Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
L-R Manuel Moya and Team Leader (SGT) Reed Cundiff Team 4, 173rd ABN.
Photo taken for Life magazine, late February 1967 by Co Rentmeester.
Below description of this photo comes directly from Reed;
" Quick back story on that photo. 2/503rd PIR of 173rd ABN,made only US combat drop of RVN War.
Teams 3 and 6 were infiltrated two nights before drop. WW drops demonstrated need to have Recon on ground to make sure a Battalion+drop is not into a fire sack. The rest rest of 173rd LRRP got flown into secured DZ that afternoon.
Four teams were to be inserted,the second night into two lifts.
Teams were to be out 10 or more KM from Brigade on DZ. Both teams were engaged immediately with 3 wounded.
Teams 3 and 4 were to be on second lift,was cancelled with all Helios engaged.
The two teams were then to be inserted the next night.
We were waiting to to take off when Rentmeester wandered by, I do not remember him at all and I used to have an eidetic memory
All I was thinking was insertion.
We were inserted about 1km from Cambodia in what turned out to be an active base camp.
We heard movement on trail at night,were spotted,hid,went to get exfiltrated, walked into an ambush 50m from exfiltration LZ,
Killed three on trail, killed RPD team, and got run 5km right through the base with folks bullshitting on either side.
Manuel Moya tragically lost his life 30 years ago in New Mexico.
Reed Cundiff is a full time RVer with his wife Elaine.