Action Date: July 1986 – June 1988
Service: United States Marine Corps
Rank: Colonel

This photograph, taken on the 5th April 1967 shows (then) Capt Whipple (centre) amongst the men of 2d Platoon Fox Co. 2/7 in Chu Lai, Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam. Photo by Bill Slater, provided by Bill Campbell.

 

Operation Desoto

The narratives below are written and provided by MGySgt William Campbell, USMCR (Ret). They describe events involving Fox 2/7, led by (then) Capt Whipple during Operation Desoto. Mr Campbell has written several historical accounts describing the operations carried out by men of Fox 2/7 in Vietnam. Thanks to his efforts, the bravery and valour of these few Marines may be revisited and remembered by all. I would strongly recommend visiting the "FOX 2/7 MARINES VIETNAM" Facebook page to read more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/152245338122820

Day 11, Sunday 5th March 1967

5 Mar 1967, An eventful day in the Fox 2/7 sector of operations. The 2nd and 3rd platoons accompanied by the F Co Hq element including Capt Oliver Whipple moved down the steep slopes of Hill 163 for a search and destroy of the hamlets on the north, west and, south slopes. Two squads of the 1st platoon led by Lt Riley were to serve as a blocking force moving along the east slopes of Hill 163 then down along the beach for 2000 meters. Before getting off the hill, F Co spotted 2 VC getting into a boat on the narrow beach west of the summit. The Marine’s fired 200 rounds at the boat, killing 1 VC. The boat then drifted aimlessly down the Tra Cau River. 

By early afternoon the 2nd and 3rd platoons had finished clearing the north and west hamlets and were approaching Than Hieu (1) on the south side of Hill 163. The 2nd squad 3rd platoon was in the lead of the column when a burst of automatic weapons fire was received from a fortified enemy bunker 100 meters to the front. One Marine was hit and the rest of the squad sought cover behind a rice paddy dike. Cpl Joseph Luca, F Co Runner/Interpreter led the command group to the sound of the firing and, when he reached the hedgerow, joined in the firing on the suspected enemy positions. He then raced to a Marine wounded in the initial burst of enemy fire, bandaging him and carrying him back to friendly lines. Halfway back a bullet hit Luca’s helmet, knocking him to the ground by the impact. Shaking off the effects Cpl Luca spotted a tracer from a VC sniper in a tree overlooking the Marines pinned down by the hedgerow. Taking the wounded Marine’s weapon he shot the VC out of the tree, then picked up the wounded Marine and reached friendly lines. Capt Whipple came forward to assess the situation and asked for a volunteer to fire LAWs (M-72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon) into the aperture of the bunker. LCpl Paul Grimes of the 2nd squad gathered 2 LAWs and advanced another 30 meters forward to fire. Grimes’ two LAWs hit the bunker and he returned to his previous position. The firing from the bunker ceased momentarily and the two platoons moved forward when a vicious stream of automatic weapons fire returned from the bunker. 

Cpl Luca ran into the open paddy to provide covering fire for the Marines sweeping toward the VC position. As other Marines fell wounded, Luca ran to the nearest wounded, getting 3 Marines in all back to the med evac LZ. Capt Whipple assisted Luca in getting the last wounded Marine evacuated. LCpl Grimes took two grenades in hand and assaulted the bunker. In spite of bullets hitting his flak jacket and having two grenades thrown at him from the bunker he managed to climb on top of the bunker, pull the grenade pins and thrust them into the openings turning the tide of the battle. 

After the med evac of the wounded Marines, the two platoons swept southward another 1000 meters finding a trench line several hundred meters long with bunkers spaced every 75 meters. The bunkers were destroyed by the attached engineers. Just past the southern end of the trench, the lead elements received 200 rounds of long range small arms fire from VC retreating southeast and southwest. 

Cpl Grimes and Cpl Luca would be awarded the Navy Cross for their actions.

Meanwhile, the 1st platoon was moving across an open area near the beach when 4 Vietnamese, in typical dress, black PJ’s and bamboo hats, walking to their front suddenly fell down and drew weapons from their clothes and began firing at the lead squad. LCpl Philippe Stephen was killed instantly and 3 other Marines wounded. The four VC got up and ran down the trail into a thick jungle area leading to Hill 70. One of Cpl Ray Tulhoski’s squad ran after them. He went down the trail and out of sight. 

