1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
107-570: 1st Battalion, 21st Artillery [REDACTED] 33rd Regiment: [REDACTED] 66th Regiment: Total: ~2,500 troops American intervention 1965 1966 1967 Tet Offensive and aftermath Vietnamization 1969–1971 1972 Post- Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974) Spring 1975 Air operations Naval operations Lists of allied operations The Battle of Ia Drang ( Vietnamese : Trận Ia Đrăng , [iə̯ ɗrăŋ] ; in English / ˈ iː ə d r æ ŋ / )
214-426: A Huey. Capt. Edwards (C Company) ordered SSgt. Gonzales who had been given command of D Company by its commander, to position D Company on C Company's left flank, extending the perimeter to cover the southeast side of X-Ray. At 15:20, the last of the 1st battalion arrived and Lt. Larry Litton assumed command of D Company. It was during this lift that one Huey, having approached the landing zone too high, crash-landed on
321-427: A disproportionately long line). By nightfall, the battle had taken a heavy toll on Moore's battalion (1/7): B company had taken 47 casualties (including one officer) and A Company had taken 34 casualties (including three officers); C company had taken four casualties. 1st Battalion 21st Field Artillery Regiment (United States) The 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery was a field artillery battalion of
428-450: A hasty retreat, while others were caught in a second barrage of artillery shells. By 15:00 the attack had been stopped, and one hour after launching the assault the PAVN forces withdrew. At approximately the same time, A Company and the lead elements of D Company (which had accompanied Alpha Company at the perimeter in the vicinity of the creek bed) were subjected to a fierce PAVN attack. Covering
535-455: A hole blown through it. The fire was so heavy that if you tried to raise up to dig you were dead. There was death and destruction all around." Savage later recalled of the repeated PAVN assaults: "It seemed like they didn't care how many of them were killed. Some of them were stumbling, walking right into us. Some had their guns slung and were charging bare-handed. I didn't run out of ammo – had about thirty magazines in my pack. And no problems with
642-516: A little more than a third the size of its Washington namesake, included twelve acres of enclosed office space. In addition to the headquarters offices, the complex included a barracks, a mess hall, a refrigerated storage building and its own power plant and telephone exchange. Inside, according to one staff officer, "the well-waxed corridors had the fluorescent feel of an airport terminal." A cyclone fence, topped with barbed wire and with watch towers at intervals, provided close-in protection. Following
749-406: A misshapen football field, some 100 meters in length (east to west). It was estimated that only eight UH-1 Hueys could fit in the clearing at a given time. The 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry (1/7) was typical for U.S. Army units of the time, consisting of three rifle companies and a heavy weapons company: A-Alpha Company, B-Bravo Company, C-Charlie Company and D-Delta Company... about 450 men in total of
856-504: A new purpose-built facility. The building was designed and constructed under the supervision of the U.S. Navy Officer in Charge of Construction RVN. The construction contractor was RMK-BRJ , at a cost of $ 25 million. MACV occupied its new headquarters early in August 1967. The new complex soon earned the nickname "Pentagon East." The air-conditioned structure of two-story prefabricated buildings,
963-719: A portion of the Al-Rasheed district in southern Baghdad from March 2004 – March 2005. During that time the task force conducted daily patrols, ambushes, raids, convoy escorts, target acquisition, and counter-battery cannon fires. The battalion contributed to the first ever free elections held in Iraq in January 2005. Following redeployment, Charlie Battery, 1–21 FA and 68th Chemical Company were inactivated in July 2005. The 1st Cavalry Division's first Silver Star Medal for valor in combat during this deployment
1070-431: A reserve unit. Lt. Devney's 1st Platoon led approximately 100 yards (91 m) west of the creek bed, with Herrick's 2nd Platoon to his rear and right flank. Just before 13:00, Devney's 1st platoon was heavily assaulted on both flanks by the PAVN, taking casualties and becoming pinned down in the process. It was around this point that Herrick radioed in that his 2nd Platoon were taking fire from their right flank, and that he
1177-573: A result, on 1 April 1966, Naval Forces, Vietnam , was established to control the Navy's units in the II, III and IV Corps Tactical Zones. This eventually included the major combat formations: Coastal Surveillance Force ( Task Force 115 ), River Patrol Force ( Task Force 116 ) and Riverine Assault Force ( Task Force 117 ). The latter unit formed the naval component of the joint Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force . Commander Naval Forces, Vietnam (COMNAVFORV) also controlled
SECTION 10
#17328442792101284-604: A single formation, the 1st Signal Brigade . It supported the combat signal battalions of the divisions and field forces in each corps area. The 1st Signal Brigade operated the many elements of the Defense Communications System in South Vietnam. To improve co-ordination and management of communications-electronics assets, the brigade commander served as the U.S. Army, Vietnam, staff adviser on all matters pertaining to Army communications-electronics. In contrast to
1391-462: A small relief force reinforced the camp on the morning of the 22nd. The main relief force, advancing south from Pleiku on route 6C, was duly ambushed at 18:00 the next day. After a two-hour battle the ambushing forces were beaten off, but the ARVN, discouraged from moving any further, set up a defensive position, and did not reach the camp at Plei Me until dusk on the 25th. The PAVN forces withdrew west towards
1498-520: A tactical support role. Ia Drang set the blueprint for the Vietnam War with the Americans relying on air mobility, artillery fire and close air support, while the PAVN neutralized that firepower by quickly engaging American forces at very close range. Ia Drang comprised two main engagements, centered on two helicopter landing zones (LZs), the first known as LZ X-Ray, followed by LZ Albany, farther north in
