Country Series, 1/63) Lieutenant Colonel John P. Vann, senior United By 1500, Company A had reached the restraining line designated by the brigade commander, and was deployed along it in assault formation with three platoons abreast. At first this was sporadic sniper fire which did little to slow the advance of this unit. 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 Thus, the battle ended. I yelled for a medic and one ran across the field.. [6], During the battle of Ap Bau Bang III, the Americans killed at least 227 Viet Cong, and captured 3, as well as much equipment and weapons. All was in readiness when, suddenly, the last strafing aircraft wobbled and sprayed the line of tracked vehicles with its 20-mm. Besides, the area which the artillery and air were attacking had become smaller and smaller. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. Electronic resources for U.S. foreign relations, Copyright One thing that we found out over there, and what we didnt realize until years later, was what a friend was, he said. if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ','; The Battle at Ap Bac Changed Americas View of the Vietnam War by dnewbold 7/25/2006 On January 3,1963, several American war correspondents approached General Paul D. Harkins to ask what he thought about the battle the 7th Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Division had just fought at a village named Bac. States helicopters carrying Vietnamese troops into battle. Cong battalion inflicted heavy casualties on the government forces and 0000005303 00000 n discipline in the execution of small-unit tactics. of State, World War I and the One enemy soldier was beaten to death by a soldier who used his steel helmet, and another was stabbed to death, thus indicating the ferocity of the assault. 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. 0000000668 00000 n The probe was spearheaded by a herd of fifteen belled cattle being driven across Route 13 at a point 150 meters northeast of the perimeter. WebOn the morning of January 2, 1963, the South Vietnamese Civil Guards spearheaded the attack by marching toward Ap Tan Thoi from the south. 10 March 1967: Commanding officer 2nd-Bde moves to Dong Tam and takes command of Dong Tam base with two battalions (3rd-Bn-60th Inf, then 5th-Bn (M) 60th Inf). Thank you for stopping by. Learn about the battle, including the cause, the tactics and its impact on the Vietnam War in this lesson. They developed a deep caring for each other and their mission.. We all decided this was the best reunion weve ever had, Heller said. On the north and south was a line of dense coconut trees and undergrowth. Links to friends, affiliates and other sites you should visit! 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. An abandoned railway ran parallel to and thirty meters east of the highway. Unit awards, medals and ribbons, and information on applying for and obtaining your medals and ribbons. a. [4] Within 20 minutes of the start of the mortar attack, the Viet Cong ground assault began. At least they got most of it. Harkins assessment closely paralleled that of Admiral 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. 10 January 1967: 2nd Bde departed Oakland, CA. Battle of Ap Bau Bang II happened on 1967-03-20. [5] At the same time the 1st Platoon of B Troop moved down Route 13 from its position eight kilometers north. The personnel carriers of Company C, 5/60th, having a longer distance to travel, and having two fairly deep streams to cross, did not close Company As position until approximately 1530. Information obtained from a captured Viet Cong assessment of the battle The operation concluded on 21 June, U.S. casualties were 46 killed and 15 sailors wounded, while claiming VC losses of 255 killed. American Army captain was killed while out front pleading with them to This day they got a bear by the tail and they didnt let command which never placed a Vietnamese officer above the rank of The Battle of Ap Bac was the first significant engagement between tenets of North and South Vietnam. TF-117 supports 2nd Bde operations, initially with RAS boats borrowed from the Vietnamese Navy, crewed by US Crews, as TF-117 boats arrived in country, they were phased into RSSZ operations. Palm Beach, January 7; ibid.) [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. During the battle, 29 US air strikes delivered 29 tons of ordnance, and American artillery fired nearly 3,000 rounds. The quarry this time was a concentration of guerrillas near the village of A relatively small engagement that had major media, political, and policy implications, the Battle of Ap Bac took place between Viet Cong (VC) and Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) forces on January 2, 1963. During the evening of 19 March, the Viet Cong Ninth Division attacked the base with machine guns, mortars, rockets and small arms fire. Festa's track was hit, wounding his sergeant, as fire came in from the west. Visibility was excellent and the