This paragraph is from doc5thmech.com.

"2 December 1968: We headed out, Southward through Quang Tri City and past LZ Betty, then off the highway and past some railroad tracks. Then in the wilderness, it started early and it was intense, and it quickly got very messy. The ARVN's caught the brunt of the initial fire and assault from the NVA on our left. Under heavy fire, they fell back toward the bottom of the hill, without notifying us by established radio call signs, and it left our entire left flank exposed during our continuing argument with the NVA bunkers straight uphill from our positions. AK47's were firing continuously, punctuated by mortar and RPG rounds landing near our positions. AK47's sound more like a rattling than the sharp crack our M-16's deliver. The need for "Medic" was a constant thing. The universe collapsed, and all outside noises blurred, except for the immediate recognition of that call, and vision became tunnel focussed on the business immediately at hand with no conscious cognition of what was going on all around. Med.-Evacs were a continuous train of choppers. Lost the two youngest guys in our squad: PFC Jonathan Brown, a hefty black from Florida, who had just joined 5th. Mech.. as a replacement in September - he was 19 years old when he was shot. SP4 Frank Truance, a 20-year old who was one of the preliminary troops sent here before the rest of the Brigade, was killed about 20 yards from my position, while in a cross fire from the front and from the left, because the enemy was now hitting us from where the gook 1st. Regiment was supposed to be. So, communication and lack thereof, being what it was, we did not return fire in that direction initially, for fear of causing an international incidence by killing gooks with "Friendly fire" in accordance with the repetitive refrain of our briefings - but there's nothing friendly for anyone about this fire. Our losses are great, it is a black day. PFC James Knight, 20 years old; SP4 Thomas Blakeslee [posthumously promoted to SGT] at 21 years of age; and 21 year-old George Stamps were killed. Acts of heroism from these guys is the foundation of our reality. Too many guys from the same company - it will never be the same. "