Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-15
Wet Cong Kill.
U. 5. Captain,
= in Ambush

SAIGON, South Wet Nam,
July IA (AP). - Nearly 500
Communist guerrillas ambushed
a government convoy 40 miles
north Of Saigon today and
killed q United States Army
captain and % Wet Namese
soldiers in a fierce battle that
was over in minutes.
The U. S. officer was the sew
enth American serviceman
killed in combat since Deem
Der, when the United States
began a massive support and
training program here to save
South Wet Nam from gradual
Communist conquest. Sixteen
other Americans have been
killed in accidents.
The Defense Department in
Washington identified the Off
Ger killed as Capt. Don j. York,
Of Asheville, N. c. He leaves
his wife, Mrs. Johanna Y
York, a son, Michael, z, and q
daughter, Anna K, S; and his
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur
A. York Of Asheville.
Capt. York was travelling
with a 19-vehicle convoy when
it was attacked at $3.50 am.
Lead Vehicles Disabled
The Wet Cong guerrillas were
hidden in dense bushes for
more than a mile along the
smooth, fairly straight road
which runs 80 miles north from
Saigon to the Cambodian
border.
They disabled the leading We
hicles with mines and riddled
the rest Of the convoy with
heavy and light machine gun,
recoilless rifle and mortar fire.
The 280-man convoy lost 20
wounded and 4 more missing
besides its % dead. A jeep was
destroyed and two heavy trucks
badly shot up.
Within an hour, an infantry
group of 100 men arrived and
two companies of paratroopers
dropped on the scene but found
only bloodstains and other signs
of casualties where the guer-
rillas had been. The attackers
had carried off their dead and
wounded.
Pursuit of the guerrillas con-
tinued tonight. Spotter planes
saw the Wet Cong force re-
treating through dense forest,
and air strikes were made up
to 8 pm, when contact was
lost.
The government convoy was
headed north at the time Of
the attack, to pick up employees
of an engineering firm work.
ing at an outpost. Several
civilian contractors are work.
ing on radar and radio nets
along Wet Mans frontier with
Laos and Cambodia.
The ambush was similar to
one on June 16 on the same
road in which two U. s. Officers
were killed. 1t was at nearly
the same spot at which Spec
4 George F. Fryett jr., Of Ions
Beach, Calf, was released b!
the Wet Cong June "a aftel
six months captivity.
West Point Graduate
Capt. York, 20, was q career
officer and his family said HI
was scheduled to return to the
United States within a few
weeks.
He was graduated from Stan.
ton Preparatory Academy ir
Cornwall, N. Y, in 1850, anc
from the Military Academy al
West Point in 1854.
He was sent to South Wet
Nam last September as a mill
tary adviser.
The Communists have beer
increasing the frequency anc
size of ambush operations ir
the last two months. Out oil
fear, local residents seldom be.
tray the presence Of an ambush
to government forces.
The Reds also frequently teal
up rails and bridges and snipt
at coaches on the north-Soutl
railroad, the country's MAR
line, and attack buses and othel
vehicles on the roads.
In addition to the ambush
the Communists carried out {
successful attack against al
outpost, Ba Rang, 80 miles ives
Of Saigon. A communique sale
the post was destroyed and thu
fate of its IL self defenSI
cornSmen unknown. Two ar