Srok Dong: Remembering PFC Eddie K. Williams and the Battle Along Highway 13

On June 30, 1966, near the hamlet of Srok Dong, Vietnam, PFC Eddie K. Williams of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, the “Spartans,” made the ultimate sacrifice during one of the fiercest engagements fought by the 1st Infantry Division during the Vietnam War.

As armored vehicles of the 1st Infantry Division moved north along Highway 13 during Operation El Paso II, American forces entered a carefully prepared ambush. Hidden positions belonging to the 271st Viet Cong Regiment suddenly erupted with recoilless-rifle, mortar, and machine-gun fire. The intense attack disabled tanks, trapped soldiers in the open, and turned the roadway into a deadly battlefield.

Among those who responded to the chaos was PFC Eddie K. Williams, serving as a radio telephone operator. In the midst of the fighting, RTOs like Williams played a critical role, maintaining communications between units, coordinating support, and helping commanders respond to rapidly changing conditions on the battlefield.

As air strikes, artillery, helicopter gunships, and reinforcements were brought into the fight, American forces eventually broke the enemy assault. But victory came at a heavy cost. Seventeen Americans were killed and sixty-six wounded during the battle at Srok Dong.

PFC Eddie K. Williams was among those who did not return from that battlefield. Standing alongside his fellow soldiers, he faced overwhelming enemy fire while carrying out his duty and supporting the men around him. His sacrifice became part of the enduring legacy of those who fought and died along Highway 13.

Today, we remember PFC Eddie K. Williams and the sixteen other Americans who lost their lives at Srok Dong. Their courage, their service, and their sacrifice remain forever connected to a battle fought in the jungles and rice paddies of Vietnam nearly six decades ago.

They stood their ground. They answered the call. They are not forgotten.