Companies do not generally submit Command Chronologies, just SpotReps and SitReps.  Anything specifically pertaining to India-Mike would have been prepared at battalion.  Problem there is the physical remoteness of the two companies from battalion, with the attendant potential for error.

We had no secure communication from hill to base, and since we assumed enemy was listening, all substantive transmissions were very guarded, especially pertaining to casualties and battle damage, since we did not want enemy to know what they were accomplishing.  Result was that any detailed reports in those subject areas were sent by courier, and I've already explained problems we had with that method.  We did not even have useful 'shackle sheets'.  Used the same ones for whole 77 days, and enemy certainly had code to them.  I remember talking in Spanish in a couple of cases where I had to get critical info down quickly over unsecured nets.  So how much was lost in translation (literally) when battalion command chronology was prepared I do not know.

Casualties on hill were high among attachments, of which India had many.  For example, Terry Smith was carried on rolls of H&S Co, as were 106RR/81 mortars/corpsmen/etc.,  so wouldn't show on India's records.  Arty casualties were C/1/13, HST casualties were Shore Party company (both groups took bunch of hits) would not even show in ban historical records.  SpotReps probably closest to accurate record, batallion would have significant gaps.  Even had Radio Battalion (spook types) casualties on hill.  They were there, but were not even attached to me.

Remember also that pressures to get things done quickly blurred admin. lines.  For instance, if we had casualties among crews of downed bird, my corpsmen would treat, make up casualty tags, and we'd get them out as quickly as possible, sometimes as quickly as ten minutes later via wing man, which meant SpotRep immediately thereafter would possibly even include report on air crew casualties (priority with medevac birds was not to have clean admin. lines, but to have accurate manifest in case bird didn't make it.)  On the other hand, if we got real busy and had one of our 'snowball' days with multiple sequential medevac missions, with attendant need to shift/set up alternate zones, it might be several hours before we even had time to submit SpotRep.  Things got lost.  Again, high AMDI tends to push admin. down a bit on priority list.

There were several instances in which repalacements or returnees to hill were hit while still on inbound bird.  They'd stay on bird to Delta Med, USS Repose, wherever.  We'd often not even know it had happened, but they were hill casualties nevertheless.  In cases of replacements hit inbound, we'd not even have joined them yet to hill roster (had a couple of "881S" Marines whose total time in country was less than three days!)  Other problem was that stretcher bearers would sometimes get hit, also stay on bird (Marine hit in leg during "Medevac on Hill 881S" write-up typical.)  We did not even have casualty tags on them.  No time.  Personnel accountability was biggest continuing challenge; circumstances, enemy conspired to keep it that way throughout siege.  Nothing was simple!

Finally, their are a fair number of 'wanabe' Vietnam veterans out there.  Saw guy once in Roanoke decked out in vet regalia - badges, patches, medals, the whole bit (along with Harley Hog logos) on his leather jacket - asked him when/where he'd served.  Did not tell him who I was.  He said, "I served my whole tour on Dabney's hill at Khe Sanh!"  Told me how rough it was.  Talked to him about a minute.  He'd never been near the place, chances good he'd never even worn uniform, let alone served in Vietnam.  Got all his info from sources like Soldier of Fortune magazine.  Pure bullshitter.  Bunch of those out there.

The purpose of this 'Hill 881S Roster' is to identify those who served on that God awful hill.  If you were there, notify the Webmaster giving enough information to qualify your eligibility for listing on this hallowed page with the other besieged and brave Warriors.  Your application will be submitted to a 'Screening Committee' who will make the final decision.

India Six Actual, Out