Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, February 16, 1968 Page: 3 of 24
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Friday February 16 1968
On Vietnam's steamy Mekong
Delta is a little village named
Rach Kien.
Rach Kien was home to 1st
Lt. Lewis C. McAllister 2nd
Bde. 1st Armd. Div. for several
months last year.
It was there that he won two
Silver Star Medals and three
Bronze Star Medals with "V"
device.
McAllister was a platoon
leader of Co. A 3rd Bn. 39th
Inf. and with his 54 men he
found his work in the rice pad
dies surrounding Rach Kien.
"The men were everything"
he says.
They Took It
McAllister and his men didn't
in to a
Kien ... they took it. Rach Kien
before the Americans came
was an and center for the
local guerrillas and headquar
ters of a Viet Cong battalion.
It took two and a half bitter
days of fighting to over-run the
village. When it was secured
3rd Bn. cordoned off an area for
the Vietnamese civilians and
made their home in the re
maining huts of the village.
The VC in the meantime had
moved to a small compound
a re
away...a place dubbed "The
Rats Nest" by the men of Co. A.
They attacked Rach Kien with
mortars and rockets every
night and for the first three
weeks the Americans didn't
budge from the village in less
than company sized patrols.
A company patrol packs a lot
of punch though and with every
mission there were less Viet
Cong and more freedom for the
Americans.
"We visited the Rats Nest
nearly every day" McAllister
said "and on 75 per cent of our
missions we made contact with
he an
casualties."
The toll of enemy dead
mounted rapidly and on April 2
Last Name
Base or City
2 Silver 3 Bronze Stars
Earned By 1st Lieutenant
1967 McAllister took out the
first platoon-size patrol. They
scored several kills and suffered
no casualties. By June they
were sending out squad patrols.
Booby-Traps
Booby-traps caused over 80
per cent of the casualties suf
fered by the men of Rach Kien.
"They were absolutely
everywhere" McAllister said
"The VC have no limit to their
imagination and when it comes
to planting these devices their
ingenuity is fantastic.
"Much of my platoon's suc
cess stemmed from a lucky
break. We found 16 booby-traps
in a small stream and the men
were able to examine them and
find out how they were hidden
and how they worked.
"The VC leave markings by
their traps to warn the civilians
and their fellow soldiers about
them. My men were able to
learn these markings and went
on to find over 80 traps before a
man was wounded by one."
There is no 'freeze' on
discharges and retirements in
any of the services" the
Department of Defense said the
last week in January replying
to rumors following the call-up
of certain reservists. At present
there is no authority to extend
enlistment contracts for enlisted
men.
Referring to the status of
regular officers DOD said all
services use a selective in
voluntary retention program.
There is an individual
determination as to whether a
regular officer's request for
voluntary retirement of resigna-
Now* A credit card
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The Military Purchase System is a Credit
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If you qualify MPS deposits up to
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of service in your personal MPS checking
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You receive (1) the MPS wallet with
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MPS complies with the Standards of Fairness set forth in the Department of Defense Directive 1344
and makes full disclosure of the contract terms to our customers before the contract is signed.
In October Rach Kien wasi "It made what they were
considered safe and Co. A mov
ed into an old French fort on an
island at the southern tip of
Vietnam.
Here they began heliborne
assaults in an effort to break a
guerrilla readquarters element
stationed in the area.
McAllister became com
mander of Co. A and led his
men on 165 missions in six
months. Soon they had virtual
control of the area and had
captured the commander of the
guerrilla headquarters element
ecutive officer.
During his tour in Vietnam
McAllister often talked with his
men of home.
"I consider my native state of
Oregon to be God's Country and
I was interested in talking with
my men about their homes. I
got kidded often about my
loyalty to my state but I think
the men appreciated talking
about it and the places they
came from.
Fear Not: There's No Freeze
On Discharges From Army
red because his services are
needed. The same applies for
voluntary retirement for reserve
officers.
Reserve officers' requests for
release from active duty are
being approved unless the of
ficer has not completed a term
of active duty to which he is
obligated or for which he con
sented.
