One of the most remarkable small unit actions in American History occurred on the night of June 15, 1966. In the Vietnam War, small units of soldiers or Marines would sometimes be dropped off in the jungle to scout for enemy formations. This could be dangerous if the unit was discovered.
In December, 1965, Operation Harvest Moon was a search and destroy mission to clear the Phuoc Ha Valley of communist forces. Although the body count was high, the operation did not achieve its goals. When the Americans pulled out, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong built up their forces in preparation for an offensive. American intelligence discovered the plan and the Marines decided to send recon teams in to report on enemy buildups so air and artillery strikes could be called in. In Operation Kansas, seven teams from the First Recon Battalion of the 1st Marine Division were inserted by helicopter on June 13, 1966. Each was placed on high ground to observe the valley. One of the teams was led by Staff Sergeant Jimmie Howard. He and his fifteen Marines and two Navy corpsmen were atop Hill 488. (The number refers to the height in meters.) It had a good view, but their position was bare of natural hiding places, other than a large boulder. Enemy units were spotted and Howard used the radio to call in air and artillery. It was pretty obvious to the enemy that someone was spotting for their American tormentors. Howard got the call that they were going to be evacuated, but he argued for staying another day. It was a fateful decision.
Around 10 P.M. on June 15, one of the Marines saw movement coming towards him. He opened fire and the battle began. The enemy came at them in a wave supported by heavy machine guns and mortars. All the Marines had were their M-14’s and grenades. The initial attack was repulsed, but most of their grenades were expended. From then on, the enemy probed the 20 yard in diameter perimeter. Howard’s men were outnumbered 20 to 1. Flares fired by artillery lit up the hill and helped the defenders to spot targets. The enemy’s whistles, bugles, and clacking of bamboo sticks filled the air. Between attacks the enemy would yell “you die tonight, Marines”. Howard ordered his men to laugh at the taunts. Things were desperate as ammunition was running out and almost all the men were wounded, including Howard and the corpsmen. Artillery and air power fired “danger close” to the perimeter, but that did not stop the attacks. When the grenades ran out, Howard issued his famous command: “Throw rocks!”. Enemy soldiers mistook the rocks for grenades. They would jump up and move away and thus revealed themselves to be shot. During the night, Major William Goodsell attempted to land his helicopter to evacuate the wounded. His chopper was shot down and he was killed. Another helicopter was also shot down.
Daylight saved the survivors. Not only did it make air and artillery more effective, but a company of Marines was able to fight their way to the top of the hill. Howard’s men had 8 bullets left. 6 of the men had been killed and everyone else was wounded. Only three men weren’t carried off on stretchers. All the men were decorated for their bravery. Howard was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor. And the battle became known as the Battle of Howard’s Hill.
Here is his citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. G/Sgt. Howard and his 18-man platoon were occupying an observation post deep within enemy-controlled territory. Shortly after midnight a Viet Cong force of estimated battalion size approached the marines’ position and launched a vicious attack with small-arms, automatic-weapons, and mortar fire. Reacting swiftly and fearlessly in the face of the overwhelming odds, G/Sgt. Howard skillfully organized his small but determined force into a tight perimeter defense and calmly moved from position to position to direct his men’s fire. Throughout the night, during assault after assault, his courageous example and firm leadership inspired and motivated his men to withstand the unrelenting fury of the hostile fire in the seemingly hopeless situation. He constantly shouted encouragement to his men and exhibited imagination and resourcefulness in directing their return fire. When fragments of an exploding enemy grenade wounded him severely and prevented him from moving his legs, he distributed his ammunition to the remaining members of his platoon and proceeded to maintain radio communications and direct air strikes on the enemy with uncanny accuracy. At dawn, despite the fact that five men were killed and all but one wounded, his beleaguered platoon was still in command of its position. When evacuation helicopters approached his position, G/Sgt. Howard warned them away and called for additional air strikes and directed devastating small-arms fire and air strikes against enemy automatic-weapons positions in order to make the landing zone as secure as possible. Through his extraordinary courage and resolute fighting spirit, G/Sgt. Howard was largely responsible for preventing the loss of his entire platoon. His valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to inspire the men of his platoon to heroic endeavor in the face of overwhelming odds, and reflect the highest credit upon G/Sgt. Howard, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service.
https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/jimmie-e-howard
https://www.historynet.com/long-night-hill-488/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hill_488
https://cherrieswriter.com/2021/12/05/heroes-of-hill-488/
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