Ambush on the Finger of Land
26 November 1967, Wednesday

A 615th MP Company ambush team suffered one wounded during an exchange of hand grenades between their patrol and a Viet Cong force of unknown size while in a night ambush position in an area just south of the Finger of Land.

The 615th ambush patrol left the back gate of Long Binh Post on foot and proceeded into their AO. They set up in a defensive position and waited for darkness to come. One hour after dark the patrol left their defensive position and proceeded to their ambush site approximately one mile south of the post perimeter and set up into a wagon wheel ambush configuration.

Due to the events of the patrol on 18 November, and the fact there was a full moon, they were on full 100% alert. That night SP/4 Lynn Jorgensen, was the M60 machine gunner. He was partnered at his position with a new recruit. As the night proceeded it became very damp and unusually quiet.

At 0200 hours [2:00AM] a VC grenade came out of the night and struck the barrel of SP/4 Jorgensen's machinegun and rolled off into the darkness to his right. He told his partner to stay down and not to fire as they waited for the expected explosion. After 15 seconds SP/4 Jorgensen looked up to see if their position was being rushed and when he turned his head towards the direction the grenade had rolled into the darkness, it finally exploded.

SP/4 Jorgensen was struck in the head by a large fragment just in front of his right ear and the wound dizzied him. Additional grenade explosions were going off along the patrols front as SP/4 Bixler and the new recruit tried to stop the severe bleeding from the head wound. The patrol broke contact and withdrew from their position.

SP/4 Bixelr aided Jorgensen, who was temporarily blinded, throwing up, and had no balance, as the patrol moved to wards a pick up point where a reaction force from the 720th was waiting to rush him to the 24th Evacuation Hospital.

Members of the 615th MP Co. that participated in this ambush were, SP/4 Lynn Jorgensen, SP/4 David Bixler, and others yet to be identified.

Reflections of Sp/4 Lynn Jorgensen, 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, February 1967 to March 1968.

If you can identify any of the other MP's involved in this incident please notify the History Project Manager via the email link on the time line page.