Lt. Riley called the rest of Tulhoski’s up to the lead squad and directed them form a circle to provide cover for the wounded and dead so a helicopter could fly in and get them out. Within a short time a med evac helicopter arrived and got the casualties out.

Lt. Riley told Cpl Tulhoski to go and find the Marine who had ran down the trail after the four VC. He gathered his squad, along with Arlen Jones’ machine gun team, and followed the trail into the jungle..

 A short way down the trail they found the missing Marine, he was on the ground in the middle of the trail. He had been shot in the middle of the back. The bullet had gone through him. The corpsman was right behind and started to administer first aid. Cpl Tulhoski sent Richard Walstrom and another of his squad down the trail to give cover. Both Marines were shot immediately. As Tulhoski looked down the trail he noticed white cloth every so often tied to bushes. Quickly analyzing what was there, he realized it was an ambush set up. 

The VC were located off the trail to their right in an old French bunker hidden in thick jungle vegetation. The bunker was a little higher up from the trail. It wasn’t easy to see the ambush zone because the dense jungle. The VC had cut holes in the bushes on one side of the trail and had tied small pieces of white cloth to the bushes on the other side. Being located in bunkers a little higher up than the trail, they could look down through the holes to the white cloth. They aimed their weapons on the white cloth. When someone walked in front of the white cloth they would shoot.

Now there were three wounded. The machine gun team was right behind Cpl Tulhoski. He grabbed the M-60 from the gunner, stood up and sprayed the VC bunker area. The rest of the squad went beside the trail to provide covering fire for the wounded. After giving the M-60 back to Arlen Jones, he proceeded along the side of the trail.

Ray looked over and saw his 2 wounded Marines out in the open on the trail. He went over, under fire, and grabbed one Marine who had a nearly severed foot above the ankle, and dragged him back behind the trail with the other wounded Marine. He then got up and went back to the trail. He put his arms under Walstorm who had been shot in the chest, puncturing his lung. As he started to drag him back the VC opened up with a machine gun and hit Walstrom again. The machine gun bullets went up his side, tearing up his leg, covering Cpl Tulhoski in blood and flesh.

All the wounded were in a small area now with the remainder of the squad and gun team firing to provide cover. Shortly, the platoon commander, Lt Riley, platoon sergeant and Cpl Bill Slater and the rest of the platoon came up firing over their heads. Cpl Tulhoski wanted to gather up several hand grenades and assault the bunker. Lt Riley gave him a direct order not to charge the bunker. About this time, the M-60 began rattling off pieces. Assistant gunner Arnie Sundberg put the pieces in his helmet. Cpl Lee Hall, Sundberg and another Marine put the M-60 back together. Another med evac helicopter came in and had to land in a very small opening in the jungle. The helicopter had a protective cover on the outside, which it needed badly. Bullets were bouncing off of it like you would not believe.

After evacuating the 3 wounded Marines, Lt Riley had Cpl Tulhoski and a few other Marines stay back to call in artillery on the bunker. The group gathered as many grenades as they could and redistributed ammunition. The rest of the platoon went back to the beach and on up to Hill 163. After the artillery mission, the group with Cpl Tulhoski used the cover and concealment of the jungle to make their way back to Hill 163, where they crashed, burnt out, completely exhausted and very beat into their small, dirty fox holes on the side of the hill.

From the India 3/7 OP on top of Hill 164, Nui Dau, a squad patrol was moving to the east of the base toward Phuoc Dien (3). In the early afternoon, the leading fire team of the patrol surprised a group of VC in a trench line. The squad assaulted the trench killing 6 VC. The rest of I 3/7 helilifted from the 3/7 CP at Nui Dang to Hill 164 before dark. 

The other assault companies of 3/7 were displacing. L 3/7 moved from Nui Dang to the Mike 3/7 CP while Mike 3/7 returned to Nui Dang. Lima company would send out patrols into the Hai Mon (1) and Hll 26 area. 

From Nui Dang, M 3/7 had the mission of a recon-in-force 6 KM to the south along the Trung Tram Mountains to escort the Recon team Donohue into their insertion point. After Donohue dropped off, M 3/7 returned a little further west through Van Vat and Nho Lam (1). There was no contact and Mike Co was back at Nui Dang by 1800H. 

