Ammunition was rapidly dwindling, for the effort to maintain fire superiority caused huge expenditures. Kennedy on January 7 in 7th ARVN Division, on own initiative, started on 26 July the most ambitious campaign for years. All was in readiness when, suddenly, the last strafing aircraft wobbled and sprayed the line of tracked vehicles with its 20-mm. c. Biggest US operation ever held in the Delta. Darkness finally came to the rice paddies of Dien Thoung Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, but it came slowly. Battle of p Bc Trn p Bc; Part of the Vietnam War: A map of the battlefield. Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. Alcala sent his 2nd Platoon commanded by First Lieutenant Harlan E. Short to establish an ambush along the trail at a point 1.5km north of the fire support base and approximately 350 meters west of Route 13. Country Series, 1/63) Lieutenant Colonel John P. Vann, senior United Heaviest casualties to date Co-A-4th-47th takes severe casualties (28) KIAs. Aboard USS Pope. Originally, our 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, had been promised two helicopter companies for the operation; however, late on the day before the operation began, one of these was withdrawn. We have buried your dead and taken care of your wounded from this battle.[7]. Country Series, 1/63) On January 7, President Kennedy expressed concern about the Join us for our 2017 reunion by making a reservation today! [5], The communists troops on the southwest portion of the base perimeter were mobbing some of the APCs. In fact, if anything, the operation got off to an inauspicious start. there are days. The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. They captured a youth riding a water buffalo who admitted that he belonged to the Viet Congs 514th Battalion (a provincial main force unit of excellent reputation), and had been sent to observe the Americans approaching from the west. General, Status of the They all had to be searched and cleared, even though most were found to be unoccupied. military problems and report on future prospects for the war. [4], The Americans concluded that the communist mortar positions were 1.52 kilometers west of Ap Bau Bang in and around an old village that had been destroyed. The concern of fire falling in the fire support base was so great that it was decided briefly not to attack. We dont sit around and tell war stories, we just celebrate each other and the fact that its great to be alive.. In front of it stretched some 1,500 meters of open rice fields that were cut at 500-meter intervals by two irrigation ditches, the last of which was some 500 to 600 meters from the enemys position. The men were in Park County earlier this month to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Ap Bac. On January 7, the Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized Army Chief of Staff Then a helicopter came in to pick up the wounded; the second helicopter came in and was shot down.. on the battle prepared on January 4 by General Paul D. Harkins, Commander of the U.S. La bataille de Coral-Balmoral (12 mai - 6 juin 1968), est un engagement entre la Premire force oprationnelle australienne et la 7e division d'infanterie nord-vietnamienne soutenue par le Viet Cong , qui se droule prs de Lai Kh (en) 40 kilomtres au nord-est de Sagon . Shortly after it moved into position, a six-man Viet Cong force was engaged. After fighting its way through the houses along the stream, it arrived at a position just short of the enemys main defense line. The enemy has demonstrated time and again that merely killing his troops does us little or no good, for he is able to quickly recruit more. We spent a lot of time evacuating the wounded, going out into rice paddies and getting shot doing that, Heller said. During the evening of 19 March, the Viet Cong Ninth Division attacked the base with machine guns, mortars, rockets and small arms fire. 19 August 1967: Relocate to SOIRAP?VAMCO September 1966: 2nd Bde designated Army Component of (MDAF- Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Base). if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); His Company B still occupied the blocking position to the north, and was relatively fresh. Zies was carrying ammunition for Saiz, an assistant machine gunner, and followed him to a clump of palm trees. b. If you already have a web account, but need to reset it, you can do so by clicking here. Thank you for stopping by. Forces from the 5th Cavalry Regiment were entrusted with the securing of Fire Support Base 20, around 1.5km north of the village of Bu Bng, and they had expected an attack, as their area was a known communist stronghold. a team of officers to Vietnam to investigate conflicting reports on fighting and five helicopters were shot down. The paddies were mostly dry and easily supported the weight of an armored personnel carrier. <<1580FEC57EE0BF4FA30A1AAA607739CA>]>>