1605-402: The 1st Marine Division to move north, to provide greater support for the 3rd Marine Division in the northern portion of the I Corps Tactical Zone . Designated as Task Force Oregon , it included the 196th Infantry Brigade ; the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Chu Lai Base Area ; and the 1st Brigade, 10lst Airborne Division. On 25 September 1967 the 23rd Infantry (Americal) Division )
1712-466: The 4th Infantry Division deploying between August and November 1966. The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was alerted for assignment to Southeast Asia on 11 March 1966. In April 1967, General Westmoreland, who had arrived in June 1964 as Commander of MACV, organized a division-sized blocking force along the border between North and South Vietnam. The deployment of a division-sized U.S. Army force would allow
1819-562: The Naval Support Activity Saigon (NSA Saigon), which supplied naval forces in the II, III and IV Corps areas. Naval Support Activity Danang (NSA Danang), provided logistic support to all American forces in I Corps, where the predominant Marine presence demanded a naval supply establishment. NSA Danang was under the operational control of Commander III Marine Amphibious Force. Major component commands of MACV were: The "Commander, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam"
1926-694: The United States Army based in Fort Hood, Texas . It was a subordinate unit of the 41st Fires Brigade (United States) . The 21st Field Artillery was constituted in the Regular Army on 1 July 1916 and organized at Camp Wilson, Texas on 1 June 1917. It was assigned to the 5th Division in 1917 and saw action in France during World War I, participating in the St. Mihiel and Lorraine (1918) Campaigns. The 21st Field Artillery
2033-502: The United States Support Activities Group & 7th Air Force (USSAG/7th AF), it was located at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base in northeast Thailand . The advance echelon of USSAG/7AF moved from Tan Son Nhut Air Base to Nakhon Phanom on 29 January 1973. Transfer of the main body, drawn largely from the operations and intelligence sections of MACV and Seventh Air Force, began on 10 February. USSAG
2140-693: The Viet Cong insurgency was brought under control. In that event, the Military Assistance Advisory Group would be restored to its former position as the principal U.S. headquarters in South Vietnam. For this reason, the MAAG was retained as a separate headquarters. In March 1962 Headquarters, U.S. Army, Pacific, removed the "provisional" designation from the U.S. Army Support Group, Vietnam, attached it to U.S. Army Ryukyu Islands , for administrative and logistical support, and made its commanding officer
2247-520: The "Air Cav" (Air Cavalry) and in July 1965 began deploying to Camp Radcliff , An Khê , Vietnam. By November, most of the division's three brigades were ready for operations. The U.S. deployment caused the B3 Field Front Command to bring forward an attack on the U.S. Army Special Forces Plei Me camp, some 45 km southwest of Pleiku, which was originally planned for December. The assault was instead launched October 19 with only two Regiments,
SECTION 20
#17328442792102354-715: The 1st Battalion, 21st Artillery. The newly formed 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery began its association with the 1st Cavalry Division. During the Vietnam War , the 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery participated in 15 different campaigns including the Tet Counteroffensive and Counteroffensives I-VII, earning the Presidential Unit Citation for action in Pleiku Province, the Valorous Unit Award for
2461-509: The 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, and told him "to conduct an airmobile assault the following morning" and to conduct search and destroy operations through 15 November. Meanwhile, an ARVN intelligence source by intercept of radio communication indicated that some PAVN B3 Field Front recon elements and transportation units had already moved out of their assembly areas to attack the Plei Me camp. Col. Brown selected Lt. Col. Moore and his men for
2568-483: The 32nd and 33rd, instead of the planned three, before the Air Cavalry troops were combat ready. The plan was to attack the camp with the 33rd Regiment while the 32nd Regiment would lie in wait to ambush the ARVN relief force that would inevitably be sent from Pleiku. Once the relief force was destroyed, the two regiments were to join and take the camp. The initial attack was repulsed with the help of strong air support, and
2675-848: The 32nd, 33rd and 66th – and the H15 Local Force Battalion had been assembled in the area. The B3 Front commander, Maj. Gen. Chu Huy Mân , planned to target South Vietnamese positions in Kon Tum and Pleiku provinces. The city of Pleiku was the location of the South Vietnamese II Corps headquarters, commanded by General Vinh Loc , who had at his disposal nine South Vietnamese battalions: four Ranger , three Airborne and two Marine . The U.S. command saw this as an ideal area to test new air mobility tactics. Air mobility called for battalion-sized forces to be delivered, supplied and extracted from an area of action using helicopters. Since
2782-588: The 4th Infantry Division, assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, and activated at Fort Hood, Texas. On 2 July 1986, the 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery was reorganized and redesignated as Battery A, 21st Field Artillery, and continued to serve in the 1st Cavalry Divisionry. In August 1990, the 1st Cavalry Division was alerted for deployment to Southwest Asia as part of the joint forces participating in Operation Desert Shield. 1st Cavalry Division MLRS fires from Alpha Battery, 21st Field Artillery illuminated
2889-457: The 5th Infantry Division; concurrently, redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 21st Artillery. It was then redesignated 1 July 1960 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 21st Artillery, assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, and activated in Korea (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated). It was the redesignated 1 September 1963 as
2996-489: The 765 of the battalion's authorized strength. They were to be shuttled by 16 Huey transport helicopters, which could generally carry 10 to 12 equipped troopers, so the battalion would have to be delivered in several "lifts" carrying just less than one complete company each time. Each lift would take about 30 minutes. Moore arranged the lifts to deliver Bravo Company first, along with his command team, followed by Alpha and Charlie Companies, and finally Delta Company. Moore's plan
