[1]:108. 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. These people won't listen. I was with Echo Company on the day in question and was across the river at the French Fort with the four deuce mortor platoon firing support for you guys. Instead of following Vann's instructions, the command pilot decided to lead his helicopters over southern Ap Tan Thoi and along the creek to Ap Bac. The two leading M-113s were able to pull up beside the downed helicopters, but one driver was killed while driving with his head outside of the hatch, and Ba was knocked unconscious inside his carrier. He refused to acknowledge the flawed system under which the South Vietnamese commanders and their American counterparts operated. 
The South Vietnamese soldiers, who were pinned down on the ground, believed their ordeal was over, so they stood up to see if the Viet Cong were retreating from their positions. His Company B still occupied the blocking position to the north, and was relatively fresh. Sorry for any of the incorrect pronunciations; I'm not Vietnamese. Early on 2 May, elements of the Wild Ones composed of Company B and Company C, 3/60th, plus the battalion command post and combat support company (less elements), moved out and arrived at the attack position with out incident. Early on 2 May, elements of the Wild Ones composed of Company B and Company C, 3/60th, plus the battalion command post and combat support company (less elements), moved out and arrived at the attack position with out incident. Internet research turns up these 112 lost battles of the Vietnam war: 1. In addition, farmhouses were scattered throughout the rice paddy terrain. Contact Us. Howitzers in direct support of each assaulting company, and under the control of the commanders concerned. Explore a glossary of terms, manuals, statistics, historical accounts and reports, maps and articles by MRFA members. When reporter Neil Sheehan asked Brigadier-General Robert York what had happened, the general replied, "What the hell's it look like happened, boy. 
[27] Immediately, the South Vietnamese infantrymen were forced to hug the ground. The 1st Company, 514th Battalion, covered the tail of the formation, with one of their platoons acting as a rear guard. Farther to the north (about 30 meters) was another dike, parallel to the one behind which the dead lay. [8] His solution was to fill the ARVN with Catholic political cronies and friends like Cao, Le Quang Tung, and Ton That Dinh, who had little military ability, but were very likely to help stop a coup attempt. The eastern flank remained open, and he ordered both elements of the 261st and 514th Battalions, exhausted and low on ammunition, to assemble at the southern end of Ap Tan Thoi. Harkins' evaluation of the battle's success were based on U.S. military doctrine from World War II, in which two armies fought a conventional combined arms battle with the goal to control territory. Thus, due to his strong leadership skills and popularity, Hoang was selected to take command of Viet Cong forces for operations in Ap Bac. Also, all commanders were concerned about the possible effects the .50 caliber fire of the armored personnel carriers would have when they assaulted. [1], Despite the initial success of the Strategic Hamlet Program and the intensified military operations of 1962, the events at Ap Bac placed additional pressure on Diem's government because it showed it could not cope with the resurgence of the Viet Cong, particularly in the regions surrounding the Mekong River.[59]. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. Leading up to this battle, the North Vietnamese Army was reported to have moved back into the area northeast of Con Thien, so A and B Companies of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines "The Many of their large haystacks concealed bunkers. [2]:39 Due to its location east of a town called Ap Bac, the 19 June ambush is sometimes referred to as Second Ap Bac after the disastrous Battle of Ap Bac on 2 January 1963, however that battle took place approximately 40km further west. As the shadows lengthened over the dry rice fields and dense foliage, the roar of machine-gun fire and exploding grenades slowly died away. Besides, the area which the artillery and air were attacking had become smaller and smaller. The foxholes were deep enough for one man to stand up, or big enough to accommodate a two-man machine-gun crew. The gunship immediately attacked this group, killing an estimated 40. 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. Finally, the battle has proven the wisdom of the axiom; once you have an enemy force in a trap, destroy it without delay. Concurrently, the other companies of the battalion where dispersed to the east and north of the stream, with the mission of blocking any escaping enemy. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History. In many other cases, operations were executed on paper only, in order to report an increasing tempo of operations that did not actually exist. Occasionally the throaty whine of an armored personnel carrier would rend the eerie darkness momentarily as the carrier jockeyed on the battlefield. Nearly wipes out 514th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion 15 May 1967: 1st CAM SON riverine operation, using TF-117 boats. Dam expressed concerns about his own abilities when the promotion was first presented to him by Diem. Just when the M-113 crews closed in on their objective, a Viet Cong squad leader and his men jumped out of their foxholes and tossed grenades at the lead formation of the attack force. Several personnel carriers were hit and several troops killed and wounded. 
