The "Lieutenant John C. Stevens" Story  

Platoon Leader

Second Platoon, Company B, 3-506th

1968/1969  

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     First Lieutenant John Stevens, 23-year-old platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, Company B (1968-69), native of Homewood, Illinois entered military service in September, 1966. He took Basic Training in September-November 1966 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, followed by AIT at Fort Lewis, Washington. After graduating from AIT, he was selected to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia from February to August 1967.  Immediately following graduation from OCS, now 2nd Lt. Stevens received his first infantry assignment as a Training Officer, Basic Training Company at Fort Lewis, Washington.  In July of 1968, he attended Jungle School at Fort Davis, Panama.  After completing Jungle School in Panama, now First Lieutenant Stevens deployed to Vietnam and was assigned to the 3-506 in early August 1968. Lt. Stevens had been with the 3-506th for only a couple of weeks when he was ordered to take over command of 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company when its platoon leader, 2nd Lt. Terry Weaver, was seriously wounded on August 25, 1968.

Command of 2nd Platoon

     On August 25, ARVN forces engaged an unknown-sized enemy force in defensive positions near Dai Hoa Hamlet northwest of Phan Thiet.  The four rifle companies of the 3-506th were inserted into their respective LZs, the Currahees began their move toward the contact area at. In their advance toward the hamlet, elements of Cpt. William Knowlton's Bravo Company became pinned down by intense small arms and automatic weapons fire, B-40 rockets, and light to heavy mortars. The fierce "Battle of Dai Hoa-Xuan Phan" continued well into the night, with the Currahees sustaining fourteen wounded.  One of the wounded troopers of Bravo Company, Sgt. Teodorito Rios-Rosario, died of his wounds the following day. The 2nd Platoon Leader, 2nd Lt. Terry Weaver had also been seriously wounded. See Lt. Terry Weaver's Purple Heart Story on the website.  Additional information about the "Battle of Dai Hoa-Xuan Phan" can be found in our books "The Stand Alone Battalion" and  "My Gift To You".

      Immediately following the loss of 2nd Platoon's commander, Lt. Weaver, Lt. Sevens received orders from Battalion Commander, LTC Walter Price, (Brown Badger") to take command of 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company.     

Actions leading up to the "Incident"

     Task Force 3-506 began the month of February 1969 by initiating Operation SHERIDAN on February 1. The three-day operation was launched in response to intelligence information indicating that a suspected enemy offensive was being staged against the city of Phan Thiet and LZ BETTY. Extensive patrolling and "Bushmaster" operations were conducted along anticipated avenues of approach in Binh Thuan Province, a portion of Ninh Thuan Province to the north, and a portion of Binh Tuy Province to the southwest in northern III Corps Tactical Zone to thwart enemy aggression.  This action prompted the 3-506th to commence an aggressive search and destroy operation known as Operation HANDCOCK EAGLE.

     On February 4, Task Force 3-506 commenced the first of three phases for Operation HANCOCK EAGLE and would encounter some of their fiercest fighting for the year. The three phases of the new operation would consume the months of February and March, with a three-fold purpose for the Currahees. The mission for TF 3-506 was to locate and destroy all enemy forces within the AO, conduct combined operations with its ARVN counterpart, and provide combat support for the Revolutionary Development/Pacification Program in Binh Thuan Province.

     The first significant enemy contact during Phase I of Operation HANCOCK EAGLE occurred on February 5, when 1st Platoon, Company C killed a lone Viet Cong and captured some documents. Another lone Viet Cong was killed later that same day, and more captured documents led the Currahees to a large Viet Cong supply point along Highway 8B. A night ambush was subsequently established along the enemy supply route, which resulted in the capture of an NVA caravan in the early morning hours. These incidents, together with information gathered from captured documents, revealed a large enemy build-up in the area.

Battle at Outpost (FSB) SARA

     In the early morning hours of February 12, elements of the Viet Cong 450th Local Force Company guided the Sapper Companies of the Viet Cong 186th Main Force Battalion, the 240th NVA Battalion, and the 840th Main Force Battalion in an attack on Outpost SARA, located on Highway QL-1 northeast of Phan Thiet. As the Currahees scrambled to reinforce the outpost, they met stiff resistance on the landing zone and were pinned down by heavy fire from the well-entrenched enemy. The battle raged on throughout the day, and contact with the enemy was finally broken by nightfall. Artillery and "Spooky" (C-47 gunship) were employed through the night.

     A sweep of the contact area at daylight the following morning revealed that the enemy had fled under the cover of darkness. Two prisoners-of-war carrying important documents were captured in the incident--one from the C-5 (Sapper) Company of the 240th NVA Battalion and the other from C-1 Company of the 186th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion. The "Battle at Outpost SARA" claimed the lives of three Currahees--Corporal Billy Frank Harper, 19, from Cleveland, Mississippi; Sgt. Robert W. Hook, 20, from Dallas, Texas; and Sgt. Salvador DeLos S. Rios, 20, of Runge, Texas.

