Southern Cross, the 23rd Infantry (Americal) Division newspaper
 

The 23rd Infantry Division newspaper, the Southern Cross, was published bi-weekly.  It was distributed to firebases and included in mail deliveries to the field.  This issue from September 4, 1970,  included a story about the soldiers in the 1st Battalion 6th  Infantry under the headline 198th 'Regulars' kill five VC  by SGT Thomas C. Elmer . . Use browser back arrow to select additional stories or link to the 1st Bn 6th Inf  Home Page

LZ BAYONET (198th INF BDE IO)  Infantrymen of the 198th Infantry Brigade and gunships from the 116th Assault Aviation Company maneuvered swiftly to kill five Viet Cong as the enemy attempted to evade in a running battle northeast of Quang Ngai City recently.       "They took us under fire as soon as we hit the landing zone," said First Lieutenant Winston W. Moody, Houston, Texas, a platoon leader with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry.  "We quickly repulsed the attach with small arms and machinegun fire and the enemy evaded into a village.       Lieutenant Moody split his platoon into two elements and moved them forward to search the village.  After moving several yards through rice paddies, a squad leader with Lieutenant Moody's elements discovered a blood trail.       "We followed the blood trail to a hooch," said Lieutenant Moody, "and my squad leader spotted two Viet Cong hiding within the structure.  We told our interpreter to tell the VC to come out but they refused and we fired several rounds into the hooch in which they were hiding."       The squad leader, Specialist Four Dean R. Wood, Central City, Iowa, then moved towards the structure and tossed in a grenade.      "Just as soon as he tossed the grenade the VC kicked it out the door and it exploded.  We moved off again and fired several rounds of machinegun and small arms fire into their location."       The infantrymen again moved toward the hooch and inside found the two Viet Cong dead.  The platoon then moved northeast toward higher ground where they had observed several more Viet Cong evading.      "As we moved toward the hilly terrain, we heard the gundhips firing automatic weapons and rockets ahead of us," Lieutenant Moody said.  "Other Viet Cong had tried to evade from the village as we moved through and the gunships spotted them and opened fire."      "We spread out and began sweeping the more thickly vegetated areas," said Lieutenant Moody.  "We had only moved a few more yards when we found two more bodies lying in the thick brush."