3103-653: The Afghan National Army on artillery operations, operating the Artillery School in Kabul. Simultaneously, other members served on artillery mobile education and training teams (A-METT). The unit redeployed to Ft. Hood in summer 2012. Upon return to Ft. Hood, 1–21 FA did two rotations at the National Training Center in January 2013 and June 2013, supporting 3BCT, 1CD and 2BCT, 4ID respectively. On 12 June 2014,
3210-663: The American and North Vietnamese sides, traveled back to the remote jungle clearings where the battle took place. At the time the U.S. did not have diplomatic relations with Vietnam. The risky trip which took a year to arrange was part of an award-winning ABC News documentary, They Were Young and Brave produced by Terence Wrong. Randall Wallace depicted the battle at LZ X-Ray in the 2002 movie We Were Soldiers starring Mel Gibson and Barry Pepper as Moore and Galloway, respectively. Galloway later described Ia Drang as "the battle that convinced Ho Chi Minh he could win". By early 1965,
3317-478: The Army's new modular transformation concept. Falling under the newly formed fires brigade model, in 2006 the battalion fielded and manned the 575th Forward Support Company and Charlie (MLRS) Battery, 1–21 FA. On 16 April 2007, the fires brigade reflagged as the 41st Fires Brigade . In April 2008, 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08–10. During their most recent deployment,
Battle of Ia Drang - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-506: The Chu Pong Massif. At the end of October, after the siege of Plei Me was lifted, General Westmoreland ordered General Harry Kinnard to take his division on to the offensive and seize the initiative in Pleiku province. Initial operations were conducted by 1st Brigade, and on November 1 they captured a PAVN aid station south west of Plei Me. Further engagements over the next few days revealed
3531-487: The Chu Pong Mountain – an estimated 1,600 troops compared to fewer than 200 American soldiers on the ground at that point. At 11:20, the second lift from the 1st battalion arrived, with the rest of B Company and one platoon of Capt. Tony Nadal's A Company. Fifty minutes later, the third lift arrived, consisting of the other two platoons of A Company. A Company took up positions to the rear and left flank of B Company along
3638-591: The Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Army, Pacific , who, as the commander-designate for the task force headquarters (HQ) in the event of operations in Southeast Asia, had participated in the planning for such operations, was appointed commander and promoted to general. Harkins became the senior U.S. military commander in South Vietnam and responsible for U.S. military policy, operations and assistance there. Harkins had
3745-727: The Fish Hook Campaign, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations in Vietnam (1967). Additionally, Alpha and Bravo Batteries were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for action in Binh Thaun Province. The 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery was relieved 13 September 1972 from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. It was inactivated 19 December 1973 at Fort Carson, Colorado and relieved 21 April 1975 from assignment to
3852-465: The IED explosion. Fernandez returned fire with his M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, reloading it at least once during the short engagement, said Capt. Thomas Pugsley, Battery A's commander. Seeing that the stricken vehicle's M-240B machine gun was unused. Fernandez left his vehicle, ran to the disabled humvee and recovered the weapon and its ammunition. Fernandez then opened fire on the enemy. The hand guards covering
3959-552: The Ia Drang Valley. LZ X-Ray involved the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment and supporting units under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore , and took place November 14–16, at LZ X-Ray. Surrounded and under heavy fire from a numerically superior force, the American forces were able to hold back the North Vietnamese forces over three days, largely through the support of air power and heavy artillery bombardment, which
4066-548: The M16. An hour before dark three men walked up on the perimeter. I killed all three of them 15 feet away." With 2nd Platoon, B Company cut off and surrounded, the rest of 1/7 fought to maintain a perimeter. At 13:32, C Company under Capt. Bob Edwards arrived, taking up positions along the south and southwest facing the mountain. At around 13:45, through his Operations Officer flying above the battlefield (Capt. Matt Dillon), Moore called in air strikes, artillery and aerial rocket artillery on
4173-422: The North Vietnamese lacked. The Americans claimed LZ X-Ray as a tactical victory, citing a 10:1 kill ratio . The second engagement involved the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment plus supporting units under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Robert McDade , and took place on November 17 at LZ Albany. When an American battalion was ambushed in close quarters, they were unable to use air and artillery support due to
4280-504: The PAVN B3 Field Front started moving out of their assembly areas to attack the Plei Me camp. At 10:48, the first troops of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry (1/7) arrived at LZ X-Ray with members of B Company touching down after about 30 minutes of bombardment via artillery, aerial rockets and air strikes. The troops were inserted about 200 meters from the position of the PAVN 9th Battalion, 66th Regiment. The air assault insertion had
4387-401: The PAVN advance. Spec. 4 Beck later said of the battle: "When Doc Nall was there with me, working on Russell, fear, real fear, hit me. Fear like I had never known before. Fear comes, and once you recognize it and accept it, it passes just as fast as it comes, and you don't really think about it anymore. You just do what you have to do, but you learn the real meaning of fear and life and death. For
Battle of Ia Drang - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-405: The PAVN attack persisted. Herrick ordered his men to form a defensive perimeter on a small knoll in the clearing. Within approximately 25 minutes, five men of 2nd Platoon were killed, including Herrick who, before dying, radioed Herren to report that he was hit and was passing command over to Sgt. Carl Palmer, ordered the signals codes to be destroyed and artillery support to be called in. 2nd Platoon
