On February 14, 1966 was a busy day for the medics and the Dust-offs. At 0530 hours, Company A prepared to depart the base camp area and to move across the Ben Muong on a dismounted Reconnaissance in Force (RIF) of the area beyond the stream. An element of Company B secured the stream-crossing site to be used on the operation. They were in place at 0530 hours. Company A crossed their line of departure at 0630 hours. A platoon from Company C was positioned beyond the Ben Muong to act as a security force for Company A’s route of withdrawal, should it become necessary and also as a left flank security. At 0745 hours, the Company C security platoon received several rounds of small arms fire but sustained no injuries. At 0935 hours, the Company C platoon again received small arms fire. In the exchange four men were wounded. One was hit in the head and another in the hip. By 1019 hours all four had been Dusted-off. Company A was making slow but steady progress on their sweep, destroying houses and tunnels and finding rice caches. By 1100 hrs they had sustained 10 wounded. Then two Chicom Claymores were command detonated by the Viet Cong, killing 8 and wounding 3 in the vicinity of XT 643176. Four of those killed were from Company A. Two were forward observers from Battery C, 1st Bn 8th Artillery, and two were non-combatant photographers. At 1430 hours, Company A began their return back to the base camp. By 1630 hours the Company C security element had recrossed the stream on the fringe of the base camp perimeter. Also on February 14th, a platoon from Company C was attached to the 2nd Bn 27th Infantry for a clearing operation. At 0837 hours, a man from Company C was injured when he fell on a punji stake. At 1030 hours, the Company C “angel” track (Medical Armored Personnel Carrier) hit an Anti-Tank (AT) mine at XT 632158. The vehicle was disabled and a number of VC attacked from the south in an attempt to capture the vehicle. They were driven off by the track commander and driver firing the .50 caliber machine gun and an M-79 grenade launcher. Several men were later wounded by sniper fire while extracting the downed vehicle.