Matocha Info

On April 4, 1968, a 10-man Marine reconnaissance team was sent out on a mission on Dong Ma Mountain in what was then the Republic of South Vietnam. They were to locate a North Vietnamese observation post on the south side of the mountain and destroy it. The Dallas Girl recon team made it to the top of Dong Ma the following day, but before they were able to destroy the observation post they were ambushed in a round of enemy fire. Twenty-three-year-old Second Lieutenant Donald Matocha was killed in the firefight and several other Marines were wounded. They radioed for help and CH-46 helicopter pilot Ron Gatewood and his team hoisted the men out one at a time.