Alcala expanded the perimeter by 40m with a counterattack at 02:20. (Summary telegram 677 from ARPAC to JCS, January 4; Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Visibility was excellent and the day was hot and clear. Joint Chiefs of Staff as one of the bloodiest and costliest battles of Many of their large haystacks concealed bunkers. 4 August 1967: MRB relocated to Vung Tau. We were fortunate in that we were attacking a known position, Heller said. [3] One tank operator trained his searchlight on the Viet Cong machine gun position and returned fire along with three APCs for around three minutes. Unit awards, medals and ribbons, and information on applying for and obtaining your medals and ribbons. Meanwhile, Company A, 3/60th, was formed up and waiting at the helicopter pickup site for the promised company of choppers. Inspired by the performance of these two men (who have been recommended for the Medal of Honor), the rest of the platoon jumped up and attacked, destroying the other enemy troops in close combat. attack. An assessment done in the Department of State on January 15 of While these operations were being carried out, the gunship, which has been constantly circling the area, reported a Viet Cong force of company size moving across the fields to the northeast. A reinforced company, and possibly more, had been lost for the time being to the Viet Cong 514th Battalion. 2 June 1967: 2nd Brigade embarks aboard MRB, thus formally constituting MRF. Please sign the MRFA guestbook! WebThe second Battle of Bu Bng occurred during the night of 1920 March 1967 during Operation Junction City, a search and destroy mission by American military forces in Tay Because of that, we knew each other very well, and kept in touch with each other. [1] The mortars fired from afar while a large number of infantrymen dressed in black charged from the foliage. At 03:30 the communist fire eased; resupply of the units and evacuation of the wounded was completed during the next 75 minutes while the artillery and air strikes continued. On the north and south was a line of dense coconut trees and undergrowth. The last battle for which two living service members received the Medal of Honor was the 1967 Battle of Ap Bac in Vietnam, a spokeswoman for the Congressional [5] Several Viet Cong who attempted to remove the .50-caliber machine gun from one of the burning tracks of Festa's unit were killed, as were others trying to storm the foxholes containing the wounded. In a short time, all of those forward were dead from multiple bullet wounds, and the platoon was temporarily wrecked as a fighting force. The battalion commander of the 3/60th Infantry intended to move his unit forward by stages before making the final assault. [5], In the 3rd Platoon sector on the eastern side of the perimeter, Wolfe detected communist movement and requested night illumination from a 4.2-inch mortar, which revealed Viet Cong troops crossing the highway from east to west. In the first 10 minutes, 95 percent of them were killed. 0000001392 00000 n
As soon as the woods were reached the infantrymen jumped out and began destroying the enemy troops in their position, where they had been trapped and pinned down by the heavy volume of fire. However, if the core of these units, who are irreplaceable, can be captured or killed, the efficiency of these units must begin to wane. The scar on his face, a wound that required more than 500 field stitches, is Hellers legacy; a reminder of the men lost and wounded and the reverberation of war. concluded that the operation was a failure. A unit of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry, attached to the 1st Infantry Division, A Troop had 129 men, six M48 tanks, twenty M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs), and three 4.2-inch mortar carriers. Explore gatherings, speakers and events. Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. One thing that we found out over there, and what we didnt realize until years later, was what a friend was, he said. at the White House to General Godfrey T. McHugh with the President at 0000001668 00000 n
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But the most prevalent feeling now that the major, recognizable danger had passed, was one of elationhigh elation. At the direction of Alcala, the platoon swept 1.5km south of the defenders along the rubber tree line. Vietnam, filed an after-action report on the Ap Bac operation which Persson said their platoon was unique in that they had been together since the beginning of boot camp, so the absence of another member of the tight-knit group was always felt. [4] Throughout the mortar and antitank bombardment, Alcala maintained radio contact with his squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel Sidney S. Haszard, who was located to the south. [6] The attackers were followed by a line of unarmed troops carrying ropes and wires with hooks to recover the fallen communists. In order to establish a blocking force that would prevent any enemy from withdrawing ahead of our advance, it was decided that Company A, 3/60th, would utilize the helicopters beginning at 0700 to make an airmobile assault and secure a blocking position astride the most likely route of enemy withdrawal. February 1966: 2nd Bde Activated Fort Riley, KS. At least they got most of it. Harkins assessment closely paralleled that of Admiral The Viet Cong started their attack ten minutes later, and they were met with artillery fire, cluster bomb units, napalm and 500 pound bombs. Of the 63 wounded, 26 were evacuated. So far as the battalion commander of the 3/60th was concerned, all his chips were in the pot. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. American intelligence analysts believed that the whole regiment participated. Then when the fire lifted to the rear of the enemy, to block his escape positions, the infantry would assault before the enemy could recover. Moving aggressively, the company closed on the enemy, killed several and forced the others to flee to the north. Explore our catalog and purchase official MRFA gear here. Relations, World Wide Diplomatic Archives Occasionally the throaty whine of an armored personnel carrier would rend the eerie darkness momentarily as the carrier jockeyed on the battlefield. A friend is a person that would be standing by your side, even if he knew it was going to cost him his life. Then we went back to Dong Tam and then in an incredible operation the MRF moved Chiefs of Staff which suggested that the press was painting the battle A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. 