Joseph Frederick Oliver III

Joseph Frederick Oliver's Biography

My memories are a bit faded after 56 years but on or about 4-29-68 
while being assigned as a forward observer for Alpha Company 1/14 
3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, which at the time was in the 
vicinity of the An Loa Valley in South Viet Nam. We had been 
transported there by Hueys to a base camp located near Dak To. 
Unfortunately I have no written notes left from any assignment, 
however the memory of this nightmare will forever be part of my life. 
Battalion headquarters briefed our company commander, Captain 
Carter, that there was NVA activity in the Chu Ta mountains and the 
company was to conduct a search and destroy mission. Captain 
Carter led the light company of 125 men up into the highlands. After 
a 9 hour hike with no enemy contact we set up a dry camp with no 
tents, only C rations, and canteens filled with spring water laced with 
iodine tablets. We set up three two men out posts and I identified four 
points of vulnerability to order a fire mission with smoke rounds into 
those points in case of an attack.There was no activity that night 
which made for an easier trek up the double canopy mountainside 
the next morning. Captain Carter sent out a three man point unit and 
two three men side flanks. As we proceeded to hump up the 
mountain we could see well used trails and both abandoned NVA and 
US Army firing positions left from previous years of fire fights. At 
about 1100 hours we took a break for a lunch and bit of rest. Captain 
Carter radioed a report to the platoon leaders around 1145 hours. 
Within 15 minutes the point men and the right flank radioed in that 
there was significant movement of troops in the area. Ten minutes 
later the enemy opened fire with automatic weapons on the right flank 
and the point area where our men returned fire. Shortly after enemy 
mortar rounds began to impact the area near the point mens location. 
I identified the area the best I could on the map where the men were 
being hammered and called for fire with an impact zone 250 meters 
farther up the mountain. I called for a round of smoke which landed 
significantly farther up the hill from where I had anticipated. It was 
difficult to get readings from where I was located in the double 
canopy jungle. I asked my RTO Briggs to saddle up the radio and 
follow me up the hill to a better viewing area near a craig in the 
mountain where I could see through the jungle. Captain Carter was 
requesting gunship support but the ships were already committed 
and there was no support available. Briggs and I had taken no more 
than twenty paces when two 60mm rounds landed in our immediate 
area wounding my RTO Briggs , my Recon Sargent, Captain Carter, 
the Staff Sargent, and two soldiers. Fortunately I was not injured but 
the radio on Brigg’s back was severely damaged by the impact of one 
of the rounds. The medic addressed the wounded as best he could 
and I grabbed the radio from the second squad leader and I 
proceeded up the hill and called for another smoke with a 50 meter 
drop in adjustment. The smoke round impact was deflected by the 
canopy. The FDC informed me that given the fire base location and 
alignment that it would be dangerous to provide the support. In the 
meantime the fire fight continued with little maneuvering by our 
grunts and an ongoing onslaught of 60mm rounds. The fire direction 
center reached out to me with news that there was a 8” gun 12 Ks 
away that could make the shot. With new frequencies I contacted the 
related 8” gun FDC and called for a single round to make sure the 
round would get through the canopy before exploding. Given the 
battery location when fired the 8” round sounded a bit like a waffling 
freight train as it sailed over our heads impacting 200 meters up the 
hillside. I got immediate response from our troops that the round was 
still too high above the NVA who had dug in their two 60mm mortar 
tubes. Given how dangerous 8” round killing radius could impact our 
men, I resolved to move farther up the hill. I was moving awkwardly 
given I was carrying my M16, three bandoliers, 7 grenades, two 
canteens, and the radio. I heard movement from the area to my lower 
right, and given I was making another “danger close” adjustment with 
the FDC, I elected to throw a grenade into that area. I pulled the pin 
and was about to throw it when the sound became recognizable as 
our men. I finally relocated the pulled pin and gingerly reinserted it 
into the grenade. Just then semi- automatic fire opened up towards 
our men from higher up the hill and it was met with returned fire. I 
called for a significant correction of fire from the 8” gun which quickly 
silenced the NVA fire for a short while. I then proceeded up the hill 
making adjustments and calling for one available round at a time. In 
time I noticed that the NVA’s 60mm tubes had been relocated farther 
up the mountain. The 8” rounds were certainly beginning to have a 
significant impact. I changed frequencies back to the company and 
learned that the gun ships that Captain Carter had requested earlier 
were still unavailable. I also learned that a mechanized unit in a 
nearby valley had requested that I defer from using the 8” gun for fear 
that the rounds could possibly soar over the mountain and into their 
camp. I “laughed” in profanity which the armored group reluctantly 
understood and negated their request. Next I entered an area where a 
fire had leveled a bamboo thicket within the past 90 days. Pausing I 
looked up the hill and was lucky to spot an NVA spotter’s glasses 
reflecting the light for just a moment and could sense a calmness that 
quieted my nerves. Refocusing I got a burst of energy and crawled 
farther up the hill to an impact crater left by one of the 8” rounds I had 
called in earlier. From that position I could hear the report of two 
60mmm rounds being fired by the NVA troops. Looking back from my 
position in the crater sadly I saw that two of our men who had been 
moving up behind me and into the vicinity I had just vacated had 
been severely wounded by the impact of the two rounds. I moved on 
up to the next crater and adjusted fire to where I had seen the 
reflection off the glass earlier and figured it was approximately 100 
meters from where I laid. I requested three rounds in rapid fire. The 
impacts were significant and silenced the mortars. Proceeding up the 
hill I encountered single fire rounds and jumped into the last of the 
three round craters and was calling for another adjustment when a 
Chicon grenade was tossed into my location. From out of no where 
the Second Platoon leader jumped into the crater with me and picked 
up the grenade and threw it out where it immediately exploded. He 
had saved us both from severe injury or death. While I made fire 
adjustments my hero looked over the brim of the crater and opened 
fire with his M16. Fire was returned and he lobbed a frag grenade 
which silenced the NVA fire. Thereafter the balance of the second 
platoon moved up the hill and secured the area. I continued calling in 
single 8” rounds up to a plateau and eventually all NVA fire stopped.
During the next three hours the men from the company searched the 
area. They found a significant number of tunnels. As night 
approached a perimeter defense position was established. Medivac 
choppers came in and took out 8 severely wounded soldiers to 
include my RTO Briggs and Recon Sargent and three KIA. Another 8 
wounded men including Captain Carter were tended to by our 
medics.
The next day upon further inspection we discovered a tunnel system 
that had been vacated by the NVA and had been used as a temporary 
field hospital. Surely that is the reason the NVA had maintained 
contact for such an extended time.
We held our position for another 48 hours. During the course of this 
time we resupplied, shipped more injured men out, received a few 
replacement men, and a Catholic priest came out and held a service 
in memory of the dead and prayers for the wounded. Eventually 
Hueys came in one at a time and moved us back to the fire base 
camp where the 8”gun that had given us so much support was 
located. After a shower, I ate some hots, and then I thanked the FDC 
and crew of the 8”gun who had managed to save so many of our men 
with their skills. This is just my story reflecting from that experience 
and I am sure all the men whom survived would relive it from their 
own perspective but we all would say “Thank God I survived”!