The call-up of certain Ready
Reserve units of the Air Force
and Navy and the Air National
Guard was taken as "a precau
tionary measure to strengthen
our forces" following the cap
tion will be accepted for defer- ture of the USS Pueblo by North
two items enable you to pay for your
needs and your family's—any place in the
world stateside and overseas. Just show
your MPS Credit Card and pay by Frank
lin National Bank check. If you want cash
just write a check. And of course all this
is yours at Credit Union rates.
Your Military Purchase System Mem
bership entitles you to other conveniences
too —our Merchandise Catalog Special
Shopper Service Personalized Gift Service
Travel-Leave Planning and more.
Join this exclusive military Credit Card
System now! For details fill in and mail
the coupon today. It'll pay.
Zip (APOorFFO)
til
Vjv&Vi
fighting for seem more
worthwhile when they thought of
home and they all came to
realize that there is a real
purpose of this war."
Lt. McAllister talks about his
medals only when asked and in
a simple language that adds im
pact to his story.
Describes Action
Describing the action that won
him his first Silver Star he
says:
"I was on patrol when we
come on a group of VC. We saw
each other about the same time
and they took off into a grove of
Nippipalm (a tall banana-leaf
like plant).
"I sent two squads to cordon
off the grove and went in after
them with the third squad.
When we got into the grove we
split up into teams and started
to hunt the enemy out.
"While we were poking around
in the bushes I ran into seven
of the enemy and killed five and
wounded two."
Koreans on Jan. 23.
Although there was no call-up
of Army and Marine Corps
Reserve units procedures on
exemptions were spelled out
should the situation change:
If Army Reserve and or Na
tional Guard units are called to
active duty exemption policies
are covered in AR 601-25.
If any Marine Corps units are
called the Marine Corps will
decide at that time who
anyone will be exempt. At this
time no one would be exempt.
For the services Navy and
Air Force involved in the re
cent call-up "all high school
students are exempt."
In addition the Air Force is
looking into all possible ex
emption areas.
In the Navy high school
graduates are scheduled for
call-up. College students can be
deferred until the end of their
current quarter semester or
trisemester. College seniors can
request an additional quarter
semester or trisemester if this
would permit them to graduate.
miw
COFFEE PLANNED
A Leap Year Coffee for all
Red Cross Volunteers will be
held Feb. 29 9:30 a.m. at the
el us E at on
Bldg. 443. All volunteers are in
vited to attend in uniform.
Col. Gordon E. McQuain has
been named special assistant to
the deputy commanding general
for reserve forces at Head
quarters Fourth U.S. Army
Fort Sam Houston San Antonio
Tex.
ml
$1"R
III
•&M
j!
Kffii
Dietrich Kramer
S-Maj. USA Ret.
THE ARMORED SENTINEL FORT HOOD TEXAS
Army Suspends
Manufacture Of
5.56 Ammunition
The secretary of defense has
directed the Army to suspend
the manufacture of 5.56 am
munition loaded with improved
military rifle (IMR) powder
and halt distribution of the am
mo in Vietnam.
The order came after tests of
the M-16 rifle in Panama in
dicated "substantial dif
ferences" in malfunction rates
when the IMR powder was com
pared to ball powder used in the
tests.
The difference between the
two propellants has led DOD to
the "tentative conclusion that
he a a is
significantly better."
DOD officials said the
suspension order is precau
tionary and will be reviewed
after detailed analysis of test
data has been completed. The
order does not apply to tracer
rounds.
Both types of ammunition are
a a a in am
Defense officials see no
shortages resulting from the
order suspending production of
the IMR ammunition. They said
there are several months supply
of the ball powder ammunition
in the combat zone.
The IMR powder which has a
different burning temperature
and pressure characteristic than
ball powder makes up about 25
per cent of the total stock of
5.56 ammunition.
Maj. William H. McKay is the
new chief of the finance services
branch in the comptroller's of
fice at Hqs. Fourth U.S. Army
Ft. Sam Houston San Antonio
Tex.
