The two actors reportedly met on a blind date in 1998 and quickly became favorites of the tabloid read more, A fire on a United States Navy carrier stationed off the coast of Vietnam kills 134 service members on July 29, 1967. 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. The 1st Brigade fought as a separate brigade until 1967, when the remainder of the division arrived in Vietnam. 101st Airborne Division, guides a medevac helicopter through . Tim Witenburg was a Los Angeles, California native who joined the Army partly to stay out of trouble. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. That wont happen until the enemy contact has ended. [1] The operational unit was later redesignated as the 8th Radio Research Field Station (8th RRFS). At 3 a.m., Alpha Company is shaken awake by the booming of 15 enemy 82 mm mortar rounds exploding in rapid succession. They normally are at or near the rear of Recon when the unit is moving. Their company commander at the time, Cpt. Doc makes sure he hasnt overlooked any life-threatening wounds and applies bandages to the worst of them. On July 29, 1921, Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the National Socialist German Workers (Nazi) Party. "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. C Med: YD 541318: . Efforts to assess the offensives impact began well before the fighting ended. A Company, 101st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. A Florida Cooperation. Larry Gilbertson. But that also is another story for another day. November 28, 2014. Sponsored. The approved LZ is small and cramped. He calls out to his fellow medic and close friend, Winkler. 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 . It is an illusion. It appears the firing from the berm began too early, before the larger force was in position to attack. "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. [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 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. After establishing a headquarters at Landing Zone El Paso, which continued to serve as the 1st Cavalry Divisions rear logistical area, Colonel Cushman sent the 1st Battalion, 502d Infantry, to Landing Zone Betty on 27 January to beef up Colonel Rattans 1st Brigade. 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. They made a demonstration jump immediately after arriving, observed by Gen. William Westmoreland and outgoing Ambassador (formerly General) Maxwell Taylor. Pfc. . Among other honors, the image inspired the poster for the Vietnam War Movie 'Platoon' and graces the covers books and front pages of newspapers. Roy recalls the enemy attack mentioned in the recent intelligence report. The first relief force was dispatched from Phu Bai to the MACV Compound in . Militarily, the Tet Offensive was a total defeat of the Communist forces on all fronts. Men like Captain Ken Crabtree, Commander, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, who was my boss, mentor and personal friend. Among its major operations was the brutal fight for Ap Bia Mountain, known as the Hamburger Hill battle. Art Greenspon embedded with the unit in late April. Later, it is estimated the enemy is a reduced-in-strength battalion from the NVA regiment defending Hill 376. To a large extent, the success or failure of the offen- . Winkler stops and quickly decides to stay with Thurston. Located in western Thua Thien province, David Bleeker is wounded and needs immediate care. Perhaps it is as many as 200 soldiers, maybe more. "My mother wrote, 'this is why we worry about you.' They quickly overrun Thurston and Winklers position and are closing in on Recons position. Once bandaged, Strand is surprised when Doc tells him he will also go out on the next medevac. Photo courtesy of Norm Miller, 70-71. [11], In 1969, the 85th Evacuation Hospital moved from Qui Nhn and was established at the northwest end of the airfield, adjacent to Highway 1.[1]. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Was a former U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps base south of Hue, in Central Vietnam. The immediate target is the enemy position on the berm, 50 meters to their front. Despite initial victories by the Communists forces, the Tet Offensive resulted in a major defeat for General Vo Nguyen Giap, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) designer of the Tet Offensive. The easterly movement by the main enemy force indicates they are getting into position to attack Delta Company from the north. 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. Their early identification of the enemy force moving toward Delta Company saved many lives. As soon as the Recon team is clear of the hill, Sahrle and several others open fire on the enemy force with their M16s. said Brown. Stoner tells the medic, Nothings happening! Doc tells Stoner, Loosen the tourniquet. That works. For more information contact: drswier@gmail.com. Maj. Baldwin was signaling to the aircraft where to drop a basket for the wounded the moment the photo was taken. He was a great soldier, fondly remembered by all who knew him. