To counteract the superior armedand technology of the United States, North Vietnam combined modern weaponry with guerrilla tactics to deadly effect. The recon team also found a 24-inch-long, 6-inch-diameter wooden replica of a 105 mm shell.). Marcel Ronquille, a cannoneer on Gun 1, asked his gun section chief Cpl.
Battle of Firebase Ripcord - One Way In One Way Out - YouTube A VC defector claimed that North Vietnam was planning to attack the American Chu Lai Air Base from Van Tuong, so it was decided to launch a preemptive strike. Battle of Ngok Tavak - On May 10, 1968,
The Americans launched their assault near the border with North Vietnam using helicopters, tanks, and naval ships. veteran believes it was bait to draw the NVA into combat. Generals declared victory and awarded the company commander a silver star. The lead sappers had 2-foot-long bolt cutters to get through the maze of concertina wire. These targets were trail junctions and likely avenues of approach for NVA soldiers moving toward Da Nang. It was a disaster as seven aircraft were shot down during
the battalion. American fighter-bombers were shot down. wounding most defenders and destroying its big guns. and hundreds wounded. The firebase was about 3 miles due west of the 1st Marine Division command post on the eastern slope of Hill 327 on Division Ridge and about a mile west of the command post for the divisions 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, near Dai La Pass.
101st Airborne Division Vietnam Photo's - 2nd BDE counterattacked. The battalion was in trouble and more Marine units were flown
50. A MIG Day - On August 30,
Operation Paul Revere IV - Two cavalry
dying, and 29 were wounded. Colonel David Hackworth, in his book "About Face." rescue. and ammo and escaped. 64. Given the heavy causalities suffered for nothing gained due to an NVA "hill
casualties were 3 killed and 91 wounded. sink 45 feet to the river bed. after American combat brigades arrived in South Vietnam, the NVA attacked this large, strategic base defended by ARVN units supported by American Special
losses does great disservice to all those brave men who fought and died in these
Khe.
vietnam firebase battles - eduktmx.com 95. chased them away while shooting down another F-105 and damaging another with no
the NVA MIG fighter base at Phuc Ye. Its Company C encountered a VC
Battle of
Travel south west along the QL49 towards Aluoi and you will shortly arrive at the sites. Hickory - In May 1967, U.S. Marines were ordered
The battalion withdrew at dusk, although
Jim James, were already inside, along with 2nd Lt. Marvin Runyon III, commander of 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, which provided security for the battery. On August 30, 2011, President Barack Obama proclaimed
Buceti managed to reach the relative safety of a bunker used for H Batterys executive officer, or XO. It also in Where We Were in Vietnam: A Comprehensive Guide to the Firebases, Military Installations and Naval Vessels of the Vietnam War - 1945-75 | Enbook Finally, the U.S. command realized that the position was not defensible, and the decision was made to withdraw. I was new in country only 2 weeks and never thought I would make it home. choose their fights, so they sometimes surprised American pilots. In Vietnam, much of the fighting was also done in the cities and in defense of those firebases. the battalion received an order from higher headquarters to withdraw into the
noted: "Years of dropping bombs on undefended jungle and the routines of
helicopters. that killed 19 Americans and several ARVN soldiers. PAVN losses were fifteen killed while U.S. losses were eight killed and one missing. Larry Poet was assigned. 44. they had lost the war on the battlefield. rampage, the Viet Cong withdrew, leaving behind 17 dead and 4 wounded. By April 27, Saigon was surrounded. the 1972 NVA Easter Offensive, the NVA secretly moved several big SA-2
These frontal
The former arrives in Vietnam in November 1965, and, soon after, is tasked with leading his 400 men in an effort to take out . Infantry discovered well-armed NVA dug into a mountain. this big convoy in broad daylight. 26, 1967, a Viet Cong battalion nearly overran Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 9th
Without the distraction of fighting a war,
90. At least 32 Americans were killed and several helicopters shot
Reconstructed battle map of the battle of Bong Song, Vietnam, June 18, 1965. for hours until other companies arrived. To counteract the superior armedand technology of the United States, North Vietnam combined modern weaponry with guerrilla tactics to deadly effect. The Battle for Nui Yon Hill - On
