Battle of Patrol Base Mole City
December 18–22, 1968 | Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam
The Trap
On December 18, 1968, soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division did something deliberately dangerous.
The 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, known as the Manchus, alongside Company A of the 65th Engineers, constructed a fortified patrol base directly along one of the busiest enemy infiltration routes in III Corps, roughly ten miles south of Tay Ninh City.
It was built in a single day.
Twenty-seven helicopters hauled in nearly 186,000 pounds of material. By nightfall, bunkers were carved into the earth, trenches connected fighting positions, a prefabricated tower rose above the jungle, and two 105mm howitzers stood ready.
They named it Patrol Base Mole City.
“Built right under the VC and NVA’s nose.”
The base was bait. And the enemy noticed.
The Assault
Four days later, before dawn on December 22, 1968, approximately 1,500 North Vietnamese Army troops launched a coordinated assault against Mole City.
The defenders were outnumbered nearly three to one.
For six hours, the battle raged. Enemy forces pressed the perimeter in waves. The Manchus fought from bunkers and trenches as artillery roared and small arms fire tore through the jungle.
When the attack finally ended, the NVA withdrew, leaving behind heavy losses.
Mole City still stood.
But victory came at an unbearable cost.
The Fallen
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4/9 Infantry
Specialist Four Willie James Tate
Food Service Specialist
Born April 7, 1944 – Cheraw, South Carolina
Age 24
Company B, 4/9 Infantry
Private First Class Alfred Viel
Born October 27, 1947 – Dover, New Hampshire
Age 21
Private First Class Terry J. Ward
Born September 8, 1944 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Age 24
Company C, 4/9 Infantry
First Lieutenant Ernest James Stidham
Infantry Unit Commander
Born March 14, 1943 – Carmichael, California
Age 25
First Sergeant Manuel Dominic Madruga
Senior Infantry Sergeant
Born November 12, 1924 – Modesto, California
Age 44
Sergeant First Class Richard George Barnard
Born November 30, 1937 – Rochester, New York
Age 31
Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism
Sergeant Michael Anthony Minko
Born May 10, 1945 – Culver City, California
Age 23
Awarded the Silver Star
Specialist Four Justin Kenneth Anderson
Born February 20, 1945 – Chicago, Illinois
Age 23
Specialist Four Donald Ignatius Culshaw
Born August 5, 1949 – Minneota, Minnesota
Age 19
Specialist Four Dionisio Sanchez-Ortiz
Born March 17, 1948 – Santurce, Puerto Rico
Age 20
Private First Class Phillip Ernest Benjamin
Born November 8, 1948 – Baltimore, Maryland
Age 20
Succumbed to wounds on January 3, 1969
Private First Class Donald George Bousley
Born March 18, 1949 – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Age 19
Private First Class Richard Thomas Chambers
Born February 9, 1949 – Islip, New York
Age 19
Private First Class Charles Phillip Glenn
Born November 24, 1949 – Patrick, Arkansas
Age 19
Private First Class Henry Eugene Maul
Born November 12, 1948 – Worland, Wyoming
Age 20
Private First Class Malcom Roscoe True Jr.
Born December 16, 1947 – Cocoa, Florida
Age 20
Company D, 4/9 Infantry
Specialist Four Thomas Lee Goodale
Born July 20, 1947 – Kansas City, Missouri
Age 21
Private First Class Gary Wayne Everett
Born April 29, 1948 – Athens, Texas
Age 20
B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 77th Artillery
Private First Class Dennis Lee Dulebohn
Tactical Wire Operations Specialist
Born August 25, 1948 – Wapakoneta, Ohio
Age 20
Where They Are Remembered
These soldiers are honored together on Panel W36, Lines 60–66, and Panel W35, Line 25 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Many were barely old enough to vote. All were old enough to stand their ground.
Why Mole City Matters Today
Mole City was not a famous name during the war. It was a temporary base in the jungle, meant to exist just long enough to draw a fight.
But for the men who defended it, and for the families who received the knock on the door afterward, it became permanent.
The battle lasted six hours.
The memory has lasted more than half a century.
This is why mickyspano.com/ honors a Veteran of the Day.
Because wars do not end when the shooting stops.
Because names should never fade into statistics.
Because behind every panel on the wall is a hometown, a birthday, a future interrupted.
Today, we remember Mole City.
Tomorrow, we remember another name.
And we keep remembering.
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