"It was a real eye opener because there were a bunch of us what were called 'cherries' -- those who had not been to combat. The 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry was assigned on 16 March 1987 to the 2d Infantry Division and activated in Korea. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Strand and the medic help move Clouatre to safety. Lancers C Co.158th Avn. 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. In April of 1968 1st Brigade was in the A Shau Valley near the border of Laos, blocking enemy activity from entering South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Only afterward is it known the Recons two PRC-25 radios are purposely left behind by the RTOs to lighten their load. The group then remained in the Da Nang area until departing Vietnam. of the valley was the major North Vietnamese Army (NVA) staging area ZA 18-35 2km W Catecka Airfield Village - Tea Plantation: ZA199-340. The early morning hours before sunrise are peacefully quiet. the war in Vietnam. 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. Constituted on 15 November 1962 in the Regular Army, it became an element of the 101st . Yet another Communist atrocity in South Vietnam that the American press refused to report on was this massacre. Discover more Vietnam War resources from the National Archives, or contact us to plan a research visit. The base was originally established by the 1st Cavalry Division in January 1968, 7 km southeast of Hu and 9 km west of Phu Bai Combat Base. I remember Art Greenspon was on one knee crouching and I had a strange feeling that something was behind us looking. It is close by Delta Companys position and can be covered by fire from the companys perimeter. I was the first name on the list.". Opinions expressed by writers are solely their own. The Cav team is to keep its fires along the berm and not extend its firing beyond the two ends of the berm. [8]:140[9], On 10 March 1968, MACV Forward, having served its purpose, was converted to a Corps headquarters and designated Provisional Corps, Vietnam, under the command of Lieutenant General William B. Rosson. He got his wish. As Recon makes their way back, they are firing and moving. Rain fell in a soft drizzle as a C-130 aircraft settled to the airstrip at Hue-Phu Bai, and the Screaming Eagle band struck up "Rendevous with Destiny." Camp Eagle (also known as LZ El Paso and LZ Tombstone) is a former US Army base south-east of Hu in central Vietnam. They normally are at or near the rear of Recon when the unit is moving. Roy and Lt. Paul Wharton, the captains crackerjack artillery observer, take up a position on the southwestern edge of Deltas perimeter next to a huge rock that towers over them. Twenty minutes later the soldier comes around. In June or July 1968, U.S. Special Forces established Forward Operating Base 1 (FOB 1) at Phu Bai. In the process, we set up an LZ and began withdrawing the injured.". 1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption - A copy of "Help From Above", which hangs in the headquarters of 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division(Air Assault). "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. Among its major operations was the brutal fight for Ap Bia Mountain, known as the Hamburger Hill battle. The 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division was based here from MayJune 1968. Our company medic was called into action and with the help of some hot water delivered a beautiful baby boy. General Westmoreland echoed that appraisal four days later in a statement declaring that Allied forces had killed more enemy troops in the previous seven days than theUnited Stateshad lost in the entire war. Roy knows the medic and the wounded men are in danger and yells for them to pull back to the companys perimeter. A Navy ship in the South China Sea added its guns to the fight. He will survive, but will require hundreds of stitches and several operations. 101st Abn. Jay Cope was also identified as the figure standing looking up with maps on his fatigues. I attended Fort Benning for basic training, Fort Gordon for airborne training. [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]. 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. It appears the firing from the berm began too early, before the larger force was in position to attack. As they moved out to reinforce their fellow Screaming Eagles, they made contact with the enemy. ft. 472.3 RECORDS OF HEADQUARTERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND VIETNAM (MACV) 1958-73 2,270 lin. Baldwin passed away in 2005, but in interviews conducted recently, Winteburg, Brown, and Sewell spoke about their experiences before, during, and after the war. C Med: YD 541318: . A Florida Cooperation. Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; YouTube At 1328 hours, Hue Approach Control received a call from Playtex 866 stating that he was declaring an emergency. Welcome to the Phu Loc google satellite map! What mattered was that it was life and death, and what mattered was keeping each other alive. Photograph by Carl Gernazio. At least, that is the plan. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. "I'm extremely proud of Soldiers today and how professional they are. If he is right, the battle action on Hill 376 will soon get more intense. They made a demonstration jump immediately after arriving, observed by Gen. William Westmoreland and outgoing Ambassador (formerly General) Maxwell Taylor. Capt. This shows the 101st returning to the A Shau Valley on April 14 and 15th for a very short visit called Operation Fury. Vietnam: Military History Branch, Office of the Secretary . The conflict continued, but by 1969 Sewell, Brown, and Witenburg had completed their tours and returned home. Camp Eagle was used to support the 101st Airborne's major operations in the A Shau Valley - Operation Apache Snow in 1969 and Operation Texas Star in 1970. That wont happen until the enemy contact has ended. "A lot of the jobs didn't interest me, but I saw a picture of a paratrooper behind the recruiter's desk and he noticed I was big into football and weight training back then and he said I'd make good airborne material. (Allen W. Sims Collection) Full size 1255 1211 Post navigation. The A Shau Valley was one of the strategic focal points of the war in Vietnam. 