Vernon Lee Henke

PFC Vernon Lee Henke

Vernon Lee Henke from LaValle, Wisconsin, was born on May 6, 1947. He entered the Army and started his tour in Viet Nam on January 10, 1967. As a Private First Class, he was assigned to B Co., 4TH BN, 47TH Infantry, 9TH INF DIV. During the war, his division's units often served with the Mobile Riverine Force and other US Navy units that made up the Brown Water Navy. Its area of operations were in the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta from 1967 to 1972.

In May 1967, Vietnamese Army Intelligence reported four major Viet Cong bases in the Cam Son area of Dinh Tuong Province. The U.S. 2nd Brigade planned search and destroy operations to eliminate these bases using two battalions of infantry supported by twenty-two ATC (Armored Troop Carrier), two Monitors (a floating artillery platform) and two CCB's

(Command and Communication Boat) of River Flotilla One. A brigade command post and barge-mounted artillery were positioned near the operational area.

(This is from the 9th Infantry Division web site and their report of the day's activities: http://9thinfantrydivision.com/html/may15.htm)

 At 0815 hours on 15 May the 3rd Battalion landed at the mouth of the Rach Ba Rai. Thirty minutes later Companies B and C 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry landed just west of the Rach Tra Tan. The troops moved inland and the boats took station to interdict possible enemy moves. At 1200 hours Company A of the 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry was airlifted from Dong Tam base to a position 5 kilometers north of the My Tho River and west of the Rach Tra Tan. At 1400 hours the two landing companies of the 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry - Companies B and C - made contact with a strong Viet Cong force and further progress became very difficult.

Company A was ordered to move south while the reconnaissance platoon of the 3rd/47th, held afloat, attempted to penetrate into the Rach Tra Tan to land on the enemy flank; it was driven by heavy fire. By 1630 hours the enemy was observed to be moving to the northeast. One company of the 3rd/47th was airlifted into blocking positions at 1700 hours but no contact was made. By 2000 hours, all firing had ceased and the action was broken off.

It was during this mission that Vernon died as a result of multiple fragment wounds sustained from a land mine explosion.

(The following details were submitted by Vernon’s squad leader in Vietnam, David Persson, who was with him at the time of his death.)  "Some of the field operation information that is posted on your Reedsburghistory blogspot is correct for the days prior to his death (May 15-16), but the mission that he participated in on May 17-19 was just beyond the perimeter of the 9th Division base camp of Dong Tam.  

This was a platoon-sized operation only.  It involved patrolling the area during the day and setting up night ambush positions on the 17th and 18th.  On the night of the 18th, we were ordered by the company commander at Dong Tam to relocate to an alternate ambush position at 2 AM (the 19th).  As we were settling into defensive positions,  an enemy claymore mine was detonated.  Vernon was killed by the blast immediately.  Two other men died of their wounds and six others were wounded.  It was a bad night for our platoon as only eight men returned to the base camp on the 19th.  Vernon died doing his job as he was assigned.  He always did this without question.  He was a good soldier and more than that, a good-natured individual. "

The platoon survivors gathered to recognize the passing of 50 years since their fiercest battle and to also recognize the loss of the 5 platoon members who had been killed in action during the Vietnam war.