It takes more than a few minutes since Clouatre is bleeding badly from multiple shrapnel wounds. The enemy also sees Recon and begins to fire at them with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Both men have enjoyed successful careers and are now retired. Nothing in the last six days gives any hint that a breakthrough is about to occur. Before Tam Ky, he was a top-notch radio telephone operator for Staff Sgt. Had it landed on Alpha Company, casualties would be high. US Army Film by Ted Acheson DASPO C. During that time the men of 2/501 ABN INF suffered casualties and severe deprivations. I was the first name on the list.". . "The most memorable moments in my Army career came from leading and serving with the greatest division in the world -- the Screaming Eagles. Lyle Stoner is with 3rd Platoon in Delta Companys perimeter. 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. The offensive was a crushing military defeat for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese, but the size and scope of the communist attacks caught the American and South Vietnamese allies by surprise. Thurston is wounded and unable to move. The year 2018 is the forty-ninth anniversary of the 1968 Tet Offensive. Stoner tells the medic, Nothings happening! Doc tells Stoner, Loosen the tourniquet. That works. In 2014, the three Soldiers and other veterans of the unit visited Fort Campbell and spoke to current members of the 327th. His slight, wiry frame and average height belied his strength. 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). Tepner will soon hear of his death with deep regret and sorrow. The battalion plan from yesterday to have Charlie Company relieve Delta Company was postponed. The enemy continues to advance from the northwest on Deltas position, hidden from direct observation from Roy and Whartons position. the war in Vietnam. Behind the team, they catch sight of enemy soldiers moving in the trees and closing in on Recon. Series of villes that straddled QL-1 approximately 22 km Southeast of Hue and from 2-5 km Southeast Phu Bai CB. Light casualties were reported by the command. Jay Cope was also identified as the figure standing looking up with maps on his fatigues. Strand and Clouatre are both wounded, Clouatre seriously. "That's who we were carrying when the photo was taken, and I had lost my helmet on the way to the landing zone due to all the action going on. The A Shau Valley was one of the strategic focal points of The Wall location: 04W-115. The Battle for Hue lasted from January 31st to February 26th. They made a demonstration jump immediately after arriving, observed by Gen. William Westmoreland and outgoing Ambassador (formerly General) Maxwell Taylor. Republishing of columns on this website requires the permission of both the author and editor. While Strand waits for a medevac, his thoughts turn to Rada. Also known as "Eye Corps," this encompasses the five northernmost provinces in South Vietnam, along with two major cities Hue and Da Nang. The Crouching Beast by Frank Boccia. Each 82 mm mortar round has a lethal blast radius of 30-35 meters (33-38 yards). HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. See Phu Loc photos and images from satellite below, explore the aerial . We were not able to land until we got to the other side of the valley on an abandoned firebase (Fire Base Rendezvous?). Republishing of columns on this website requires the permission of both the author and editor. The rotors, engines and deep-throated roar of almost continuous minigun fire is impossible to describe. Delta Company Commander LT Cleo Hogan recalls, During the night of 24 February, more than 500 rounds of 105MM, 155MM and 8-inch artillery were fired into the vicinity of YD728206 [near Hue]. "I was sitting on my rucksack eating while we waited and I noticed a tree moving. The Central Highlands area in South Vietnam, consisting of 12 provinces, and the largest of the four corps in size. Outnumbered 10 to 1 the brave US Marines and South Vietnamese Army troops defend the city with their lives. Report, Map of Fire Support Bases in the A Shau Valley, 1969. (UPI photo). The bursting shell kills three soldiers: Sgt. What is obvious immediately is the enemy attack hasnt and wont reach Delta Companys position. Operation Lamar Plain officially ended on Aug. 13. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. $48.00. The Perfume River (Sng Hng) is a river that crosses the city of Hue. The 101st Airborne Division participated in the Division Operations beginning in 1967 when the 506th was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. The Cav team is to keep its fires along the berm and not extend its firing beyond the two ends of the berm. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. In October, 1968 the brigade was redeployed around Saigon so that the 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne could rejoin its parent division up north. Next, find a vein on his arm below the tourniquet. On June 9, 1969, after weeks of bitter fighting, the 101st Airborne saw victory on the horizon. NASA has since sponsored space expeditions, both human and mechanical, that read more, In the early hours of July 29, 1914, Czar Nicholas II of Russia and his first cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, begin a frantic exchange of telegrams regarding the newly erupted war in the Balkan region and the possibility of its escalation into a general European war. 