Battle of Prek Klok I

Battle of Prek Klok I
Part of Operation Junction City, Vietnam War
Date February 28, 1967 Location Prek Klok, Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam 11°29′N 106°12′E / 11.483°N 106.200°E / 11.483; 106.200 Result U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States	Viet Cong
Commanders and leaders
Lt. Col. Rufus C. Lazzell
Units involved
1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment	2nd Battalion, 101st Regiment
Casualties and losses
25 killed	US body count: 167 killed 40 weapons recovered

The Battle of Prek Klok I occurred on February 28, 1967 during Operation Junction City, a search and destroy mission by American military forces in Tay Ninh Province of South Vietnam, to the west of the capital Saigon. A few days before the battle, the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment was brought into the area near Suoi Da and Prek Klok to defend a highway, airfield, and artillery base in the area, and to carry out search and destroy operations around it. On the morning of 28 February, elements of the battalion headed east, and were attacked from the front by Viet Cong (VC) infantry with gunfire, rockets and mortars. Soon after, they were attacked from all fronts as the VC tried to surround them with a battalion-sized force. However, with superior firepower available, the Americans called in air strikes and artillery, and by mid afternoon, had repelled the VC attacks. The Americans lost 25 killed while the VC lost 167.