Not many days go by without Laura Sanzone Kroin vividly remembering the day in 1967 when an Army officer and chaplain rang the doorbell of the family home in Levittown, Long Island.

Her mother, Roslyn, collapsed when she learned that her only son, Robert Benjamin, was missing in action in Vietnam near the Cambodian border. About two weeks later, his death was confirmed.

“It was devastating,” said Kroin, now living in Fountain Hills. Robert was 22 years old, four years older than she. “We did everything together,” including chaperoning her on dates.

“I miss him dearly,” she said. “I can’t let it go.”

Kroin relived those memories after watching the “CBS Sunday Morning News” broadcast on May 28, 50 years after the ambush in May 18, 1967.

North Vietnamese soldiers attacked Sanzone’s platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, on May 18, 1967, killing 22 of his comrades. Only eight survived the attack.

The platoon was cut off from other U.S. forces, later earning the name, “Lost Platoon.” The sustained fighting, which involved hand-to-hand combat, was one of the most intense in the Vietnam War.

Sanzone received the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism.

Information accompanying the award reported that Sanzone was a squad leader with the weapons platoon on a search and destroy mission in Pleiku Province.

The platoon was sent 200 meters forward of his company to provide security for the main force. Before the men had a chance to position themselves, they received intense rifle and machine gun fire. Sanzone was hit five or six times immediately, but ignored the pain to direct his squad in placing a base of effective fire on the Viet Cong.

He killed five insurgents when they tried to attack his position. Later, he stopped another 10 with grenade and rifle fire when they tried to overrun the perimeter sector.

When fellow patrol members tried to reach cover in a river bed, Sanzone was reported to disregard his own safety and exposed himself to the enemy to draw their fire. He crawled from one friendly casualty to another to treat their wounds and to help them reach covered positions. He was mortally wounded in an attempt to protect his comrades when he found a swarm of Viet Cong, firing his rifle on full automatic.

Sanzone had been scheduled to return home in 30 days, said Kroin. He was engaged to marry and to this day, Kroin remains in contact with the woman.

His sister has visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a couple of times and made a rubbing of her brother’s name on the wall.

A new book, “Nine Days in May: The Battles of the 4th Infantry Division on the Cambodian Border, 1967” has been written by Warren K. Wilkins and retells the story about the men lost and the survivors.