     On February 14, 1969--two days following the Battle at Outpost SARA--Battalion Intelligence (S-2) had information that an NVA unit had been spotted north of Phan Thiet.  Lt. Stevens' 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company was ordered to conduct a CA to the area to locate and destroy any such unit.  "We CA'ed to our LZ, traveling with ammo and water only, no rucks," recalls Lt. Stevens.  "I had two bandoliers strapped over my shoulders and two canteens of water on my pistol belt as did the rest of my platoon."

     "The second platoon was choppered into the area on a Search and Destroy mission," says Lt. Stevens. "We performed a cloverleaf search pattern once on the ground. Nothing was found. We returned to the LZ to be extracted."  Soon after arriving at their PZ, the Currahees began loading onto helicopter slicks from the 192nd Assault Helicopter Company.  Unknowingly, an unknown-size enemy element had followed the platoon to their PZ, waited patiently for their helicopters to land and begin lifting out of the PZ before opening fire--an enemy tactic well known by the Currahees. A previous incident in which the same enemy tactic was employed had taken the life of Squad Leader, Sgt. Keith Rowell back on August 25, 1968. 

     Sgt. Rowell was among the first group of paratroopers assigned to the 3-506 after the battalion was activated on April 1, 1967. He had been in country 301 days when his 1st Platoon, Alpha Company was awaiting the arrival of helicopter slicks to extract his company.  Also unknown at the time, the enemy had been watching the Currahees as they gathered at the PZ to board the incoming helicopters. Another squad leader, Sgt. Edward Bassista recalls, "When the first ships came in for the first lift, Sgt. Rowell’s squad was to go first.  As soon as the choppers were loaded and began lifting off, all hell broke loose from the nearby woodline. The VC had sneaked up to the PZ and waited for the first troops to board and lift off before attacking. Sgt. Rowell was hit in the first few seconds, as he was about to board his chopper along with his men. "

     When Lt. Stevens' men began loading their helicopters, the enemy opened fire on second platoon and awaiting helicopter slicks.  "As we started loading up, all hell broke loose," recalls Lt. Stevens.  "We called the Cobras in to protect the LZ perimeter.  As we were leaving our PZ we received heavy small arms fire from the tree line. It lasted maybe 5 minutes or whatever time it took for the birds to be airborne."

     As Lt. Stevens' chopper lifted off the PZ, enemy ground fire struck his aircraft, wounding him and one of the crewmembers.  "As our chopper began lifting off the ground, I felt a sharp thump in the middle of my chest and also something like a slap on my throat," says Lt. Stevens.  To my knowledge, only one of the doorgunners was wounded in my chopper.  My RTO recognized I was wounded because I had blood on my hands and throat. He notified the pilot and put a bandage on my throat applying pressure. The chopper headed back to LZ Betty and landed outside the Battalion Aide Station".

Once his helicopter had landed at the aide station, Lt. Stevens was quickly littered into the station, where his bandoliers were cut off and his pistol belt removed, along with his shirt. The Battalion Surgeon, Cpt. William Hyland looked him over and  dressed his neck wound.  Afterwards, Lt. Stevens was littered back to the helicopter pad, where a medivac chopper was waiting to take him to the mash unit at Xuan Loc, where many other wounded Currahees had been medevaced for medical treatment. Upon arrival at the 7th Surgery Hospital, Lt. Stevens was littered into surgery and remained at the hospital for a week before asking for  release to return to LZ Betty and rejoin his platoon.  

     Upon arriving at LZ Betty, Lt. Stevens returned to his hooch. The bandoliers he had been wearing at the time he was wounded were on his cot. As he picked them up, he heard a rattle and saw a hole in one of the middle magazine pockets.  He removed the magazine and saw a hole in one side and a bulge on the other. When he emptied the rounds from the magazine, this was what fell out (see picture).  "I  guess I was a pretty lucky guy!", recalled Lt. Stevens. "After a day in the rear, I was choppered out to rejoin my men in the boonies. About a week after that, a medic was sent out to remove the stitches. Someone in the platoon has a picture of the stitches being removed."

    John left Vietnam in July 1969 and was reassigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he spent his remaining year of military server as a Company Commander at the Army Basic Training facility.

    Lt. Stevens married his lovely wife, Ingrid Alyce, in 1973. John's career  led him to hold several positions as a Superintendent, a Terminal Manager, a Director of Risk Management, and a Manager of Government Affairs.  He also served as a Board Member on several highway safety organizations, as well as managing his own Expert Witness Company. His last 12 years of employment before retirement was spent with L-3 Communications as a Subject Matter Expert.