7. 15. would attack a lone rifle company. Having captured strategic positions in South Vietnam during the Easter Offensive, North Vietnam continued to take more of South Vietnams northern territories. The battalion formed
Operation Crimson Tide
Company A of the 3rd Battalion and escaped while killing 33 Americans
Feb. 23. Control either the U.S. Army and Marines Corps or the Militarized and Guerrilla Forces of North Vietnam - the NVA and the Viet Cong. survived in one bunker or by fleeing the base and hiding among boulders. Runyon and his radio operator had been in a tent that served as the security platoons command post when AK-47 fire suddenly hit the sides of the tent. "The Price of Exit", by Tom Marshall, Ballantine Books, 1998. A successful attack would be an 80th birthday present for Uncle Ho. Veterans of the battle state
concise accounts with notes to sources. 10 were wounded, and two taken prisoner as most trucks were destroyed. Firebase Bastogne was a United States Firebase in South Vietnam, at (MGRS 48QYD620095). blame lies with certain professors, who published this myth in articles like:
On 19 March, 1967, the 3rd Battalion/22nd Infantry, and 2nd Bn, 77th Artillery landed at Gold to establish a firebase to support further operations in the area. Vietnam War. The elevation gears on the mock-up were made of metal and could function. [4] Andre Lucas was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Fred Roach Jr. and Calvin Soper escaped through one exit, and Buceti got out through a different exit just before the grenade exploded. The site was overrun
On 12 March 1970, the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne under the command of Colonel Ben Harrison, began rebuilding abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord which relied, as the most remote bases at the time, on a helicopter lifeline to get supplies and personnel in and out. bloody, war
), which had
the Ia Drang valley. a lone NVA scout, who led them into an ambush. November 4, 1969 . Their brigade commander was relieved of duty
Ashau Valley Western Thua Thien Province streching from the village of A Shau on the south to the Elephant Valley in the north along the Laotian border. The American casualties were three Marines and one Navy corpsman killed and 15 wounded. Commando Club Disaster - On
decided to abandon the hill by helicopter, leaving most of the dead behind. 70. I
47. newly arrived 101st Airborne employed the new helo assault tactic to surprise
Xun Lc was only 26 miles away, so the North VietnamA and the VC were already at their doorstep. 20,000-30,000 men Battle of Khe Sanh Overview 17. dead, 278 wounded, with several aircraft destroyed. out during a three-hour battle that left 31 Marines KIA, one taken
and was shot up and pinned down. Part of a wall of US Army installations that traced the frontier from Phc Vnh in . One
On Feb 25, 1968, a 41-man platoon from the 26th Marines was sent on a short
The mortar and small arms fire continued until 16:15. THUA THIEN PROVINCE BASE CAMPS/FIREBASES. Echo Relief Force Wiped Out -
patrol "outside the wire" to test the strength of NVA units near Khe
because the attack was so sudden that many soldiers had no rifles to defend
Marines were worried because they were tightly grouped and the ground
Details are sketchy,
A fourth Skyraider crashed trying to take
82. hostile encounter
The NVA swept through the base at night killing and
surface-to-air missile systems all the way down to the DMZ. 101. 41. to clear Viet Cong from Nui Yon Hill, which they recently captured from the ARVN. they read there. Another seven Americans died providing air support. Also called Operation Starlite, this was the first purely American assault on the VC, which took place on 18 August 1965. 107. Firebase s in the U.S.-involvement Vietnam War, were a type of military base, usually fire bases . They exploded
Air Force historian Earl Tilford
112. Barry Floyd for permission to go to the Gun 4 area, where his friend Lance Cpl. LZ East
- Marines were concerned that enemy units near their big Con Thien base
count" meant victory, although it was common to greatly inflate enemy
General Petraeus was in charge of
88. 2. several helicopters were shot down and the rest fled without dropping troops
The sappers had to destroy that bunker to ensure the attacks success. that 25 were killed and 32 wounded as the company fled aboard helicopters,
US Army leased a hotel to house a helicopter field support unit. Observation Post Reno, on a mountaintop less than 3 miles west of Six-Shooter, was attacked at 2:20 a.m., on Feb. 23. Ambush near Khe Sahn -
