WEST SLOPE HILL 674, 13 KM SOUTH OF PHONG DIEN 19671027
UTM grid reference is YD503226

I think its important to put a context to someone's death. As individuals, we have however only a glimpse of the events, a microcosm of a larger whole. We can only report what we see and hear not what is being seen and heard by the rest of our comrades. So this is what happened on 10/27/67 the day LCpl Painter bought the farm from several of us who were there.

There were 31 WIA and thirteen KIA on Friday the 27th, nine from Bravo: seven grunts, Lt. Dawson and our Corpsman, HM3 Stommes,and two from Delta, DAVID P BETTS, LCpl, Age 23, Seattle, WA; ROBERT M CARLOZZI, LCpl, Age 20, Wheaton, MD; DOUGLAS F CLEMMONS, Pfc, Age 19, Westville, FL; JOHN DAWSON, 2nd Lt., Age 24, Ardian, MI (Navy Cross); MICHAEL J FONSECA, Pfc, Age 20, Gardner, KS; WILLIAM R HACKETT JR, LCpl, Age 21, Chicago, IL (Silver Star); ANGUS L HARE, Cpl, Age 18, Sneads, FL; EDDIE L JAMES JR, Cpl, Age 20, Chester, SC; VERNE D JOHNSON III, Pfc, Age 19, Ogden, UT; CURTIS W PAINTER, LCpl, Age 21, Charleston, SC; MERRICK R PIERCE, LCpl, Age 19, Portland, OR; KENNETH C STOMMES, HM3, Age 20, Cold Spring, MN Corpsman; THOMAS F UHL, Cpl, Age 18, New York, NY (Silver Star) . LCpl Painter and Cpl Eddie James were from delta.All times and actions below are from either the After Action or 1/4 Command Chronology and the Navy Cross and Silver Star Citations of Dawson, Hackett, Uhl and a surviving Marine Vince Mathews.

There were two other KIA from Delta Company, tasked with recovering the Bravo KIA. Eddie L James JR, Cpl, Age 20, Chester, SC, and LCpl Painter.

Action began on the 25th when a point platoon received 100 rounds of S/A A/W along with 3 rounds of 60mm mortar fire. We called in an artillery mission of 6 rounds of WP and 156 rounds of HE, but a later sweep did not turn up any results. The 26th was spent awaiting the arrival of Alpha and Delta companies from Camp Evans and the operation was then launched the next day on the 27th.

With three companies sweeping and one blocking we were with Bravo Company climbing on the left side of hill 674 early on the morning of 10/27/67. We had been ambushed two times by a small group that morning in a hit and run pattern. They lasted maybe 10-15 minutes and were from an estimated 6-10 NVA. We only took one WIA who smiled all the way to the medevac.

On the second ambush at 1432 hours, we called in an artillery strike and walked it out 100 meters. We lucked out and caught one NVA. The CO, Captain Ross gave the point man credit for the kill, but the exit wound was through his eye and from the back of the skull which was still intact.My guess then was a flachette from one of our rounds dropped in behind him and not from a gunshot. A round the head at 10-20 meters would have taken it off. We tied a rope on the body and pulled him over in case he was booby trapped. The CO then ordered him tied to a tree and a "compliments of Bravo 1/4" sign was pinned on his chest. I remember standing there and looking up into the jungle and thinking that if someone was watching, they were not going to like this. Maybe it was a premonition.

The ambush began with light small arms fire to our front that took down the point man, PFC Verne Johnson III. Lt Dawson and I ran forward to about ten meters from the company line when we dropped down behind a rock outcropping to avoid getting hit. Within minutes, a machine gun, maybe 20 yards ahead on the trail opened up and rounds started coming in from across the ravine on hill 300 to our left. A fire team rushed forward toward the gun and the lead man made it abreast of me before taking a round in the gut. He dropped three feet to my side. A second man fell just below my legs.HM3 Kenny Stommes ran out and dropped to his knees next to him and was reaching for a dressing when I saw him thrown on his back by a burst of rounds.
I exchanged TWS emails with Sgt Tom (Jake) Jacobs who led a fire team in Bravo 1/4 that day. Here is what Tom added to my understanding of that day in his own words. "I was with Bravo Co., 1st. Platoon on that day. I lost two members of my fire team running up the trail to get the machine gun, Merrick Pierce and Paul Betts. Also my best friend, and our Corpsman, Kenny Stommes. There were four of us running up the trail to get the machine gun. First in line was McClavey then Pierce then me then Betts. McClavey was a 2nd. Lt. and got shot in his left side.Pierce got shot in the left side of his head.The NVA across the ravine missed me but Betts was hit numerous times in the lower torso. Stommes was already hit in the chest a little below us and was already dead when we passed him. So, we must of been pretty close to you. As we lay on the trail another friend of mine, Vince Matthews from White Plains, N.Y. ran past us and shot 3 LAWS into the bunker around the dogleg to the right. Vinnie received the Silver Star that day. Also close to us was a Lt. (I think his name was Dawson) who was an AO. He also got killed and was close to our Captain who was wounded."

Excerpts from the Silver Star Citations of LCpls Hackett and Mathews shed further light on the events. "LCpl William Hackett In the initial moments of the attack, the platoon sustained several casualties and was temporarily pinned down. Although painfully wounded himself, Lance Corporal Hackett, as the Point Man for the platoon, unhesitatingly directed a heavy volume of assistance for the wounded men who were lying in an area dangerously exposed to enemy fire. Leading several Marine companions and a corpsman to the area where the injured lay and firing his weapon to protect the casualties, he rendered medical aid to one Marine and then courageously assisted him to a covered position. Fearlessly returning to the hazardous, fire-swept area to assist in the evacuation of the other casualties, Lance Corporal Hackett continued to fire his weapon and succeeded in killing several enemy soldiers before he was mortally wounded by enemy fire. His steadfast determination and deep concern for his fellow Marines inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in saving several Marine lives."

LCpl Vince Mathews: "In the initial moments of the fire fight, the company sustained several casualties and was pinned down. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Lance Corporal Mathews unhesitatingly ran forward, ignoring the enemy rounds impacting around him, and accurately fired his light anti-tank assault weapons into the enemy positions. Observing an enemy machine gun that had pinned down several of his comrades, he fearlessly maneuvered across the fire-swept terrain and fired another anti-tank round into the bunker, killing the enemy soldiers and destroying the emplacement. Having expended his supply of ammunition, Lance Corporal Mathews returned to his unit's position, obtained additional light anti-tank assault weapons from his wounded comrades and repeatedly ran forward to deliver accurate suppressive fire upon the hostile forces. On one occasion, he was attacked by a group of enemy soldiers. Steadfastly maintaining his position, he calmly fired his weapon, killing one enemy soldier and forcing the others to flee. When his company began to withdraw to a more defensible position, Lance Corporal Mathews, fearlessly exposing himself to the intense hostile fire, seized a machine gun and skillfully utilized it to cover the movement, delivering accurate protective fire. As a result, his unit was able to expeditiously accomplish the withdrawal and consolidate its position."

Low on ammunition, at 1647 Bravo was ordered to group in a tight perimeter and be relieved by Delta. At 1755 Bravo began withdrawing with wounded to the LZ set 1,000 meters down the trail. It was not until 2330 that all elements of both companies were able to assemble at the LZ and 0030 until the last emergency Medevac was lifted out. First reports were there were 5 KIA, 9 MIA, 31 WIA.

Delta lost two KIA trying to retrieve the Bravo MIA who were recovered on the 29th

Edward Burke, Cpl, USMC (Ret)

Painter, Curtis Wayne, LCpl