TO LISTEN TO GEORGE JONE'S 50,000 NAMES ON THE WALL
A team of 3 Americans and 7 ARVN, conducting a recon in the area Southwest of Khe Shan in Laos. The team had stopped at a small stream as they were climbing down the back slope of Co Roc Mountain, where SFC Law was last seen crouched, signaling to the team leader, reporting he had hears something to his rear. Immediately the team came under fire from the rear and flank positions by automatic weapons by an estimated company size NVA unit. Two Vietnamese and SP/4 Sain were immediately KIA. As the team rallied, SFC Laws was unaccounted for. The team then moved to evade the enemy. SFC Laws was not seen hit nor was he seen again. Upon a recovery mission, the remains of the two Vietnamese and SP/4 Sain along with a leg which was later identified as belong to SFC Laws were recovered (Sain's body had been crudely booby-trapped with a hand grenade). The recovery team reports, anyone caught in the killing zone died instantly. Law is presumed to have died due to the massive bleeding produced from the severed femoral artery would have produced death within minutes without the immediate services of a medically trained surgeon. SGM Harry "Crash" D. Whalen was able to evade the enemy and actually walk out of Laos. (Note: Identification was made through the remaining clothing on the leg, Jungle boots, and size of the boots). [FILED BY: SGM "BILLY WAUGH": Concerning RT members SAIN and LAWS, on 29 Jul 66, while on Recon in the Co Roc Mountain area, 10 KM WSW of Khe Sanh Base, approximately 700 meters West of the Tchepone River, the team (Team Name not recalled), with s SGM Crash WHALEN as the 1 - 0, where ambushed during the hours of daylight. SAIN and LAWS were dropped in their tracks, with C. WHALEN, attempting to rescue what was left of the team. C. WHALEN crossed the Tchepone River, and E & E'd to the Khe Shan Base. B. Waugh, took in a Bright Light Team, consisting of Maj. KILMER, Commo man, Horton DANIELS, Launch Site CO, Maj. J. VANSICKLE, and a couple of others, landing at an area where SAIN was staked to the ground. Booby traps were attached to SAIN who was dead. The booby traps were dis-armed. The body of LAWS was in the jungle, near that of SAIN. LAWS was also dead. No other (indig) teams members were found in the ambush area. No NVA were at the immediate area; however, four NVA bodies, stripped of weapons and clothing (excepting black PJ trousers) were found stacked at the base of an ant hill. The bodies of Sain and Laws were picked up with the Bright Light Team returning these bodies to the Khe Sanh area. These men were the first KIA out of FOB-1].28 Sep 66, Danny Gene Taylor, SSG E-6, St Louis, Mo USASF, and Two Nungs FOB #1, Phu Bal, Ops 35 SOG, KIA body not recovered. (The team was overran during a halt to make radio contact by an aggressive enemy force near Khe Shan. Taylor was the team’s RTO, One-Two, making radio contact when the team came under fire by a Viet Cong element, he re-shouldered his radio, firing on the enemy and moved over and attempted to jump off of some rocks when hit in the back by a machine gun bullet(s). Two members of the patrol checked him for vital signs, there were none. The team was forced to leave Taylor due to the heavy enemy fire)
See pages 37 - 46, Hunting the Jackal by Sergeant Major Billy Waugh for additional details on this recovery.