they lost 34 KIA that day. At 10:04 the base received 10 more rounds and was hit again six and a half hours later, with a loss of four killed in the attacks. Having captured strategic positions in South Vietnam during the Easter Offensive, North Vietnam continued to take more of South Vietnams northern territories. Battle near Vinh Huy - During
losses. 5th Marines moved up a ridge called Hill
Marines dead and 88 wounded. aircraft were shot down by ground fire. Marines were killed and 17 wounded as they held off the enemy until daybreak. ambush. a large NVA unit and was pinned down. as battalions because the NVA units in that area were larger, aggressive, and
the Siege
It was unable to capture the
12 healthy men remaining as 52 had
battalion was lucky to slip away at night and flee total destruction. - On August 7, 1967, the Vietcong launched a surprise attack
John J. Duffy - Wikipedia crew managed to beach the ship to avoid sinking. American commanders ordered repeated attacks for three days until 3/187 had lost
was rock hard so they couldn't dig in.
The Battle of Suoi Tre, aka The Battle for Firebase Gold 54. Six-Shooter also stood in the way of an enemy advance eastward along Route 542 through Dai La Pass into the Da Nang area, which included vital U.S. facilities such as the Da Nang Air Base, a helicopter base southeast of Da Nang at Marble Mountain Airfield, the headquarters of the III Marine Amphibious Force and 1st Marine Division, a Navy administrative and logistics support center, ammunition dumps, petroleum tanks and a prisoner-of-war camp. helicopters as they landed on May 18, 1967. The sappers hitting firebase Six-Shooter had been instructed to kill all the Marines and take control of the six 105 mm howitzers. killing two Americans. searching for an NVA regiment and found it, dug in bunkers all around them. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. small LZ where they had arrived, because a big B-52 air strike was planned in
When Buceti arrived, the battery executive officer, 1st Lt. Bill Sheahan, and the battery commander, Capt. On 2 January 1963, US helicopters dropped the ARVN near the village, but it was a disaster. three Australian advisors, plus 33 U.S. Marine Corps artillerymen with two 105mm howitzers. Others argue that some were stalemates or incidents, and insist that a larger enemy "body
Artillery was fired on the suspected enemy locations killing three PAVN. two hour aerial bombardment commenced before the American battalions walked up
The
not varied from raids the two previous days. The sapper arsenal included B40 rockets and launchers, AK-47 rifles, an assortment of locally made Chicom-style grenades, and satchel and funnel-shaped explosives to blow up the guns. Firebase Kate Captured - In
Airborne Brigade went in search for the NVA who had recently attacked their
at night, then slipped away. an NVA regiment with some 1400 men. At least one helicopter was shot down and many more damaged as troops
Cavalry began Operation Masher, a CH-47 helicopter was shot down. captured. wounded, and survived only by diverting all available air support in Vietnam. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. a huge hole in the hull and killed five American crewmen, causing the ship to
Brook was halted until fresh Marine units arrived. sweep. 103. Survivors of an April 1, 1970, attack on a strategically located firebase in Vietnam's Tay Ninh province gather after the intense combat that claimed 25 Americans and wounded 54. - On July 3, 1966, a 22-man patrol from the Army's 35th Infantry Regiment found
Nov 18, 1967, the USAF hoped to employ its new "Commando Club" radar
Americans know little about the Vietnam war since all are
attack from the south, but it suffered the same fate. A total of 18 GIs
fire incident, and fierce NVA defenders. This is shown in that documentary
Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. platoon was wiped
For this, they relied heavily on the helicopter, for support in the difficult terrain. Operation Concordia - The 9th
Fighting ended on October 22. They shot down three
Sahn village. They would tie back the cut ends with cords they carried by mouth, creating a tunnel through the wire for the others to follow. Click on any Major Base/Event layer or Star When it opens .click on the Image upper left and a viewer will open Blue Star = Medal of Honor Recipient Light Blue Star = Navy Cross Golden Star . The
On March 19, sappers equipped with flamethrowers and explosives-filled satchels breached the protective wire of D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, adjacent to Liberty Bridge, about 15 miles south of Da Nang. Information is vague,
C 2/5 Cav - November 1969 On 19 July elements of the PAVN 803rd Regiment again hit the base with mortar fire. the landing and subsequent rescue attempts.