away! [28], The five UH-1 gunships immediately strafed Viet Cong positions with 2.75 inch rockets, but failed to suppress the enemy fire. I also lost my best friend from Alpha Company, SP4 Noel T. West who was a combat medic. It was surprised to encounter an entire NVA regiment, which counterattacked causing a bloody fight in which 3/26 suffered 300 casualties (40% including 37 KIA) and lost several tanks. [26] Task Force A's momentum was stopped when the soldiers of the leading Civil Guard battalion sought shelter in a dike, where they tried unsuccessfully to outflank the Viet Cong. [45] Cao had also lost confidence in Vann, because Cao felt Vann had placed the lives of many South Vietnamese soldiers at risk to save the lives of a handful of Americans. [46] Late in the afternoon, a flight of C-123 Providers, with about 300 South Vietnamese paratroopers aboard, closed in on their objective and quickly drew machine gun fire from the hamlet. They successfully stopped the well-equipped South Vietnamese army, supported by a combination of artillery and armored units as well as American airpower. [50] The 1st Company, 261st Battalion, led the column, followed by litter carriers carrying the dead and wounded. Leading up to this battle, the North Vietnamese Army was reported to have moved back into the area northeast of Con Thien, so A and B Companies of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines "The When recoilless fire began hitting the tracked vehicles, the die was cast. He wanted to hit the Viet Cong with 500 rounds of artillery and destroy them as they retreated. It soon became apparent that the craft would be delayed, and after a wait of more than an hour, the battalion was notified that the helicopters would not arrive because of a tactical emergency elsewhere. Home Page | Mission Statement | Memorials | Memorabilia | Battles | Our Actual EnemyResources | Special Events |
If we were going to win, the enemy must soon begin to break and run. [2] However, Diem's campaign was too successful to allow them to do nothing, and small-scale actions broke out across the country. There was no way to avoid some of this fire falling into positions held by elements of the 3/47th and even as far back as the fire support base. With the ground attacks in the north and south bogged down, Dam decided to stretch out the defending Viet Cong units by attacking the east and the west. Learn about the association, Board Members, Officers, and download a membership application form! Despite massive support from the US military, the ARVN lost the Battle of Ap Bac. 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 Medal of Honor Society said. Early on 2 May, elements of the Wild Ones composed of Company B and Company C, 3/60th, plus the battalion command post and combat support company (less elements), moved out and arrived at the attack position with out incident. 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. [20], In the days before the battle, Hoang anticipated a major attack from the South Vietnamese government, as Viet Cong intelligence agents in Dinh Tuong had reported the arrival of 71 truckloads of ammunition and other supplies from Saigon, about 65 kilometers (Bad rounding hereScript error: No such module "Math". 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. WebAt Ap Bac, for the first time, the Viet Cong fought at battalion strength and won a decisive victory against Vietnamese troops supported by American helicopters, armored vehicles, and artillery. Howitzers to screen the battalions approach. 
