TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

Michael Charles Wunsch
On July 27, Army Dusters and support
infantry were conducting a sweep near C2
when they were ambushed by the NVA.
Capt. Goodwin could see the ambush from
his position at C2 but was unable to
respond with his platoon of men. His small
force was the only defense for the base
camp of C2. In short time, the Army at Con
Thein was able to put together a relief force
of Dusters to aid in the extraction at the
ambush site.
The following day Goodwin’s Kilo Co., with
tanks from Alpha Co. under the command of
Capt. Michael Wunsch, began an operation
to determine the nature of the force of NVA
that had attacked the Army dusters.
Goodwin remembers that Wunsch was due
to rotate home within a few days. As they
were preparing to mount out for the
operation near the DMZ, Capt. Goodwin
suggested to Capt. Wunsch that it might be
a good idea not to make the sweep since he
was a "short­timer." As Captain­to­Captain,
all Goodwin could do was to "suggest."
Capt. Wunsch was determined to go on the
sweep.
At around 10:00 AM, Goodwin recalls
hearing an explosion but did not hear the
"bloop" of a round leaving the tube before
the explosion. As a result, he was
temporarily not overly concerned. However,
the next 15 minutes would prove to be, as
he states: "The most horrific 15 minutes I
spent in Vietnam."
In the short period of time that was to
follow, the NVA zeroed in with mortars on
Goodwin’s position. Eight to ten men were
wounded, including the Forward Observer,
Art Vanderveer. Eventually as evening was
approaching, Capt. Goodwin was able to
move his force to higher ground, dig in, and
set up a perimeter.
After setting up the perimeter, Goodwin
sent out two ambush patrols. At midnight
the 1st patrol ambushed an enemy force
killing 6­8 NVA. An hour later, the 2nd patrol
killed 2 more NVA at their ambush site.
At approximately three in the morning,
Capt. Wunsch called in to report movement
in front of his tank position. Goodwin moved
to Wunsch’s tank; and while standing on the
Sponson box next to Wunsch’s T.C. cupola,
he called in for illumination. Seeing nothing,
Wunsch’s repeated, "I really believe I saw
M‐114