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RANGER Conners (Chinese Bandit 13)
A Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) was formed from members of the 1st
Bn (ABN) 8th Cav Recon platoon and attached to division headquarters in the
spring of 1966 as directed by the Department of Defense where seven LRRP teams
from the US Army Special Forces, US Marine Corps, Navy and other Army units
were established to conduct simultaneous patrols within the Republic of Vietnam.
LRRP operations had been suspended in Vietnam following the detection of the B
52 recon teams and the 1st Cav Division’s insertion of an infantry battalion adjacent
to a previously undetected NVA regiment. This operation was intended to assess the
capability of selected American intelligence units to conduct LRRP operations for
the purpose of locating and observing large size NVA units and identify any changes
warranted prior to the resumption of long range ground reconnaissance operations
in SE Asia.
The Chinese Bandit five man team members were SSG Robert Grimes (Acting
Platoon Leader of the Recon Platoon), SGT Jerry Conners, Keijo Hyvonen, Louis
Tyler, and Terry Stevens. The first long range patrol was conducted along a 75 mile
route adjacent to the Cambodian and Laotian borders for a period of twelve days
and was performed while the other DOD directed teams performed LRRP
operations in other portions of Vietnam. The major objective of the patrol was to
locate North Vietnamese positions that had been reported along the border and to
obtain specific essential elements of information that included descriptions of the
enemy’s uniforms, weapons, communication and other equipment and the presence
of any Caucasian personnel.
We wore a mixture of uniforms including standard issue jungle fatigues, WWII
vintage M42 jungle camouflage fatigues and 'tiger fatigues'. All members wore
patrol caps, LBE with two canteens, two ammo pouches containing four magazines
each, one butt pack and carried M16 rifles (taped with slings removed) with
bayonets. Two members of the patrol also wore NVA captured rucksacks. Only one
35mm camera and two sets of binoculars and one small IR device were carried. The
first LRRP rations were issued and each member carried six after removing the
outer package and discarding everything except the main dehydrated meal. We
intended to only eat one meal every other day and our diet was supplemented by a
variety of foods including ‘jungle chocolate candy bars’. Only one PRC25 radio
was carried; however, a vertical halfrhombic antenna was assembled in addition to
the two other standard antennas. Only one SOI was carried and used to prepare the
coded daily reports what were transmitted. No fragmentation grenades were carried
and only two smoke grenades, one by both Grimes and me. I carried the only signal
mirror and a single VS17 air panel to assist in any emergency extraction. Several of
us wore the 101st Recondo School taped soap dish containing sutures, morphine and
other emergency medical items secured to our LBE harness. All members of the
patrol had a wound piece of ‘550 chord’ secured to our harness with a 2000 pound
tensile strength snap link.
SSG Grimes and I drove a jeep to Division G2 where captured NVA equipment
was stacked in front of the entrance. We were given a briefing that included
descriptions of the area we were to patrol and the locations of suspected NVA
regimental CPs. We were instructed to recommend and plot our routes and request
for prearranged fire support after Grimes completed his low aerial reconnaissance
of the area in an OH13. Grimes and I returned to the Battalion area and tentatively
selected the routes and observation points from the supplied topographic maps and
aerial photographs. We gave the LRRP patrol members a warning order prior to
Grimes performing the reconnaissance flight. Upon his return we discussed what he
had observed and updated our information on the area but did not alter our
intended routes. The entire patrol participated in the preparation of the operations
order that was later given by SSG Grimes. There were no rehearsals performed and
the time prior to departure was spent studying maps and checking equipment.
We were inserted about two hours before nightfall using one UH1 that made only
one descent and hover for unloading located near an active and believed to be safe
farming area located about 2.5 km east of the area where we would be operating.
The actual LZ was located north of the area at coordinates 48PYA554597 and this
area had been evaluated for enemy activity during Grimes' observation flight and
by the low level photo reconnaissance performed by the Air Force. No enemy
contact was anticipated and none were encountered. We moved rapidly into the tree
covered mountains at the southern limit of the patrol area and proceeded
northward along the border and through the night to our first observation and
study area (hilltop 847) and arrived prior to BMAT. We had previously conducted
numerous three day patrols, including those along the Cambodia border, where we
had located and cleared a NVA Regimental CP and hospital; however the terrain
had not been as steep but our navigation skills and physical conditioning enabled us
to move quickly.
Movement, consisting of rapidly walking (routinely 3 km/hour)point to point routes
for approximately 18 hours, was intended to be limited to late evening and night
navigation with daily situation reports made in the early morning to airborne Air
Force aircraft from positions selected on mountain tops that afforded the
opportunity to observe long distances. Rising smoke from what was believed to be
cooking fires was plotted on the topographic maps that we carried; however, the
planned patrol route was not altered and these sightings were not evaluated from
close range. We remained on well worn and narrow trails during most of the
movements between observation points. We did not expect the enemy to establish
ambush sites or set out mines and booby traps in these areas that were believed to
be only occupied by NVA troops. On several occasions we discovered enemy boot
prints at stream and trail junctions but not along the trail routes that we were
following. We wore issued jungle boots and altered our routes to avoid trails having
damp and soft surfaces where our boots would have made an impression in the soil.
This was difficult to achieve during night movement but when I checked our trail
when doubling back during temporary halts, we managed to do well at leaving no
signs of our passing.
After about a week of patrolling, an emergency extraction was necessary when
Tyler became unconscious with a malaria fever. At the risk of compromising our
location, we requested a single UH1 to a small tree lined hilltop where we used a
rope hoist secured to Tyler’s snap link to lift him from a large rock outcropping to
the skids of the hovering helicopter where the crew were able to grab and lift him
onboard. After the aircraft departed, we moved quickly along a narrow trail down
to a valley and up to another mountain ridge where we ‘laydogged’ until nightfall
and then resumed our patrol as planned.
We were able to zigsag along our planned routes and complete the daily
observation reports from the preselected observation points. Close enemy
observation was only made on the last day of the patrol where we were to be
extracted by two UH1s from an area located in the northern limits of the patrol
area. Eight NVA were found gathering firewood with their rifles leaning against one
tree. That encounter will be described in a separate writing.
We were extracted by two UH1s from a LZ which we had occupied for the entire
morning. The areas and trails leading into the LZ were reconned by different team
members and we were certain that no enemy troops were within several miles of the
LZ. The UH1s arrived midday and on time and we dove aboard the helicopters
and returned to base camp where we requested and were given ice cream, milk and
different meals while we prepared our combined debriefing report that was given
by Grimes to G2 and other division staff late that afternoon. No other LRRP
members accompanied him. When he returned, he informed us that everyone was
surprised that we had not become lost since the other six teams had more difficulty
navigating. When he and I were alone, he asked, “Would you like to dye your skin
brown, put on black pajamas and parachute into North Vietnam?” “We have a
chance to be the first ‘StingRay’ team.