Craig Sullivan, Platoon Commander 1st Platoon
of Mike Co.
Hill 53, Sept. '67
Craig
Sullivan H&S and Mike 3/5 I arrived in Vietnam on
May 30, '67 at the end of UNION II. In June '67, I was assigned
to the 1st Platoon of Mike Company as the Platoon Right Guide. SSgt.
Rogers who came over with me, was assigned as the Platoon Sergeant
and 1st Lt. Jack Fretwell was the Platoon Commander. SSgt. Rogers
was later KIA.
(click
to pictures to enlarge)
1.
Que Son Valley.
2. Sullivan, Que Sons south of Hill 63.
3. Steve Walker/Haygood, second man back (rockets).
4. Sullivan coming out of a tunnel.
5. Covered well.
Propaganda
Leaflets left by the NVA on Operation UNION II.
Sullivan
on the side of a fox hole on Hill 63.
1st Platoon Mike Co.
1.
Sgt. Frank Clark, Sgt. Craig Sullivan, LCpl. Mercurio, SSgt. Rogers
(KIA on ESSEX).
2. Sgts. Lewis, Clark and Sullivan.
3. LCpl. Mercurio and Cpl. Donald Kretsinger (KIA on ESSEX).
4. Sgts. Lewis and Sullivan. Sgt. Lewis was wounded in the
back with several pieces of shrapnel from an 82 VC Mortar on SWIFT.
5. Sullivan giving haircuts to the engineers at Hill 53.
Ken
Fields beside a sign he painted for the 60 Guns Section.
1. Sgt. Sullivan on the left and Ron Mercurio in front.
Ron was Sgt. Sullivan's Radio Operator.
2. LCpl. Mercurio, LCpl. Luke and Sgt. Sullivan south of Da Nang
on Highway 1.
1st Platoon set up a small camp around a Bridge to prevent the
VC from blowing it up.
3. Ron Mercurio.
4. Cpl. Luke.
5. Cpl. Jack Swan.
Sullivan
and SSgt. Mc. (don't remember his full name) at Phu Bai.
They were on the Drill Field together at PI.
1.
1st Platoon CP at our Platoon Base Camp on Bridge Security on
Hwy. 1.
2. Bridge 1st Platoon was guarding.
3. Mortar guys, (don't remember their names). They were killed
on the bridge on Hwy. 1.
4. 1st Platoon Rocket Team (don't remember their names).
5. Tank coming down Hwy. 1 towards our Bridge Security position
South of Hill 63.
1.
Village south of DaNang.
2. Papasan.
3. Two Honeys on Hwy. 1.
4. Village store.
Traps
Hueys
and an old CH-34.
Mortar
crew and mortar pits
1.
Sullivan coming out of a VC hootch.
2. Mercurio and Sullivan..
3. VC Mamasan and her Babysan, LCpl. Mercurio to the right.
4. Sullivan and VC Mamasan.
Operation
SWIFT
The
4th of September 1967 has been burnt in my memory forever. My Platoon
was the point element for this Operation on the 4th of September.
On this day we walked straight into HELL, and the ones of us that
made it through are truly lucky to be here today.
We
lost some damn good Marines and Navy Corpsman, and a very Special
Navy Chaplain. We had a lot of good men who became mangled, crippled
and some had their minds messed up for the rest of their lives.
I have been told that we walked into approximately 2,500 NVA, and
we were cut off from the rest of the Company.
2nd Lt. C. E. ED Combs, 1st Platoon's Platoon Commander
just prior to Operation SWIFT.
The
middle of August, I became the Platoon Sergeant. 2nd Lt. C. E. Ed
Combs was the Platoon Commander, was wounded by a 50 cal. round
across his chest, and also received three rounds in his right arm
during Operation SWIFT. Lt.
Combs was one of the first men to be wounded when we were ambushed
by the NVA at the start of the battle of 4 Sept 1967. I then took over as the Platoon
Commander.
Sgt.
Sullivan coming through a stand of banana trees on Operation SWIFT.
"Doc"
David Phelps and ARVN. Doc Phelps was KIA the second day of SWIFT
(See also "Doc"
David Phelps Memorial page)
NVA
Weapons captured on SWIFT by the 1st Platoon.
Left: Russian 7.62 Anti Aircraft Gun we captured on 4 Sept.
67.
Other gear that was captured is in the background.
"This was a good day for us and a Bad Day for Charlie."
Right: Captured AK-47.
Bomb
crater the wounded were put in on Operation SWIFT on the night
of 4 Sept. 67.
Sullivan
and NVA killed by the 1st Platoon on Operation SWIFT.
Far right: "NVA Fire Team that attacked my position when I was trying
to gather up several
of my wounded troops on Operation SWIFT. They had a Bad Day."
Left:
Receiving the Bronze Star from Lt. Col. Rockey in Battalion formation
at Hill 53.
Right: Receiving Purple Heart medal from Lt. Col. Rockey for wounds
received on SWIFT, Hill 53.
South Vietnamese Marine Ranger Squad that worked with
the 1st Platoon on several occasions.
They
were waiting to be picked up by CH-46 and taken to the Hiep Duc
area for a patrol. When they reached their LZ and debarked the CH-46,
the entire Squad was gunned down by the NVA. All were killed that
day. If I remember correctly, it was some time in mid to
late Feb. '68.
VC
Prisoners captured by Sgt. Sullivan's 1st Platoon of Mike Company
3/5 in March of 1968.
I
transferred to H&S Company as the S-3 Chief after the TET Offensive.
