Phillip Kidd was deployed into the Quang Tri Provence. Legendary battles were fought in this location. Names like Khe Sanh, highway 9, Quang Tri City and the “Citadel”. Cut off and surrounded about 5,000 Marines and supporting forces which included Phillip's Company “C” of the1st Battalion successfully defended Khe Sanh combat base. They faced an enemy of three divisions consisting of approximately 20,000 troops for 77 days during early 1968. The 1968 battle at Khe Sanh was the longest and deadliest battle of the Vietnam War.
The following is from Ohio State University's E-History: It tells of the situation at Khe Sanh just days before Phillip died. “The North Vietnamese were not content to give up Hill 471 that easily.
Shortly after the Marines overran the hill, enemy rocket fire began and by midnight, 192 rounds had fallen. At 0430, two companies of the 66th NVA Regiment assaulted Captain Ralph H. Flagler's Company C on the eastern half of the hill. Company A, located on the western side, was masked by the crest of the hill and could not fire in support. North Vietnamese infantry swarmed up the slope firing rifles, sub-machine guns, and RPGs, while heavy machine guns pounded Company C's positions.
The enemy advanced to within 20 meters of the Marine fighting holes, but Flagler's men stood fast, with the help of almost 1,000 rounds of artillery fire from the 1st Battalion, 13th Marines. By 0630, the enemy attack was spent and the North Vietnamese withdrew. At a cost of 1 Marine
dead and 28 wounded, the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines killed over 140
North Vietnamese and captured 5 prisoners” Then on April 9th west of the base, the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines advanced onto Hill 689 which had, for 11 weeks, dominated its position at the
quarry. The enemy, although unseen, made their presence felt through steady and accurate mortar fire which killed 9 Marines and wounded 27 during the battalion's advance. Among those Marines was Private First Class Phillip M. Kidd.
Note: for further information on Khe Sanh see below
https://centennial.legion.org/new-york/post556/1968/04/09/phillip-kidd-k...
