The build up of US forces in the spring of '65 was followed by a summer of increasingly aggressive missions.

Captain Miller Tyme (a level III Big Man) was ordered to take his company to the village of Go Long on the Smelly Fish River, evacuate the civvies, seize anything of interest and destroy the village, known to be strongly communist.

Commander Van Go (IV) is a Viet Minh vet. He has been warned that US forces will be visiting Go Long and Commissar Tru Wok (II) insists that a welcome be arranged as the village is a major rest and supply location.

The VC stronghold has three bunkers and six mined strips. The village is on the river and receives supply by sampan. There are rice paddies along the river north and south of the village. The approach to the village is through light terrain with heavy terrain dotted about.

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Comrade Van Go obediently planned a double layer of defence with his three guerrilla platoons well forward of his bunker and mine defences.

Lieutenant Johnny Walkers' (IV) 1st Platoon advanced on the right with Lieutenant Jim Beams' (II) 2nd Platoon on the left. Captain Tyme and the FO were with Lieutenant Bud Wizers' (II) 3rd Platoon in the centre rear. Walkers' 1st Platoon immediately got into trouble, being ambushed by Tran Van Cas' 2nd VC Platoon with serious losses including one critical requiring immediate Cas-Evac.

Meanwhile Lieutenant Beam spotted Chucks in heavy going and drove Nguyen Van Trocs' 3rd Platoon back with losses. Hearing the dustoff call he turned his 2nd Platoon to the right and took the VC 2nd Platoon under fire, killing Tran Van Ca.

By Turn 5, the VC 2nd Platoon has been hit hard, and Walkers' 1st Platoon got its revenge in a close assault that sent the VC 2nd Platoon survivors running. The VC 3rd Platoon was hit by artillery called in by the FO, with the fire killing Van Troc. Two of the three VC platoon commanders are now down, the two most effective.

Beams' 2nd Platoon returns its attention to the VC 3rd Platoon survivors while Walker cleans up the ambush site and Lieutenant Wizer takes 3rd Platoon to clear the woods in the centre. But Wizer is killed by fire from Vo Tranhs' (I) 1st VC Platoon. Sergeant Sandy Mann (II) gathers a 6-man squad from 1st Platoon and advances on Van Tranhs' position but is hit by accurate sniper fire and is driven back with loss. The rest of 1st Platoon drives Van Tranhs' men off with losses, only two squads escaping.

A lull occurs at this point while both sides reorganize. The US forces have met with heavier resistance than expected, is just less than half way to the village, and has not yet encountered the bunkers and mines. The VC are also badly hurt: Van Go is only able to organize one strong platoon. Comrade Tru Wok orders the civvies to load supplies into the sampans. Captain Tyme now personally commands 3rd Platoon and requests reinforcements due to the damage taken by 1st Platoon.

While waiting for assistance Lieutenant Beam spots one of the bunkers and gets artillery on it. Fire is again rapid and accurate, and the bunker and an HMG are history. But the two US reaction platoons are slow to arrive and "Eagle Eye" Beam and his men fail to spot Comrade Van Go leading the composite VC platoon around to their rear. The VC locate the US 2nd Platoon and launch an assault into their rear, driving the US platoon sixty yards  towards US 3rd Platoon. Eight US bodies are left behind. But even as the VC try to follow up their success, Lieutenant Jim Yellow Sky and a reaction platoon arrive on their flank. Comrade Van Go cuts his losses and leads the survivors off the VC tactical edge.

By the time that the now five US platoons pass the now abandoned bunkers and into the village, Comrade Tru Wok has gotten the supplies loaded and escaped by sampan.

Policing up acquires some forgotten documents and a well informed prisoner, but another man from 3rd Platoon is lost to a booby trap. The VC have a third of their survivors dispersed. The final tally gives the US the military victory, but the VC gain a minor political victory mainly due to the ambush of 1st Platoon and the rear attack on 2nd Platoon.

The game was challenging, a good time was had by all and we consumed a good deal of booze with the AAR that followed.

Charles Eckhart