May 20, 1967
Operation Hickory was directed at reducing the combat strength and supporting infrastructure of North Vietnamese Army operating in and south of the DMZ. 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines boarded CH-46A Sea Knight helicopters on the USS Princeton to be inserted in the northeastern corner of the Hickory operating area. A few minutes later the choppers began to circle and gradually dropped elevation. Hotel made the opposed air assault into LZ Parrot, 8 kilometers north northeast of Con Thien (Hill 158), the opposition was strong enough so the LZ was closed to further landings until Hotel and supporting arms had secured the area. Just as soon as the chopper landed, we received small arms fire and mortar rounds. Most of the day was spent ferrying the Battalion and supplies the hill top LZ. This was the Marines first incursion into the DMZ. Hotel 1st Platoon moved toward its initial objective, a village to the north-northwest. The village was fortified and defended by what appeared to be a reinforced NVA platoon, supported by mortars and artillery firing from within the DMZ. Because it was the DMZ, we were instructed not to fire on the enemy, unless they fired first. Another stupid rule from the politicians state side. 1st Squad had point and my fire team had point for the platoon. LCpl Mike Sevard was point man, I was number two and PFC Mark Landers was third, we were short a man for the fire team. The platoon moved down the trail, as we came to the clearing next to a rice paddy, we found our first dead Marine from the day before. We would retrieve the body when we left the area. We continued for about 100 yards across the clearing next to the rice paddy. All hell broke out, the platoon was in an L-shaped ambush, long leg was across the paddy from us was shooting along our line of march and a machine nest was on the short leg shooting down our length. I jumped behind a bush, about three high and three feet around. I began firing my M-16 at the enemy across the paddy. The calls for Corpsman was coming from everywhere behind me. I glanced forward to find LCpl Sevard, he was no where to be seen. Continuing firing I glanced behind me and saw PFC Mark Landers lying dead in the open area. He had been killed immediately by a sniper. I could hear our M60 machine gun start and then stop, this happened several times. We were having trouble gaining fire superiority. I learned later two machine gunners were killed by NVA snipers and two gunners wounded. Then I was knocked backward to the ground. I was hit, I crawled behind the bush and saw blood soaking the front of my shirt. I called for Corpsman, then realized that was not going to happen. I reach around to my back and found a hole and blood with my fingers. I pulled up the front of my shirt and found a round hole in my side about half way down. It was a bullet wound. I tied one battle dressing over the front bullet hole and the second over the back bullet hole. Only minutes had passed since being hit. I heard calls the platoon was falling back. I could envision F-4 fighters screaming in shortly, dropping napalm all over this area. I needed to get the hell out of here.Later I found out we had 8 KIA and 17 WIA in the initial assault.The 7 Marines and 1 Corpsman lost were;

A Co, 3rd Eng Bn
Private First Class Ronald Sharar, Orlando, FL

Hotel Company:
HM3 Corpsman Donald Ellis, Florence, AZ, (Silver Star)
Corporal Roy Smith, Birmingham, AL
Lance Corporal Edwardo Gonzales, Sinton, TX (Silver Star)
Private First Class Mark Lander, Battle Creek, MI
Private First Class Alan May, Cicero, IL
Private First Class Ronald Starr, Martins Ferry, OH
Private First Class Sandy Zimmerman, Baltimore, MD
Written by Sgt Edson Bellis, H-Co. 2/3/3. I was there

Lander, Mark Robert, PFC