On 23 March during the early morning while operating southeast of Cao Lanh a 1st Brigade unit supported by helicopter gunships engaged two VC platoons. The VC withdrew after an hour leaving 34 dead and one captured and four individual weapons, U.S. losses were two killed. At 15:00 in the same general area a 1st Brigade unit engaged two PAVN/VC companies, the action continued until 22:30 with helicopter gunships and tactical fighter providing support. The PAVN/VC lost 77 killed, 11 individual and nine crew-served weapons and three radios, U.S. losses were two killed. At 16:40 a unit of the 2nd Brigade freed ten South Vietnamese being held captive south-southwest of Bến Tre.