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). Delta Companys enemy contact prevented their move south to the proposed pickup point. On June 9, 1969, after weeks of bitter fighting, the 101st Airborne saw victory on the horizon, Courage Under Fire: The 101st Airbornes Hidden Battle at Tam Ky, https://www.historynet.com/turning-point-at-tam-ky-the-101st-airbornes-hidden-battle-vietnam/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, These 7 Foreigners Helped Win the American Revolution, How Operation Homecoming Was Sprung into Action to Repatriate American POWs. Capt. Hamburger Hill was the scene of an intense and controversial battle during the Vietnam War. Clearing the LZ is hot work. Stoner looks at the bag, the soldier and then back to Doc. Operations in A Shau Valley 1 May - 31 July 1969, Operation Apache Snow (Hamburger Hill, May 1969), Operation Apache Snow After-Action said Brown. A Florida Cooperation. 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. Perhaps it is as many as 200 soldiers, maybe more. Lancers C Co.158th Avn. Smoke and dust clouds along the berm are blown by the rotors and the wind. Crowned in 1878, King Umberto became increasingly authoritarian in the late 19th century. He is also setting up and sequencing artillery fires. The links below highlight some of those actions. For once, they have strangely encountered enemy soldiers who cant seem to shoot straight. He wore military issue, heavy, black-framed glasses, had reddish, short-cropped hair and a quick wit. Vietnam War: Elements of 2nd Brigade and 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division 10 miles NW of Hue during Operation Carentan II, 1 May 1968. Lets go! The Recon soldiers drop their rucks and sprint as hard as they can go the 100 meters (109 yards) to Deltas perimeter. They know return artillery fire will arrive soon. All Rights Reserved. On June 8, it seemed that little progress had been made. The A Shau Valley was one of the strategic focal points of the war in Vietnam. The photo speaks of the volume of the 101st Airborne Division's and U.S. Army's commitment to anywhere in the world to defend our liberties and those of others. Run for it! A few rounds were also fired by the Battleship USS New Jersey [a.k.a. When asked about the photo and why it became internationally famous, each Soldier cites the fact of how it showed the day-to-day lives of Soldiers in conflict. . "Considering that I came from a very small town in Maryland, I feel my career was very successful and I am proud to have served our country." If ever in the Vietnam conflict there was a forward edge of the battle area, Firebase Ripcord in the year 1970 . 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. His rolled-up right sleeve is saturated with dark red blood. Men like Captain Ken Crabtree, Commander, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, who was my boss, mentor and personal friend. As Recon makes their way back, they are firing and moving. He did two tours in Vietnam and retired as a sergeant major. Pre-Owned. In Courage Under Fire: The 101st Airbornes Hidden Battle at Tam Ky, he gives a detailed, day-by-day account of his battalions actions during the operation, with a focus on Delta Company. If he is right, the battle action on Hill 376 will soon get more intense. Elements of the 101st Airborne made clearing sweeps in the mountains and valleys along the route. Units based at Phu Bai during this period included: On 20 October 1972 the base was handed over to the South Vietnamese.[12]. I have never been colder in my life. At the north end of the valley was the major North Vietnamese Army (NVA) staging area known as Base Area 611. According to aUS Army Center for History report on Tet of 1968, As the 1st and 3d Brigades moved into the corridor along Highway 1 between Quang Tri City and Hue, the 2d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Col. John H. Cushman, redeployed from Cu Chi in III Corps, northwest of Saigon, to Landing Zone El Paso. Sponsored. Located in western Thua Thien province, the narrow 25-mile long valley was an arm of the Ho Chi Minh Trail funneling troops and supplies toward Hu and Danang. Doc makes sure he hasnt overlooked any life-threatening wounds and applies bandages to the worst of them. 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. The top of the rock is a perfect place for locating the large international orange panel that marks their position for friendly aircraft. The U.S. Army unit with responsibility for that area, the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal), was unable . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ALL AMERICANS - Variant Patch - US 82nd AIRBORNE DIV - HUE - Vietnam War - #.880 at the best online prices at eBay! During the Vietnam War, the USS Forrestal was often stationed off the coast read more, The so-called Son of Sam pulls a gun from a paper bag and fires five shots at Donna Lauria and Jody Valenti of the Bronx while they are sitting in a car, talking. An incoming 105 mm round falls short and explodes in Bravo Companys position. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the US News front and the anti-war political arena. He got his wish. He retired from active duty as a lieutenant colonel in 1988. General Melvin Zais , commanding General of the 101st United States Airbourne Division greets a fellow American soldier. VARSITY. Patch - GRIM REAPER - 101st Airborne - HUE, PHU BAI - Vietnam War - #.637. The Battle of Hue took place in the former Republic of South Vietnam and occurred from January 31 to March 2, 1968. detailed map of Phu Loc and near places. They are heavily camouflaged with vegetation stuck in their helmets, web gear and packs, and practically invisible until they move. Located in western Thua Thien province, from Laos and enemy threats to the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Finding a landing zone for Charlie Company is the first of Delta Companys morning tasks. All rights reserved. The combat elements of the division consisted of 10 battalions of airmobile infantry, six battalions of artillery, an aerial rocket artillery unit armed with rocket-firing helicopters, and an air reconnaissance unit. The base is abandoned and turned over to farmland, light industry and housing. Nothing could be further from the truth. 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. B Company "Varsity" 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne. A recently captured enemy soldier reported their casualties had reduced their companies to around 60 men. 101st Abn. Let us never forget their shedding of blood, sweat and tears. It was the first of three arrests for this skilled spy who provided crucial information to the Confederates during the war. Airborne All The Way! This time they are the ones in danger. Warren M. Winterbottom/AP. As soon as the Recon team is clear of the hill, Sahrle and several others open fire on the enemy force with their M16s. They will run through the smoke and flame just as soon as the Cobra helicopters finish their attack. Efforts to assess the offensives impact began well before the fighting ended. On January 31, 1968, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched the Tet Offensive. Doc enlists Stoner to help treat those who are in the worst condition. For reference purposes the book Where We Were by Michael P. Kelly, Hellgate Press, 2002, provided much of the information. Brown and Wintenburg each spent about a year in Vietnam, and both men struggled with anxiety for years. the primary military port in the old Vietnamese city of Hue As he and a detail of men drove a vehicle convoy through the . A firefight soon ensued between A Company and the NVA and multiple Soldiers were hit. He sees the Recon teams frantic flight through the heat of the burning berm fire and broiling sun. When Hue was liberated we found over 7,600 civilians in shallow graves. Movies, television or video games arent even close. There is a collective sigh of relief when it is clear the rounds arent on target. In late 1969, the 101st Administration Company (101st Airborne Division) was moved from Bien Hoa Army Base to Phu Bai. Not for the NVA who caught us with our pants down and holding our collective you know what in our hands. The decisive moment a favorable turn in a battles outcome occurs is often not recognized by those in the throes of fighting. 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. No need to register, buy now! The remaining members were pinned down in the Military Assistance Command Vietnam, compound in southern Hue by the initial Viet Cong and North Vietnamese assaults. At 8:45 a.m., the Cav team goes off station to rearm and refuel. This article was published in the February 2022 issue of Vietnam magazine. After a short time at Fort Bragg, I was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. The loyalty we had to each other was profound.". They are still suffering effects of heat exhaustion. From Sahrles position, their easterly movement is from left to right in an attempt to flank Delta Companys position on the north before beginning their attack. Larry BurrowsThe LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. The following narrative is courtesy of Special Forces Gear: At dawn on the first day of the TET holiday truce, Viet Cong forcessupported by large numbers of North Vietnamese troopslaunch the largest and best coordinated offensive of the war, driving into the center of South Vietnams seven largest cities and attacking 30 provincial capitals from the Delta to the DMZ. He acquired more copies of the photo and passed it out to Soldiers in his platoon where most of them stashed it away for their return to the United States. . Robert Clouatre, Spc. Baldwin passed away in 2005, but in interviews conducted recently, Winteburg, Brown, and Sewell spoke about their experiences before, during, and after the war. U.S. marines are keeping low because of intense sniper fire from communists units which seized two-thirds of the ancient imperial Capital 2/4/1968. The Army Security Agency, operating under cover of the 3rd Radio Research Unit (3rd RRU), established a radio facility at Phu Bai in 1963, 12km southeast of Hu on Highway 1. 