47 photos in 1 sub-album. The 2/501 ABN INF was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division commanded by Major General Jack Tolson. On January 31,1968, the North Vietnamese Army launches the surprise Tet Offensive, simultaneously attacking dozens of South Vietnamese cities. As usual, the fires are danger close to Delta Company and the Recon Team. A firefight soon ensued between A Company and the NVA and multiple Soldiers were hit. The Recon element is still out. Larry BurrowsThe LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. Thua Thien Province Base Camps/Firebases. The 1st Brigade, which consisted of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment and 2-327, had arrived in Vietnam in 1965 before all the other elements of the division, who arrived in 1967. Larry Gilbertson. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Patch - GRIM REAPER - 101st Airborne - HUE, PHU BAI - Vietnam War - #.637. The objective: to find, engage, and kill the 29th NVA Regiment on Hills 937, 900,. American Marines during Operation Prairie near the DMZ in Vietnam in Oct. 1966. As the house band at the Whiskey a Go Go on the Sunset Strip, they had built a large local following and strong industry buzz, and out on the road, they were fast becoming known as a read more, Off the coast of Gravelines, France, Spains so-called Invincible Armada is defeated by an English naval force under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. At 1100 hours on the 25th, D Company joined by A company and C Company with almost 300 men on line, advancing on Hue At 1400 hours, a small Vietnamese boy (estimated age 10 years-old) fired a few rounds at members of D Company. I love the division and am extremely proud of my service during the war. Fortunately, the enemy is not positioned on the military crest of the hill. Media in category "Battle of Hu". All Rights Reserved. Pre-Owned. At the north end of the valley was the major North Vietnamese Army (NVA) staging area known as Base Area 611. To say it is oppressively loud and violent is only a start. I could see clouds of dirt jumping as the bullets hit and I barely dove out of the way. Phu Bair Rear; Cpt O'Brien on sign. Clearing the LZ is hot work. On the other phone is the artillery fire direction net. Among other honors, the image inspired the poster for the Vietnam War Movie 'Platoon' and graces the covers books and front pages of newspapers. Elements of 101st Airborne Division. A fatal mistake. [1] The operational unit was later redesignated as the 8th Radio Research Field Station (8th RRFS). They will run through the smoke and flame just as soon as the Cobra helicopters finish their attack. The links below highlight some of those actions. Dallas Brown, a Mount Juliet, Tennessee native, was inspired by the famous ballad of the Green Beret to enlist. We lined up by company and marched out of the city to our next mission. Unknown location. During the Communist TET . The Marines were pinned down behind this wall near the old citadel and radioed for support. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the three 1968 Tet Offensives famous. Roy gives them the OK. As the Air Cav helicopter team completes its attack, Sahrle and a small group of his soldiers higher up on the hill within Delta Companys perimeter can see the Recon Team. SSG (later Captain) Hooper was second only to Audie Murphy in the number of awards and decorations with 37 compared to Murphys 38. The suppressive fire from Deltas perimeters keeps them from improving their position. "Two of us got to go airborne. They are also now without their equipment and radio. Under Hitler, the Nazi Party grew into a mass movement and ruled Germany as a totalitarian state from 1933 to 1945. The deadly fire on the USS Forrestal began with the accidental launch of a rocket. Along the way young children would pull on our 101st Screaming Eagle shoulder patches, saying Chicken die, chicken die so much for our liberating the Vietnamese from their NVA oppressors. He sees the Recon teams frantic flight through the heat of the burning berm fire and broiling sun. The Central Highlands area in South Vietnam, consisting of 12 provinces, and the largest of the four corps in size. He is also setting up and sequencing artillery fires. "During the Christmas holidays, 1965, I received a letter from Uncle Sam stating 'you have been selected to serve your Country' and entered the Army in January 1966. Delta Companys enemy contact prevented their move south to the proposed pickup point. He decided he wanted to be a paratrooper. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Camp Evans, base of the 101st Airborne Division's First Brigade, 14 miles northwest of Hue, was struck by 10 mortar rounds. "A lot of things back in the 'world' as we called it didn't matter out there. The airborne infantrymen of the 101st were still needed mostly involved in rapid deployment strategies but the training was shifting with the times, and the times were changing indeed. We were not able to land until we got to the other side of the valley on an abandoned firebase (Fire Base Rendezvous?). Phu Bai Combat Base (also known as Phu Bai Airfield and Camp Hochmuth) is a former U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps base south of Hu in central Vietnam. The 2/501 left Hue in unit formation counting cadence all the airborne way. $48.00. But now, 50 years later, they relish opportunities to reunite with fellow 101st Airborne . Links to pages on battles and bases in the A Shau Valley: Click here for the location of the A Shau Valley within South Vietnam. 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). 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