day was hot and clear. No doubt, some escaped in the fading light. They all had to be searched and cleared, even though most were found to be unoccupied. Nearly every member of Hellers platoon was wounded in the battle, including Heller himself. [5], The communists troops on the southwest portion of the base perimeter were mobbing some of the APCs. September 1966: 2nd Bde designated Army Component of (MDAF- Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Base). attack. An assessment done in the Department of State on January 15 of But one officer, John Paul Vann, saw darker omens for the futureand in the Battle of Ap Bac, the Viet Cong proved him correct. VC casualties were limited to 18 soldiers killed and 39 wounded, even though their positions had been hit by more than 600 rounds of artillery, napalm, and other ordnance released by 13 warplanes and five UH-1 gunships. Ap Bac had far-reaching consequences for the South Vietnamese government and the American involvement in Vietnam. The ambush was to be in position by 18:00. State. of the 7th Battalion, 9th Artillery, commanded by Captain Duane W. [5], The elements of B and C Troops move in from afar to assist their colleagues. Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. Sheehan article published that day which indicated that the South Americans lost, there is good news which you may not read about in The Washington Post. He pointed to a number of battle, and, unlike the Viet Cong, were supported by artillery, armor, Comm retrans station at RACH Kien, secure US Base midway between AO and MRB Following this operation the aircraft would pass to the 3/47th for a similar operation. Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! [1]:106, On the morning of 19 June 3 Companies of the 4/47th Infantry were landed 4km southeast of Cn Giuc, 2 Companies of the 3/47th Infantry were landed 1.6km south of Cn Giuc while the ARVN 2/46th Infantry was landed near Ap Bac. The whole battalion lost about 47 total. //]]>-->, Alpha Company walked into a batallion-sized ambush, said Powell resident and Army veteran Jim Heller. %%EOF Reason, increase in Viet Cong attacks on commercial shipping in Long Tau channel in early February. b. Parrots Beak was 71 KM (water distance) and 43 KM (straight-line) from 59, Files of the Office of Public Opinion Studies, U.S. Policy on S. 1-307-754-2221. American intelligence analysts believed that the whole regiment participated. 'https://powellbanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://powellbanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php'); State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, ORG-3 WG/VN Mtgs with Other Agencies), The battle of Ap Bac was reported in the press in the United States as a A jet came in to drop a bomb. Some rice had been found, more proof that Viet Cong had been in the area. States adviser to the Seventh Division of the Army of the Republic of [6] On the north, the mechanized company moved forward at about ten miles an hour in a general line, while hosing down the countryside with .50 caliber-fire. direct orders to advance during Wednesdays battle at Ap Bac and that an telegram 100910Z to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on January 10. major defeat in which communist guerrillas shot up a fleet of United Clusters of coconut trees abounded and mangrove clumps generally straddled one of the many waterways that traversed the area. Against overwhelming odds, the Viet Cong achieved their first major victory. 27 July 1967: Relocate to Dong Tam. reports printed in the press on the battle of Ap Bac. 0000008278 00000 n of the facts. He conceded that the South Vietnamese forces had made Operation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. The brigade commander ordered the assault as soon as the air strike, then in progress, was finished. We dont sit around and tell war stories, we just celebrate each other and the fact that its great to be alive.. The attacking force was stopped within 15m of the perimeter. Darkness finally came to the rice paddies of Dien Thoung Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, but it came slowly. inability to take effective advantage of air superiority, and a lack of Nearly wipes out 514th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion The main attack came from the south and southwest, accompanied by a secondary attack from the north. It was apparent that the climax was rapidly approaching. D. Kennedy, John Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! By 11:50 Company C 3/47th Infantry had swept the area but failed to locate any VC, however Company C, 4/47th Infantry encountered VC positions as they moved west. [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. 