[55], General Paul D. Harkins, commander of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), had a far more optimistic assessment of the battle. WebOn January 2, 1963, regular army and civil guard forces of the Republic of Vietnam engaged a Viet Cong battalion at the village of Ap Bac in Dinh Tuong province, 35 miles southwest of Saigon in the Mekong Delta. Sergeant Arnold Bowers, who had ridden in the first crashed helicopter, raced back and forth to rescue injured American airmen. Welcome Home Brother ! For the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, it looked like another dry hole. Mobile Riverine Force in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1921 June 1967 against the Viet Cong (VC). After a skirmish on a highway that resulted in a small number of South Vietnamese casualties along with several trucks destroyed, Cao was called to Saigon and reprimanded by Diem. [27] However, in the early phases of the Vietnam conflict, command relationships between U.S. military units were not well-established, and American aircrews had developed a tendency to disregard the instructions of advisors, especially Vann, who was perceived to be domineering. [30] By 10:30 am, all the South Vietnamese soldiers who had landed on the field were under heavy fire from inside Ap Bac and refused to move. mi) to the northeast. Although the enemy would have suffered heavy casualties, his defeat would not have been nearly as final as the one which occurred. However, throughout the area, the small streams could be crossed only at certain points. A hundred Viet Cong died in the area. [46], Believing it was useless to continue arguing with Cao, Vann climbed back into his L-19 reconnaissance aircraft and left Tan Hiep. It brought back many memories from 40 years ago! [7] Unknown to Vann, Diem would reprimand or demote any officer who lost too many men, no matter how successful the operation. Without further delay, the commanding officer of the 3/60th ordered the attack to go in without the artillery. We welcome content contributions! This was prompted in part by the need to get as close to the enemy as possible before assaulting, plus the necessity of crossing the tracked vehicles over the two tracked vehicles, would continue to advance by using fire and maneuver within the platoons to destroy individual enemy positions as they were discovered. As it prepared to land, the main rotor was struck by enemy gunfire. [21] In addition, with information provided by Pham Xuan An, a well-connected journalist and undercover Viet Cong agent in Saigon, Hoang's soldiers conducted last-minute anti-helicopter and anti-M-113 training by studying U.S.-made weaponry and South Vietnamese plans and manuals. Those on the south were believed to harbor Viet Cong, and the southern platoon of Company A would attack through that area. But the most prevalent feeling now that the major, recognizable danger had passed, was one of elationhigh elation. [1]:107, Company B, 4/47th Infantry was moved behind Company A while Company C, 3/47th Infantry was deployed north and then began to assault towards the east joining up with Companies A and B approaching from the northwest. The C-123 pilots changed course to avoid the ground fire, but either the South Vietnamese jumpmaster or the American flight leader did not compensate for the change. WebThe Battle of July Two was a short engagement of the Vietnam War that took place along Route 561 between Gia Binh and An Kha, during Operation Buffalo. 
A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. [1]:104 The operation plan called for the deployment of five Companies of the 3rd and 4th Battalions, 47th Infantry Regiment into the operations area by assault craft and sweep south towards the ARVN 2nd Battalion, 46th Infantry blocking positions near the town of Ap Bac in Tien Giang Province. Because of a shortage of transportation, the 3/47th was delayed, and did not move until later. The break we were looking for finally came on the right (southern) flank, where the platoon was coming along the stream line. A few of the boys from our ole Reseda neighborhood had the opportunity to serve their country. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new [9] Cao used the excellent military intelligence network they had developed to find areas devoid of the Viet Cong, and planned operations only in those areas. 
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The South Vietnamese soldiers, who were pinned down on the ground, believed their ordeal was over, so they stood up to see if the Viet Cong were retreating from their positions. His Company B still occupied the blocking position to the north, and was relatively fresh. Sorry for any of the incorrect pronunciations; I'm not Vietnamese. Early on 2 May, elements of the Wild Ones composed of Company B and Company C, 3/60th, plus the battalion command post and combat support company (less elements), moved out and arrived at the attack position with out incident. Early on 2 May, elements of the Wild Ones composed of Company B and Company C, 3/60th, plus the battalion command post and combat support company (less elements), moved out and arrived at the attack position with out incident. Internet research turns up these 112 lost battles of the Vietnam war: 1. In addition, farmhouses were scattered throughout the rice paddy terrain. Contact Us. Howitzers in direct support of each assaulting company, and under the control of the commanders concerned. Explore a glossary of terms, manuals, statistics, historical accounts and reports, maps and articles by MRFA members. When reporter Neil Sheehan asked Brigadier-General Robert York what had happened, the general replied, "What the hell's it look like happened, boy. [27] Immediately, the South Vietnamese infantrymen were forced to hug the