Later in the day, "Cottonbalers" of 3rd Bn, 7th Inf killed one VC hiding in nipa palm. Another was killed during the night by Alpha Co, 5th Bn, 12th Inf. as he tried to escape through the perimeter.

Elsewhere, elements of the 3rd Bn, 7th Inf detained two persons who were later identified as Viet Cong Infrastructure.

Bravo Co, 5th Bn, 12th Inf. killed one VC within the cordon and detained another man a short time later. The detainee had an AK-47, two Chicom grenades and two B-40 rounds.

Nine miles southwest of Saigon, Vietnam Regional Force units sweeping with Bravo Co, 2nd Bn, 3rd Inf. spotted and engaged three enemy. Two of the enemy were killed while attempting to brake through the cordon perimeter and a third was captured.

One Viet Cong was killed during action 14 miles southwest of Saigon. In addition, six Viet Cong Infrastructure and three VC were detained.

"Redcatchers" and Government of Vietnam forces brought to a close a six-day cordon and search operation 13 to 15 miles southwest of Saigon.

A total of 4,200 Vietnamese civilians were processed by the Brigade, which resulted in 55 infrastructure personnel, nine Hoi Chanhs and nine VC suspects detained. This was the third large cordon and search operation of this nature conducted.

A moonlight stroll through the nipa palm trees southwest of Saigon ended abruptly for two VC when members of the 2nd Bn, 3rd Inf killed them.

Artillery and mortar fire from fire support base "Elvira" were called into the area nine miles southwest of Saigon and the bodies of two VC were sighted in a canal by Brigade "firefly" (gunships equipped with spotlights) helicopters.

A VC cache was uncovered in the afternoon as an element of the 3rd Bn, 7th Inf. swept an area 4 1/2 miles west of Saigon. The cache contained: one 122mm mortar, one AK-47, 260 AK rounds, one B-41 round, one B-41 propeller, 16 60mm mortar rockets, 17 charges believed to be for 82mm mortars, three pounds of plastic explosive, and assorted items of clothing and equipment.

The 3rd Bn, 7th Inf, along with GVN forces threw a cordon around the village of Tan Tao 7 miles southwest of Saigon. Of the 350 people processed, two detainees were held.

Elements of the 4th Bn, 12th Inf destroyed 22 bunkers and one booby trap in an area 2 1/2 miles south of Duc Hoa.

Action was scattered throughout the Brigade's area of operation. Bravo Co, 5th Bn, 12th Inf. destroyed nine bunkers 21 miles southwest of Saigon.

Working in the "pineapple" region 14 miles west of Saigon with Army and Air Force air support, Redcatchers destroyed an enemy bunker complex. A total of 29 bunkers, concealed under the thick jungle vegetation, were located and destroyed.

Elements of the Echo Recon platoon and Bravo Co, 4th Bn, 12th Inf. were inserted into the area in the morning after airstrikes by the 604th Special Operations Squadron had worked the area over. In the sweep, Redcatchers destroyed 22 bunkers.

A 3rd Sqdn, 17th Cav "firefly" mission spotted and engaged a bunker complex, destroying six on the bunkers. They also observed a possible 107mm rocket on a bipod and fired on it, causing a large secondary explosion.

Late in that night an ambush patrol from the 5th Bn, 12th Inf. spotted movement outside its night defensive position six miles southwest of Saigon. The VC were taken under fire and an immediate search of the area revealed two dead.

While searching nipa palm lined canals 2 1/2 miles southwest of Duc Hoa, elements of the 4th Bn, 12th Inf and 3rd Bn, 7th Inf. came into a large burned off area. A through search revealed 30 fighting positions, three individual weapons, one mortar aiming stake, and one 82mm mortar fuse. Three B-40 rounds were discovered hidden in the thick palm along a nearby canal.

Redcatchers began the fourth combined cordon in recent months with ARVN Rangers and Popular Forces cordoning an area 11 miles south of Saigon. Eight infrastructure members and six draft dodgers were detained from a total of 560 civilians processed during the interrogation.

Two Redcatchers from Brigade's 7th Spt Bn, while helping whom they thought was a sick ARVN soldier, discovered they had captured a Viet Cong.

During the combined RVN 199th cordon operation, a "lottery" was held nightly which was designed to both entertain and aid Vietnamese civilians being processed at the CHIC.