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When bravo battery 1/12 was overrun on September 2ND1967 I was a member of Gun #5. My personal experience was similar to many of my brother Marines that night. Although each Marine had his own experience and yet shared many. We were attacked my at least 20 plus Viet Cong Sappers late that night. Most of us were asleep, except those on guard duty around the perimeter, and those on gun watch. When we were aware of being attacked, Sgt Roger Gibeau sent myself, Paul Marquis and Mike Henson out to our reactionary fox holes. Shortly after getting to the hole a illumination round went off and lighted up the whole area in an eerie glow. At that time Paul and I seen three VC running a short distance in front of us from right to left toward a clump of bushes. We each emptied our M-14 magazine on them. Blood trails were found the next morning, no body's. Shortly after us firing, a VC threw a satchel charge at us. Fortunately in landed about 10 feet in front of were we were at. I remember there was a 50 cal machine gun behind us and we needed to keep down low due to it firing over us. The gunner killed one VC in front of the hole. Another thing I remember was one VC getting his arm blown off trying to blow one of the guns. His arm was still in the gun when the satchel charge he was using went off. Roberts, the battery gunny finished the VC off. I believe in the morning that 5 VC body's were found in the perimeter and some were found outside the perimeter along with blood trails. A few fresh graves were also found, hidden fast by the VC to mess up our body count. Also during the fight, we called in Puff the magic dragon with its gatling guns going at full throttle. Also we had a number of other batteries dropping rounds around our perimeter and we fired our guns with charge one at high angle. During this fight I remember Paul Marquis and I standing back to back as we were expecting company at any moment. The battery had 4 or 5 wounded with state side wounds, I never did find out if they had lived? The choppers came in during the night when we were still fighting, landing with lights on and into the perimeter. The next day the villagers from a near by village came to collect the bodies as we were moving out.

Semper Fi,

Larry Lantz