4 Gary Winkler and Spc. . I was a young 2nd Lieutenant with A Company, 2nd Battalion 501st Airborne Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam when the Tet Offensive began. Winkler stops and quickly decides to stay with Thurston. Military Issued Coming Home Letter -- Remember this? RELATED ARTICLES:Last Days in Vietnam paints a startling portrait of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by Congress, [] In 1968, the Tet Offensive began in South Vietnam []. They are also now without their equipment and radio. The buildup of formal U.S. military units had begun on 8 March 1965, when two battalions of Marines landed at Da Nang. The two medics in Recon, Spc. . It may be more than expected. 1.5 Marine cleans his M-16 during the Battle of Hue.jpg 1,023 705; 122 KB. It is an unselfish act typical of medics whose first instinct is to stay with, treat and protect the wounded. Tet, the traditional Vietnamese New Year Celebration, was to be a peaceful truce. Forty-five years ago the 101st Airborne Division went into South Vietnam's A Shau Valley as part of Operation Apache Snow. U.S. forces, including the 101st Airborne Division as well . 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. Constituted on 15 November 1962 in the Regular Army, it became an element of the 101st . The needle is in. It was the year of the battle of Firebase Ripcord. Fortunately, the enemy is not positioned on the military crest of the hill. The Vietnamese Airborne Division began as companies organized in 1948, prior to any agreement over armed forces in Vietnam. The Battle of Hue was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. After the war he went into trucking before he passed away.". ft. and 1,654 rolls of microfilm. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! The Hueys can approach the LZ from the south and fly out on the same route. From Arrival to Ripcord: The 101st Airborne in Vietnam, July 1965 to July 1970. "Two of us got to go airborne. At that time the enemy force was within 100 yards of Delta Company. 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. ", "What people didn't understand back then but understand more now is that we were Soldiers doing our jobs," said Wintenburg. The image was soon on the front page of papers worldwide -- an unfiltered image of the conflict. 1969-72. of the valley was the major North Vietnamese Army (NVA) staging area The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is the only air assault division of the United States Army. [2]:159. 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 photo signifies what warfare is all about." In open terrain, a single rounds blast can cover almost half the size of a football field. US Army Film by Ted Acheson DASPO C 99 /r/combatfootage, 2023-02-22, 19:29:23 Permalink "My brother convinced me to go down to the recruiter's office," said Witenburg. No one is hit. It was later closed, but reopened . On the day "Help From Above" was taken, Company A was tasked to assist Company C of the 2-327. "There was a major trail and we had to set up a perimeter for security as the company moved through," said Brown. AND LOCATIONS USED BY THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION (AIR CAVALRY/AIRMOBILE) 1968-1972. A Company 326th Medical BN supported the 1st Brigade 101st Airborne Div. In June, Marine and army units began offensive unit operations"search and destroy" missions. Soldier from the 101st airborne division at Paneug Air base. It is also in a swale with high ground immediately to its north and south, which provides protection from enemy observation and anti-aircraft fire. 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. (Allen W. Sims Collection) Full size 1255 1211 Post navigation. He has been talking with the 101st Airbornes air cavalry team, which was loitering nearby. 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. "Watson Baldwin was the finest platoon sergeant I had when I was in the Army," said Wintenburg. I dedicate it to men like SSG Joe Ronnie Hooper and SSG Clifford C. Sims, Delta Company, 2/501, both of who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, SSG Sims posthumously. Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; YouTube Copyright 2021 DrRichSwier.com LLC. After the partition of Vietnam, it became a part of . Under Hitler, the Nazi Party grew into a mass movement and ruled Germany as a totalitarian state from 1933 to 1945. The 1st Brigade (Separate) of the 101st Airborne Division landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on July 29, 1965. Click here for a map of the A Shau Valley showing major battle areas. 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. On the other phone is the artillery fire direction net. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Twenty minutes later the soldier comes around. On 30/31 January 1968, the base was hit by Vietcong mortar and rocket fire as part of the TET Offensive. The next day would be crucial. The group then remained in the Da Nang area until departing Vietnam. This shows the 101st returning to the A Shau Valley on April 14 and 15th for a very short visit called Operation Fury. Opinions expressed by writers are solely their own. The 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division was based here from MayJune 1968. At the end of April 1968 the 2nd Brigade Task Force (three infantry battalions, one cavalry squadron, artillery, and other units) of the 101st Airborne Division was operating north of Hue.

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