On 2Nov 65 the 1st Cav Assistant Division Commander, BG Knowles, LTC John Stockton and Major Bob Zion met to discuss the 1/9th’s ability to perform a night ambush at the edge of the Ia Drang Valley. LTC Stockton and Major Zion agreed they could do it but they would need an Infantry Company placed in reserve to be used as needed. BG Knowles agreed to this and committed Ted Danielson’s Alpha Company 1/8th Cav to be the reserve unit. A Company 1/8th Cavalry was then co-located with the 1/9th. BG Knowles said he did not have helicopters to move the infantry unit and LTC Stockton quickly said he did.
On 3Nov65, the ambush was put into place. Major Zion commanded the Blue platoons from A, B and C Troops and a small band of Montenyards. A Troop Blue’s secured the LZ as Bravo and Charlie Troop Blues set up ambush sites. Cpt Danielson’s mortar platoon was loaned out to Major Zion and placed with him.
Charlie Troop Blue Platoon Leader, Cpt Charles Knowlen, states that a PAVN unit stopped just short of his ambush site to eat dinner. When they were done they moved out and started to walk into the ambush kill zone. Cpt Knowlen counted the troops passing him and quickly realized the his troops were facing a far superior number of enemy troops. As soon as the enemy filled the killing zone with some already through it, Cpt Knowlen triggered his claymore to initiate the ambush. C Troop threw everything they had at these troops. C Troop broke contact with the enemy and moved back to the LZ base camp.
The NVA made it’s first attach of the base camp at 2200. The second wave came a little after 2300. It became obvious the camp would be overrun shortly. Major Zion called back and requested the reserve unit be inserted as quick as possible telling LTC Stockton that no one would be left by morning if they were not inserted. LTC Stockton called BG Knowles seeking permission to insert A Co 1/8th Cav into the ambush site. While BG Knowles and LTC Stockton were arguing back and forth (BG Knowles did not want to insert the company), Major Billie Williams, C Troop Commander, having listened into the radio call from Major Zion made a decision. He called Cpt Danielson and told him to load up and prepare for insertion. Major Billie Williams then instructed them to “GO”. After he did this he told LTC Stockton to tell Division it was to late they were on their way. Major Billie Williams loved his Troopers and was not about to see them overrun and slaughtered.
LTC John Stockton was relieved of his command for the night insertion. BG Knowles said he did not approve it as it had never been done before. LTC Stockton never let on that it was Major Billie Williams who made that decision.
How do I know that Major Billie Williams made that decision? He told me just prior to his death. I have waited until a year has passed since Billie’s death before putting this out.
I have heard how LTC Moore loved his troopers and there is no doubt that he did. Major Billie Williams love his Troopers as well and was ready to take anything that came at him for his decision. He said there was no way his Troopers were going to die because someone at Division was making the wrong decision.
LTC John B. Stockton so loved his commander’s that he never said a thing. In fact, when he was getting ready to retire he gave LTC Billie Williams his Eagle’s and told him when he got promoted to Colonel he would be there to pin these on you.
It is my opinion the BG Knowles should have been relieved of his duties instead of LTC Stockton for his (Knowles) decision that night.
One other point to support my opinion go to page 84 of We Were Soldiers Once and Young line 23. “AT Knowles urging, the division commander, Major General Harry Kinnard, flew in from Headquarters at An Khe for a briefing. Says Knowles: :When General Kinnard arrived I showed him a situation map. He took one look and said, “What the Hell are you doing in that area”? In the end, General Kinnard may have agreed but there is no doubt that he thought Knowles was dead wrong.
BG Knowles said he had LTC Stockton relieved because a night insertion of troops had never been done before. With this kind of thinking, can you imagine what the 1/7th, 2/7th and 2/5th cavalries would have gone through without reinforcements and resupply of ammunition, food and water as well as medical necessities at night? Remember no one had ever preformed these actions either.
Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry Regiment 
Mike Poindexter
April 30, 2020
Thanks Patrick. I never knew that, and I’m sure some more of us latecomers never did either. Whether it will be remembered by subsequent generations is unlikely, but at least you have put it in writing.
patrickbieneman
April 30, 2020
Mike, nobody knew about this until now. Billie told me last year while we were talking on the phone one afternoon.
Dave Davidson
April 30, 2020
Great leadership from LTC Stockton and Major Williams. Leadership like theirs is why 1/9th was the best of the 1st Air Cav. All my respect for both men.