0000002679 00000 n But the most prevalent feeling now that the major, recognizable danger had passed, was one of elationhigh elation. Explore a glossary of terms, manuals, statistics, historical accounts and reports, maps and articles by MRFA members. We had great food, great company; it was just wonderful. After dinner, each guy stood up and said a few words; it was a memorable experience, Heller said. They claimed 227 communist killed and captured three, while losing only 3 and suffering 63 wounded. Please sign the MRFA guestbook! 0000003035 00000 n The two platoons in the rice until they could gain fire superiority, then moving again. From Albert's Peach Cobbler to an Irish Chicken Dinner, we have them all! Join us for our 2017 reunion by making a reservation today! Alpha Company didnt; they walked right into an ambush that was prepared for the entire battalion, not just one company, Heller explained. The Americans relayed the location of the Viet Cong radio transmitter to the South Vietnamese high command, which then ordered the 7th Division to take Tan Thoi At the direction of Alcala, the platoon swept 1.5km south of the defenders along the rubber tree line. [5] Later Wolfe's track was directly hit for a second time by an RPG-2 rocket. The concern of fire falling in the fire support base was so great that it was decided briefly not to attack. [5], The perimeter now contained the artillery battery, all of A Troop, and the two relief platoons, which provided a large quantity of armor. 28 July-2 August 1967: Coronado II. Squad leader and event organizer Dave Persson talked of the significance of the date, calling it the very worst battle any of us saw in Vietnam., We lost one person from our platoon that day, Persson recalled. Learn about the association, Board Members, Officers, and download a membership application form! Finally, the battle has proven the wisdom of the axiom; once you have an enemy force in a trap, destroy it without delay. if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write ("&exclude=" + document.MAX_used); [7] The original English was, This is to advise you that during the battle of Ap Bau Bang on 20 March the Regimental Commander of Q763 (273d Regiment) and his Battalion Commanders disgraced themselves by performing in an un-soldierly manner. 2 May 1967: Battle of Ap Bac, not riverine, but most significant battle fought to date by 2nd Brigade. Archives and Records Administration, RG Customarily, when major events occurred in Vietnam, there was nothing to indicate that the days operation would be other than routine. Many of their large haystacks concealed bunkers. assessment of the battle by Neil Series, Other Companies B and C continued attacking east, while Company A moved into a blocking position to the north. 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. }else{ By 20:00 darkness and enemy fire stopped the assault with Companies B and C, 3/47th Infantry, still some 600 meters west of the ambush site. Out there at my place on the Willwood where things were quiet, there were no agendas, no one had to go anywhere for food. document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); There are consequences.. These vehicles quickly joined and began to add the fire power of their .50 calibers to the combat, which at the moment was very much in the balance. Country Series, 1/63) On January 7, President Kennedy expressed concern about the Then a helicopter came in to pick up the wounded; the second helicopter came in and was shot down.. Then we went back to Dong Tam and then in an incredible operation the MRF moved December 1966: 2nd Coronado Conference mistakes at Ap Bac based upon faulty intelligence and inexperience, but It took a lot of guts, he wrote, on the part of those pilots and [Page 3] crews to go back into the area to [5], Meanwhile, Haszard travelled in an APC followed by another M-113 bearing his command group as they tried to move into the perimeter. The battalion commander of the 3/60th Infantry intended to move his unit forward by stages before making the final assault. There is no question that, had the 2nd Brigade waited until dark, the enemy force, or most of it, would have slipped out. Meanwhile, Company A, 3/60th, was formed up and waiting at the helicopter pickup site for the promised company of choppers. As the shadows lengthened over the dry rice fields and dense foliage, the roar of machine-gun fire and exploding grenades slowly died away. By now, fire from all sides was intense, but despite this, several men of the platoon crawled forward to aid the wounded, only to die themselves. Chiefs of Staff which suggested that the press was painting the battle The South Vietnamese forces enjoyed a 4-1 numerical advantage in the Index, A Short History Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. zoneId = '3'; Company C, 3/47th Infantry would act as reserve. 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. try to rescue their pals. Like any engagements in war, Harkins concluded, there are days-and 17 September 1967: 3rd-47th Op TF Funston 4th-47th Inf comes afloat. At 23:10, Captain Alcala reported that firing had ended and that infrared equipment was being used to detect the communists. 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