He desired to scout a direction for his ONTOS and support discover a strong statement submit for the mortars. Going with him have been the 81s’ FO, his radioman, and a pair of riflemen as safeguard. mins later Sauer left. Huff watched the 5 males paintings their means downhill, then saved an eye fixed on them as they began up the other hill. He didn't like this sort of small team relocating out by itself, specially on Hill 861. quickly Sauer and his little band disappeared at the back of a thick stand of bamboo. 2 hundred meters from the head of Hill 861, simply because the lead guy for Sauer’s little crew approached a tree line, a burst of rifle hearth shattered the morning air. The Marine dropped in a heap. “I’m hit! ” he screamed. Sauer and the FO, Pfc. William Marks, dove for defense, touchdown in a shallow melancholy alongside the path. approximately 5 meters at the back of them, the radioman and the second one rifleman hit the dust, too. one other spray of enemy AK-47 fireplace raked the air. Marks attempted to fireside again, yet his M16 jammed after a couple of rounds. Sauer informed Marks, “Make a run for it. I’ll disguise you. ” With that, the twenty-four-year-old officer bought up on one knee and commenced firing his . 45-caliber pistol on the unseen NVA. Marks scurried again to the others. “Let’s get outta right here! ” he yelled. the 3 sprinted down the path, enemy rounds humming earlier them. They hit the dust back. Seconds later they have been on their ft once again, fleeing for his or her lives. Marks may perhaps see NVA relocating alongside their correct flank, racing to chop them off. without notice, the radioman dropped, his chest torn by way of enemy slugs. Seconds later Marks overlooked the opposite rifleman. Terrified, he ran blindly on, stumbling and falling at the slick path as bullets hit throughout him. After the 1st crackle of rifle fireplace, Lieutenant King attempted to radio Sauer. whilst he didn't get a solution, King despatched his rifle squad to enquire. They took off at the double. after they approached the thick bamboo grove on Hill 861, Marks stumbled out towards them, exhausted and coated with dust. “They’re lifeless. They’re all dead,” he muttered. The squad chief despatched him again downhill, then radioed King. King ordered the squad to proceed up the path and recuperate the our bodies. The Marines crept ahead slowly. a number of meters up the path they noticed the corpses of the radioman and the rifleman. simply as they began to pull them again, a savage blast of enemy computerized guns hearth minimize the air. The squad beat a hasty retreat. they can now not get the our bodies. King ordered them to tug again. Then he radioed the strive against base for a fireplace project. inside of mins Captain Golden’s 105mm howitzers have been pumping high-explosive shells onto the enemy-held hilltop. The 81mm mortars extra their rounds to the barrage. once he heard from King, Sayers grabbed his radioman and jumped aboard a chopper. The NVA greeted the upcoming H-34 with a blast of . 50-caliber computing device gun fireplace. notwithstanding hit a number of occasions, the plane nonetheless made it in. Sayers and his radioman jumped out earlier than the craft touched down. After being briefed via King, Sayers ordered the lieutenant to take the squad again up Hill 861 and get the our bodies.