Christopher Levesque

of settling in, doing some patrols and doing some training, but they don't fire their weapons. They lay in night to night ambushes, looking for a single sniper in their area of operations. The trouble really, really begins four days before the Tet Offensive.

of settling in, doing some patrols and doing some training, but they don't fire their weapons. They lay in night to night ambushes, looking for a single sniper in their area of operations. The trouble really, really begins four days before the Tet Offensive.

And so four days before the Tet Offensive, they're taken out of their regular infantry battalion. and sent to basically a scratch battalion called Task Force Barker. It's got a hodgepodge of infantry and artillery from the brigade, and they're given the mission to go after the 48th Viet Cong Local Force Battalion near Quang Nai City. So they're given a very difficult job.

And so four days before the Tet Offensive, they're taken out of their regular infantry battalion. and sent to basically a scratch battalion called Task Force Barker. It's got a hodgepodge of infantry and artillery from the brigade, and they're given the mission to go after the 48th Viet Cong Local Force Battalion near Quang Nai City. So they're given a very difficult job.

And so four days before the Tet Offensive, they're taken out of their regular infantry battalion. and sent to basically a scratch battalion called Task Force Barker. It's got a hodgepodge of infantry and artillery from the brigade, and they're given the mission to go after the 48th Viet Cong Local Force Battalion near Quang Nai City. So they're given a very difficult job.

They're not used to working together. And the reason this happens is that the 11th Infantry Brigade is waiting for its 4th Infantry Battalion to arrive. They're looking for a group to go send out to do this. And they also lose part of their organization. They lose their headquarters companies from all of these smaller units before they're sent to task force Parker.

They're not used to working together. And the reason this happens is that the 11th Infantry Brigade is waiting for its 4th Infantry Battalion to arrive. They're looking for a group to go send out to do this. And they also lose part of their organization. They lose their headquarters companies from all of these smaller units before they're sent to task force Parker.

They're not used to working together. And the reason this happens is that the 11th Infantry Brigade is waiting for its 4th Infantry Battalion to arrive. They're looking for a group to go send out to do this. And they also lose part of their organization. They lose their headquarters companies from all of these smaller units before they're sent to task force Parker.

Yes, and it has a real effect on how this plays out. Yeah. So they're taken out of their normal structure and put into this sort of ad hoc structure. task force. That's a battalion size. So it's basically three companies and some infantry companies and some artillery. How many men are we talking about? The infantry companies are usually going to be about 150 men. So three of those. Okay.

Yes, and it has a real effect on how this plays out. Yeah. So they're taken out of their normal structure and put into this sort of ad hoc structure. task force. That's a battalion size. So it's basically three companies and some infantry companies and some artillery. How many men are we talking about? The infantry companies are usually going to be about 150 men. So three of those. Okay.

Yes, and it has a real effect on how this plays out. Yeah. So they're taken out of their normal structure and put into this sort of ad hoc structure. task force. That's a battalion size. So it's basically three companies and some infantry companies and some artillery. How many men are we talking about? The infantry companies are usually going to be about 150 men. So three of those. Okay.

Right. And one of the things that happens is when Tet occurs four days after they're put into this organization... They see things happening around them. They're not directly affected yet. But one of the things that happened is that the division headquarters in July is attacked.

Right. And one of the things that happens is when Tet occurs four days after they're put into this organization... They see things happening around them. They're not directly affected yet. But one of the things that happened is that the division headquarters in July is attacked.

Right. And one of the things that happens is when Tet occurs four days after they're put into this organization... They see things happening around them. They're not directly affected yet. But one of the things that happened is that the division headquarters in July is attacked.

And one of the messages that that sends to the men of Charlie Company is that their home base, where they get all their supplies, where they're supposed to get their support from, has been attacked, even if they're not facing those types of firefights.

And one of the messages that that sends to the men of Charlie Company is that their home base, where they get all their supplies, where they're supposed to get their support from, has been attacked, even if they're not facing those types of firefights.

And one of the messages that that sends to the men of Charlie Company is that their home base, where they get all their supplies, where they're supposed to get their support from, has been attacked, even if they're not facing those types of firefights.

And so one of the challenges they face is that they're supposed to be engaging this very effective Viet Cong unit, battalion-level unit, that doesn't engage groups of more than 30 people, that has a pretty fearsome reputation, but all they're encountering is snipers and booby traps. Guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla warfare of the type that we normally associate with Vietnam. Yeah, terrifying stuff.

And so one of the challenges they face is that they're supposed to be engaging this very effective Viet Cong unit, battalion-level unit, that doesn't engage groups of more than 30 people, that has a pretty fearsome reputation, but all they're encountering is snipers and booby traps. Guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla warfare of the type that we normally associate with Vietnam. Yeah, terrifying stuff.

And so one of the challenges they face is that they're supposed to be engaging this very effective Viet Cong unit, battalion-level unit, that doesn't engage groups of more than 30 people, that has a pretty fearsome reputation, but all they're encountering is snipers and booby traps. Guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla warfare of the type that we normally associate with Vietnam. Yeah, terrifying stuff.