59, Files of the Office of Public Opinion Studies, U.S. Policy on S. That is a huge, huge loss., Lieutenant Heller and his fellow soldiers in . 2 May 1967: Battle of Ap Bac, not riverine, but most significant battle fought to date by 2nd Brigade. Type Chapter Information Triumph Forsaken '&charset='+document.characterSet : '')); Battle of Ap Bau Bang II happened on 1967-03-20. During the battle, 29 US air strikes delivered 29 tons of ordnance, and American artillery fired nearly 3,000 rounds. of Vietnam engaged a Viet Cong battalion at the village of Ap Bac in Close to the perimeter, Haszard's APC was disabled by a communist hit. Naval Forces Vietnam Monthly Historical Supplement June 1967", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Concordia_(Vietnam)&oldid=1101635797, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1967, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Army Center of Military History, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 August 2022, at 01:43. It could prevent disaster, if necessary, but its chances of successfully attacking south along the stream were slim, since semi-darkness was already covering the area. The main attack came from the south and southwest, accompanied by a secondary attack from the north. I yelled for a medic and one ran across the field.. For the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, it looked like another dry hole. This past June 19 marked the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Ap Bac. Perhaps more significantly, no mines or booby traps had been encountered, usually a good sign that you are in an area highly frequented by the Viet Cong. he added along with the bad news of damage to helicopters and three If we were going to win, the enemy must soon begin to break and run. In short, a nice, tidy plan had gone awry. The two platoons in the rice until they could gain fire superiority, then moving again. 0000000939 00000 n
Vann attributed the failure reports printed in the press on the battle of Ap Bac. For the Viet Cong, the Battle of Ap Bac marked the first time they decided to stand and fight a large South Vietnamese formation, although outnumbered by more than five to one. Explore artwork by members, and read historical articles and books. To have met the enemy on his own terms after so many fruitless months of seeking him, suffering daily casualties from mines and booby traps until frustrations reached a crescendo that seared the mind and bloodied the heart; to have met the enemy and destroyed him completely, provided a joy and a sense of accomplishment that caused their hearts to glow and animated each man. These soldiers, infantrymen of the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry (the Wild Ones), and their attached mechanized support (Company C, 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry), were utterly exhausted and physically weak from their exertions. major defeat in which communist guerrillas shot up a fleet of United Fire was immediately returned and the enemy automatic rifle gunner was killed; however, he was quickly replaced by another, who continued to fire on the exposed squad and within minutes all who had crossed the stream were casualties. Operation in Dinh Tuoung including CAM SON and CHO CAO. The battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam, 2007. found: Wikipedia, viewed Apr. Haszard was fired on as he left the APC to attach the towline. Click most pictures to enlarge. Join us for our 2017 reunion by making a reservation today! 3rd and 4th Battalions, 47th Infantry Regiment, United States Army Center of Military History, "U.S. The ARVN were decisively defeated. True, our division G2 had indicated that a sizeable enemy force was in the Ap Bac area. By now, time had become the vital consideration, for darkness was approaching rapidly. The First Battle of Ap Bau Bang occurred on November 1112, 1965. [5], At 03:00 another attack began on the southern perimeter. Initially the artillery covered the northwest, west, and southwest sides of the perimeter while aircraft attacked on a north-south axis east of Route 13. 18 June 1967: Relocate to SOIRAP/VAMCO, Commence Operation CONCORDIA. On January 3, Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric forwarded to the White House a Thus, the battle ended. To the south of the position was a rubber plantation, while wooded areas were prominent to the north and west. Sheehan in which he wrote that angry United States Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. 3-10 June 1967: MRF shakedown. trailer
The 12 members of the Tornados gathered the next morning at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for a short service and remembrance. [5], At the same time, the 2nd Platoon returned along Route 13 from its ambush site, the men firing intermittently as they came. D. Gilpatric, Roswell L. Harkins, General Paul American public is not getting the facts on the situation in Viet-nam, Funston. The 261st Battalion was among the best Viet Cong units in the country, a fact attributable to its fine leadership. On the south, Company A was exchanging fire with most of the enemy defenders. WebThe Battle of Ap Bac was to have been a routine heliborne operation into the rice rich Mekong Delta. But one officer, John Paul Vann, saw darker omens for the futureand in the Battle of Ap Bac, the Viet Cong proved him correct. of the facts. 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