Battle of Xa Cam My The Battle of Xa Cam My was a battle of the Vietnam War fought over two days from April 11 – 12 , 1966 . Originally planned as a U . S . search and destroy mission intended to lure out the " crack " Viet Cong D800 Battalion , Charlie Company soon found itself fighting for survival in the rubber plantations of Xa Cam My , approximately 42 miles ( 68 km ) east of Saigon . During this battle 134 men of Charlie Company , 2nd Battalion , 16th Infantry , 1st Infantry Division were ambushed by the Viet Cong . Background . Operation Abilene was aimed at the local Viet Cong D800 Battalion . It involved units of the 1st Infantry Division ( primarily the 16th Infantry Regiment ) , New Zealand artillery and the 1st Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment . Major General William E . DePuy , as commander of the 1st Infantry Division , planned to lure out the Viet Cong unit by using Charlie Company as a bait . Once the Viet Cong attacked the isolated company , DePuy planned to rush in other rifle companies to destroy the enemy . The operation began on April 10 , 1966 , with soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division moving into positions between Saigon and Vung Tau in search of the elusive Viet Cong D800 Battalion . Unlike in previous operations , Charlie Company numbered only 134 because of casualties , leave and other reasons . In addition to the lack of numbers , the company was also cut off from Alpha and Bravo Companies . Battle . On the following day as Charlie Company moved through the Courtenay Rubber Plantation , they encountered sporadic enemy fire with Viet Cong snipers attempting to knock the Americans off one by one . The sporadic fire allowed the Viet Cong to maneuver around the outnumbered Americans . By 14 : 00 , VC officers were spotted around the positions of Charlie Company , directing the encirclement of U . S positions . By that time it had become clear that the Viet Cong had taken the bait . However DePuy ' s gamble on other rifle companies arriving in time was thwarted by the thick jungle . To minimize casualties and break the ambush , Charlie Company formed a circular perimeter with interlocking fire . The situation deteriorated as Charlie Company found itself increasingly isolated with only a distant hope of reinforcement . This was made worse when misdirected artillery fired upon Charlie Company instead of the aggressive VC forces . The fighting continued well into the night with the desperate Charlie Company throwing all it had at the aggressive Viet Cong using tear gas grenades . However , their efforts were not enough to stop the Viet Cong from breaking through their lines . Through the night , small units from the Viet Cong D800 Battalion breached the American perimeter , retrieving their own casualties and slitting the throats of wounded U . S soldiers along the way . After five hours of brutal fighting , what was left of Charlie Company formed a tight perimeter , protected by a barrage of artillery fire which came down at a rate of five or six rounds per minute . By 07 : 00 on April 12 , the Viet Cong had disengaged from the battle before other U . S units could arrive . Charlie Company was nearly wiped out with a casualty rate of 80 % . Aftermath . Two posthumous Medals of Honor were awarded in conncection with this action . Sgt James W . Robinson , Jr . and A1C William H . Pitsenbarger . The latter was awarded in December 2000 . SPEC - 4 Johann Lang was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his heroic actions in the battle .