Good Morning RallyPoint on this, 8 April 2021, thank you for your service. Here is your history for the Vietnam War on this day 8 April through the years of the war. Also today I have the honor of introducing RP members to two (2) Army Medal Of Honor recipients due to actions taken on this day 8 April in Vietnam History.... Welcome home all Veterans… and to those that gave their all, …may you rest in peace...!

Today, 8 April in Vietnam War History;

8 April 1965, Two U.S. Navy F-4B Phantom fighters flew into Chinese airspace and were tracked by radar flying over the Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island, but departed before the Chinese military could respond to an alert.

8 April 1965, A mutiny by 20 young officers ousted Admiral Chung Tấn Cang as commander of the Republic of Vietnam Navy in an action "that evidently had the government's blessing". The military junta governing South Vietnam did not order a response, and one U.S. official commented that Cang, an associate of recently ousted President Nguyen Khanh, "has been a thorn in our side", because of his lack of cooperation in moving military supplies

8 April 1965, North Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Văn Đồng responded to President Johnson's proposal for peace negotiations by announcing North Vietnam's Four Points peace formula: withdrawal of all U.S. forces from South Vietnam, neutralization of both Vietnams pending reunification, adoption of the program of the National Liberation Front [VC] for internal affairs, and reunification without foreign interference.

8 April 1965, The US flies 63 sorties against Vietcong concentrations in Kontum Province.

8 April 1966, the following units arrive in Vietnam; 377th CSG, 10th TFS, 390th, TFS, 480th TFS, 360th TEWS, 361st TEWS, 14th SPS, 377th SPS, 35th SPS, 633d SPS.

8 April 1966, The 4503d TFS departed Vietnam.

8 April 1966 – 10 April 1966, Operation Iowa, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines and 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines search and destroy operation, Quảng Tín Province.

8 April 1967, Operation Hop Tac VII, 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division search and destroy operation, Dinh Tuong Province.

8 April 1967 – 30 April 1967, Operation Oregon, Movement of units, III Corps to I Corps.
Task Force Oregon, was a United States Army division-sized unit composed of 3 separate infantry brigades, active in Quảng Ngãi and Quảng Tín Provinces, South Vietnam from April to September 1967 when it was re-designated the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal).
Purpose and composition;
In early April 1967 MACV gave instructions to commence the Task Force Oregon plan, which involved the movement of an Army task force to Đức Phổ and Chu Lai area to allow the 1st Marine Division to move north to Danang to support the 3rd Marine Division in northern I Corps.

COMUSMACV General William Westmoreland appointed his chief of staff MG William B. Rosson to command the unit, designated Oregon after Rosson's home state. MG Rosson reported directly to III Marine Amphibious Force which controlled I Corps, however he was generally free to maneuver his brigades subject to maintaining the defense of Chu Lai Air Base.

Task Force Oregon originally comprised the following units:
3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division
1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
196th Light Infantry Brigade
2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (May–August 1967)
On 1 August 1967 the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division was re-designated the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and the 4th Division's original 3rd Brigade, which had been operating with the 25th Infantry Division in III Corps since entering South Vietnam, was simultaneously re-designated the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. As more U.S. Army units arrived in South Vietnam, the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division were released back to their parent divisions and two newly arrived brigades, the 11th Infantry Brigade and the 198th Light Infantry Brigade were assigned to Task Force Oregon. In September 1967 Task Force Oregon was re-designated the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal).


8 April 1968, Khe Sanh was officially relieved after 77 days by the US 2nd Cavalry. US forces in Operation Pegasus finally retook Route 9, ending the siege of Khe Sanh. Khe Sanh had been the biggest single battle of the Vietnam War to that point. The official assessment of the North Vietnamese Army dead was just over 1,600 killed, with two divisions all but annihilated. Thousands more were probably killed by American bombing.

8 April 1968 – 19April 1968, Operation Norfolk Victory, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment clear and search operation, Nghĩa Hành District, Quảng Ngãi Province, 43 Enemy KIA, 5 US KIA.



8 April 1968 – 31 May 1968, Operation Toan Thang (Complete Victory) 42 US and 37 ARVN battalions begin the largest offensive to date in Vietnam in an operation that will last nearly two months. Operation Toan Thang (Complete Victory) is designed to destroy the Vietcong and NVA forces operating in the Capital Military District. Allied reaction to the Tet Offensive, first of a series of massive operations combining the assets and operations of the ARVN's III Corps and the American II Field Force to maintain the post-Tet pressure on the enemy and to drive all remaining PAVN/VC troops from III Corps and the Saigon area. 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division), 1st Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 199th Infantry Brigade, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment participated.
Operation;
The operation commenced on 8 April. In its first week Allied troops killed 709 VC/PAVN, in the second week 892 VC/PAVN were killed and in the last week of April 792 VC/PAVN were killed. Most of these losses resulted from squad and company-size firefights or helicopter gunship, tactical air strikes or artillery fire missions.