4601-434: The PAVN. Shortly after, Alpha and Bravo Companies began their advance from the creek bed toward 2nd Platoon, B Company and soon suffered casualties. At one point, B Company's advance was halted by a firmly entrenched PAVN machine-gun position at a large termite hill. Lt. Marm, 2nd Platoon, A Company, fired a light anti-tank weapon (LAW) at the machine-gun position, charged the position with grenades while under fire, and killed
4708-750: The South Vietnamese countryside by 1965 and had established military infrastructure in the Central Highlands , to the northeast of the Saigon region. Vietnamese communist forces had operated in this area during the previous decade in the First Indochina War against the French, winning a notable victory at the Battle of Mang Yang Pass in 1954. There were few reliable roads into the area, making it an ideal place for
4815-423: The U.S. Army Support Group steadily increased, particularly regarding to combat support activities and logistics. During the year, the U.S. buildup continued, especially in aviation, communications, intelligence, special warfare and logistic units, reaching a total of 17,068 men, of which 10,916 were Army. Because of this expansion, the commanding general, General Joseph Warren Stilwell Jr. late in 1963 proposed that
4922-602: The VC forces to form bases, relatively immune from attack by the generally road-bound Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces. During 1965, large groups of PAVN regulars moved into the area to conduct offensive operations. Attacks to the southwest from these bases threatened to cut South Vietnam in two. By 1964 North Vietnam had established the B3 Front in the central highlands of South Vietnam. By early November 1965 three PAVN regiments –
5029-747: The World War II campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The 21st Field Artillery was inactivated on 20 September 1946 at Ladd Field, Alaska. Then activated 3 June 1948 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, inactivated 30 April 1950 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, activated 1 March 1951 at Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, Pennsylvania, inactivated 1 September 1953 at Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, Pennsylvania, activated 25 May 1954 in Germany, inactivated 1 June 1957 at Fort Ord, California, and relieved from assignment to
5136-484: The advance, was at risk of becoming separated from the battalion, and at one point it was being engaged by an American M60 machine gun that had been taken by the PAVN from a dead 2nd Platoon gunner. The impasse lasted between 20 and 30 minutes before Nadal (A Company) and Herren (B Company) requested permission to withdraw back to X-Ray (to which Moore agreed). Near 17:00, the lead elements of Bravo Company of 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry (2/7) arrived at LZ X-Ray to reinforce
5243-587: The arrival of the PAVN 66th Regiment. Having taken increasing casualties, 1st Brigade was relieved by 3rd Brigade, the handover being completed over the period November 7–12. On November 11, intelligence source revealed the disposition of the three PAVN regiments: the 66th at vicinity YA9104, the 33rd at YA 940010 and the 32nd at YA 820070. On November 12, the 3rd Brigade was given orders by General Stanley R. Larsen , I Field Force, Vietnam Commander and General Richard T. Knowles , 1st Air Cavalry Division Forward Headquarters Commander to prepare for "an air assault near
5350-1812: The battalion cased its colors for the seventh time during an inactivation ceremony in front of the 41st Fires Brigade Headquarters. On 12 June 2014, First Strike inactivated at Ft. Hood, Texas. It fell under 41st Field Artillery Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. It consisted of: World War I: – St. Mihiel; -Lorraine 1918 World War II: -Northern France; -Rhineland; -Ardennes-Alsace; -Central Europe Vietnam: -Defense; -Counteroffensive, Phase I; -Counteroffensive, Phase II; -Counteroffensive, Phase III; -Tet -Counteroffensive; -Counteroffensive, Phase IV; -Counteroffensive, Phase V; -Counteroffensive, Phase IV; -Tet 69/Counteroffensive; -Summer-Fall 1969; -Winter-Spring 1970; -Sanctuary Counteroffensive; -Counteroffensive; Phase VII; Consolidation I; -Consolidation II; -Cease-Fire Southwest Asia: -Defense of Saudi Arabia; -Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; -Cease-Fire War on Terrorism: Campaigns to be determined Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for PLEIKU PROVINCE Valorous Unit Award for FISH HOOK Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1967 Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990–1991 Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965–1969 Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969–1970 Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1970–1971 Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1971–1972 Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1969–1970 Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BINH THUAN PROVINCE Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BINH THUAN PROVINCE Valorous Unit Award for QUANG NAM Military Assistance Command, Vietnam The U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam ( MACV )
5457-661: The battalion conducted an in-lieu of mission, responsible for conducting detainee operations, and security operations at Camp Bucca, Iraq. Charlie Battery, 1–21 FA received a change of mission in July 2008, and conducted convoy security operations in support of international police advisors and provincial reconstruction teams in Basra and Al Kut, Iraq. The 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery redeployed to Fort Hood, Texas in July 2009. The 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery deployed over 150 soldiers to Afghanistan in September 2011. The unit trained
SECTION 50
#17328442792105564-436: The battalion's increasing numbers of casualties, they evacuated only two before the pilots called off their mission under intense PAVN fire. Casualties were loaded onto the assault Hueys (lifting the battalion's forces to X-Ray), whose pilots carried load after load of wounded from the battlefield. 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry's intelligence officer Capt. Tom Metsker (who had been wounded) was fatally hit when helping Lefebvre aboard
