According to a US 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. U.S. forces, including the 101st Airborne Division as well . At the end of Expert Infantrymen Badge testing there, they called us together and told us they had a list of guys who would be going to get their Combat Infantryman Badge in an undisclosed location in Southeast Asia. The Battle of Hue took place in the former Republic of South Vietnam and occurred from January 31 to March 2, 1968. Among them is the ancient city of Hue. "As we were moving forward, the platoon behind us made contact with the enemy; we held our position in order to care for the wounded Soldiers from the other platoon. Robert Clouatre, Spc. They are also now without their equipment and radio. Located in western Thua Thien province, Outnumbered 10 to 1 the brave US Marines and South Vietnamese Army troops defend the city with their lives. Ghost Riders B Co.158th Avn. Recon requests permission to drop their rucksacks and make a run for it. The boy was captured and Chicom C54 weapon was captured., In the rubble and along the road leading to Hue were found signs stating, Shoot the American and South Vietnamese aggressors, for a better Vietnam, Long Live Ho Chi Minh., LT Hogan wrote in his memoirs, During the night of 25 February, D Company received sporadic sniper fire from across the river but for the most part things were quiet. 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. The Central Highlands area in South Vietnam, consisting of 12 provinces, and the largest of the four corps in size. Doc makes sure he hasnt overlooked any life-threatening wounds and applies bandages to the worst of them. Discover more Vietnam War resources from the National Archives, or contact us to plan a research visit. During the war, troopers from the 101st won 17 Medals of Honor for bravery in combat. "Watson Baldwin was the finest platoon sergeant I had when I was in the Army," said Wintenburg. I attended Fort Benning for basic training, Fort Gordon for airborne training. Men like Captain Ken Crabtree, Commander, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, who was my boss, mentor and personal friend. Their company commander at the time, Cpt. When done, Doc notices Strand has bled through his jungle fatigues jacket. November 28, 2014. Camp Eagle (also known as LZ El Paso and LZ Tombstone) is a former US Army base south-east of Hu in central Vietnam. Constituted on 15 November 1962 in the Regular Army, it became an element of the 101st . We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! The decision was made to move the 101st Airborne Division to the Hue area. In late 1969, the 101st Administration Company (101st Airborne Division) was moved from Bien Hoa Army Base to Phu Bai. Wharton uses the berm to direct their fires. Warren M. Winterbottom/AP. In the process, we set up an LZ and began withdrawing the injured.". The base was used to support U.S. and ARVN forces fighting in the Battle of Hu. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. I was the first name on the list.". The U.S. Congress passes legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating Americas activities in space, on July 29, 1958. The 2/501 left Hue in unit formation counting cadence all the airborne way. 4 Dallas Brown, writhing in pain. In October, 1968 the brigade was redeployed around Saigon so that the 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne could rejoin its parent division up north. 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. Rain fell in a soft drizzle as a C-130 aircraft settled to the airstrip at Hue-Phu Bai, and the Screaming Eagle band struck up "Rendevous with Destiny." In case a Recon soldier is wounded, they can easily go forward to treat the soldier. The ferocity of the Tet Offensive on Jan. 30, 1968, surprised most Americans, including service members manning the American Forces television station in Hue, Vietnam. Roy gives them the OK. As the Air Cav helicopter team completes its attack, Sahrle and a small group of his soldiers higher up on the hill within Delta Companys perimeter can see the Recon Team. . Roy knows the medic and the wounded men are in danger and yells for them to pull back to the companys perimeter. The enemy also sees Recon and begins to fire at them with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. ", "I was in the point platoon and in the ambush a couple of guys behind me got wounded," said Witenburg. Nonetheless, the base continued to be used for aerial reinforcement of the ARVN, until it was overrun by the PAVN on 23/24 March 1975. 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]. misinterpreted the 1968 Tet Offensive as being an overwhelming success for the Communist forces and a decided defeat for For once, they have strangely encountered enemy soldiers who cant seem to shoot straight. The enemy continues to advance from the northwest on Deltas position, hidden from direct observation from Roy and Whartons position. The battles for the two northernmost provincial capitals in South Vietnam, Quang Tri City and Hue, are particularly worth examining because the enemy regarded them as key objectives, second only to Saigon, the national capital . . According to the US Army Center of Military History, The fight for Hue turned into a slow, grinding campaign of attrition that lasted nearly a month before the enemy was finally defeated.. During the Communist TET . First and Finest . Major organization: 101st Airborne Division Service: AR branch of the U.S. Army. from Laos and enemy threats to the cities of Hue and Da Nang. 