Throw Rocks -- NATCHEZ

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Subject:

Throw Rocks

Author:
Whitt

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Date Posted: 14:06:15 11/30/05 Wed

Throw Rocks!"

As incredible as the order sounded, it worked. When the enemy soldiers began to push their way through the sparse brush and knee high grass to probe the perimeter, Howard's men threw rocks at them. Mistaking the rocks for grenades the enemy soldiers would move quickly into the open, allowing the defenders clear shots that made every round of remaining ammunition count.

For five hours the enemy alternated between small probes and full scale assault on the surviving Marines. S/Sgt Howard continued to encourage his battered platoon, direct their fire, and calling in aerial support. At times the fighting was hand-to-hand, the enemy so close that Howard directed aerial straffing runs within 30 feet of his position. From Chu Lai Colonel Sullivan listened to Howard's calm, precise voice across the radio. Then, shortly after 3 A.M. the radio went dead. At Chu Lai there was dread...the assumption was that Howard was dead...his brave platoon wiped out.

Shot in the back, S/Sgt Howard wasn't dead but he couldn't move his legs. As the enemy continued to assault his perimeter the wounded leader did his best to encourage his Marines. He kept reminding them that if they could just hold out until daylight, more Marines would come and pull them out of there.

As daylight dawned a helicopter approached the hill. The Marines were still taking fire, the battle wasn't yet over. The chopper was shot down and the pilot killed. At dawn a Marine company began the trek to relieve the remnants of Howard's platoon. Two more Marines were killed and it wasn't until noon that they finally reached Howard's perimeter on Hill 488. Five of the defenders on Hill 488 were dead. A sixth died enroute to the base camp at Chu Lai. When finally the rescue effort reached S/Sgt Howard and his men, among the 12 survivors there remained only... 8 Rounds of Ammunition.

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