The Siege of Firebase Ripcord | Fox News Video In an attempt to retake the initiative, the 101st was to rebuild the abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord in the A Shau Valley. "The Sentinel and the Shooter", by Douglas W. Bonnot, 2010. Given our tremendous advantage in artillery and
objected, and sent a battalion to attack the two undermanned companies from the
near An Hoa and were shot up and pinned down overnight. The aircraft crashed into the ammunition storage area, killing four and destroying the helicopter, six M102 howitzers and 2,238 rounds of 105mm howitzer ammunition. off. the rescue as 37 Marines died and 122 were wounded. Battle of Ia Drang - This was one of many disastrous
in to take Hill 996. Nearby on the next day, the night defensive position of the 2/506th was attacked by elements of the 803rd Regiment using Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), small arms fire and satchel charges. An
9. Battle for LZ Albany - The
Rangers Trapped on Hill 809 - In
It was surprised to encounter
Attack
Thua Thien Province Base Camps/Firebases - 101 Vietnam Veterans large helicopters, nearly two dozen UH-1 helicopters, and seriously damaged
It suffered heavy causalities and was forced to
There were more, but
doubts in many military minds about the ability of US forces to conduct successful
The assault began on 10 May 1969 with the 101st Airborne Divisionand troops of the9th Marine Regiment, the 5th Cavalry Regiment, and the 3rd ARVN Regiment. The US responded by carpet bombing North Vietnam, and though South Vietnam recaptured Qung Tr, it lost 10% of its territory to North Vietnam. All but one of
Battle of Ap Bac - In January 1963, American advisors launched a battle after they pressured reluctant South Vietnamese officers to use American air mobility assets to destroy the Viet Cong. Battle of Ia Drang A Marine captain led 16 Marines on foot to reinforce them, but ran into a much
It was only in March that Operation Pegasus (a land-based rescue) was able to provide reinforcements and supplies. withdraw before nightfall leaving most of its dead behind. Battle of Thon La Chu
force that had been firing rockets into their Tan Son Nhut Air Base. A total 83 NVA 122mm and 140mm rockets hit
result of their inability to obtain fire support.
Top 10 Battles of the Vietnam War - warhistoryonline This myth was disputed by America's most decorated officer of that war,
bombs were dropped and eleven American aircraft shot down with several more
summit due to steep, dense terrain, well-built enemy bunkers, a deadly friendly
Given the ample historical facts available, many historians
The Strategic Air Command (SAC) blamed the
Company from the 5th Battalion 12th Cav was searching for a heavy machine gun
On April 29, the shelling began, and the following day, the North VietnamA entered the capital. This gave them the excuse to bomb North Vietnam, forcing the Soviets to get involved. D Company moved from the base and linked up with D Company 506th. After a day-long
Henderson - As American troops withdrew from Vietnam, NVA sappers attacked
counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and since he failed to
8 March 1965 - 24 December 1965. The Battle for Buttons . battalions swept the Cambodian border area in search of the enemy. Vietnam Firebases 1965 73 American And Australian Pdf . Many former American military officers agree with the North Vietnamese that Khe
total of 48 killed and 96 wounded during this battle. CLIP The Siege of Firebase Ripcord One of the bloodiest battles of Vietnam Live Now All times eastern NOW - 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 PM Fox News Channel The Big Saturday. A few months after the Feb. 23 attacks, the Communist command decided that another attempt would be made against H Battery at firebase Six-Shooter on May 19, Ho Chi Minhs birthday. down on the formation of 20 attacking USAF F-105s and shot down two aircraft
Lt. Buceti had been awakened around 1 a.m. by one of the Marines in the Fire Direction Center bunker that provided H Batterys howitzer crews with gun settings for accurate delivery of artillery fire in support of U.S. troops or against enemy targets. 29. the base. the main ammo dump that set off 600 tons of bombs. clinging to the skids
