VARSITY. 472.2 RECORDS OF THE MILITARY ASSISTANCE ADVISORY GROUP (MAAG) VIETNAM 1950-64 154 lin. Fortunately, the enemy is not positioned on the military crest of the hill. The saline solution begins to flow. Ronald Sahrle, who is leading the remnants of 1st and 2nd platoons, takes on the task of clearing brush to widen the LZ and enlists Sgt. It is close by Delta Companys position and can be covered by fire from the companys perimeter. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! As I was in-processing for basic training, I attended a briefing for Officer Candidate School [and] decided to apply during basic training. Photo Tom Pilsch. But that is another story for another time. Artillery batteries from the . A copy of "Help From Above", which hangs in the headquarters of 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division(Air Assault). Jay Cope was also identified as the figure standing looking up with maps on his fatigues. There is a collective sigh of relief when it is clear the rounds arent on target. Ghost Riders B Co.158th Avn. Nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles," the 101st has consistently distinguished itself by demonstrating the highest standards of military professionalism since its activation at one minute after midnight, Aug. 16, 1942. Baldwin was also very compassionate. Stories from the 591st Engineer Company who were taske with maintaining the highway Route 547 from the Hue City area of northern South Vietnam westward towards Laos into the A Shau Valley during the VIetnam War. The rotors, engines and deep-throated roar of almost continuous minigun fire is impossible to describe. C Co 101st Aviation Black Widows and Spiders D Co 101st Aviation HAWKS A Co.158th Avn. D Company occupied several bombed out buildings, and during the search of the area found large quantities of Vietnamese booze, individual weapons, enemy radios and other supplies.. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the US News front and the anti-war political arena. In April 1968, Associated Press photographer Art Greenspon took a photograph widely considered to be one of the most telling photos of the Vietnam War that is now titled "Help From Above." Thurston is wounded and unable to move. Unknown location. The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. The battles for the two northernmost provincial capitals in South Vietnam, Quang Tri City and Hue, are particularly worth examining because the enemy regarded them as key objectives, second only to Saigon, the national capital . It spreads quickly, fanned by the rotor wash and wind and soon engulfs the length of the berm. The brigade . The easterly movement by the main enemy force indicates they are getting into position to attack Delta Company from the north. Rada is carried by others who have come out to help. This place is situated in Phu Loc, Thua Thien-Hue, Vietnam, its geographical coordinates are 16 16' 0" North, 107 53' 0" East and its original name (with diacritics) is Ph Lc. Sherwood begins at May 15, the move to Tam Ky, and the first combat assault the following day. The 101st Airborne Division participated in the Division Operations beginning in 1967 when the 506th was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. But now, 50 years later, they relish opportunities to reunite with fellow 101st Airborne . It is an illusion. $21.99. It appears the firing from the berm began too early, before the larger force was in position to attack. I was the first name on the list.". [10], The 45th Engineer Group moved north to the Phu Bai area in February 1968, where it assumed general construction support missions for the I Corps Tactical Zone. The road to hell made a turn for the 2/501 troopers to reopen QL 1 or Highway 1, also known to the French as the Street without Joy and then due West into the A-Shau valley (the Valley of Death) and triple canopy jungle. After A/101 Aviation returned from Vietnam, the 101st Battalion swapped assets between A/101 and D . I vividly recall that on the morning of February 26th a small boat pulled up to the A Company CP, located in a three story building along the Perfume River. Capt. I remember seeing footage on the Military Channel of Soldiers reenlisting in Iraq and Afghanistan; that's real patriotism. On July 29, 1921, Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the National Socialist German Workers (Nazi) Party. Efforts to assess the offensives impact began well before the fighting ended. In late 1965, The 3rd Marine Division established its headquarters at Phu Bai and would remain there until late 1967, when it was moved forward to ng H. Probably taken at Camp Evans , 1970 . 