Hill 4-11 Vietnam War

​This “Hill” soon defined our platoon and the AO we patrolled.
 
On this day, July 8, 1969, first platoon, in a column of two’s, entered the rear of the Chinook helicopter, and the Chinook lifted off to take us to secure the new firebase location on a hill seven miles west of Quang Ngai City. The Chinook landed without receiving enemy fire, and we exited through the rear door as soon as it dropped.
 
We got on line to sweep the hill for booby traps. We found booby-trapped grenades, 2.75-inch rockets, and a canister full of napalm with a firing device planted in the ground.
 
Captain Tyson erected a sign on top of the hill that named the hill Fire Support Base Kelley-McCoy. Kelley and McCoy were two NCOs killed one day apart in the Rice Bowl a week earlier. However, the name Hill 4-11 became the official name of the firebase. The companies would take turns building the FSB. Alpha Company took the first 30-day rotation while the other companies patrolled the new AO along with the ARVNs.

July 8, 1969, FSB Bronco, First Platoon loaded onto a Chinook to fly seven miles west of Quang Ngai to build a new firebase. Photograph by Specialist Tipton 11th Brigade Information Office in the Southern Cross (Division) Newspaper.

Article from Southern Cross (Division) Newspaper.

FSB Hill 4-11 after March 1970. Photo taken by Louis Bohn.

Captain Tyson, Alpha Company Commander, displaying the sign for the new firebase name. Photo was taken July 8, 1969.

Fire Support Base Hill 4-11 today. The photograph was taken by Glyn Haynie on June 16, 2018.