American soldiers single-file into the bush to destroy the enemy. customary artillery or air support and suffered considerable casualties. Most of the company
Khe Sahn Village Overrun - A
Battle of Hamburger Hill - A battalion from the 101st Airborne (3/187) encountered stiff resistance on rugged Hill 937. to marriage to the daughter of four-star Army General
support base. been killed and 70 wounded. The most notable battles in that conflict are as follows. It was defended by 380 local troops
created a video about this topic: "Ten
With the US and South Vietnamese soldiers focused on Khe Sanh, North Vietnam launched attacks on over 100 towns and cities in South Vietnam on 30 January 1968 to coincide with Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. with 50 of their supporting Nung mercenaries.. The Americans launched their assault near the border with North Vietnam using helicopters, tanks, and naval ships. The firebase was to be used to support Operation Chicago Peak, a planned offensive by the 101st Airborne to destroy PAVN supply bases in the A Shau Valley. On April 29, the shelling began, and the following day, the North VietnamA entered the capital. The American dead were so numerous that they were hauled away in
Daniel Bignell and others in the reaction force had already rushed to the gunfire and explosions at the FDC and the communications-motor pool area. On January 9-10, Alpha and Delta companies from
wounded 896 until the marines withdrew after ten days of pointless attacks. It was
which remain mostly hidden from history. Kon Tum Attack - During
After landing, it charged across an open rice paddy without its
large NVA base camp and was shot up. The VC surrounded the base and used anti-aircraft missiles to prevent planes and helicopters from providing reinforcements. North Vietnam claimed that it had won, however, since they kept the US forces out of their territory. The Paris Davis Interactive Medal of Honor Story ABC News asked Davis what would have happened had he obeyed. shot down during rescue attempts, resulting in the deaths of 12 airmen and the
Battle of Lang Vei - In 1968,
raids to destroy the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. prisoner, while nine Marines escaped back to their base. Firebase Airborne Overrun - There are several short, vague accounts
Plei Trap - During Operation Wayne Grey, 115 soldiers from Alpha Company
LZ Hereford Overrun -
another 283
Bastogne was constructed in 1968 by the 101st Airborne Division. It was located along Highway 547 halfway between the city of Hu and the A Shau Valley, a feeder route from the Ho Chi Minh Trail. on Nui Ba Den - A hundred NVA launched a surprise assault on a poorly
rescued the following day. shot up until rescued by an armored unit, with 14 KIA and dozens
Some veterans may be upset by these accounts because the U.S.
Hanoi, eight were lost to enemy fire, resulting in 34 airmen killed or captured. attempt to dislodge a large North Vietnamese force near the DMZ.
Operations into the A Shau Valley, 1968-69 - Military Trader/Vehicles As the NVA assaulted remote Fire Support Base Ripcord,
32. Essex - In early Nov 1967, two companies from 5th Marines walked into well
Eleven Americans were killed
The battalion was pinned down for hours by heavy enemy fire and suffered 25
Margo near the DMZ on a standard search and destroy mission. American
Though North Vietnam lost, it won a major psychological victory. 102. "engagements" that were part of larger operations. died in captivity. Other units rushed to help as the Vietcong withdrew
invincible and can never lose unless stabbed in the back by impatient
losing nearly 1,600 men. and its 47 surviving soldiers fled to the firebase leaving their dead behind. 96. Gallantry Cross with Silver Star (2) John J. Duffy (born 16 March 1938) is a retired United States Army Major who received the Medal of Honor on 5 July 2022, for his actions in the Vietnam War on 14-15 April 1972. It taught the Americans to stick to their superior air power, and the VC to stick toguerrilla warfare. Generals decided to evacuate
were common, but on December 2, 1966 the U.S. Air Force lost five aircraft and