Chapter 1
BLACK VIRGIN MOUNTAIN

By 3 November, the Mike Force Companies were patrolling north and east of Soui Da. To the South were the battalions of the reinforced 196th beating the jungle, seeking the enemy.

Now on 7 November, following heavy contact by elements of the 1st Division (Big Red One) northeast of Soui Da, decision was made to pursue the Viet Cong's 9th Division. It also was believed that the Viet Cong 271st Regiment was active in the woods northeast of Bau Co.

The operation really came alive on 10 November when the 2nd Brigade Headquarters, 1st Battalion (Mechanized) 5th Infantry, and the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry moved to establish a fire support base at Bau Co.

At about this same time, the 1st Battalion, 8th Artillery was displaced to Bau Co. The 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry was still attached to the 1st Division and the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry secured the Tay Ninh Base Camp. Decisions were made many times during this operation about different strategy and another was made to open the road from Soui Da to Bau Co to save helicopters. General Weyand was concerned with the threat to the 25th Division's rear from the Boi Loi-Hobo Woods complex. He therefore, detached the 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 22 Infantry (500-1200 men) from the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (now 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division) and moved it to Cu Chi, the 25th Division's base camp. The Battalion was attached to the 25th Division on 0800, 11 November. At the same time the 1st Battalion was released from the 1st Infantry Division and arrived at Bau Co along with two batteries of artillery.