"These Are My Credentials"

When the 5th ARVN Ranger Group was given the tactical area of responsibility for Saigon in the latter part of 1967, the communists were able to infiltrate and smuggle literally thousands of troops and supplies into the city in anticipation for the Tet Offensive. Many of the weapons caches were buried in the city's graveyards, complete with mock burials.  Because of this, the U.S. Embassy was nearly overrun along with a large portion of the civilian areas inside the city itself.

One area that became a communist stronghold during the first few days of the offensive was the “Cholon” or Chinese section of Saigon. This section was a densely packed civilian area, with row upon row of shack-like houses that formed a literal maze of alley ways and side streets, that offered the Viet Cong soldiers in the city adequate cover and concealment.

Early in the morning hours of 31 January, the 6th VC NLF Battalion, along with other mixed Viet Cong units, had seized and taken control of the Phu Tho Racetrack in the center of the Cholon section. The racetrack would prove to be a very strategic location for whoever occupied it as it was at the hub of five major roads, which led into the heart of the city.  It also served as a rallying point for VC/NVA troops unfamiliar with their urban surroundings. The racetrack was also a large, covered area constructed of reinforced concrete that was suitable for a command post and temporary field hospital. Communist possession of the racetrack would deny the Americans and ARVN’s the use of a large, vital landing zone in the area and was easily within 82mm mortar range of Tan San Nhout Airbase.

In the weeks preceding the Tet Offensive, the “Cottonbalers" of the 3/7th Infantry, 199th LIB had been operating in the marshes south of Saigon near Binh Chanh and the Fishnet Factory, as they had done since December of 1966. According to MACV HQ, should anything pop up in Saigon during the expected offensive, the Cottonbalers would be the first American emergency reaction force into the city.

(The 7th Infantry Regiment is one of the oldest Infantry units in the United States Army. Officially organized in 1789, the regiment fought in the War of 1812 and earned their nickname while fighting against the British, under General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The men of the unit distinguished themselves at this battle when they mowed down the British regulars in front of their position from behind breast works made of stacked cotton bales. The 7th Infantry had also assaulted Telegraph Hill at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican War and were themselves mowed down in front of the stone wall at Fredericksburg by Confederate sharpshooters in the Civil War. Further campaigns were earned in the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, both World Wars and intense combat in Korea.  In Vietnam, the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Infantry operated in some of the harshest and most in-hospitable terrain in the Brigade Area of Operations.  From late 1966 until late 1969, the battalion had operated almost exclusively in the Pineapple Region).

The night before the Tet attacks started, LTC John K. Gibler, the commanding officer of 3/7, pulled in all the line companies from the field in anticipation for Tet. At 0800 the next day, Col. Gibler and A/3/7 received an urgent call to proceed to Saigon as quickly as possible as the VC/NVA had taken control of several parts in the city.  (Over a month before, the men of A/3/7 had also participated in the Dec. 7, 1967 fight near FSB Nashua, sustaining heavy losses in killed and wounded).

Captain Antonio V. Smaldone, a three-tour veteran of Vietnam and undoubtedly one of the best company commander's in-country, 3/7 then commanded Alpha Company, at that time.  In a previous tour with the 1st Infantry Division, Smaldone was picked as the best company commander in the entire 1st Division and had appeared in Stars and Stripes magazine.

Early on the morning of 1 February, the men of Alpha Company wearily boarded deuce-and-a-half trucks and sped north on Highway 4 for the hour-long ride to the capital. In the lead of the convoy was a platoon of eight APC’s from D/17th Cav., which were commanded by 1Lt. Richard W. Harper.

“As the tracks and infantrymen continued to drive to their objective, enemy dead from the on-going battle were piled high in the street and had to be moved before the lead track could continue.” There were also numerous, khaki-clad bodies of American officers from the Air Force and Army lining the street who were caught unaware of the attacks by the VC forces as they were traveling to their duty stations at Tan Son Nhout Airbase.

Several blocks from the racetrack, as the Redcatcher mechanized column proceeded with great haste, heavy automatic weapons and RPG fire from the rooftops and alleyways of Cholon stitched the entire troop. The infantrymen of 3/7 leaped out of the trucks and immediately deployed forward and sought cover among the houses, vehicles,  shanty’s, trash and debris on the Plantation Road, while D/17 opened up on the area with M-60’s, .50 caliber and 106mm recoilless rifles.

Because of the unrelenting and intense enemy fire, the armored column took a side street and proceeded north towards the racetrack. Less than one block from their destination, and after taking fire the whole way, a carefully aimed RPG round careened down the street and hit the lead APC, instantly killing Lt. Harper and his driver.