Strand and Clouatre are both wounded, Clouatre seriously. Camp Eagle (also known as LZ El Paso and LZ Tombstone) is a former US Army base south-east of Hu in central Vietnam. 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. For more information contact: drswier@gmail.com. the primary military port in the old Vietnamese city of Hue As he and a detail of men drove a vehicle convoy through the . After the war he went into trucking before he passed away.". Rada is carried by others who have come out to help. 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. 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. . While we tried to maneuver our way back to Vietnam, through the valley we were constantly taking fire. The deadly fire on the USS Forrestal began with the accidental launch of a rocket. As they moved out to reinforce their fellow Screaming Eagles, they made contact with the enemy. 47 photos in 1 sub-album. One read more, On July 29, 1996, track and field legend Carl Lewis wins his fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the long jump. The DrRichSwier.com is a not-for-profit news forum for intelligent Conservative commentary. Jay Cope was also identified as the figure standing looking up with maps on his fatigues. They are a hundred or so meters from Delta Companys defensive position and safety. He did two tours in Vietnam and retired as a sergeant major. "Being in the Army helped give me an excellent work ethic," said Wintenburg. I could see clouds of dirt jumping as the bullets hit and I barely dove out of the way. It resulted in the death of some 45,000 NVA troops and the complete, if not total. To say it is oppressively loud and violent is only a start. Steve Strand, all from 3rd Platoon, begin work with machetes clearing the west end of the LZ. Wharton uses the berm to direct their fires. The DrRichSwier.com is a not-for-profit news forum for intelligent Conservative commentary. 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne bunker, 6 March 1968, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Camp_Eagle_(Vietnam)&oldid=1138675542, Installations of the United States Army in South Vietnam, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 23:52. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. A fatal mistake. The 1st Brigade fought as a separate brigade until 1967, when the remainder of the division arrived in Vietnam. At 04:25 a.m., the medevac is canceled due to dangerous flying conditions. 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 []. The two medics in Recon, Spc. Provisional Corps, Vietnam, was designated XXIV Corps on 12 August 1968. The early morning hours before sunrise are peacefully quiet. Time and again well-bunkered NVA soldiers survive such attacks, but not this time. from Laos and enemy threats to the cities of Hue and Da Nang. 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. The 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division was based here from MayJune 1968. Doc reassures him, Ill talk you through it. One step at a time, Stoner follows the medics instructions, Put the tourniquet on his upper arm good and tight. . The 101st Airborne Division used Eagle Beach, 6 miles east of Hue in northern South Vietnam as an R&R center, shown in 1970. To a large extent, the success or failure of the offen- . 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. Doc enlists Stoner to help treat those who are in the worst condition. The enemys location, numbers and direction of movement indicate they are likely massed for an attack on Delta Companys position. Military Issued Coming Home Letter -- Remember this? They are also now without their equipment and radio. Soon after first light, Roy adds several Delta Company soldiers to the attached Reconnaissance Platoon (now no bigger than a reinforced squad). Jeremiah Purdie . ZA 195-350 C/7/15th 30 Nov. 68 OPCON 2/8th INF. Brown and Wintenburg each spent about a year in Vietnam, and both men struggled with anxiety for years. First and Finest . The brigade completed its move via C130 transport aircraft through the Phu Bai and Quang Tri City airfields between 23 and 29 January. 4 Dallas Brown, writhing in pain. [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. Roy then quickly recommends and gets approval for using a much smaller, one-ship LZ adjacent to his companys position. 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. The enemy gunners have overshot Alpha Companys position, but not by much. Published in R&R on the Beaches of South Vietnam. It is the nature of warfare. The Soldiers in A Co. didn't know about it until a while after it made the news. $60.00 + $3.99 shipping. A 159th aircraft, but no visible markings. The photo was donated by Art Greenspon to the 101st when he was inducted as an honorary member of the 327th Dallas Brown, a Vietnam War veteran who served with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade [Separate], 101st Airborne Division poses next to a Screaming Eagle Flag, Aug 8, 2017, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The man was . No need to register, buy now! [2]:235. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the US News front and the anti-war political arena. ZA 18-35 2km W Catecka Airfield Village - Tea Plantation: ZA199-340. The Army Security Agency, operating under cover of the 3rd Radio Research Unit (3rd RRU), established a radio facility at Phu Bai in 1963, 12km southeast of Hu on Highway 1. It brought a tear to my eye when I saw that. Just then, the cavalry arrives, just like in the movies. 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. ", "I was in the point platoon and in the ambush a couple of guys behind me got wounded," said Witenburg. The bursting shell kills three soldiers: Sgt. An activation ceremony was held on 15 April 1987 at Camp Greaves, Republic of . 101st Airborne DIVISION The introduction of the 101st Airborne Division, 1st BDE Long Ranger Reconnaissance Platoon 1966-67 into Vietnam: The platoon's mission is that of penetrating enemy territory for route, point, and area surveillance. 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. At 3 a.m., Alpha Company is shaken awake by the booming of 15 enemy 82 mm mortar rounds exploding in rapid succession. He sends them out 200 meters (220 yards) to the southwest of Delta Companys position to search for a suitable LZ. known as Base Area 611. The enemy continues to advance from the northwest on Deltas position, hidden from direct observation from Roy and Whartons position. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. Theyve performed a vital mission. His striking pose, along with those of the Soldiers around him, was soon internationally famous. the narrow 25-mile long valley was an arm of the Ho Chi Minh Trail The 90th NVA Regiment was committed to its capture and defense. Thurston is wounded and unable to move. A Florida Cooperation. Maj. Baldwin was signaling to the aircraft where to drop a basket for the wounded the moment the photo was taken. The enemy position near the west end of the berm is continuing to fire AK-47s. 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 new Corps also co-operated closely with the ARVN 1st Division in the area. It was the ninth and final Olympic gold of his storied career. Vietnam War: Elements of 2nd Brigade and 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division 10 miles NW of Hue during Operation Carentan II, 1 May 1968. ", 101st Airborne Division Soldiers in famous Vietnam photo interviewed for first time, 101st Airborne Division Soldiers in famous Vietnam photo interviewed for first time. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the three 1968 Tet Offensives famous. Called the "valley of death" by troops fighting there, the fighting was some of toughest of the war at the time. For reference purposes the book Where We Were by Michael P. Kelly, Hellgate Press, 2002, provided much of the information. Camp Eagle (also known as LZ El Paso and LZ Tombstone) is a former US Army base south-east of Hu in central Vietnam. The buildup of formal U.S. military units had begun on 8 March 1965, when two battalions of Marines landed at Da Nang. Recon knows their small element is in great danger of being overrun. Chapter 11: American Military History, Volume II, 1968 was the worst and bloodiest year of the Vietnam War. Wharton directs the Cav team to make several runs along the berm with miniguns from east to west. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. This time they are the ones in danger. In 1969, the 85th Evacuation Hospital moved from Qui Nhn and was established at the northwest end of the airfield, adjacent to Highway 1. Their early identification of the enemy force moving toward Delta Company saved many lives. Just as they begin to withdraw, no more than 50 meters away they spot a large enemy force of undetermined size moving east among the trees. Only afterward is it known the Recons two PRC-25 radios are purposely left behind by the RTOs to lighten their load. He retired from active duty as a lieutenant colonel in 1988. U.S. forces, including the 101st Airborne Division as well . 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 biased liberal news media misreported and A Florida Cooperation. On January 31, 1968, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched the Tet Offensive. The next day would be crucial. 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. Leland Roy hears the enemy mortars hitting Alpha Company over the battalion radio net. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Pfc. 472.3.1 Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Joint Staff. The Battle for Hue lasted from January 31st to February 26th. Patrick McGuire, the company commander, has his forward observer call for artillery in the area from where they suspect the mortars were fired. The Central Highlands area in South Vietnam, consisting of 12 provinces, and the largest of the four corps in size. In late 1969, the 101st Administration Company (101st Airborne Division) was moved from Bien Hoa Army Base to Phu Bai. They quickly overrun Thurston and Winklers position and are closing in on Recons position. Vietnam War: Elements of 2nd Brigade and 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division 10 miles NW of Hue during Operation Carentan II, 1 May 1968. It spreads quickly, fanned by the rotor wash and wind and soon engulfs the length of the berm. 11 of 22. That is what good soldiers do. I remember Art Greenspon was on one knee crouching and I had a strange feeling that something was behind us looking. "Watson Baldwin was the finest platoon sergeant I had when I was in the Army," said Wintenburg. Pride in themselves, pride in each other, pride in their unit. misinterpreted the 1968 Tet Offensive as being an overwhelming success for the Communist forces and a decided defeat for He ends with June 12, Deltas extraction from Hill 376 a few days after a massive artillery barrage destroyed the enemy force. The immediate target is the enemy position on the berm, 50 meters to their front. 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 . In Courage Under Fire: The 101st Airbornes Hidden Battle at Tam Ky, he gives a detailed, day-by-day account of his battalions actions during the operation, with a focus on Delta Company. In the meantime, Littletons security team is told to return, and they make it back without incident. Click here for a map of the A Shau Valley showing major battle areas. "Early that morning, Company A moved forward on a search and destroy operation," said retired Col. Tom Sewell, who was a first lieutenant and platoon leader in Company A at the time. Baldwin was also very compassionate. From Arrival to Ripcord: The 101st Airborne in Vietnam, July 1965 to July 1970. 472.3.2 Records of the Office of the Deputy Chief . [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]. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. It is an unselfish act typical of medics whose first instinct is to stay with, treat and protect the wounded. Tet, the traditional Vietnamese New Year Celebration, was to be a peaceful truce. 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. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The constant flow of adrenaline, lack of food, sleep and daily, at times hand-to-hand, combat took its toll on all the men of 2/501st. In June, Marine and army units began offensive unit operations"search and destroy" missions. I remember seeing footage on the Military Channel of Soldiers reenlisting in Iraq and Afghanistan; that's real patriotism. It was later closed, but reopened . "My brother convinced me to go down to the recruiter's office," said Witenburg. troops from the 1st Cavalry and the 101st Airborne worked to cut off communist supply lines outside Hue against elements of three North Vietnamese divisions that US planners had thought . Report, Map of Fire Support Bases in the A Shau Valley, 1969. [2]:159. On 1 February 1972 in a ceremony attended by Brigadier General John G. Hill Jr., Assistant Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division and Major General Phm Vn Ph, Commanding General, 1st Division, Camp Eagle was turned over to the ARVN. 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