Phu Bair Rear; Cpt O'Brien on sign. The conflict continued, but by 1969 Sewell, Brown, and Witenburg had completed their tours and returned home. 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. [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. 1970 was a year when the Currahees of the 2d Battalion (Airmobile) 506th Infantry (2/506) stood alone as never before. 47 photos in 1 sub-album. The photo was . Delta had been fighting for control of the hill since June 3. The Wall location: 04W-115. Firebase Bastogne was a United States Firebase in South Vietnam, at (MGRS 48QYD620095). 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 remaining members were pinned down in the Military Assistance Command Vietnam, compound in southern Hue by the initial Viet Cong and North Vietnamese assaults. Many believe Vietnam is a tropical paradise, yeah right. 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. US Army Film by Ted Acheson DASPO C. November 28, 2014. The attack is to begin tomorrow, June 10. From 5 March 1975, the PAVN shelled the base as part of the HueDa Nang Campaign. Each of the former Soldiers is proud of their service and continue to be active with the 101st and the veterans' community. Wharton directs the Cav team to make several runs along the berm with miniguns from east to west. 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. Phu Bai, South Vietnam, 1971. Several suffer from heat exhaustion. As soon as the Recon team is clear of the hill, Sahrle and several others open fire on the enemy force with their M16s. Married in a grand ceremony at St. Pauls Cathedral in the presence of 2,650 guests, the read more, In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I is shot to death by Gaetano Bresci, an Italian-born anarchist who resided in America before returning to his homeland to murder the king. I got up and started moving up the hill towards the command post. The ARVN operated Phu Bai as a forward logistics base, and it was the only airport serving Hu. In the opinion of most Vietnam combat veterans, the movie was the most realistic depiction of deadly combat. Stay down! 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. 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. The Battle for Hue lasted from January 31st to February 26th. 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]. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Among other honors, the image inspired the poster for the Vietnam War Movie 'Platoon' and graces the covers books and front pages of newspapers. Only afterward is it known the Recons two PRC-25 radios are purposely left behind by the RTOs to lighten their load. If ever in the Vietnam conflict there was a forward edge of the battle area, Firebase Ripcord in the year 1970 . For once, they have strangely encountered enemy soldiers who cant seem to shoot straight. Soldier from the 101st airborne division at Paneug Air base. He ends with June 12, Deltas extraction from Hill 376 a few days after a massive artillery barrage destroyed the enemy force. During the war, troopers from the 101st won 17 Medals of Honor for bravery in combat. . He enacted a program read more, On July 29, 1909, the newly formed General Motors Corporation (GM) acquires the countrys leading luxury automaker, the Cadillac Automobile Company, for $4.5 million. His slight, wiry frame and average height belied his strength. Shot down on FSB Currahee 1969 and awaiting a lift out for repairs. 1966 between 101st ABN and NVA; I am looking for my dad's rank and photos of his platoon in the Vietnam war; Looking for the death certificate for cousin who died in action in Vietnam; Looking for 1969-1970 log books of USCGC . . 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. Major organization: 101st Airborne Division Service: AR branch of the U.S. Army. Patrick McGuire, the company commander, has his forward observer call for artillery in the area from where they suspect the mortars were fired. Taylor and Westmoreland were both former commanders of the division, which was known as the Screaming Eagles. The 101st Airborne Division has a long and storied history, including combat jumps during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and the subsequent Market-Garden airborne operation in the Netherlands. He has never done an IV before. They collapse inside the perimeter. Forty years after the end of the Vietnam War, a collection of 58 photographs taken by the AP is being exhibited for the first time. ZULU - GRIM REAPER - 101st Airborne - HUE, PHU BAI - VIETNAM WAR PATCH 230. Probably taken at Camp Evans , 1970 . "There was a major trail and we had to set up a perimeter for security as the company moved through," said Brown. 