ground. The 1st Company, 514th Battalion, covered the tail of the formation, with one of their platoons acting as a rear guard. Farther to the north (about 30 meters) was another dike, parallel to the one behind which the dead lay. [8] His solution was to fill the ARVN with Catholic political cronies and friends like Cao, Le Quang Tung, and Ton That Dinh, who had little military ability, but were very likely to help stop a coup attempt. The eastern flank remained open, and he ordered both elements of the 261st and 514th Battalions, exhausted and low on ammunition, to assemble at the southern end of Ap Tan Thoi. Harkins' evaluation of the battle's success were based on U.S. military doctrine from World War II, in which two armies fought a conventional combined arms battle with the goal to control territory. Thus, due to his strong leadership skills and popularity, Hoang was selected to take command of Viet Cong forces for operations in Ap Bac. Also, all commanders were concerned about the possible effects the .50 caliber fire of the armored personnel carriers would have when they assaulted. [1], Despite the initial success of the Strategic Hamlet Program and the intensified military operations of 1962, the events at Ap Bac placed additional pressure on Diem's government because it showed it could not cope with the resurgence of the Viet Cong, particularly in the regions surrounding the Mekong River.[59]. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. Leading up to this battle, the North Vietnamese Army was reported to have moved back into the area northeast of Con Thien, so A and B Companies of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines "The Many of their large haystacks concealed bunkers. [2]:39 Due to its location east of a town called Ap Bac, the 19 June ambush is sometimes referred to as Second Ap Bac after the disastrous Battle of Ap Bac on 2 January 1963, however that battle took place approximately 40km further west. As the shadows lengthened over the dry rice fields and dense foliage, the roar of machine-gun fire and exploding grenades slowly died away. Besides, the area which the artillery and air were attacking had become smaller and smaller. The foxholes were deep enough for one man to stand up, or big enough to accommodate a two-man machine-gun crew. The gunship immediately attacked this group, killing an estimated 40. 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. Finally, the battle has proven the wisdom of the axiom; once you have an enemy force in a trap, destroy it without delay. Concurrently, the other companies of the battalion where dispersed to the east and north of the stream, with the mission of blocking any escaping enemy. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History. In many other cases, operations were executed on paper only, in order to report an increasing tempo of operations that did not actually exist. Occasionally the throaty whine of an armored personnel carrier would rend the eerie darkness momentarily as the carrier jockeyed on the battlefield. Nearly wipes out 514th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion 15 May 1967: 1st CAM SON riverine operation, using TF-117 boats. Dam expressed concerns about his own abilities when the promotion was first presented to him by Diem. Just when the M-113 crews closed in on their objective, a Viet Cong squad leader and his men jumped out of their foxholes and tossed grenades at the lead formation of the attack force. Several personnel carriers were hit and several troops killed and wounded. away! [28], The five UH-1 gunships immediately strafed Viet Cong positions with 2.75 inch rockets, but failed to suppress the enemy fire. I also lost my best friend from Alpha Company, SP4 Noel T. West who was a combat medic. It was surprised to encounter an entire NVA regiment, which counterattacked causing a bloody fight in which 3/26 suffered 300 casualties (40% including 37 KIA) and lost several tanks. [26] Task Force A's momentum was stopped when the soldiers of the leading Civil Guard battalion sought shelter in a dike, where they tried unsuccessfully to outflank the Viet Cong. [45] Cao had also lost confidence in Vann, because Cao felt Vann had placed the lives of many South Vietnamese soldiers at risk to save the lives of a handful of Americans. [46] Late in the afternoon, a flight of C-123 Providers, with about 300 South Vietnamese paratroopers aboard, closed in on their objective and quickly drew machine gun fire from the hamlet. They successfully stopped the well-equipped South Vietnamese army, supported by a combination of artillery and armored units as well as American airpower. [50] The 1st Company, 261st Battalion, led the column, followed by litter carriers carrying the dead and wounded. Leading up to this battle, the North Vietnamese Army was reported to have moved back into the area northeast of Con Thien, so A and B Companies of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines "The When recoilless fire began hitting the tracked vehicles, the die was cast. He wanted to hit the Viet Cong with 500 rounds of artillery and destroy them as they retreated. It soon became apparent that the craft would be delayed, and after a wait of more than an hour, the battalion was notified that the helicopters would not arrive because of a tactical emergency elsewhere. Home Page | Mission Statement | Memorials | Memorabilia | Battles | Our Actual EnemyResources | Special Events |
