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LZ Mary

Located at YA 831-066 in Pleiku province, II Corps. Named by Lieutenant Colonel John Stockton, commander of the 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry (the 1st Cavalry's reconnaissance unit) after the wife of the Columbus, Georgia Ledger-Enquirer reporter Charlie Black who had accompanied the unit.

This landing zone was choosen since it was midway between the ambush site located along the south bank of the Ia Drang and the ambush site situated along the east-west rail that ran roughly parallel to the base of the Chu Pong Massif. It could accomodate a four-ship insertion although the vegetation covering the ground prevented the Hueys from actually landing. Instead they hovered four feet above the ground and the cavalrymen jumped onto the LZ.

At 3:30PM on November 3rd, helicopters brought into the LZ the Charlie Blues, Alpha company's mortor platoon, a CIDG platoon, and the Bravo Blues. By 5:00PM the three ambush parties had departed LZ Mary leaving the mortar platoon, the command group, and a small perimeter security force.

After the southern ambush was sprung the Bravo Blues moved back north to LZ Mary to establish perimeter security. By 10:00PM the NVA had recovered thei senses sufficiently to deduce that the mortar fire directed on the ambush location along the Chu Pong Massif was coming from LZ Mary. They began probing the perimeter and took the LZ under small arms fire. The first attack was aimed at the southen sector of the LZ. The cavalrymen repulsed this attack but the NVA climbed into nearby trees and brought accurate sniper fire on the LZ. At 11:15PM the NVA threw another assault against the southern perimeter, this time supported by 60mm mortar fire and RPGs. The NVA came within meters of the perimeter but were again beaten back by the cavalrymen. The attacks took their toll however by splintering a force that was never organized for a prolonged defense. At this point the CIDG platoon that had occupied the northwestern ambush location (which was never sprung) were ordered to return to the LZ to provide additional support.

In response to requests for reinforcement from the on-site commander at LZ Mary, Lieutenant Colonel Stockton ordered Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry at Duc Co to move to LZ Mary. This force was the division reserve and Stockton's action would become a source of controversy aftearwards. In a bold night-time insertion, the Bravo Blue Hueys landed Alpha company who immediately took up defensive positions on the threatened southern sector.

In a fight that lasted until dawn the cavalrymen managed to beat back repeated NVA assualts, with accurate fire from the Alpha comapny mortar platoon, firing strictly by observation and without firing tables, managed to prevent the NVA from coming anywhere near overruning the positions.

This action resulted in approximately 96 NVA killed and one wounded prisoner captured. The cavalry suffered ywo KIA and fifteen wounded in action.


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Creation Date: Monday, November 10, 1997
Last Modified: Sunday, July 18, 1999
Copyright © Ray Smith, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003
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