp. The adjusted from there. At 0420 hours we lost radio contact with the new camp. From our camp we directed the air strikes on the new camp. At first light we went to the Laotian commander and asked for men to go to the new camp. He said "okay", but it took one hour to get those people moving. As we left the gate, we ran into some CIDG and MSF that # & E's from the new camp. We took them with our element. I was with both Ashley and Allen when we reached the front gate of the new camp. We spread the men out and went up the hill. There were dead NVA with weapons and equipment all along the hill. There were many satchel charges laying [sic] on bunkers and all over the ground. When we reached the top, we saw some men waving to us from two bunkers. I told them to raise their hands and come out but they just kept waving us forward. I told everyone to get down then they started firing. The Laotians left me pinned down up there by two machineguns and some small arms. Then a mortar round went off next to me and blew me behind some cover. I called Allen on the other flank also by himself to pull back. We did so. SGT Ashley called in air. We assaulted the hill twice more but the people wouldn't move or even flank the bunkers. We pulled back again to the gate and called in air. Then from out of the bush came SSG Tiroch and SFC Craig.

We assaulted once more with Allen and Tiroch on one flank and Craig and myself on the other. But the people (ours) wouldn't fire. We met with the same result again when we reached the bunkers with the machine guns in them. This time we got the people to return fire. SGT Ashley called back to the old camp for a 57 recoilless rifle. I showed the gunner where the two bunkers were, but when he fired it was high and missed the whole camp. I then took the 57, had a man load for me and put th [illegible] in each bunker. One man came running, but SSG Tiroch shot him. So we pulled back and called in more air. Then down the road came LTC Schungel with another man. The Colonel was wounded in the right leg. SFC Craig took the Colonel back to the old camp. As we started back up the hill again Tiroch saw LT Quy and some CIDG coming toward us. He then directed them back to the camp.

We assaulted once more. Tiroch, Allen and Ashley were on one side. I was on the other. This time we made it past the bunker and I tied in with Tiroch's element. Once more we started receiving fire from our front and our troops ran.

I took off after them leaving Ashley, Tiroch, Allen and some CIDG. I finally got some men to stop running and we tried to flank from the other side. Then someone told me an American was hit, so I ran to the other side and saw Allen dragging SGT Ashley. I helped him all I could, but we needed more men. So he went and got them. Tiroch and I covered our retreat when we got Ashley down and in the jeep. I immediately started mouth-to-mouth respiration. I was still doing it when a 105mm round knocked me out.

/s/ Joel Johnson
/t/ JOEL JOHNSON
SP4, [Service Number]