5671-413: The border into Iraq and were among the first U.S. soldiers to enter Baghdad. In March 2004, Task Force 1–21 deployed to Iraq for combat operations under the task organization of the 5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Organic companies of 1–21 FA were augmented by elements of the 68th Chemical Company to form the task force. Task Force Rocket was responsible for
5778-460: The carrier, amphibious, and naval gunfire support forces and, at least during early 1965, the coastal patrol force, which Commander Seventh Fleet directed, the Navy's forces within South Vietnam were operationally controlled by COMUSMACV. Initially, Westmoreland exercised this command through the Chief, Naval Advisory Group. However, the increasing demands of the war required a distinct operational rather than an advisory headquarters for naval units. As
5885-550: The civilian air terminal, allegedly because Premier Nguyễn Cao Kỳ wanted to keep the property for a postwar tourist hotel. In late April 1966, with the Saigon regime locked in a tense confrontation with Buddhist and ARVN rebels in I Corps, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and Westmoreland reopened the effort to acquire the Tan Son Nhut soccer field. Under their combined pressure, Kỳ gave way. On 2 July 1966 construction started on
5992-475: The close engagement of the North Vietnamese and the Americans suffered a casualty rate of over 50% before being extricated. Both sides claimed victory. The battle at LZ X-Ray was documented in the CBS special report Battle of Ia Drang Valley by Morley Safer and the critically acclaimed book We Were Soldiers Once... And Young by Hal Moore and Joseph L. Galloway . In 1994, Moore, Galloway and men who fought on both
6099-652: The closure of MACV and the establishment of the DAO, the MACV Headquarters became the DAO Compound. Under the terms of the Paris Peace Accords MACV and all American and third country forces had to be withdrawn from South Vietnam within 60 days of the ceasefire. A small U.S. military headquarters was needed to continue the military assistance program for the southern Republic of Vietnam Military Forces and supervise
6206-426: The creek bed, where they were cut down by fire from the rest of A Company. Taft's (3rd Platoon, A Company) dog tags were discovered on the body of a PAVN soldier who had been killed by Taft's platoon. Upset that Taft's body had been left on the battlefield, Nadal (A Company commander) and his radio operator, Sgt. Jack Gell, brought his and the bodies of other Americans back to the creek bed under heavy fire. At 14:30,
6313-410: The critical left flank were two of A Company's machine gun crews positioned 75 yards (70 m) southwest of the company's main position. Spec. Theron Ladner (with his assistant gunner PFC Rodriguez Rivera) and Spec. 4 Russell Adams (with his assistant gunner Spec. 4 Bill Beck) had positioned their guns 10 yards (9 m) apart, and proceeded to pour heavy fire into the PAVN forces attempting to cut into
6420-642: The deactivation of MACV on 27 March 1973. Command then passed to the Commander USSAG/Seventh Air Force at Nakhon Phanom. The DAO was activated on 28 January 1973 with United States Army Major General John E. Murray , formerly MACV director of logistics, as the Defense Attaché and United States Air Force Brigadier General Ralph J. Maglione, formerly the MACV J-1 (Director for Manpower and Personnel), as deputy Defense Attaché. By 29 March,
6527-465: The deputy Army component commander under MACV. All U.S. Army units in South Vietnam, excluding advisory attachments, were assigned to the Army Support Group for administrative and logistical needs. Over the course of 1962 U.S. military strength in South Vietnam rose from about 1,000 to over 11,000 personnel. Each service continued to provide its own logistical support. Throughout 1963 the duties of
SECTION 60
#17328442792106634-676: The division's smoke, reconnaissance, and decontamination forces, became part of the battalion. The 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery completed the Army's first deployment of a divisional command and attack battalion, Operation Desert Strike 01–07, an external evaluation at Fort Bliss, New Mexico, in April 2001. In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 68th Chemical Company and the 1–227 FSE out of HHS/1-21, deployed from February 2003 through June 2003. The FSE planned and executed SEAD missions in support of Apache deep attacks. 68th Chemical Company's Smoke Platoon, while attached to 3rd Infantry Division, crossed
6741-431: The dry creek bed, and to the west and to the south facing perpendicular down the creek bed. At 12:15, the first shots were fired on the three platoons of B Company that were patrolling the jungle northwest of the dry creek bed. Five minutes later, Herren ordered his 1st Platoon under Lt. Al Devney and 2nd Platoon under Lt. Henry Herrick to advance abreast of each other and the 3rd Platoon (under Lt. Dennis Deal) to follow as
6848-558: The effect of causing the B3 Field Front to postpone the attack on the Plei Me camp. B3 Field Front Command fell for the subterfuge, decided to postpone the attack on Plei Me camp, and met the new threat with its 7th and 9th Battalions, while the remaining units of its force were put on hold at their staging positions. Accompanying Captain John Herren's B Company were Moore and his 1st Battalion command group. Instead of attempting to secure
6955-402: The embattled 1st Battalion; the company closed in at 18:00 hours. In preparation for a defensive position to last the night, Moore ordered Bravo Company's commander Capt. Myron Diduryk to place two of his platoons between B/1/7 and D/1/7 on the northeast side of the perimeter. Diduryk's 2nd Platoon, B Company (under Lt. James Lane), was used to reinforce C/1/7's position (which was stretched over
7062-610: The entire headquarters. He initially tried to obtain a site between the ARVN Joint General Staff compound and Tan Son Nhut Airport , desirable from the standpoint of removing Americans from central Saigon and placing MACV conveniently close to its Vietnamese counterpart. The Vietnamese government refused to turn over the most suitable location, a soccer field ( 10°48′45.62″N 106°39′57.49″E / 10.8126722°N 106.6659694°E / 10.8126722; 106.6659694 ( post-1967 MACV, Saigon ) ) near
