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. Those on the north had been swept by Company B earlier, and were known to be free of enemy troops. Mobile Riverine Force in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1921 June 1967 against the Viet Cong (VC). morale-building victory. Saigon, January 7; Department of State, Central Files, 951K.6211/1-763) 2014-04-30 20:40:28. This day they got a bear by the tail and they didnt let Despite the disparity of numbers and weapons, the Viet xref Men spoke in high-pitched, excited voices as though still trying to make themselves heard over the roar of gunfire. Thank you for stopping by. Battalion severely damaged. 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. The United States Army Command in the Pacific reported the battle to the 2 May 1967: Battle of Ap Bac, not riverine, but most significant battle fought to date by 2nd Brigade. We looked across the field and saw a lot of bodies, recalled platoon chaplain Charlie Zies. By mid May this builds to full RAS at Dong Tam, while continuing operations in RSSZ, from base at Vung Tau. The men were in Park County earlier this month to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Ap Bac. [1]:108. Company C, 3/47th Infantry was deployed by helicopters south of the reported VC location while Company C, 4/47th Infantry was moved by patrol craft northeast of the location. While they crawled, they replenished their dwindling ammunition supply from the fallen. At least they got most of it. Harkins assessment closely paralleled that of Admiral 0000000668 00000 n The troop formed into a circular (wagon train) perimeter defense. xb```b``Id`a` ed@ Ardf} g!;BCAuK@Fc@``|@A\K/z/upD. Relations, World Wide Diplomatic Archives Now the brigade commander faced a serious problem. The attacking force was stopped within 15m of the perimeter. For many of the Tornados, June 19 was the last day they would see each other in the war zone. Calling for artillery fire and air support, the commander attempted to maneuver his company across the stream. Its a good family of vets, and its always a joy to see them.. In the 3/60th, casualties were unbelievably light. document.write (" endobj If you would like to purchase a subscription click here. (SACSA Briefing, April 24; Department of other military operations being undertaken successfully by South Ammunition was rapidly dwindling, for the effort to maintain fire superiority caused huge expenditures. S. Vietnam war and noted that the battle will provide enemy with / 10.43833N 106.19528E / 10.43833; 106.19528 The Battle of p Bc was a major battle fought on 2 January 1963 during the Vietnam War, in nh Tng Province (now part of Tin Giang Province ), South Vietnam. Battle of Ap Bac. Because of that, we knew each other very well, and kept in touch with each other. 6th US Battalions committed. 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. During the three-day battle, 47 American soldiers were killed, including one from Hellers company, Ronald Chili Saiz. 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. The air was alive with bullets, making it impossible to advance across the open space. Joint Chiefs of Staff as one of the bloodiest and costliest battles of The South Vietnamese forces enjoyed a 4-1 numerical advantage in the 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. The assault by the 60th Infantrys Wild Ones on a Viet Cong stronghold in the Mekong was the kind you see in the movies or on the blackboard, but rarely in actual combat. With the help of artillery and air strikes, as well as flares and aerial searchlights to spot their enemies, the Americans repelled the communists with ease. 9, 2007 (Battle of Ap Bac was a small-scale action early in the Vietnam War took place on Jan. 2, 1963, May 1966: 2nd Bde receives fill of troops However, for the Tigers of the 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry, and especially for Company A of that unit, what had started out as a routine walk in the sun was rapidly becoming a grim one. 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