Billy Young Fraqk McKee
SSgt. Mitchell Henson an in
fantryman with the 2nd Armd.
Div. recently returned from
Vietnam where he had earned
the Bronze Star Medal and the
Purple Heart in combat action.
Twenty-five years ago the
sergeant's father James C.
Henson was with the 2nd Armd.
Div. in Sicily during World War
II where he was awarded a
Silver Star Medal and a Purple
Heart.
The younger Henson returned
to his father's old division early
in 1967 after serving a year
with the 1st Inf. Div. in Vietnam
as a squad leader.
He was awarded his Bronze
S a a it
device—for action taken during
a Viet Cong ambush of his unit
near Phu Bien in "ignoring
enemy fire and leading his
men."
"We were making a company-
size search and destroy opera
tion when we were hit by a VC
ambush" the sergeant said.
Henson said that when the
men heard the enemy fire they
hit the ground and became
engaged in afire fight. When his
platoon got word that the ad
jacent platoon had run out of
ammunition and were in danger
of being completely overrun
Henson and his men took action.
The sergeant after receiving
the order from his platoon
leader to move out moved his
men and the men in other
squads through small arms fire
to a position between the enemy
and the helpless platoon.
Chester II the ugliest dog-faced sergeant in the
1st Armd. Div.'s 3rd Bde. had a birthday party
Tuesday at the brigade headquarters. Chester an
English Bulldog is the 3rd Bde.'s mascot and holds
the rank of sergeant. He is now the ripe old age
of three. (U.S. Army Photo by Phillip Scholl)
Qu
lOC
Father And Son Served With
Honor In Two Mai
or Conflicts
Ask About A Special Built Mustang with the New
428 Cobra Jet Engine. A very limited number of
these units will be built from special vehicles de
partment in Detroit.
8th and
The elder Henson who return- finally lost control and crashed
ed to Ft. Hood last Thanksgiv
ing to visit his son and his old
"Hell on Wheels" division was
a basic trainee here in 1942 but
it wasn't until 1943 that he join
ed the "Iron Deuce."
"My father was billeted in
what is now the Non-Com-
missioned Officers Academy
during his basic training" SSgt.
Henson said.
His father's World War II
awards resulted from a single
incident on a road in Sicily the
sergeant said.
"He was driving a truck load
ed with men down a road with
very steep embankments on
either side.
"The enemy began a mortar
attack on the convoy and one
round blew the right front wheel
off my father's truck."
Henson said his father was
able to hold the truck on the
narrow road long enough for the
men to unload from the back.
After the men were out he
It was for this action that his
father was awarded both the
Silver Star Medal and the Pur
ple Heart according to Henson.
Henson is a native of Grove
Ala. where his wife Marilyn
presently resides. The sergeant
is assigned to the 2nd Armd.
Div.'s 1st Bn. 41st Inf.
/fOUSEHOLD
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on any late model
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See any of Your Friendly Ford Salesmen
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j(Near the the Railroad Tracks)
RECTANGULAR COLOR TV
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New Philco MagiColor* Picture Tube brings
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Solid State Signal System—no tubes
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Page Threfe
Foundation Gives
Awards To Two
Two Ft. Hood personnel will
be awarded George Washington
Honor Medals for their entries
in the 1967 Freedoms Foun
dation Letter Awards Program.
the
off one embankment with
truck incurring burns on one
leg from the knee to the ankle.
The winners are Sp4 Sherry L.
Armstrong WAC CO. USAGT
and Sgt. Edward L. Kirksey
Hdq. and Hdq. Co. 5th Bn. 6th
Inf. 1st Armd. Div.
The contest was open to all
military personnel who cared to
submit a letter essay or poem
following the theme of the fun
damental freedoms of our
American way of life.
Bell & Howell Representative
J. E. BASH
217 E. AVE.
For This Area
Home Camera Repair Service
PHOTO
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7
Sam Banister
Gene Walker
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KILLEEN
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Armored Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, February 16, 1968, newspaper, February 16, 1968; Temple, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254972/m1/3/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Casey Memorial Library.