Stars & Stripes

17Jan68

"Off Target Shell Does Dual Duty"

TAM KY, Vietnam (IO)--

A Btry., 2nd Bn., 9th Arty., chalked up one of the most unusual enemy kills in the Americal Div.'s area of operations recently when a smoke marker round killed an NVA soldier.

Operating north of Chu Lai, one platoon of C Co., 1st Bn. 35th Inf., on reconnaissance spotted several NVA in a clearing near their position.

Two of the enemy were dropped with M16 fire while other headed for cover. Platoon leader, Lt. Gary Nogle called the company's artillery forward observer Lt. Bert Landau, for assistance from A Btry.

From a nearby hill, Landau called for a marker round on one of his preplotted positions. The first round was slightly off target and Nogle radioed back the correction. Feeling that this would put an artillery round a little too close to the infantry patrol, Landauset up a compromise reading calling for a second marker.

As the round whistled overhead the GI's saw an NVA step out from behind some bushes to retrieve a fallen comrade hit by small arms fire.

By a strange quirk of fate, the smoke round burst considerably lower to the ground than usual and happened to be right over the stunned NVA who was killed by the metal fragments.