1969-72. His striking pose, along with those of the Soldiers around him, was soon internationally famous. Reaching a position in the tree line near the eastern end of the berm, they can go no farther. Pfc. On 14 April Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines replaced Task Force Alpha at Phu Bai. The ARVN operated Phu Bai as a forward logistics base, and it was the only airport serving Hu. The next day would be crucial. They were good friends. I vividly remember being in a makeshift bunker on a knoll when all hell broke loose on this very day forty-six years ago on January 30, 1968. Republishing of columns on this website requires the permission of both the author and editor. Roy is on the LZ checking the progress of the brush clearing just 30 feet to the east of when the enemy grenade explodes. Operations in A Shau Valley 1 May - 31 July 1969, Operation Apache Snow (Hamburger Hill, May 1969), Operation Apache Snow After-Action God please let me survive! is the common thought. A fatal mistake. "Early that morning, Company A moved forward on a search and destroy operation," said retired Col. Tom Sewell, who was a first lieutenant and platoon leader in Company A at the time. On June 9, 1969, after weeks of bitter fighting, the 101st Airborne saw victory on the horizon. The Recon team is done. The enemy attack from the berm seems to have been a diversionary attack, a planned distraction to allow the larger enemy force to make a surprise attack from a different direction. Brown, who has the photo hanging in his house, along with the Screaming Eagle flag, explained why it was so memorable in his eyes. The heavy U.S. and South Vietnamese casualties incurred during the offensive, coupled with the disillusionment over the earlier overly optimistic reports of progress in the war, accelerated the growing disenchantment with President Johnsons conduct of the war. As I turned to glance back, he took the photo.". Larry Gilbertson. He tells Roy the proposed LZ on the ridge line will expose inbound and outbound helicopters to the enemys 12.7 mm heavy machine-gun fire. 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment was de-activated on 17 July 2015 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as part of the Army Aviation Restructuring Initiative, but its distinguished lineage and legacy will live on as the Palehorse Squadron was reactivated as part of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division on 22 October 2015 at Fort Hood, Texas. These men earned his respect and the respect of the nation. At the north end of the valley was the major North Vietnamese Army (NVA) staging area known as Base Area 611. Strand and the medic help move Clouatre to safety. ", "The 101st will always be the only unit in my mind." ", "I was in the point platoon and in the ambush a couple of guys behind me got wounded," said Witenburg. On 1 February 1972 in a ceremony attended by Brigadier General John G. Hill Jr., Assistant Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division and Major General Phm Vn Ph, Commanding General . The retired Soldier is now head of the Screaming Eagle foundation, which assists Soldiers and their families from the 101st Airborne Division. 4 Daniel Thurston, are in trouble. Light casualties were reported by the command. The base was used to support U.S. and ARVN forces fighting in the Battle of Hu. The paratroopers, of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, were hit by heavy fire from . Their weapons are nearby. He is also setting up and sequencing artillery fires. After an intense tenday battle in May, infantrymen of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Mobile) took a ridge in the A Shau Valley that they had dubbed Hamburger Hill. I love the division and am extremely proud of my service during the war. In case a Recon soldier is wounded, they can easily go forward to treat the soldier. He ends with June 12, Deltas extraction from Hill 376 a few days after a massive artillery barrage destroyed the enemy force. Copyright 2021 DrRichSwier.com LLC. Apparently the idea was to make the NV. "As we were moving forward, the platoon behind us made contact with the enemy; we held our position in order to care for the wounded Soldiers from the other platoon. Once within the perimeter, Doc treats Clouatre with Strands help. It is thrown from a concealed enemy position on the west end of the berm up above the LZ. We headed off to Hue and when we got there proceeded to cross over the perfume River Bridge into Hue and then turned off to the east along a canal. The first relief force was dispatched from Phu Bai to the MACV Compound in Hu City. Pfc. After eight hours of furious fighting, a change in wind direction prompted the Spanish to break off read more, Nearly one billion television viewers in 74 countries tune in to witness the marriage of Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, to Lady Diana Spencer, a young English schoolteacher. The early morning hours before sunrise are peacefully quiet. 4 Nov 1968 Army Reporter Vietnam Communiqu for the period Oct 16-22 Hue, Thua Thien Province, I Corps-- In a week of light action paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division reported killing 20 enemy soldiers.During a reconnaissance-in-force operation eleven miles south of Hue, B/1-506th Infantry discovered an enemy basecamp composed of several huts and bunkers. [11], In 1969, the 85th Evacuation Hospital moved from Qui Nhn and was established at the northwest end of the airfield, adjacent to Highway 1.