Camp Tra Cu - July 29, 1969

I had the honor of speaking at the Memorial Service held at the Cullman County courthouse on Saturday, May 24, 2008. This is what I said:

My name is Clifford Gissell, I spent twenty-one years in the Army, twelve of those in Special Forces. One of those years was spent on the Cambodian border in Vietnam in Camp Duc Hue, a Special Forces border camp, designed to stop or slow the infiltration of communist forces. In that area it was the North Vietnamese Army.

A Special Forces team is broken down into six specialties: Two officers, two operation/intelligence sergeants, two weapons men, two medics, two communications sergeants, and two engineer/demolitions men. In the camp we required to keep at least one officer, one medic, and one commo guy. Everyone else could be out on combat operations.

The soldiers we had were from the Civilian Irregular Defense Group. These were hired, trained and used on combat operations by Special Forces. They’re best described as light infantry. Typically a camp would have five companies and two recon platoons. A combat operation would have one of two companies accompanied by two or three Americans.

In the next camp to our southeast, Tra Cu, SGT John Whisenant, a medic, was close to going home and wanted to go on one last operation. But he was the only medic in camp. My junior medic, SGT David Runner, agreed to go to Tra Cu and take his place in camp.

On July 29th, 1969, CPT James Amendola, the team leader, West Point grad, father of a three month old son who he had never seen, SGT John Whisenant, the medic, and SFC John Murphy, the senior Commo Sergeant, left Camp Tra Cu with one CIDG company, about 100 men. A typical field operation. Another CIDG company with three American had left earlier.

Six clicks, about three and a half miles west of camp, the first element encounters a large North Vietnamese Army force. After the initial contact they try to flank the enemy, the three Americans are wounded. Unable to get a medevac chopper, they’re pulled back from the contact.
The second element moves toward the contact. As they move into position, heavy machinegun fire opens up to their front. CPT Amendola and SGT Whisenant are killed immediately, SFC Murphy receives gunshot wounds to his legs, he drags himself into a bomb crater. By this time air support is on the way. Murphy coordinates the air strikes against the enemy.

Many of us listened to this engagement on the radio. I don't believe that we knew that Amendola and Whisenant were dead at this point. Mainly, we heard Murphy speaking with the air assets and Camp Tra Cu.

The camp sends out a call for help to the 25th Infantry Division. Delta Company2/27th Inf, the Wolfhounds, responds, they air assault into an area near the battleground to rescue the SF personnel Delta Company tries but cannot reach the Americans they lose six KIA in the attempt:

CPT James C. Kotrc, the company commander (Dist Svc Cross)
SFC Stephen D. Gleckler
SGT Larry L. Riddle
CPL Randall M. Denton
CPL John E. Hisey
SP4 Kris E. Shaw

Heavy enemy fire keeps Delta company pinned down, unable to advance. Helicopter gunships and Air Force fighter/bombers continue to pound the NVA.

Charlie Company is called in to reinforce Delta Company. Their company commander and several others were wounded but they finally reached the three SF. John Murphy had bled to death. Delta company retrieved the bodies of the dead Special Forces soldiers.

This was another small, mostly unknown, battle of the Vietnam War. Camp Tra Cu lost half of their team in one morning, the Wolfhounds had 6 KIA and more than 20 wounded. Just another day in the Vietnam War.

John+Whisenant James+Amendola John+Murphy Tra+Cu David+Runner Duc+Hue James+Kotrc Stephan+Gleckler Larry+Riddle Randall+Denton John+Hisey Kris+Shaw