7169-529: The entire landing zone with such a limited force, most of B Company was kept near the center of the LZ as a strike force, while smaller units were sent out to reconnoiter the surrounding area. Following their arrival, Herren ordered B Company to move west past the creek bed. Within approximately 30 minutes, one of his squads under Sgt. John Mingo surprised and captured an unarmed deserter from the PAVN 33rd Regiment. The prisoner revealed that there were three PAVN battalions on
7276-415: The extraordinary care of the 2nd Platoon's medic Charlie Lose, the platoon held the knoll for the duration of the battle at X-Ray. Spec. Galen Bungum, 2nd Platoon, B Company, later said of the stand at the knoll: "We gathered up all the full magazines we could find and stacked them up in front of us. There was no way we could dig a foxhole. The handle was blown off my entrenching tool and one of my canteens had
7383-515: The first three or four minutes his platoon inflicted heavy losses on the PAVN who streamed out of the trees, while his men did not take any casualties. Herrick soon radioed in that the enemy were closing in around his left and right flanks. Capt. Herren responded by ordering Herrick to attempt to link back with Devney's 1st Platoon. Herrick replied that there was a large enemy force between his men and 1st Platoon. The situation quickly disintegrated for Herrick's 2nd Platoon, which began taking casualties as
7490-451: The foot of the Chu Pongs", at 13°34′11″N 107°40′54″E / 13.56972°N 107.68167°E / 13.56972; 107.68167 ( Chu Pong ) , 14 miles (23 km) west of Plei Me. On November 13, 3rd Brigade Commander Colonel Thomas W. Brown, acting following the order issued by Gen. Larsen and Gen. Knowles, met with Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore the commander of
7597-492: The headquarters of Republic of Korea armed forces in Vietnam . As the U.S. military presence in South Vietnam grew, MACV quickly outgrew the Pasteur Street quarters and expanded into a proliferating number of buildings throughout downtown Saigon. This added to the command’s existing security vulnerabilities and communications difficulties. In March 1965, Westmoreland began a search for a new location large enough to accommodate
7704-420: The heavy weapons of a normal combined-arms force could not follow, the infantry would be supported by coordinated close air support , artillery and aerial rocket fire, arranged from a distance and directed by local observers. The new tactics had been developed in the U.S. by the 11th Air Assault Division (Test), which was renamed as the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) . The division's troopers dubbed themselves
7811-410: The initial landing zone used by Hal Moore and his troops, knowing quite well that the PAVN lacked anti-aircraft guns and heavy mortars that had been destroyed during the attack on the Plei Me camp and that the PAVN could have positioned on the hillsides overlooking the landing zone to gun down the helicopters and to decimate the cavalry troops landing on the ground. LZ X-Ray was approximately the size of
7918-440: The landing zone, establishing a 360-degree perimeter over X-Ray. Had the PAVN forces circled around to the north of the U.S. positions prior to this point, they would have found their approach unhindered. As the PAVN attack on Alpha Company diminished, Moore organized another effort to rescue 2nd Platoon, B Company. At 15:45, Moore ordered Alpha Company and Bravo Company to evacuate their casualties and pull back from engagement with
8025-466: The last troops of C Company (1/7) arrived, along with the lead elements of D Company (1/7) under Capt. Ray Lefebvre. The insertion took place with intense PAVN fire pouring into the landing zone, and the Huey crews and newly arrived 1/7 troopers suffered many casualties. The small contingent of D Company took up position on A Company's left flank. C Company, assembled along the south and southwest in full strength,
8132-480: The machine-gun's barrel, so the gunner's hands will not burn, were blown off in the explosion. Fernandez kept firing even though his hands were burning. One other soldier received a Bronze Star with V device and another received an Army Commendation with V device. On 19 August 2005, the 1st Battalion 21st Field Artillery was relieved from the 1st Cavalry Division and attached to the 4th Fires Brigade . The 1st Battalion 21st Field Artillery made its transition as part of
8239-453: The majority of rural South Vietnam was under limited Viet Cong (VC) control, increasingly supported by People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) regulars from North Vietnam. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) General William C. Westmoreland had secured the commitment of upward of 300,000 U.S. regulars from President Lyndon B. Johnson and a build-up of forces took place in the summer of 1965. VC forces were in nominal control of most of
8346-627: The mission, with the explicit orders not to attempt to scale the mountain. There were several clearings in the area that had been designated as possible helicopter landing zones , typically named for a letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet . Moore selected: Artillery support would be provided from fire support base "FSB Falcon", about 8 km (5 mi) to the northeast of X-Ray at 13°37′22″N 107°45′51″E / 13.62278°N 107.76417°E / 13.62278; 107.76417 ( FB Falcon ) . General Knowles stated that he had selected
8453-402: The mountain to prevent the North Vietnamese from advancing on the battalion's position. Lt. Bob Taft's 3rd Platoon, A Company, confronted approximately 150 PAVN soldiers advancing down the length and sides of the creek bed (from the south) toward the battalion. The platoon's troopers were told to drop their packs and move forward for the assault. The resulting exchange was particularly costly for
8560-448: The name of the support group be changed to U.S. Army Support Command, Vietnam. Harkins concurred and General James Francis Collins , commander of United States Army, Pacific and Admiral Felt approved the redesignation. The new designation went into effect on 1 March 1964. MACV was reorganized on 15 May 1964, and absorbed MAAG Vietnam within it, when combat unit deployment became too large for advisory group control. A Naval Advisory Group
8667-538: The next two hours I was alone on that gun, shooting at the enemy." Delta Company's troopers also experienced heavy losses in repelling the PAVN assault and Captain Lefebvre was wounded soon after arriving at LZ X-Ray. One of his platoon leaders, Lt. Raul Taboada, was also severely wounded, and Lefebvre passed command of D Company to SSgt. George Gonzales (who, unknown to Lefebvre, had also been wounded). While medical evacuation helicopters ( medevacs ) were supposed to transport
