01Jul67-Choppers Plaster VC Unit
        LONG THANH, (9th INF-IO) - An estimated platoon sized enemy force, which had surrounded a small 9th infantry Division patrol was mauled in a rocket and mini-gun attack by two Crusader gunships recently.
    During the one-sided battle, the ground reconnaissance team killed two enemy and saw an enemy squad of about 10 absorb direct hits from 2.75-inch rockets and the mini-guns.  The Americans suffered no casualties.
    The recon experts spotted the enemy force attempting to encircle them in open marshland. The Crusaders, gunships from D Troop, 3rd Squadron, 5th Armored Cavalry, scrambled and five minutes later were raking the enemy positions.
    A member of the recon team recalled, "During one of the passes we saw rockets explode in the middle of the enemy squad". While the gunships struck, the encircled ground soldiers killed two enemy soldiers. At another point in the action, members of the patrol pitched hand grenades at another enemy squad approaching from  the rear. During the contact no more than about 70 yards separated the opposing forces, but "the rockets and min-guns were right on target and we even got splattered by mud as they exploded," recounted on of the men on the patrol.
    A rescue helicopter extracted the team as the gunships were turning for final passes.  Later artillery pounded the area.

This is probably a Stars & Stripes or "Old Reliable" article.
Submitted by Mike Slonkier, Col. US Army, Ret.