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Doc enlists Stoner to help treat those who are in the worst condition. 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. Among the soldiers in what was officially called Operation Lamar Plain was Lt. Ed Sherwood, a platoon leader in Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry. Lancers C Co.158th Avn. Because of its importance to the North Shown are the storage facilities and the large helicopter pad for the 101st Airborne Division. As Recon makes their way back, they are firing and moving. 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. (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. He tosses a saline solution bag from his medical kit to Stoner. On 10 April 1965 Task Force Alpha of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines was landed by helicopter from Da Nang Air Base to secure the area. Robert Clouatre, Spc. Dallas Brown, a Mount Juliet, Tennessee native, was inspired by the famous ballad of the Green Beret to enlist. 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. Airborne All The Way! The biased liberal news media misreported and 1.5 Marine cleans his M-16 during the Battle of Hue.jpg 1,023 705; 122 KB. Once within the perimeter, Doc treats Clouatre with Strands help. The Virginian-born Boyd read more. This was the first time that all three of the men had been interviewed. The conflict continued, but by 1969 Sewell, Brown, and Witenburg had completed their tours and returned home. Read More . The Battle of Hue was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. Pfc. William Sparks and Pfc. No need to register, buy now! ALL AMERICANS - Variant Patch - US 82nd . D Company occupied several bombed out buildings, and during the search of the area found large quantities of Vietnamese booze, individual weapons, enemy radios and other supplies.. "My brother convinced me to go down to the recruiter's office," said Witenburg. Capt. 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. After the war he went into trucking before he passed away.". . ZA 184-903 PLEI KLENG Airfield. Along the way young children would pull on our 101st Screaming Eagle shoulder patches, saying Chicken die, chicken die so much for our liberating the Vietnamese from their NVA oppressors. RELATED VIDEO:Battle for Hue. To say it is oppressively loud and violent is only a start. The Hueys can approach the LZ from the south and fly out on the same route. Phu Bai, South Vietnam, 1971. The Vietnamese Airborne Division began as companies organized in 1948, prior to any agreement over armed forces in Vietnam. They were good friends. The paratroopers, of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, were hit by heavy fire from . I readied my M16 and NVA regulars began to emerge.". U.S. spokesmen reported that leathernecks hauled down the North Vietnamese flag after seven days of fighting and recaptured the city. 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment was de-activated on 17 July 2015 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as part of the Army Aviation Restructuring Initiative, but its distinguished lineage and legacy will live on as the Palehorse Squadron was reactivated as part of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division on 22 October 2015 at Fort Hood, Texas. The U.S. Army unit with responsibility for that area, the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal), was unable to stem the enemy advance. On 30/31 January 1968, the base was hit by Vietcong mortar and rocket fire as part of the TET Offensive. The enemy firing from the berm quickly ceases. Vietnam: Military History Branch, Office of the Secretary . Militarily, Tet was decidedly an Allied victory, but psychologically and politically, it was a disaster. 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. 4 Daniel Thurston, are in trouble. At the north end 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. Elements of 101st Airborne Division, the 1st Cavalry Division and 5th Marine Regiment were the major units committed in the Battle for Hue. 10km NW Pleiku. At the north end of the valley was the major North Vietnamese Army (NVA) staging area known as Base Area 611. "Watson Baldwin was the finest platoon sergeant I had when I was in the Army," said Wintenburg. Aerial views of the U.S. 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division base camp in Phu Bai, Vietnam. Tim Witenburg, glances back toward the camera as he carries a wounded comrade. A copy of "Help From Above", which hangs in the headquarters of 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division(Air Assault). In April of 1968 1st Brigade was in the A Shau Valley near the border of Laos, blocking enemy activity from entering South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Vietnamese plan for victory, the A Shau became a major battle ground At that time the enemy force was within 100 yards of Delta Company. 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