New Firebase
July 8, 1969
by Tony Swindell
11th BDE Information Office
July 8, 1969
by Tony Swindell
11th BDE Information Office
Story Published in the Americal Division "Southern Cross" Newpaper July 30, 1969
New Firebase Established for 11th Brigade, ARVN Partnership
A mid-morning combat assault by Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry swept across a scorching coastal plain to secure a new battalion firebase designated LZ 4-11. Situated atop a hill seven miles west of Quang Ngai City, the position commands a sweeping view of the surrounding terrain.
The hill lies at the edge of the battalion's new area of operations and will serve as a staging point for intensified operations against local-force Viet Cong units.
As 11th Brigade soldiers climbed the rocky, brush-covered slope, they encountered numerous mines and booby traps along the hill's crest. Using minesweeping equipment typically employed by combat engineers for road clearance, the troops discovered booby-trapped grenades, 2.75-inch rockets, and a napalm canister rigged with a firing device buried in the ground.
"My men had to watch every step they took," said Second Lieutenant John F. Baxter of Gainesville, Florida, the first platoon leader. "It seemed as if there was a booby trap under every other bush."
Tasked with securing and clearing the new landing zone, Company A began establishing defensive positions and prepared a temporary helicopter pad for initial supply deliveries. In the distance, the rumble of bulldozers and road graders from Company C, 26th Engineer Battalion, signaled progress on a supply road connecting Quang Ngai City to the new firebase.
The landing zone's designation reflects the close cooperation between the 4th ARVN Regiment and the 11th Brigade. The 3rd Battalion, 4th ARVN Regiment, and 4th ARVN Tank Battalion have been working in coordination with Americal Division units to provide security for engineering operations and secure the terrain surrounding the new position.
A mid-morning combat assault by Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry swept across a scorching coastal plain to secure a new battalion firebase designated LZ 4-11. Situated atop a hill seven miles west of Quang Ngai City, the position commands a sweeping view of the surrounding terrain.
The hill lies at the edge of the battalion's new area of operations and will serve as a staging point for intensified operations against local-force Viet Cong units.
As 11th Brigade soldiers climbed the rocky, brush-covered slope, they encountered numerous mines and booby traps along the hill's crest. Using minesweeping equipment typically employed by combat engineers for road clearance, the troops discovered booby-trapped grenades, 2.75-inch rockets, and a napalm canister rigged with a firing device buried in the ground.
"My men had to watch every step they took," said Second Lieutenant John F. Baxter of Gainesville, Florida, the first platoon leader. "It seemed as if there was a booby trap under every other bush."
Tasked with securing and clearing the new landing zone, Company A began establishing defensive positions and prepared a temporary helicopter pad for initial supply deliveries. In the distance, the rumble of bulldozers and road graders from Company C, 26th Engineer Battalion, signaled progress on a supply road connecting Quang Ngai City to the new firebase.
The landing zone's designation reflects the close cooperation between the 4th ARVN Regiment and the 11th Brigade. The 3rd Battalion, 4th ARVN Regiment, and 4th ARVN Tank Battalion have been working in coordination with Americal Division units to provide security for engineering operations and secure the terrain surrounding the new position.