The North Vietnamese were closing in .
McCarley , instead of moving toward an LZ large enough for the extraction of the entire force , dropped off elements at three separate ( and smaller ) landing zones , catching the PAVN unprepared .
The North Vietnamese were closing in , but McCarley , instead of moving toward an LZ large enough for the extraction of the entire force , dropped off elements at three separate ( and smaller ) landing zones , catching the PAVN unprepared .