I remained in this position until Master Sergeant Adise reported
in. I then became the Assistant S-3 Chief until I rotated back home
at the end of June '68.
While in the S-3 Chief position I built a Rifle, Hand Grenade, LAW,
Machine Gun and Pistol Range, outside of Hue Phu Bai. I gave classes
to the new incoming troops reporting to the Battalion. The classes
consisted of: M-16, 45 cal Pistol, M-60 Machine Gun, Patrolling,
Ambushes, Booby Traps, Personal Hygiene in the field, and many other
subjects relating to the demands that would be placed on these new
troops when they were assigned to a Platoon.
SSGT.
Sullivan and 2nd LT. Webber in Subic Bay on a break from being on
the USS Okinawa off the coast of Vietnam in the summer of 72, while
serving with Delta Company 3rd Recon.
I
served as a Recruiter after this tour in Vietnam, then I went to
Bravo Company 2nd Recon Battalion Camp Lejune NC. I then went to
Okinawa, 3rd Recon Battalion Delta Company. After Okinawa, I went
to Coronado Calf, as an Amphib Recon Instructor, then back to Recruiter
School. I was assigned as the NCOIC of RSS Salisbury NC. Where I
met my wife. I transferred from RSS Salisbury, to RSS Charlotte
NC, I then took over as the AFEE'S Liaison in Charlotte NC.
I retired from the Marine Corps as a Master Sergeant on January
1, 1982.
On
February 4, 1991, I was called back on active duty for Operation
DESERT STORM, and remained on active duty for a period of 4 months,
after being retired for over 9 years. I received 2 Navy Achievement
Medals from Brigadier General Neal, for DESERT STORM and DESERT
SHIELD. One of the medals was from the Commandant of the Marine
Corps, the other was from the District Director of the 9th Marine
Corps Recruiting District.
After
my retirement from the Corps, I went to work for Philip Morris USA
where I retired on 1 June 1998. I am presently the Shift Manufacturing
Supervisor for S&D Coffee in Concord, NC. I have two children
by my first marriage and they have 6 children. My wife and I have
a son and a daughter.
Platoon
Commander of 1st Platoon of Mike Company.
Master Sergeant Ret.
Craig Sullivan
MSgt.
Craig and Barri Sullivan
Marine Corps Ball * Nov 1991* Charlotte, NC
| 
The
President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting
the
BRONZE
STAR MEDAL to
SERGEANT
CLYDE CRAIG SULLIVAN
UNITED
STATES MARINE CORPS
for
service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For
heroic achievement in connection with operations against
the enemy while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company
M, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division.
On 4 September 1967 during Operation SWIFT in Quang Tin
Province, Sergeant SULLIVAN'S platoon, serving as point
element for the company, absorbed the brunt of a fierce
attack by a massed force of North Vietnamese troops using
small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire. Immediately,
the platoon commander became a casualty and summoned Sergeant
SULLIVAN to move forward 100 meters to his position and
assume command of the platoon.
With
concern only for his duty, Sergeant SULLIVAN started to
advance, but the increasing hostile fire forced him to seek
cover. While waiting for an opportunity to move, he heard
the cry of one of his squad leaders who had been wounded.
Under the covering fire of an M-79 grenade launcher, he
courageously exposed himself a second time to the intense
enemy fire to go to the aid of his companion. Moving the
wounded Marine to a safe position behind a large rock, he
skillfully administered first aid and applied a battle dressing
to the disabled man's wounds.
In
the meantime, enemy units had moved behind the entrapped
unit and had commenced to deliver a heavy volume of fire.
Reacting instantly, Sergeant SULLIVAN ordered his men to
move to a bomb crater thirty meters distant. During this
movement, he was wounded in the forehead by a fragment from
an exploding enemy mortar.
As
dust came and the intensity of the attack increased, Sergeant
SULLIVAN radioed for assistance, but the other nearby units
were also heavily engaged with the enemy. Realizing the
need to move the critically injured to safety, he organized
a team to evacuate them, but enemy fire was so heavy that
they could only gather the wounded into the bomb crater.
When one of the casualties ceased to breathe, Sergeant SULLIVAN
applied mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until the man was revived.
Upon
receiving directions to leave the area in preparation
for an air strike, Sergeant SULLIVAN radioed the company
commander that his platoon was pinned down in the bomb crater
only seventy-five meters from the enemy positions. Despite
the proximity of his unit to the target, he courageously
recommended that the air strike commence. Subsequently,
the air strike silenced the enemy automatic weapons and
Sergeant SULLIVAN was able to lead his men back to the company's
position.
By
his composure under the most hazardous conditions and complete
disregard for his own safety, he inspired all who observed
him and undoubtedly helped save one Marine life. Sergeant
SULLIVAN's courageous leadership, determined fighting spirit
and selfless devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval
Service.
Sergeant
SULLIVAN is authorized to wear the Combat "V."
FOR
THE PRESIDENT
V.H.
KRULAK
LIEUTENANT
GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS
COMMANDING
GENERAL, FLEET MARINE FORCE, PACIFC
|
(click to enlarge)
Brad
Reynolds, Craig Sullivan, Frank Ambrose, Ken Fields
Together again after 34 years at the 3/5 Reunion in La Grange,
Georgia!
1st Platoon Mike Co.
May 2001
(click to enlarge)
3rd
Battalion, 5th Marines Reunion 2003 La Grange,
Georgia
Left:
Craig and Barri
Right: M
Co. 3/5
H&S and Mike 3/5
website
Operation UNION II
Operation COCHISE
Operation SWIFT
Operation AUBURN
(Background
by Redeye)