Kilo 3/7 was to displace back to Nui Dang from their CP near Hai Mon (1) where they had been conducting aggressive patrolling since 1 Mar. Their route would be circuitous. Southward 3000 meters through Vinh Phuoc (2) then northwestward 2000 meters to Nui Dang. In mid afternoon, snipers a couple hundred meters to the east opened up. The lead elements of the company pursued, tripping a booby trapped 250 lb bomb and a 155mm round. Two Marines were WIA. K 3/7 was at the 3/7 CP before dark. 

Source material take from 2/7, 3/7, Task Force X-Ray Command Chronologies and personal account from Cpl Ray Tuholski, sqd ldr 1st plt; Arnie Sundberg 1st sqd guns and Navy Cross Citations. Graphics by William Campbell 2nd sqd, 2nd plt Fox 2/7 Aug 67-Aug 68.

Day 22, Thursday, 16 March 1967

Fox 2/7 was ordered to conduct a search and destroy sweep from the Hien Tay (1) area, northeastward 1500 meters, into the Thanh Lam village complex. To support this sweep, and to protect Fox’s northern flank, K 3/7 moved east and southeast off the ridge east of An Loi (2). As F 2/7 passed by the southern end of the ridge, Kilo would fall in behind Fox as a rear guard.

The M 3/7 security element remained a few hundred meters south of Thanh Lam (2) as a blocking force. The rest of M 3/7 located at Nui Dang moved out 2000 meters westward, with a section of Ontos to provide support to Fox 2/7, as they moved up from the southwest.

The search and destroy sweep was fairly uneventful as Fox 2/7 moved through the valley of sparsely populated hamlets, surrounded by a sea of rice paddies during the morning and early afternoon. At 1710H with 1st and 3rd platoons in the lead, 2nd platoon and the HQ element bringing up the rear, the Company began moving into a hamlet on the southern end of the Thanh Lam (2) village complex. The lead elements of the 2nd platoon had just entered the tree line with the rest still in the open paddies. Suddenly, four .50 cal machine guns opened up on the exposed Marines. The VC had two firing positions, 1 just south of the hamlet and, the other on higher terrain about 300-400 meters southeast. The VC had a triangulated and coordinated open field of fire. The same tactic was used on an element of M 3/7 yesterday.

Two 2d platoon Marines were killed instantly, including the 2d squad leader, Cpl Frank Pokey, and another 4 seriously wounded out in the paddies. Cover and concealment were up to 150 meters away at the hamlet. HM3 Travis Simmons, a native Texan and the F Company Senior Corpsman, just ahead of the 2nd platoon, raced to the paddy to render aid. He broke from a covered position to assist the 4 wounded Marines and was immediately wounded in the foot. The air was alive with heavy enemy fire. Disregarding his own wounds and safety he crawled to a seriously wounded Marine and shielded the Marine with his own body. The 1st and 3d platoons in relative safety, returned fire from a dirt parapet around the hamlet,

1Lts John Riley and Ron Castille, 1st and 3d plt cmdrs respectively, ran back to see if they could assist the pinned down 2nd platoon. The F Company CO, Capt Oliver Whipple, tasked Lt Castille with getting the Marines out of the paddy. The 3d platoon guide, Cpl Angel Mendez, along with rifleman PFC Gary Murtha and a few others from the 3rd platoon, made a running start out of the hamlet in an attempt to reach the wounded, prompting the VC to increase their fire. Half of the 2nd platoon was pinned down, with several casualties.

Capt Whipple, moved into the exposed rice paddy assessing the situation. He then moved to the parapet, directing fire onto the enemy positions. He called in and directed artillery and air strikes. Observing a wounded Marine, he raced to his side and dragged the man through a torrent of enemy fire to a covered position..

Cpl Arthur McRae, a 2nd platoon squad leader rushed 150 meters into the paddy to aid 10 Marines and 2 Corpsmen. He had his rifle shot out of his hand. He aided a corpsman in treating a wounded Marine, and prepared a plan to move the group to safety. He would return to the paddy to retrieve weapons and equipment. LCpl Wayne Wilemon, weapons platoon, provided covering fire for Cpl McRae as he led the people back into the hamlet. PFC Pearl Myers a machine gunner attached to the 2d platoon laid down continuous covering fire toward the VC positions. He continued firing even after the bipod of his M-60 was hit, and only stopped firing when he was killed. Company GySgt Walter Lofink and Wayne Wilemon raced into the paddies to drag out the mortally wounded HM3 Travis Simmons, after he had taken a round to his neck.

