Text Box: My company built FSB Russell in late November, 1968. I took over when Lt. Joe Betta almost lost a thumb splitting bamboo and was med-evaced out. When the guns came in I was relived for bitching to their Major on Thanksgiving Day. His supporting arms group ate Thanksgiving meal first. Hell, they were in new “uts” and had B-Rats!! 1st Lt. Beard took command. He didn’t like me and I didn’t like him. Captain Hill relieved him on December 21, 1968 and his leadership was excellent. We continued operations along the DMZ, including a short stay in Con Tien. My platoon (2nd) went op-con to the Army and later to Company K-2/4, under a Captain Maggio. Then, prior to February 25, 1969, me and my platoon operated independently for 3 weeks along the DMZ. We returned to FB Vandergrift around Feb. 23rd to link up with the rest of Echo Company, 2/4. K-Company was to relieve Echo Company on February 24th, but went to the wrong LZ… so the mission was delayed. I monitored the attacks at FSB Vandergrift and went with the relief force to the correct LZ the following day...arriving while the hill was still smoldering. Two sergeants took mortar crews into hot pits and two “cook-offs” resulted in 8 more seriously injured Marines. While meeting with Capt Hill, a few days later around noon-time, a patrol tripped a booby trap in the mountains 3 or 4 clicks away. I ordered “Fighting gear only” and took off to assist the 2 squads that were isolated. We arrived about as quickly as possible. I had Cpl. Larry Hammer start back to Russell with 2 wounded. I had a coordinated attack across an LZ into the high ground beyond. It was a thing of beauty! Once ground was secured, we began resting in 20 minute intervals, but hell broke loose on my lines. Two 16’s and a 14 on full automatic dropped a couple of dinks coming back up the hill. We pulled one up and he was a dead Chinaman… NOT Vietnamese!! We retrograde to a hill 761 where Captain Hill surrounded us with artillery from Vandergrift. We were relived the next morning by another platoon from Russell, but not Echo Company. On the way back to Russell we passed over abandoned FSB Cates, where we rounded up pallets of chow (c-rations) and jungle utilities. We had no water on Russell when we scrambled to assist the downed Marines, so we opened all the fruit cans and drank the syrup. When we arrived back on Russell, we looked like we’d all just ar

Contact Me

© 2001, LZ Russell Association, Inc.  All rights reserved.

Todd lives on Ococee, Florida and is a manager at Walt Disney World.

PERSONAL

 

Full Name:

Todd Watt

MILITARY

 

Service branch:

USMC

Date entered:

02/25/68

Date discharged:

09/01/71

Highest rank:

O-3

MOS # and description:

Infantry

Boot camp location:

Quantico, VA

What medals have you received?:

Wrote up two men for medals on Russell

LZ RUSSELL

 

Date arrived:

Built the LZ—11/68

Your unit:

E-2/4

Previous duty station:

Officer Candidate School

Your main job:

Infantry

Rank when there:

O-1

Date Left:

March, 69

Next duty station:

NAS, Jacksonville, FL

EVENTS PERTAINING ONLY TO FEBRUARY 25, 1969

 

Were you on Russell on this date?:

Yes… in the surrounding jungles

Did you get a Purple Heart from this battle?:

 

Med-evac’d?:

 

If sent to US hospital, where?:

 

Where you permanently disabled?:

 

Describe any medal for bravery you received from this battle:

 

If you were flown off the hill, when did you first make contact with another person from Russell?:

 

Form Completion date:

05/08/01