8774-510: The night skies and crippled Iraqi targets deep within enemy territory. Upon activation on 16 September 1997, with the addition of Bravo (MLRS) and Charlie (Target Acquisition) Batteries, the 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery became the first Divisional MLRS Command and Attack Battalion in the U.S. Army. In September 1998, Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina to provide 24-hour radar support to Task Force Eagle. On 28 July 2000, 68th Chemical Company,
8881-553: The only American military personnel left in South Vietnam were the U.S. delegates to the Four-Party Joint Military Commission established under the Paris Peace Accords to oversee the ceasefire, themselves in the process of winding up work and departing; the fifty man DAO military contingent; and a 143-man Marine Security Guard . At 11:00 on the 29th, in a simple ceremony, General Weyand furled the colors of
8988-404: The outskirts of the perimeter near the command post (those on board were quickly rescued by the battalion). With Delta Company's weapons teams on the ground, its mortar units were concentrated with the rest of the battalion's in a single station to support Alpha and Bravo Companies. D Company's reconnaissance platoon (commanded by Lieutenant James Rackstraw) was positioned along the north and east of
9095-505: The perimeter between C and A Companies. Moore later credited the two gun teams with preventing the PAVN from rolling up Alpha Company and driving a wedge into the battalion between Alpha and Charlie Companies. Spec. 4 Adams and Pfc. Rivera were severely wounded in the attack. After the two were carried to the battalion's collection point at Moore's command post to await evacuation by air, Spec. 4 Beck, Spec. Ladner and Pfc. Edward Dougherty (an ammo bearer) continued their close range suppression of
9202-917: The platoon — its lead forces were quickly cut down. 3rd Platoon was forced to pull back, and its leader Lt. Taft was killed. Sgt. Lorenzo Nathan, a Korean War veteran, took command of 3rd Platoon which was able to halt the PAVN advance down the creek bed. The PAVN forces shifted their attack to 3rd Platoon's right flank in an attempt to flank B Company. Their advance was quickly stopped by Lt. Walter "Joe" Marm 's 2nd Platoon, A Company, situated on B Company's left flank. Moore had ordered Captain Nadal (A Company) to lend B Company one of his platoons, in an effort to allow Herren (B Company) to attempt to fight through to Herrick's (2nd Platoon, B Company) position. From Lt. Marm's (2nd Platoon, A Company) new position, his men killed some 80 PAVN troops with close range machine gun, rifle, and grenade assault. The surviving PAVN made their way back to
9309-489: The remaining PAVN at the machine-gun position with rifle fire. The following day, a dozen dead PAVN troops (including one officer) were found in the position. Marm was wounded in the neck and jaw in the assault and was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his lone assault. The second push had advanced just over 75 yards (70 m) toward the lost platoon's position before being stopped by the PAVN. Alpha Company's 1st Platoon, leading
9416-416: The rest of 1/7 by approximately 100 meters. Soon, Herrick radioed in to ask whether he should enter or circumvent a clearing that his platoon had come across in the bush. Herrick expressed concerns that he might become cut off from the battalion if he tried to skirt the clearing and therefore would be leading his men through it in pursuit of the enemy. An intense firefight quickly erupted in the clearing; during
9523-621: The rest of the 1st Infantry Division arrived in October. Two corps-level HQs were established in 1965-66, Task Force Alpha (soon to become I Field Force, Vietnam ) for U.S. forces in the II Corps Tactical Zone and II Field Force, Vietnam , for U.S. Army forces in the III Corps Tactical Zone . The 5th Special Forces Group was also established in-country by 1965. A brigade of the 25th Infantry Division arrived in late 1965, with
9630-415: The task of advising the South Vietnamese government on security, organization, and employment of their military and paramilitary forces. As provided for in the organization of the task force headquarters in the contingency plans, MACV's commander was also his own Army component commander. With an initial authorized strength of 216 men (113 Army), MACV was envisaged as a temporary HQ that would be withdrawn once
9737-523: The technical assistance still required to complete the goals of Vietnamization . This headquarters became the Defense Attaché Office, Saigon . That headquarters also reported operational and military intelligence through military channels to DOD authorities. A multi-service organization was required to plan for the application of U.S. air and naval power into North or South Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos , should this be required and ordered. Called
9844-629: Was a joint-service command of the United States Department of Defense , composed of forces from the United States Army , United States Navy , and United States Air Force , as well as their respective special operations forces. MACV was created on 8 February 1962, in response to the increase in United States military assistance to South Vietnam. MACV was implemented to assist the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) Vietnam, controlling every advisory and assistance effort in Vietnam. It
9951-423: Was activated on 11 February 1973 under the command of commander of MACV. At 08:00 on 15 February, USAF General John W. Vogt Jr. , as USSAG/7AF commander, took over from MACV control of American air operations. U.S. air support operations into Cambodia continued under USSAG/7th AF until August 1973. The DAO was established as a subsidiary command of MACV and remained under the command of commander of MACV until
10058-410: Was activated to control the blocking force, replacing the provisional task force HQ. With the elapse of five months, all the three same brigades remained in the new division, but the brigade at Chu Lai was now named the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, after a responsibility swap that had occurred in August. In April 1966, all Army communications-electronics resources in South Vietnam were combined in