Larry Donaldson
May 1, 2020
I went through a similar experience but at a much lower level. Two captains got into it over whether or not to do a hover down. The C Troop captain (AC) and a A troop captain (X-Ray) kept arguing over it.The L.L. R. P. needed rescued and not to sound like a worry wort my attention and concern was watching at least 100 NVA running down through a rather large clearing up the mountain. (I broke in and reported what was coming towards) and was ignored.) One captain wanted to make a go around and the other wanted to just get the hell out of there! Specialist Parks reported from his side that he had movement back in the thicker part of the tree line and if we did either that the team wouldn’t be there when and if we returned. He was ignored also. As I watched the enemy element s on my side start to spread out I knew that with out a doubt they would flank the team and us! I finally keyed the mic and said, “For Christ sake. Will you two shut the fuck up and do something. The AC more or less said, Hang on and watch the main and tail rotor blades that they don’t strike and trees or thick branches. We did so going down as well as getting back out. I got my ass chewed chewed out because I opened up on three gooks near the rear of the aircraft. I stepped out on the skin and saw a jagged stump about five feet high right under the bird and I felt we would be impaled on it in the hell hole! I climbed back out on the skids to see how far until we struck it. It was about six feet away from the birds belly.and reported it to the pilot. We had to get lower so the L.R.R.P.’s could at least be pulled into the bird. As I climbed back up to cargo bay floor Specialist Parks said he was unplugging and going out. I started to say, “Max! That’s not a good idea……….but he was gone. I went over to the left side of the bird and he was wrapping his legs around the skid as he reached down with one arm to grab the rucks and he threw them into the cargo area I criss-crossed the cargo bay floor and sometimes would apply suppressive fire into the advancing gooks. Max one armed threw all the L.R.R.P.s into the cargo bay. One L.L.R.P. I briefly trained with over at the 75th compound before I got hurt rolled across the floor of the bird and into my lower legs and I almost went out the right cargo bay door. When all were aboard and Max finally came in we took our positions in the gun wells and started the assent back up. Things really began to get hot. Max had his helmet mic shot off and I was hit by the shrapnel from the aircraft’s skin when enemy rounds punched through it near my gun-well. The AC ordered every man on board to return fire and then reported the ship was starting to bleed off and for the L.L.R.P.’s to throw out their ruck sacks. The AC raised a few feet and then started to bleed off again. The AC then ordered Max and I to dump all of M-60 ammo ( We carried 2 mini- gun cans of M-60 ammo each on board. Max ‘es belt broke off at ground level and my broke off right at feed. I sat my MG down and picked up my M-16 and after inserting a magazine and locked and loaded I began to return fire. I went through all 20 magazines and set the M-16 into the corner of the gun-well seat. All I had left was my 1911 with five magazines and made the luckiest head shot I could ever have made. IThis gook was behind a large tree. He had a RPG and him and I played ‘Duck! Duck! Goose!’ except he got goosed. The AC came over the intercom and told us to hang on because he was going for it. I was still looking up when he started tree trimming the upper canopy! We had branches flung into the cargo bay, along with leaves and vines. The X-ray broke through the upper canopy and the aircraft dropped like a rock until enough transitional lift was obtained to level out at tree top level of the valley floor and w started to gain altitude followed by enemy tracers. I looked back at the mountain. I will quote the Team 11 in a e-mail he wrote me…..” When I looked back the mountain reminded me of a brightly lit Christmas tree.” I will concur with that statement. Most of you know I have written about “That Day” before. I will let it at that. The AC and X-Ray never nailed me for insubordination or addressing them using foul language. I found out that the Alpha Troop captain was leaving the Nam in just hours. None of us expected what we ran into that day. I will a;lways owe Gary McKiddy
,, Mr. Whiddon and whoever was flying observer for also covering this extraction. Gary saw the shot I made with my 1911 and told me when they returned that he could not believe I finally hit that son of Buddha. I know I told him that I couldn’t either. Max and I talked about “That Day” many times. Max told me the AC was the best pilot Lift had, He said the AC saved our asses that day, he then said he saved the L.R.R.P. team’s asses and I did most of the killing and wounding that day. I know I killed a lot of gooks that day. Some things a vet just can’t forget. On Thursday, April 30, 2020, 03:10:33 PM EDT, Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry Regiment wrote: #yiv4529003550 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv4529003550 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv4529003550 a.yiv4529003550primaryactionlink:link, #yiv4529003550 a.yiv4529003550primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv4529003550 a.yiv4529003550primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv4529003550 a.yiv4529003550primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E !important;color:#fff !important;}#yiv4529003550 WordPress.com | patrickbieneman posted: “On 2Nov 65 the 1st Cav Assistant Division Commander, BG Knowles, LTC John Stockton and Major Bob Zion met to discuss the 1/9th’s ability to perform a night ambush at the edge of the Ia Drang Valley. LTC Stockton and Major Zion agreed they could do it but ” | |
Thomas Harnisher
May 3, 2020
Thank you for this much appreciated story . [The rest of the story] THANKS MUCH . Tom Harnisher [aka] ” Cavalier 16″ 68/69
John Flanagan
June 24, 2020
Glad to see you here Tommy. LTC Stockton is an absolute hero in my book and set the standard for the 1/9 CAV.
David Shanklin
July 6, 2020
There is a strong argument that John B COULD have been in the Army line to a job in the White House, somewhat falling in line with General Haig, Oliver North, and General Powell. The only thing needed would have been that this event ( relief from post ) not to have happened. The outcome would have been much different, the 1/9 Cav record would be the same, he would have been rewarded for a lifetime of service, and the world would be a better place.