Posted on May 3, 2015
3 May - 50 years ago today in Vietnam
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The lead element of the 173rd Airborne Brigade (“Sky Soldiers”), stationed in Okinawa, departs for South Vietnam.
It was the first U.S. Army ground combat unit committed to the war. Combat elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade included the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions, 503rd Infantry; the 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Artillery; Company D, 16th Armor; Troop E, 17th Cavalry; and the 335th Aviation company. Headquartered at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon, the Brigade conducted operations to keep communist forces away from the Saigon-Bien Hoa complex. In February 1967, the Brigade conducted a combat parachute jump into a major communist base area to the north of Saigon near the Cambodian border. In November 1967, the Brigade was ordered to the Central Highlands, where they fought a major battle at Dak To against an entrenched North Vietnamese Army regiment on Hill 875. In some of the most brutal fighting of the war, the paratroopers captured the hill on Thanksgiving Day, winning the Presidential Unit Citation for bravery in action. After more than six years on the battlefield, the Brigade was withdrawn from Vietnam in August 1971. During combat service, they suffered 1,606 killed in action and 8,435 wounded in action. Twelve paratroopers of the 173rd won the Medal of Honor for conspicuous bravery in battle.
It was the first U.S. Army ground combat unit committed to the war. Combat elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade included the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions, 503rd Infantry; the 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Artillery; Company D, 16th Armor; Troop E, 17th Cavalry; and the 335th Aviation company. Headquartered at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon, the Brigade conducted operations to keep communist forces away from the Saigon-Bien Hoa complex. In February 1967, the Brigade conducted a combat parachute jump into a major communist base area to the north of Saigon near the Cambodian border. In November 1967, the Brigade was ordered to the Central Highlands, where they fought a major battle at Dak To against an entrenched North Vietnamese Army regiment on Hill 875. In some of the most brutal fighting of the war, the paratroopers captured the hill on Thanksgiving Day, winning the Presidential Unit Citation for bravery in action. After more than six years on the battlefield, the Brigade was withdrawn from Vietnam in August 1971. During combat service, they suffered 1,606 killed in action and 8,435 wounded in action. Twelve paratroopers of the 173rd won the Medal of Honor for conspicuous bravery in battle.
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S., it was on 22 February 1967, when the 173rd conducted Operation Junction City, the only combat parachute jump of the Vietnam War. I was a senior in high school.
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
LTC Stephen C. SFC Jack S.
Here is a pic of the inside of a C-119 config'd for jumping.
Positively roomy compared to the cigar pic
Here is a pic of the inside of a C-119 config'd for jumping.
Positively roomy compared to the cigar pic
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LTC Stephen C.
SFC Jack S., you can't be guilty of not knowing COL Welch! Heck, I didn't know him! I was just glad I was at jump school while he was the Director! He died in 1979.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=welch&GSfn=l&GSmn=a&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=12&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=44757148&df=all&
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=welch&GSfn=l&GSmn=a&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=12&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=44757148&df=all&
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
"Know of him" was my pay-grade.
"Know him" was way beyond my pay-grade
"Know him" was way beyond my pay-grade
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LTC Stephen C.
SFC Jack S., young friend of mine is a captain, airborne, Ranger, CIB and I don't know what else. He's in his second year of divinity school. Just decided there must be another way.
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My dad was there; recon scout...no way in hell I could even fathom going through the hardships he did on deployment (and coming back). Hats off to anyone who was there.
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
I watched Restrepo / Korengal.
That's another tale of the 173rd.
I was a combat medic assigned to 1st Inf and spent pretty much the whole time I was there outside the wire. It had NOTHING on Afghanistan / Iraq. At least we had booze and hookers.
That's another tale of the 173rd.
I was a combat medic assigned to 1st Inf and spent pretty much the whole time I was there outside the wire. It had NOTHING on Afghanistan / Iraq. At least we had booze and hookers.
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SSG Kenneth Lanning
I was in Bosnia and Iraq; Iraq was a joke for me, but Bosnia was a different story. Something about seeing kids with half of their limbs blown off every day for 6 months kind of gets to ya after awhile...
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
SSG Kenneth Lanning It's kinda sad that you don't hear more about Bosnia. The Balkans have been a war-zone for about 2,000 years it seems. I bet they have gotten pretty good at it by now.
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SSG Kenneth Lanning
To be honest, people in a civil was can blast each other to their heart's content for all I care-but leave the kids out of it, and don't leave UXO in frikkin' playgrounds.
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My Uncle was Billy Ray Schroyer and he served in Nam with 173rd. Just wondering if anyone served with him. AATW
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