Lt Castille about 60 meters into the paddy, was seriously wounded in his right leg by the VC machine gun fire. Seeing his platoon commander wounded, Cpl Mendez sprinted out to Castille’s positions, firing his M-79, bandaged his leg, and helped him to safety in the midst of an intense fire fight. Cpl Mendez was hit in the shoulder and as others rushed in to help, Mendez remained behind the wounded lieutenant shielding him. At that point, Mendez suffered a fatal wound to his chest. LCpl Jack Phelps, admin clerk, and a Marine from the H&S Company HST, would help to carry Mendez’s body out of the paddy. Today was Lt Castille’s birthday.

UH1E and fixed wind air strikes were called in, almost on top of the Fox company lines. Shrapnel from bombs and casings from 20mm guns were hitting the Marines on their helmets. Dennis Barrett with the 2d platoon was throwing out smoke cannisters to mark the friendly lines. Two VC automatic weapons positions were destroyed and 9 VC KIA by aircraft. Almost 200 rounds of artillery were directed on the target areas to cover the medevac. Kilo and Mike 3/7 also brought a heavy volume of fire onto the enemy positions.

The battle raged for over an hour. Medevac choppers were peppered with small arms fire. One helo had damage to a center fuel cell, radio and engine, and had to make an emergency landing at the 3/7 CP. LCpl Nelson Matlock a 2d platoon rifleman was shot and killed while helping to load the wounded into helicopters.

Personal account from PFC Gary Murtha, 2d sqd 3d plt F 2/7: “This is always a day that shakes me to the bones. In my book I tried to keep our history clean and intact, but there are so many times I regret that. So, if you hate what I’m about to post then hate me because I hate the 16th of March. My birthday is the 18th of March. I didn’t think I would see it back then.

My platoon was in a very safe position when the ambush hit. We were pulled back and moved up to the last somewhat safe position behind some bushes. Lt. Castille was given the job of rescuing the dead and wounded from the initial burst. Both Castille and Cpl Mendez were begging us behind those bushes for volunteers to attempt the rescue. Not one man, other than Castille and Mendez were biting. Once past the bushes it was a sure killing field and suicide. Both Castille and Mendez kept begging saying “Marines don’t leave their own” and “If it was you wouldn’t you want someone to come for you.” A sad day for the Marine Corps. After a few minutes of fear and extreme guilt I told them I would go. Then Webb Mitchell did the same. So that was it, just Lt., Mendez, Mitchell, and almost 20 me. Not some men from the 3rd platoon, just 4 men from the 3rd platoon.

We entered the killing zone at full speed. Mendez was first out, I followed ahead of Mitchell. By the time the enemy focused on us Lt. Castille, who was the next and last one out, was shot. Mendez dumped his gear in front of me and when to aid Castille and was killed. Mitchell and I were stuck in the open with absolutely no cover. I kept popping up to fire until either the First Sgt or Gunny yelled at me to stop getting up as they were shooting all that did. I don’t know what Mitchell was doing. After all the bombing runs and choppers blasting away, I waited quite a while before the second group attempted the rescue. They yelled out to me to hold my position until everyone was out. I did and I was in fact the last one out of the ambush area.

I’m sure many of you remember what the Capt. said that night, as we hunkered down in the village. Maybe many of you would rather forget. He passed the word that he wanted as many people as possible to get medals. If you could show just a scratch, with any blood, they would give a purple heart. Some enlisted staff and officers loaded up on medals that day. I get sick whenever I think about some of those medals when so many died and suffered that day. Just one of many sad days during my time there. When Barry was alive, he kept trying to get me to attend the reunions, but I told him as long as one certain person was attending, that I never would. Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot of bravery that day and Fox as a company was splendid. All those 18 and 19-year-old boys never got a chance to live their life. Yes, I hate the 16th of March, but not Fox 2/7. “

Personal comments from Carl Stevenson on Gary Murtha’s personal account: “well said and with a lot of feeling and truth. Most of us were 19-21 years old. Some of our Marines had arrived in country in the last 30 days and this was their first operations. Some of us were on the DMZ during Operation Prairie. This was truly a hell of a day and we had others but we all lost some good buddies and Marines that day. Thanks, Gary, for being able to write the three books about Fox 2/7. Never Forget. Semper Fidelis!”

