 The 9th Infantry Regiment had planned Task Force <unk> on orders from the 2nd Division commander Major General Laurence B. <unk> , which in turn had received instructions from Eighth United States Army commander Lieutenant General Walton Walker for aggressive patrolling . <unk> decided the patrol should cross the river at the <unk> ferry . The 9th Infantry reserve , E Company , reinforced with one section of light machine guns from H Company , was to be the attack force . The 1st Platoon , 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion , was to transport it across the river in assault boats the night of August 31 . Two heavy weapons companies , D and H , were each to <unk> one section of heavy machine guns , one section of 81 @-@ <unk> mortars , and one section of 75 @-@ <unk> recoilless rifles for supporting fires . A platoon of 4 @.@ 2 @-@ inch mortars was also to give support . 