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. Forty-five years ago the 101st Airborne Division went into South Vietnam's A Shau Valley as part of Operation Apache Snow. David Bleeker is wounded and needs immediate care. the US Forces. At 3 a.m., Alpha Company is shaken awake by the booming of 15 enemy 82 mm mortar rounds exploding in rapid succession. 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. 159th Assault Helicopter Battalion. American Marines during Operation Prairie near the DMZ in Vietnam in Oct. 1966. Soldier from the 101st airborne division at Paneug Air base. Republishing of columns on this website requires the permission of both the author and editor. Movies, television or video games arent even close. A fire started by minigun tracers breaks out on the berm. This road trip began on January 31, 1968 and ended four weeks later at the Western wall of the ancient City of Hue, in the former South Vietnam. We headed off to Hue and when we got there proceeded to cross over the perfume River Bridge into Hue and then turned off to the east along a canal. The 101st Airborne Division participated in the Division Operations beginning in 1967 when the 506th was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. Published in R&R on the Beaches of South Vietnam. 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. This article was published in the February 2022 issue of Vietnam magazine. Marine units based at Phu Bai during this period included: On 30/31 January 1968, the base was hit by Vietcong mortar and rocket fire as part of the Tet Offensive. Their weapons are nearby. They are a hundred or so meters from Delta Companys defensive position and safety. 10km NW Pleiku. Roy estimates by the firing there are several enemy soldiers, maybe more. Handset in each hand. As I turned to glance back, he took the photo.". The early reporting of a smashing communist victory went largely uncorrected in the media and led to a psychological victory for the communists. Explore more . But that also is another story for another day. The 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment was a direct descendant of Company A, 101st Aviation Battalion. It was the ninth and final Olympic gold of his storied career. Only one Huey can land at a time and after unloading must do a 180-degree turnaround to fly out. That is what good soldiers do. "A lot of the jobs didn't interest me, but I saw a picture of a paratrooper behind the recruiter's desk and he noticed I was big into football and weight training back then and he said I'd make good airborne material. No friendly casualties occur. The Marines were pinned down behind this wall near the old citadel and radioed for support. The officer would continue to serve for 24 more years after the conflict retiring in 1996 at the rank of Colonel. [1][2], From FebruaryAugust 1968, the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (FebruaryAugust 1968) comprising. In 2014, the three Soldiers and other veterans of the unit visited Fort Campbell and spoke to current members of the 327th. There is a collective sigh of relief when it is clear the rounds arent on target. The Battle of Hue was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. ", As the battle raged, the men of Company A moved to a hasty LZ they set up in the jungle after the Soldiers hacked the foliage down so that a basket could be dropped from the air for the casualties. That wont happen until the enemy contact has ended. "It was a real eye opener because there were a bunch of us what were called 'cherries' -- those who had not been to combat. It's either kill or be killed. 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. In the opinion of most Vietnam combat veterans, the movie was the most realistic depiction of deadly combat. The paratroopers, of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, were hit by heavy fire from . The Wall location: 04W-115. Perhaps it is as many as 200 soldiers, maybe more. 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. $60.00 + $3.99 shipping. In late 1969, the 101st Administration Company (101st Airborne Division) was moved from Bien Hoa Army Base to Phu Bai. Our company medic was called into action and with the help of some hot water delivered a beautiful baby boy. Rada was well liked by his platoon members. The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is the only air assault division of the United States Army. 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. 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. 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. The brigade completed its move via C130 transport aircraft through the Phu Bai and Quang Tri City airfields between 23 and 29 January. A copy of "Help From Above", which hangs in the headquarters of 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division(Air Assault). Wharton is on two radios. Provisional Corps, Vietnam, was designated XXIV Corps on 12 August 1968. 