10165-532: Was deployed in the Da Nang area from March 1965. When the III Marine Amphibious Force moved to Da Nang on 6 May 1965, its commanding general, Major General William R. Collins , was designated MACV's naval component commander. In May 1965, the Army's 173d Airborne Brigade from Okinawa arrived. In July 1965, in response to the growing size of U.S. Army forces in the country, United States Army, Vietnam
10272-569: Was disestablished on 29 March 1973 and replaced by the Defense Attaché Office (DAO), Saigon . The DAO performed many of the same roles of MACV within the restrictions imposed by the Paris Peace Accords until the Fall of Saigon . Admiral Harry D. Felt, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific , established the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, on 8 February 1962, as a subordinate unified command under his control. Lieutenant General Paul D. Harkins ,
10379-484: Was established and the Commanding General, 2nd Air Division , became MACV's Air Force component commander. That year the U.S. strength in Vietnam grew from about 16,000 men (10,716 Army) to about 23,300 (16,000 Army) in 1964. Logistic support operations were highly fragmented. As a result, the 1st Logistics Command was established. Large scale combat deployments began when the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade
10486-486: Was established, and both the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division as well as the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division , deployed from the United States. The brigade from the 101st Airborne Division was originally planned to replace the 173d Airborne Brigade but, with the need for additional combat forces, both brigades remained in South Vietnam. Two months later, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) , recently reorganized from an infantry formation, reported in country, and
10593-448: Was inactivated 23 September 1921 at Camp Bragg, North Carolina. On 24 March 1923 it was assigned to the 9th Division and relieved 1 January 1930 from assignment to the 9th Division. It was then assigned to the 5th Division and later redesignated as the 5th Infantry Division. Following World War I, the 21st Field Artillery was retired until 6 October 1939 when it was reactivated as part of the 5th Division. The 21st Field Artillery fought in
10700-877: Was known by the abbreviation COMUSMACV ( / ˌ k ɒ m . juː ɛ s ˌ m æ k ˈ v iː / "com-U.S.-mack-vee"). COMUSMACV was in one sense the top person in charge of the U.S. military on the Indochinese peninsula ; however, in reality, the CINCPAC and the U.S. ambassadors to Vietnam , Laos, and Cambodia also had "top person in charge" status with regard to various aspects of the war's strategy. The original MACV Headquarters were colocated with MAAG at 606 Trần Hưng Đạo, Cholon . In May 1962 it moved to 137 Pasteur Street ( 10°46′58.25″N 106°41′35.94″E / 10.7828472°N 106.6933167°E / 10.7828472; 106.6933167 ( pre-1967 MACV, Saigon ) ) in central Saigon . The Trần Hưng Đạo site subsequently became
10807-444: Was met within minutes by a head-on assault. C Company's commander, Capt. Edwards, radioed in that an estimated 175 to 200 PAVN troops were charging his company's lines. With a clear line of sight over their sector of the battlefield, C Company was able to call in and adjust heavy ordnance support with precision, inflicting devastating losses on the PAVN forces. Many PAVN soldiers were burned to death as they scrambled from their bunkers in
10914-553: Was presented to Pfc. Christopher Fernandez, of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment, on 13 August 2004. Fernandez was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on the night of 5 May, when his unit were ambushed while on a patrol through the city's Saidiyah neighborhood. An improvised explosive device rendered the patrol's rear vehicle inoperable. The patrol was hit with small-arms fire and immediately returned fire. Two U.S. soldiers were killed and five others were wounded in
11021-419: Was pursuing a squad of PAVN in that direction. Knowles called Kinnard to report that the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry had engaged the enemy and requested an additional battalion – the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry – to counter the PAVN 7th and 9th Battalions. In pursuit of the PAVN on his right flank, Herrick's 2nd Platoon, B Company, was quickly spread out over a space of around 50 meters, and became separated from
11128-478: Was reorganized on 15 May 1964 and absorbed MAAG Vietnam to its command when combat unit deployment became too large for advisory group control. General Paul D. Harkins was the first commanding general of MACV (COMUSMACV), and was previously the commander of MAAG Vietnam. After reorganization he was succeeded by General William C. Westmoreland in June 1964, followed by General Creighton W. Abrams (July 1968) and General Frederick C. Weyand (June 1972). MACV
11235-449: Was technically under the command of SFC Mac McHenry, but he was positioned elsewhere on the perimeter. Sgts. Palmer and Robert Stokes were also dead, leaving Sgt. Ernie Savage, 3rd Squad Leader, to assume command by virtue of being close to the radio, and proceeded to call in repeated artillery support around the 2nd Platoon's position. By this point, eight men of the platoon had been killed and 13 wounded. Under Savage's leadership, and with
11342-564: Was the first major battle between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), as part of the Pleiku campaign conducted early in the Vietnam War , at the eastern foot of the Chu Pong Massif in the central highlands of Vietnam, in 1965. It is notable for being the first large scale helicopter air assault and also the first use of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers in
11449-629: Was to move Bravo and Alpha Companies northwest past the creek bed, and Charlie Company south toward the mountain. Delta Company, which comprised special weapons forces including mortar , recon , and machine gun units, was to be used as the battlefield reserve. In the center of the LZ was a large termite hill that was to become Moore's command post. Furthermore, the Bravo Company of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry closed in at 18:00. On November 14, an ARVN intelligence source by intercept of radio communication indicated that before dawn, some assault elements of
#209790