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. Massed fires of three batteries and the Navy destroyer created the most awesome firepower display Delta Company soldiers have ever seen, heard, felt, or even imagined, Sherwood writes and adds: The results of the destructive force of massed artillery fires wont be known until tomorrow. The barely conscious soldier is too exhausted to complain. The A Shau Valley was one of the strategic focal points of Hue: March 1968: Carentan II (Lam Son 216)* Hue: Apr-May 1968: Deleware* A Shau Valley: Apr-May 1968: Nevada Eagle (Lam Son 224 . "I graduated from high school in 1964 and went to work with my father," said Sewell. Whatever it takes. Pre-Owned. "My brother convinced me to go down to the recruiter's office," said Witenburg. From their vantage point, both Roy and Wharton can observe the enemy position on the berm about 50 meters (55 yards) away. . 101st Abn. | Company Commander-First Sergeant Pre-Command Course. 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 1st Brigade fought as a separate brigade until 1967, when the remainder of the division arrived in Vietnam. Pride in themselves, pride in each other, pride in their unit. Run for it! III Corps Fighting. On 14 April Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines replaced Task Force Alpha at Phu Bai. The division chose the 1st Brigade, which went into action with its 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, along with Americals 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment. Fortunately, the enemy is not positioned on the military crest of the hill. On the other phone is the artillery fire direction net. US Army Film by Ted Acheson DASPO C 99 /r/combatfootage, 2023-02-22, 19:29:23 Permalink This United States military article is a stub. He points to a prostrate soldier and tells him to plug it into his arm. Cadillac was founded out of the ruins of automotive pioneer Henry Fords second failed company (his third read more. Their company commander at the time, Cpt. After the partition of Vietnam, it became a part of . Hue was considered vital to the NVA because of its history of Buddhist activism and Communist sympathy. The NVA felt that Hue was second only to the capitol city of Saigon as a political foothold in South Vietnam. In October, 1968 the brigade was redeployed around Saigon so that the 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne could rejoin its parent division up north. The Perfume River (Sng Hng) is a river that crosses the city of Hue. U.S. Marines and Vietnamese troops move through the grounds of the Imperial Palace in the old citadel area of Hue, Vietnam, on February 26, 1968, after seizing it from . said Brown. . Gary Tepner, 3rd Platoons former platoon sergeant. Courtesy, Tony Mabb, History Buff. Jokingly, Doc tells Stoner, Ill put you in for a Combat Medic Badge! Stoner smiles and gives a quick, No thank you! Quietly, he is glad he could help. In June or July 1968, U.S. Special Forces established Forward Operating Base 1 (FOB 1) at Phu Bai. Capt. Republishing of columns on this website requires the permission of both the author and editor. Rada was well liked by his platoon members. Later, it is estimated the enemy is a reduced-in-strength battalion from the NVA regiment defending Hill 376. After a short time at Fort Bragg, I was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. On 13 April a detachment of ten UH-34D helicopters from HMM-162 was established at Phu Bai. He has not made it to the tree line with the others. The buildup of formal U.S. military units had begun on 8 March 1965, when two battalions of Marines landed at Da Nang. Baldwin was also very compassionate. 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. Let us never forget their shedding of blood, sweat and tears. Thurston is wounded and unable to move. . The group then remained in the Da Nang area until departing Vietnam. Thua Thien Province Base Camps/Firebases. Wharton is on two radios. The top of the rock is a perfect place for locating the large international orange panel that marks their position for friendly aircraft. Units based at Phu Bai during this period included: On 20 October 1972 the base was handed over to the South Vietnamese.[12]. It is an ominous, unwelcome sound. 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 []. 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. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Unknown location. For the civil airport use of this facility after 1975, see, "MASS-2 Command Chronology - January 1966", "MASS-2 Command Chronology - November 1968", "Command History January 1972 - March 1973 Volume I", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phu_Bai_Combat_Base&oldid=1133837987, HMM-164 (December 1967 February 1968, JuneNovember 1968), HMM-362 (December 1967 May 1968, OctoberNovember 1968), This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 19:34. It's either kill or be killed. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. The approved LZ is small and cramped. Without warning, an enemy grenade explodes just in front of Rada, killing him instantly. In the process, we set up an LZ and began withdrawing the injured.". 4 Daniel Thurston, are in trouble. of the 101st Airborne Division . These men earned his respect and the respect of the nation. Delta Companys enemy contact prevented their move south to the proposed pickup point. His rolled-up right sleeve is saturated with dark red blood. God please let me survive! is the common thought. The 2/501 left Hue in unit formation counting cadence all the airborne way. Get the best deals for 101st airborne patch vietnam at eBay.com. Pfc. A fatal mistake. First and Finest . Jeremiah Purdie . Lauria died and Valenti was seriously wounded in the first in a series of shootings by the serial killer, who read more, Confederate spy Marie Isabella Belle Boyd is arrested by Union troops and detained at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. Clearing the LZ is hot work. Roy still believes the solo move south by his understrength company is too risky with an enemy attack expected soon. The early morning hours before sunrise are peacefully quiet. In 1968, HQ of 101st Airborne Division and in Apr 70, home to B-2/501st, 45 miles North of Danang. Outnumbered 10 to 1 the brave US Marines and South Vietnamese Army troops defend the city with their lives. Theyve performed a vital mission. For six days there was no resupply of food or ammo. Copyright 2021 DrRichSwier.com LLC. The easterly movement by the main enemy force indicates they are getting into position to attack Delta Company from the north. On 28 July, Johnson announced that 50,000 U.S. troops would go to South Vietnam immediately. 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 brigade completed its move via C130 transport aircraft through the Phu Bai and Quang Tri City airfields between 23 and 29 January. Stoner looks at the bag, the soldier and then back to Doc. (from 101 airborne 1968 VIETNAM yearbook) The Wandering Warriors of the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade finally returned home to stay on October 2, 1968. Today [June 9] will be a turning point, not an easy day, but a pivotal change for the better on Hill 376. 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." Our company medic was called into action and with the help of some hot water delivered a beautiful baby boy. In late 1969, the 101st Administration Company (101st Airborne Division) was moved from Bien Hoa Army Base to Phu Bai. They made a demonstration jump immediately after arriving, observed by Gen. William Westmoreland and outgoing Ambassador (formerly General) Maxwell Taylor. said Sewell. This was the first time that all three of the men had been interviewed. Their weapons are nearby. "About six of us from my high school decided we were going to go into the Army." Attempts by Hue Approach Control to reestablish contact were unsuccessful. SOUTH VIETNAM FORCES: 22nd . Cushmans two remaining units, the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry, and the 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, remained at Landing Zone El Paso for its defense. Vietnam. Doc makes sure he hasnt overlooked any life-threatening wounds and applies bandages to the worst of them. Smoke and dust clouds along the berm are blown by the rotors and the wind. It was the ninth and final Olympic gold of his storied career. Constituted on 15 November 1962 in the Regular Army, it became an element of the 101st . The base was used to support U.S. and ARVN forces fighting in the Battle of Hue. For reference purposes the book Where We Were by Michael P. Kelly, Hellgate Press, 2002, provided much of the information. B Company "Varsity" 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne. [8]:9, On 15 February 1968, General Creighton Abrams established MACV forward at Phu Bai to assume direct control of US forces in northern I Corps, which were then engaged in the Battle of Hu, the Battle of Khe Sanh, and the Tet Counteroffensive. The division suffered almost 20,000 soldiers killed or wounded in action in Vietnam, over twice as many as the 9,328 casualties it suffered in World War II. [1][2], From FebruaryAugust 1968, the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (FebruaryAugust 1968) comprising. Strand and Clouatre are both wounded, Clouatre seriously. In mountainous, forested terrain the lethal blast area is reduced. 472.3.2 Records of the Office of the Deputy Chief . But that also is another story for another day. Of course, no one knows it. (Allen W. Sims Collection) Full size 1255 1211 Post navigation. At 3 a.m., Alpha Company is shaken awake by the booming of 15 enemy 82 mm mortar rounds exploding in rapid succession. W. 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