[1]. Hamburger Hill was the scene of an intense and controversial battle during the Vietnam War. The biased liberal news media misreported and detailed map of Phu Loc and near places. They collapse inside the perimeter. In October, 1968 the brigade was redeployed around Saigon so that the 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne could rejoin its parent division up north. Maj. Watson Baldwin, who was a staff sergeant at the time and Sewell's platoon sergeant,, stands with his arms outstretched in the air signaling the incoming aircraft. It takes him three sticks to get a vein. the narrow 25-mile long valley was an arm of the Ho Chi Minh Trail The operational unit was later re-designated as the 8th Radio . In September 1974, during the Battle of Ph Lc, after pushing the ARVN defenders off Mo Tau Mountain, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) targeted artillery fire against the base until they were evicted by the ARVN 1st Division and 15th Ranger Group on 11 December.[13]. The battalion plan from yesterday to have Charlie Company relieve Delta Company was postponed. The U.S. Army unit with responsibility for that area, the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal), was unable . The last Army division to leave Vietnam, the remaining elements of the 101st Airborne Division returned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where today it is the Armys only airmobile division. Find the perfect d day battle image. He calls out to his fellow medic and close friend, Winkler. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Military Issued Coming Home Letter -- Remember this? Series of villes that straddled QL-1 approximately 22 km Southeast of Hue and from 2-5 km Southeast Phu Bai CB. In 1969, the 85th Evacuation Hospital moved from Qui Nhn and was established at the northwest end of the airfield, adjacent to Highway 1. What mattered was that it was life and death, and what mattered was keeping each other alive. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. The subject of the photograph, Sgt. The decision was made to move the 101st Airborne Division to the Hue area. Photo courtesy of Norm Miller, 70-71. This was another example in the Vietnam War of an inaccuracy becoming the perceived truth. First and Finest . If ever in the Vietnam conflict there was a forward edge of the battle area, Firebase Ripcord in the year 1970 . OnFebruary 2, President Johnson announced that the Viet Cong had suffered complete military defeat. Frederick Carlton Lewis was born July 11, 1961, in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in a middle-class read more, On July 29, 2000, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, one of Hollywoods highest-profile couples, marry at the Malibu, California, estate of the producer Marcy Carsey (The Cosby Show). (UPI photo). Baldwin passed away in 2005, but in interviews conducted recently, Winteburg, Brown, and Sewell spoke about their experiences before, during, and after the war. Wharton uses the berm to direct their fires. Twenty minutes later the soldier comes around. When Hue was liberated we found over 7,600 civilians in shallow graves. In it, the horrors - and futility - of the Vietnam War came brutally to life through the eyes of 14 American soldiers of 101st Airborne Division as they attempt to capture a heavily fortified Hill 937 under the PAVN control. The 1st Brigade (Separate) of the 101st Airborne Division landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on July 29, 1965. Elements of the 101st Airborne made clearing sweeps in the mountains and valleys along the route. It was the first of three arrests for this skilled spy who provided crucial information to the Confederates during the war. Pre-Owned. We fought for weeks to destroy the enemy and my company secured the Western wall of Hue City. Shot down on FSB Currahee 1969 and awaiting a lift out for repairs. Among the cities taken during the first four days of the offensive were Hue, Dalat, Kontum, and Quang Tri; in the north, all five provincial capitals were overrun. Hill 618, 17 Km due S of Hue, prominent terrain feature in 1st/502d Inf AO; OP for 101st & scene of 1st/508th Inf, 3d Bde, 82d Abn (opcon 101st Div) Battle of Nui Ke 68 . On Jan. 31, 1968, the Tet Offensive was in full swing as the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong moved to take over the city of Hue. Thua Thien Pr, I Corps. ", "My first duty station was Fort Bragg before Fort Campbell," said Wintenburg. All were and still are true leaders of men. In June or July 1968, U.S. Special Forces established Forward Operating Base 1 (FOB 1) at Phu Bai. All Rights Reserved. The delayed muffled booms rapidly echo across the mountainside. 472.3.2 Records of the Office of the Deputy Chief . They made a demonstration jump immediately after arriving, observed by Gen. William Westmoreland and outgoing Ambassador (formerly General) Maxwell Taylor. Also known as "Eye Corps," this encompasses the five northernmost provinces in South Vietnam, along with two major cities Hue and Da Nang. The 1st Brigade (Separate) of the 101st Airborne Division landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on July 29, 1965. The Fall of the A Shau Special Forces Camp (March 1966), Operation Dewey Canyon (Base Area 611, February-March 1969), Click here for a detailed map of Base Area 611 (1:50,000), 101st Airborne Div. To a large extent, the success or failure of the offen- . Recon knows their small element is in great danger of being overrun. The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is the only air assault division of the United States Army. Then, on July 29th, 1965, the 1st Brigade landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam, and the 101st adapted to their new role in the jungle. It was the third