ATTACK ON LZ PHYLLIS - MAY 12, 1969 LZ Phyllis was located five miles west of Tonle Cham Airfield in Tay Ninh Province, RVN. A little after midnight on May 12, 1969, Phyllis began to receive heavy mortar fire from enemy positions northwest of the base. The North Vietnamese Army positions were estimated to be about 600 meters out, and the barrage was approximated at 300 rounds. This was followed by small arms and automatic weapons fire. Enemy movement was detected in the wood line adjacent to Phyllis from which recoilless rifle and B-40 rocket rounds were fired. U.S. Air Force "Spooky" AC-47 gunship fire and flares were requested by Phyllis and were placed on the eastern wood line. Two Americans were killed during the assault on the LZ and 24 were wounded, 20 of which required medical evacuation. The next morning, thirteen NVA dead were found along with miscellaneous ammunition, grenades, and demolitions around the Phyllis. The enemy ordinance was policed up, placed in a trailer, and brought into the LZ. One of the rounds somehow went off, detonating the entire pile, killing nine Americans. The tragedy occurred despite a long-standing policy of blowing all explosives in place, preferable by an EOD team, and not gathering or tampering with unexpended ammo found in the field. The eleven Americans killed during the attack and ammo explosion at Phyllis included: SP4 David M. Beck, CPL Richard J. Bennett, PFC Paul D. Elwart, PFC Michael D. Fields, PFC James S. Jordan, CPL Robert G. Krell, CPL John A. Martin III, PFC Jorge L. Mendez-Matos, CPL Roland M. Settimi, CPL John F. Thompson, and CPL David E. Weidner. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and "Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), period ending July 31, 1969;" and the book "It Took Heroes: A Cavalry Chaplain's Memoir of Vietnam" by Claude Newby]

Martin, John Anthony, III, CPL