1SG Private RallyPoint Member413808<div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-19307"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image">
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<a class="fancybox" rel="dae85134024a10d4bf3f96c8c9907b33" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/019/307/for_gallery_v2/th3C89GGN1.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/019/307/large_v3/th3C89GGN1.jpg" alt="Th3c89ggn1" /></a></div></div>1962 – Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the Vietnam War, takes place.<br /><br />In December 1961, the USNS Core (T-AKV-41) docked in Saigon with 82 US Army Piasecki H-21 helicopters. A little more than 12 days later, Operation Chopper commenced. The helicopters transported over 1,000 South Vietnamese paratroopers for an assault on a suspected Viet Cong stronghold 10 miles west of Saigon.<br />The Viet Cong were surprised and soundly defeated, but they gained valuable combat experience they would later use with great effect against US troops. The paratroopers also captured a sought-after underground radio transmitter.<br />This operation heralded a new era of air mobility for the U.S. Army, which had been slowly growing as a concept since the Army formed twelve helicopter battalions in 1952 as a result of the Korean War. These new battalions eventually formed a sort of modern day cavalry for the Army.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/january-12/">http://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/january-12/</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default">
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<a target="blank" href="http://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/january-12/">January 12</a>
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<p class="pta-link-card-description">12 January 1777 - American Brigadier General Hugh Mercer died as a result of his wounds received at the Battle of Princeton and became a fallen hero and rallying symbol of the American Revolution. ...</p>
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12 JAN--This Day in US Military History2015-01-12T09:27:48-05:001SG Private RallyPoint Member413808<div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-19307"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image">
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<a href="mailto:?subject=Check this out on RallyPoint!&body=Hi, I thought you would find this interesting:%0D%0A12 JAN--This Day in US Military History%0D%0A %0D%0AHere is the link: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/12-jan-this-day-in-us-military-history"
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<a class="fancybox" rel="88084af449bf554e66b6c34f813e9014" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/019/307/for_gallery_v2/th3C89GGN1.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/019/307/large_v3/th3C89GGN1.jpg" alt="Th3c89ggn1" /></a></div></div>1962 – Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the Vietnam War, takes place.<br /><br />In December 1961, the USNS Core (T-AKV-41) docked in Saigon with 82 US Army Piasecki H-21 helicopters. A little more than 12 days later, Operation Chopper commenced. The helicopters transported over 1,000 South Vietnamese paratroopers for an assault on a suspected Viet Cong stronghold 10 miles west of Saigon.<br />The Viet Cong were surprised and soundly defeated, but they gained valuable combat experience they would later use with great effect against US troops. The paratroopers also captured a sought-after underground radio transmitter.<br />This operation heralded a new era of air mobility for the U.S. Army, which had been slowly growing as a concept since the Army formed twelve helicopter battalions in 1952 as a result of the Korean War. These new battalions eventually formed a sort of modern day cavalry for the Army.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/january-12/">http://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/january-12/</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default">
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<a target="blank" href="http://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/january-12/">January 12</a>
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<p class="pta-link-card-description">12 January 1777 - American Brigadier General Hugh Mercer died as a result of his wounds received at the Battle of Princeton and became a fallen hero and rallying symbol of the American Revolution. ...</p>
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12 JAN--This Day in US Military History2015-01-12T09:27:48-05:002015-01-12T09:27:48-05:00SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA413810<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Incredible, thank you for posting!Response by SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA made Jan 12 at 2015 9:33 AM2015-01-12T09:33:18-05:002015-01-12T09:33:18-05:00LTC Stephen C.413855<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Excellent historical perspective, <a class="dark-link bold-link" role="profile-hover" data-qtip-container="body" data-id="29149" data-source-page-controller="question_response_contents" href="/profiles/29149-25u-signal-support-systems-specialist-c-co-45th-bct-stb">1SG Private RallyPoint Member</a>! I assume this would have been the first U.S. airmobile operation? Many don't know just how soon after WWII the U.S. became involved in Vietnam. Info I read indicated we had troops there as early as 1950!Response by LTC Stephen C. made Jan 12 at 2015 9:58 AM2015-01-12T09:58:58-05:002015-01-12T09:58:58-05:002015-01-12T09:27:48-05:00