If we were going to win, the enemy must soon begin to break and run. [2] However, Diem's campaign was too successful to allow them to do nothing, and small-scale actions broke out across the country. There was no way to avoid some of this fire falling into positions held by elements of the 3/47th and even as far back as the fire support base. With the ground attacks in the north and south bogged down, Dam decided to stretch out the defending Viet Cong units by attacking the east and the west. Learn about the association, Board Members, Officers, and download a membership application form! Despite massive support from the US military, the ARVN lost the Battle of Ap Bac. 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 Medal of Honor Society said. Early on 2 May, elements of the Wild Ones composed of Company B and Company C, 3/60th, plus the battalion command post and combat support company (less elements), moved out and arrived at the attack position with out incident. 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. [20], In the days before the battle, Hoang anticipated a major attack from the South Vietnamese government, as Viet Cong intelligence agents in Dinh Tuong had reported the arrival of 71 truckloads of ammunition and other supplies from Saigon, about 65 kilometers (Bad rounding hereScript error: No such module "Math". 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. WebAt Ap Bac, for the first time, the Viet Cong fought at battalion strength and won a decisive victory against Vietnamese troops supported by American helicopters, armored vehicles, and artillery. Howitzers to screen the battalions approach. [55], General Paul D. Harkins, commander of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), had a far more optimistic assessment of the battle. WebOn January 2, 1963, regular army and civil guard forces of the Republic of Vietnam engaged a Viet Cong battalion at the village of Ap Bac in Dinh Tuong province, 35 miles southwest of Saigon in the Mekong Delta. Sergeant Arnold Bowers, who had ridden in the first crashed helicopter, raced back and forth to rescue injured American airmen. Welcome Home Brother ! For the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, it looked like another dry hole. Mobile Riverine Force in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1921 June 1967 against the Viet Cong (VC). After a skirmish on a highway that resulted in a small number of South Vietnamese casualties along with several trucks destroyed, Cao was called to Saigon and reprimanded by Diem. [27] However, in the early phases of the Vietnam conflict, command relationships between U.S. military units were not well-established, and American aircrews had developed a tendency to disregard the instructions of advisors, especially Vann, who was perceived to be domineering. [30] By 10:30 am, all the South Vietnamese soldiers who had landed on the field were under heavy fire from inside Ap Bac and refused to move. mi) to the northeast. Although the enemy would have suffered heavy casualties, his defeat would not have been nearly as final as the one which occurred. However, throughout the area, the small streams could be crossed only at certain points. A hundred Viet Cong died in the area. [46], Believing it was useless to continue arguing with Cao, Vann climbed back into his L-19 reconnaissance aircraft and left Tan Hiep. It brought back many memories from 40 years ago! [7] Unknown to Vann, Diem would reprimand or demote any officer who lost too many men, no matter how successful the operation. Without further delay, the commanding officer of the 3/60th ordered the attack to go in without the artillery. We welcome content contributions! This was prompted in part by the need to get as close to the enemy as possible before assaulting, plus the necessity of crossing the tracked vehicles over the two tracked vehicles, would continue to advance by using fire and maneuver within the platoons to destroy individual enemy positions as they were discovered. As it prepared to land, the main rotor was struck by enemy gunfire. [21] In addition, with information provided by Pham Xuan An, a well-connected journalist and undercover Viet Cong agent in Saigon, Hoang's soldiers conducted last-minute anti-helicopter and anti-M-113 training by studying U.S.-made weaponry and South Vietnamese plans and manuals. Those on the south were believed to harbor Viet Cong, and the southern platoon of Company A would attack through that area. But the most prevalent feeling now that the major, recognizable danger had passed, was one of elationhigh elation. [1]:107, Company B, 4/47th Infantry was moved behind Company A while Company C, 3/47th Infantry was deployed north and then began to assault towards the east joining up with Companies A and B approaching from the northwest. The C-123 pilots changed course to avoid the ground fire, but either the South Vietnamese jumpmaster or the American flight leader did not compensate for the change. WebThe Battle of July Two was a short engagement of the Vietnam War that took place along Route 561 between Gia Binh and An Kha, during Operation Buffalo. A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. [1]:104 The operation plan called for the deployment of five Companies of the 3rd and 4th Battalions, 47th Infantry Regiment into the operations area by assault craft and sweep south towards the ARVN 2nd Battalion, 46th Infantry blocking positions near the town of Ap Bac in Tien Giang Province. Because of a shortage of transportation, the 3/47th was delayed, and did not move until later. The break we were looking for finally came on the right (southern) flank, where the platoon was coming along the stream line. A few of the boys from our ole Reseda neighborhood had the opportunity to serve their country. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new [9] Cao used the excellent military intelligence network they had developed to find areas devoid of the Viet Cong, and planned operations only in those areas. Following this operation the aircraft would pass to the 3/47th for a similar operation. 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