Carlos R Hatcher, Chinese Bandit 13 Rear Security Team Leader 1965-66 (KIA 1966)
By Ranger Conners, Chinese Bandit 13
In February 1965 the US Airbase located outside of Pleiku had been attacked resulting in American casualties and additional US troops were assigned to improve security at the base. During the Battle of the Ia Drang Oct-Nov 1965, the Chinese Bandit 13 reconnaissance scout squad of the Chinese Bandit Recon Platoon patrolled the wooded areas around the tea plantations surrounding Pleiku…a large NVA attack was expected at Pleiku but did not materialize, however the security of the area remained a concern and the Jumping Mustangs 1st Bn (ABN) 8th Cav deployed to the hills above the large lake north of the city in December.
All three Chinese Bandits recon scout squads conducted patrolling around the assembled battalion bivouac site and the Montagnard village located on the far side of the lake. During this period the Jumping Mustang Battalion conducted parachute jumps from UH-1 helicopters and celebrated Christmas. On 30 December the Chinese Bandit 13 Scout Squad was inserted by helicopter onto a clear and barren field adjacent to the Montegard village and immediately came under small arms fire from positions within the village. During combat assaults the scout squad responded with an assault team lead by the scout squad leader and a support team led by the scout team leader. However, during the rapid response, I was in the position to best lead the assault team and Frank Spickler the support team which included the M60 machinegun. Our response required an aggressive execution and Carlos R Hatcher, the Chinese Bandit 13 original rear security man, took possession of the M60 and Frank Spickler and Raymond Carley maneuvered towards the main ‘street’ that was the entrance to the fence lined village. Spickler, Hatcher and Carley were members of the original recon platoon formed from the Ft. Benning based 11th Air Assault and they worked together as a team in any crisis, often ‘leaving the others behind”. The persons firing on the Chinese Bandits withdrew as the assault team advanced and ‘crashed’ through the thin wooden fence. Only three bullets were fired at the assault team during the rush towards the village and the shooting stopped when we entered the village. The Chinese Bandit 13 Scout Squad members had only superficial injuries and no one was wounded during our assault and we were directed by radio to depart the village and continue the originally planned patrol route.
That evening we arrived by at the Chinese Bandit Recon Platoon’s bivouac site. After a short debriefing a meeting was held where the acting Platoon Sergeant, SSG Robert Grimes, Jr. announced that the Chinese Bandits were to be reorganized and persons reassigned. I was promoted to Scout Squad Leader of the Chinese Bandit 13 scout squad, and selected Frank Spickler as my Scout Squad Team Leader and Raymond Carley’s request for the M60 machine gun was approved. Carlos Hatcher would remain the rear security man. Louis Tyler’s request to join the point team with Big and Little Hall was also approved. Terry Stevens was ‘persuaded’ to remain the Chinese Bandit 13 radio operator with the understanding that his major responsibility included forward observer and calling for fire support duties. The next day the Chinese Bandit 13 Scout Squad resumed patrolling around the lake and training of those having new squad assignments. I spent most of day helping Tyler develop his needed tracking skills and Stevens preparing ‘dry’ fire missions and memorizing the necessary fire commands. The area was open with only shrubs for concealment and the men remained about 100 meters apart during the patrol. On several occasions I was able to see Hatcher trailing the patrol and scanning the area with his binoculars. He was often almost 1000 meters from me and I used my binoculars to watch him and others in the patrol. He was curious about everything, outwardly more so than any other Chinese Bandit and requested a set of binoculars which many reconnaissance type units did not issue for the rear security slot; however I encouraged others to carry them also, only half of the men did and no one used them as often as Hatcher and no one enjoyed exploring the hills and valleys as much as he did. I had learned during the patrolling in late November and December that he loved South East Asia and I believed more so than anyone other than maybe myself. I gave him copies of the issued Vietnamese phrase book and he and I spent time attempting to learn the language.
When we returned from patrolling, SSG Grimes notified me that we the three scout squads would begin rotating patrolling duties with two of the squads patrolling and one in ‘stand down’. The patrolling would be limited to the area only around the lake and routine enough that no preparation of warning orders, operations orders, etc was required since few changes were to be made in the patrolling. Therefore, we decided to use the day of from patrolling resting in the Chinese Bandit bivouac site.
Beer was available and the Chinese Bandit 13 Scout Squad members set around camp fires drinking the free beers that were provided. I did not join my men but set apart drinking from a large bottle of beer looking down at the lake and ‘hatched’ a plan to take an unauthorized trip to Pleiku. We had been briefed and observed of the frequent South Vietnamese military vehicle conveys that moved along the highway to and from Pleiku where the city was NOT consider a safe secure area and US and South Vietnamese military personnel were not given ‘free rein’ to visit. After walking in darkness back up to the ‘make shift’ NCO club near the Jumping Mustangs CP and returning with another beer, I stopped and listened to the squad members talking around the fire. “Now we get to operate like we wanted,” Hatcher said. There morale was high and I departed back to finish the beer where I decided that I would go into Pleiku the next day. I returned to where the men were still talking and ‘put an end’ to the beer drinking and gave a short briefing on the training and preparation for the planned patrolling where Frank Spickler would be in charge and that I was going alone into Pleiku.
The next morning we ate breakfast and I spent some time getting Frank Spickler ‘lined out’ on what was to be done while I was gone. I watched Spickler and the men for awhile and Hatcher approached and inquired on how I was going to get to Pleiku and what I intended to do in the city. I told him that I would link up with one of the convoys and once in the city that I would walk around and maybe eat in a restaurant or bar. The scout squad members knew that I had lived in SE Asia before the war and interested in the culture. “Yes, there should be prostitutes at some of the bars”, I said. Hatcher indicated that he wanted to go also. I sent Hatcher back to continue working with Spickler. After a few months, I told Hatcher to get a .45 pistols and belt set up and that would be all that we would be carrying. I do know why I agreed to take him with me…probably due to his interest in Vietnam and wanting to learn everything about the country and the people. He was a true scout.
Hatcher and I walked towards the highway where we waited less than 15 minutes and were able to hitch a ride with an ARVN unit…in the back of a 2 ½ ton truck. I sat down but Hatcher stood up holding on to the wooden side panels where he could see as much as possible. Several times he tugged on my fatigue shirt to point out something of interest. When we arrived in Pleiku we both stood up near the back of the truck where we could better observe the city. Somewhere near the center of the city where a Y-intersection occurred, I saw a young woman wearing the white traditional Vietnamese long dress and hat walking away from us down a street lined with shops and two story buildings. I yelled for the vehicle to stop and Hatcher and I jumped to the pavement. When we did so the woman in white stopped and looked over her shoulder at us, smiled and then resumed walking.
The remainder of this dedication can be read at http://www.docstoc.com/docs/70400640/Carlos-R-Hatcher-Chinese-Bandit-13-Rear-Security-Team-Leader-1965-66