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. On Jan. 31, 1968, the Tet Offensive was in full swing as the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong moved to take over the city of Hue. Gary Tepner, 3rd Platoons former platoon sergeant. The barely conscious soldier is too exhausted to complain. The subject of the photograph, Sgt. The 101st Airborne Division used Eagle Beach, 6 miles east of Hue in northern South Vietnam as an R&R center, shown in 1970. He wore military issue, heavy, black-framed glasses, had reddish, short-cropped hair and a quick wit. Early morning events are a bad start for the day. Hue: March 1968: Carentan II (Lam Son 216)* Hue: Apr-May 1968: Deleware* A Shau Valley: Apr-May 1968: Nevada Eagle (Lam Son 224 . House at the 101st Airborne Division, Camp Eagle, Hue, Vietnam, 1964. . 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. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, ordered the 101st Airborne Division to send in an airmobile brigade to destroy the enemy forces. In early May 1969, the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong were threatening Tam Ky, the capital of Quang Tin province in northern South Vietnam. of the valley was the major North Vietnamese Army (NVA) staging area Sponsored. William Sparks and Pfc. Courtesy, Tony Mabb, History Buff. destruction of the Viet Cong elements in South Vietnam. Once American patrols had time to sweep the surrounding countryside and verify that no enemy units were nearby, Cushman moved the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry, to Landing Zone Jane on 30 January to assist Colonel Rattans 1st Brigade in operations against Base Area 101.. It is an unselfish act typical of medics whose first instinct is to stay with, treat and protect the wounded. . 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. Roy decides to put them on the next helicopter out. B Company, 101st KINGSMEN! While we tried to maneuver our way back to Vietnam, through the valley we were constantly taking fire. Larry BurrowsThe LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. The base was used to support U.S. and ARVN forces fighting in the Battle of Hue. They were good friends. All rights reserved. On July 29, 1921, Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the National Socialist German Workers (Nazi) Party. "There was a major trail and we had to set up a perimeter for security as the company moved through," said Brown. This road trip began on January 31, 1968 and ended four weeks later at the Western wall of the ancient City of Hue, in the former South Vietnam. The Soldiers in A Co. didn't know about it until a while after it made the news. His slight, wiry frame and average height belied his strength. The approved LZ is small and cramped. Rattan used the paratroopers to protect his brigade headquarters, freeinghis cavalry units to commence search-and-destroy missions. Sleep-deprived soldiers instinctively react to the unwelcome wake-up call. 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. After the partition of Vietnam, it became a part of . The high-decibel onslaught of the light observation helicopter and two AH-1 Huey Cobra attack helicopters is much louder that the uninitiated could possibly imagine. known as Base Area 611. the Black Dragon]. 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). Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; YouTube On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Sculpture by Frederick Hart near The Vietnam Memorial Wall, Washington, DC. Yet another Communist atrocity in South Vietnam that the American press refused to report on was this massacre. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. It is an illusion. of the 101st Airborne Division . Due to the weather air strikes were limited, thereby leveling the field of battle between my battalion and the 90th NVA Regiment. He calls out to his fellow medic and close friend, Winkler. A recently captured enemy soldier reported their casualties had reduced their companies to around 60 men. Airborne All The Way! This post contains affiliate links. Photograph by Carl Gernazio. It takes more than a few minutes since Clouatre is bleeding badly from multiple shrapnel wounds. Tents at the camp. The man was . Only afterward is it known the Recons two PRC-25 radios are purposely left behind by the RTOs to lighten their load. sonofdec58 (1,616) 100%. If he is right, the battle action on Hill 376 will soon get more intense. A firefight soon ensued between A Company and the NVA and multiple Soldiers were hit. Many believe Vietnam is a tropical paradise, yeah right. 1.5 Marine cleans his M-16 during the Battle of Hue.jpg 1,023 705; 122 KB. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. In the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Hue fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma. Overgrown with vegetation, the berm is part of an abandoned terraced area once used for farming. After an intense tenday battle in May, infantrymen of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Mobile) took a ridge in the A Shau Valley that they had dubbed Hamburger Hill. 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. They know return artillery fire will arrive soon. Report, Map of Fire Support Bases in the A Shau Valley, 1969. The A Shau Valley was one of the strategic focal points of The enemy doesnt return fire. Elements of the 101st Airborne made clearing sweeps in the mountains and valleys along the route. Militarily, Tet was decidedly an Allied victory, but psychologically and politically, it was a disaster. 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