unit to be shipped to the new war zone and was comprised of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 327th Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry. An incoming 105 mm round falls short and explodes in Bravo Companys position. U.S. spokesmen reported that leathernecks hauled down the North Vietnamese flag after seven days of fighting and recaptured the city. Discover more Vietnam War resources from the National Archives, or contact us to plan a research visit. The enemy doesnt return fire. said Brown. Only afterward is it known the Recons two PRC-25 radios are purposely left behind by the RTOs to lighten their load. . "The photo signifies what warfare is all about." In the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Hue fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma. "Two of us got to go airborne. III Corps Fighting. This post contains affiliate links. Thua Thien Province Base Camps/Firebases. Airborne All The Way! Many believe Vietnam is a tropical paradise, yeah right. "I graduated from high school in 1964 and went to work with my father," said Sewell. of the 101st Airborne Division . SOARING WITH EAGLES IN THE GREAT BEYOND. Brown himself narrowly escaped being shot in the battle, but suffered an injury to his back which caused him to be grimacing in pain when "Help From Above" was taken.. "As I was reloading," said Brown. A Company 326th Medical BN supported the 1st Brigade 101st Airborne Div. In Saigon, a 19-man Viet Cong suicide squad seized the U.S. Embassy and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the buildings roof and routed them. He tosses a saline solution bag from his medical kit to Stoner. ZULU - GRIM REAPER - 101st Airborne - HUE, PHU BAI - VIETNAM WAR PATCH 230. (Allen W. Sims Collection) Full size 1255 1211 Post navigation. The base was used to support U.S. and ARVN forces fighting in the Battle of Hue. The 90th NVA Regiment was committed to its capture and defense. Marine units based at Phu Bai during this period included: On 30/31 January 1968, the base was hit by Vietcong mortar and rocket fire as part of the Tet Offensive. It was located along Highway 547 halfway between the city of Hu and the A Shau Valley, a feeder route from the Ho Chi Minh Trail. RELATED VIDEO:Battle for Hue. The 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry was assigned on 16 March 1987 to the 2d Infantry Division and activated in Korea. The first 4,000 paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay. EDITORS NOTE: The featured photo is of (Left to Right) 1LT Cleo Hogan, Commander A Company, 2/501 Infantry, 1LT Grimsley, Platoon Leader and 1LT Rich Swier, Forward Observer, in the A-Shau valley (the valley of death) during Tet of 1968. https://drrichswier.com/wp-content/uploads/20140204131608_00002-e1484070258938.jpg, http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png, The Tet 68 Battle for Hue: The Road to Hell and Beyond. The Army gave me the opportunity to explore and serve with the greatest Soldiers in the world, and that's why I wanted to continue serving and helping them after I retired.". Both men have enjoyed successful careers and are now retired. Sahrle and his men begin yelling at Recon, Get out of there! This story is dedicated to the men of the 2ndBattalion, 501st Airborne Infantry (2/501) who fought in the critical Battle for Hue. Lancers C Co.158th Avn. Last Days in Vietnam paints a startling portrait of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by Congress, Film a death blow to vicious lies about the Vietnam War -- 'Believe it or not, we were the good guys' - Dr. Rich Swier. The Perfume River (Sng Hng) is a river that crosses the city of Hue. The 159th Brigade Operations Center (BOC) notified the 101st Airborne Division of the emergency call from Playtex 866 at 1350 hours. V. After Vietnam, Ed Sherwood served as an infantry officer in assignments in the 3rd Armored Division in Germany, the U.S. Army Infantry School and the 197th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia. Roy then quickly recommends and gets approval for using a much smaller, one-ship LZ adjacent to his companys position. the war in Vietnam. In the process, we set up an LZ and began withdrawing the injured.". Provisional Corps, Vietnam, was designated XXIV Corps on 12 August 1968. In the meantime, Littletons security team is told to return, and they make it back without incident. Theyve performed a vital mission. Brown and Witenburg processed out of the Army soon after their return and soon joined the civilian workforce. The early reporting of a smashing communist victory went largely uncorrected in the media and led to a psychological victory for the communists. In the opinion of most Vietnam combat veterans, the movie was the most realistic depiction of deadly combat. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. They are a hundred or so meters from Delta Companys defensive position and safety. The photo was donated by Art Greenspon to the 101st when he was inducted as an honorary member of the 327th Dallas Brown, a Vietnam War veteran who served with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade [Separate], 101st Airborne Division poses next to a Screaming Eagle Flag, Aug 8, 2017, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
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