Personal account from John A. Ortiz: “I was told that when his (PFC John Allen Graber) body was finally recovered after being wounded and pinned down by 50 cal fire, that Pfc Graber had expended all ammo on his person. What courage to be wounded by 50 cal rounds and still continue to fire off every round to defend himself and fellow Marines also pinned down. I had known him as a kind and gentle person from our childhood but have no doubt this account is absolutely accurate.”

The 8 Fox 2/7 KIAs included: PFC Michael Charles Dominguez (19); PFC Andrew Fedor (19); PFC John Allen Graber, Jr. (18); LCpl Nelson Allen Matlock (24); Cpl Angel Mendez (24); PFC Pearl Wayne Myers (20); Cpl Frank Michael Pokey Jr. (20) and; HM3 Travis A. Simmons (23). Five others were WIA.

Post Operation Desoto-Cpl Mendez would be posthumously awarded the Navy Cross Medal and promoted to Sgt. In 2012, the Staten Island NY Post Office would be renamed in his honor. Cpl McRae would also be awarded the Navy Cross. HM3 Simmons would be posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal. Capt Whipple and GySgt Lofink would also be awarded the Silver Star. Lt Castille would receive a Bronze Star and would spend the next 15 months in a Naval Hospital, losing his right leg. He would go on to become a Supreme Court Justice for the State of Pennsylvania. Corpsman Roy Adair would become the senior Corpsman, replacing HM3 Simmons. LCpl Jack Phelps would be awarded a Bronze Star Medal w/V. Cpl Bill Slater would receive a meritorious promotion to sergeant.

One of the K 3/7 platoons on the ridge northwest of the Fox company battle, observed 3 VC to their north. They took them under fire killing at least 1, possibly 3. K 3/7 moving in behind F 2/7 in the early evening into the nearest VC firing position killed at least 1 VC and possibly 4 others.

In the late afternoon, a Recon team in the mountains 4000 meters southwest of the F 2/7 ambush site received 30 rounds of small arms from 2 VC on a ridge 200 meters to their east. An artillery mission was called and the sniping ceased.

Lima 3/7 ran squad and platoon sized patrols between their CP and the 3/7 CP at Nui Dang. They also maintained the OP on top of Hill 164 with local security patrols.

I 3/7 conducted a platoon patrol on the east of Nui Dau looking for a combat base from which squad patrols would be run. The point tripped a mine, wounding 2 Marines, 1 requiring evacuation.

Source material take from 2/7, 3/7, Task Force X-Ray Command Chronologies; Valor.Militarytimes.com; AP/UPI; VVMF.org; Coffeltdatabase.org; and personal accounts from Arnie Sundberg, wpns plt; Peter Angus, 2nd plt radioman; John Riley, 1st plt cmdr; Wayne Wilemon, wpns plt; Dennis Barrett, 2nd plt; Ronald Castille, 3rd plt cmdr; Gary Murtha, 2nd sqd 3rd plt; Capt Oliver Whipple, F Co CO, GySgt Walter Lofink, F Co GySgt and, Roy Adair, F Co Corpsman.

 

Above: Colonel Oliver Mayhew Whipple Jr.

This article is dedicated to the Marines of Fox Co. 2d Battalion, 7th Marines who served in Vietnam between 1965-1970

Thanks goes to MGySgt William Campbell, USMCR (Ret) who provided written historical accounts and photographs.

 

Sources:
FOX 2/7 MARINES VIETNAM Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152245338122820

Oliver Whipple Jr. Obituary - Middendorf Bullock Funeral Home
https://www.middendorfbullock.com/obituaries/oliver-whipplejr

Whipple, Oliver, M., Jr., Col - Together We Served
https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=AssignmentExt&ID=686303
https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=AssignmentExt&ID=686300

Oliver Mayhew Whipple Jr - Veterans Legacy Memorial
https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/OLIVERMAYHEWWHIPPLEJR/55354

Oliver Mayhew Whipple Jr - Military Times Hall of Valor
https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-41448/

Fortitudine - Newsletter of the Marine Corps Historical Program, Volume XII, Number 2, Fall 1982

Major Charles D. Melson, Lieutenant Colonel Curtis G. Arnold; U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The War That Would Not End 1971-1973, 1991

 

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