On the early morning of 12 April while the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division swept VC Base Area 355, a forested area 5 km northwest of the Michelin Rubber Plantation in Binh Duong Province, VC sappers from the 271st Regiment attacked the southwestern part of the night defense position of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment. The Americans returned fire as several hundred mortar rounds began to hit the position. At 04:00, a VC battalion came out of the trees and headed for the sector held by Company B. By 04:30, the VC had breached the perimeter and was threatening to push further in. At 05:00 the VC advance was stopped air and artillery strikes and the defenders were able to organize a counterattack. The reconnaissance platoon from the 3/22nd Infantry arrived to help Company B and at 06:15 a group of M113s from the 2/22nd Infantry arrived forcing the VC to break contact and withdrew by 07:00, leaving behind 153 dead. U.S. losses were 16 killed. The 3/22nd Infantry pursued the 271st Regiment and killed another 51 VC for the loss of 7 U.S. killed.

On 18 April Troop A, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment engaged a VC force in a bunker complex 19 km east of Bến Cát. The VC used CS gas against the Americans and eventually disengaged, losing at least 57 killed.

On 25 April, 2 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) and 3 RAR were deployed to the Bien Hoa-Long Khanh border (now Dong Nai Province) to join the operation in anticipation of the attack. The two 1 ATF infantry battalions were supported by their two artillery batteries - one Australian and one New Zealand, a squadron of armored personnel carriers from 3 Cavalry Regiment (A Squadron), 1 Field Squadron Royal Australian Engineers and 161 Independent Reconnaissance Flight Army Aviation. 3 RAR was replaced by 1 RAR on 3 May. On 5 May, the two 1 ATF battalions were redeployed further north into Bien Hoa Province. Search and destroy patrols saw several contacts with VC but with the attack not happening as expected the ANZAC battalion returned to its TAOR in Phuoc Tuy Province on 10 May to prepare 2 RAR and one of the two RNZIR companies for their departures from Vietnam. However for the Australians and New Zealanders subsequent actions would lead to the Battle of Coral-Balmoral.
Aftermath;
The operation was a success with allied forces claiming 7,645 VC/PAVN killed, however the operation did not prevent the VC/PAVN from launching their May Offensive attacks against Saigon.
The official PAVN history described the operation as "causing a great many difficulties for our units trying to approach their targets" for the May Offensive and "during their advance toward [Saigon] our units were forced to fight as they marched and their forces suffered attrition.”

With improved security in the countryside South Vietnamese Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support teams began returning to the villages and hamlets which had been abandoned to the VC with the start of the Tet Offensive. These teams generally found that the rural population was dismayed by the Allies’ failure to protect them in the Tet Offensive and yearning for effective security from the VC, who had been taxing and recruiting them during the preceding two months.
The operation was immediately followed by Operation Toan Thang II in the same area with the same forces.
762 South Vietnam troops KIA, 564 US KIA, 23 Others KIA, 7,645 VC/PAVN KIA 1,708 VC/PAVN Captured, 3, 098 Weapons Recovered.



8 April 1968 – 11 November 1968, Operation Burlington Trail, 198th Infantry Brigade, Security operation, border of Quảng Tín Province and Quảng Nam Provinces.
Background;
In early April 1968, the 198th Infantry Brigade moved into the Quế Sơn Valley to replace the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. On arriving the Brigade was tasked with assisting the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment and the 39th Engineer Battalion in reopening Route 533 between Tam Kỳ and Tiên Phước Camp, 20 kilometers to the southwest. Units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 2nd Division would also assist in searching the Viet Cong (VC) Base Area 117 in the mountains south of Route 533, which was believed to shelter the 72nd Main Force Battalion and the 74th Local Force Battalion.
Operation;
The operation began on 8 April when Companies C and D 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment were landed on two hilltops overlooking Route 533 10km southwest of Tam Kỳ.

On 9 April the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment was landed on Hill 218, several km west of the 1/46th Infantry positions. The 1/6th Infantry began constructing Firebase Bowman (15.49°N 108.426°E) to serve as the main fire support base for the operation.

Meanwhile Troop A and a platoon from Troop C 1/1st Cavalry, began their advance along Route 533 towards Tiên Phước. The column was ambushed by elements of the VC 72nd Main Force Battalion, but the Cavalry fought through the ambush, killing 33 VC and capturing 4.

On 10 April, a VC mortar attack hit Firebase Bowman, killing 2 Americans and wounding 8. On the afternoon of 13 April Company A 1/6th Infantry, engaged a VC platoon 5 kilometers southwest of Firebase Bowman killing 7 VC while another 19 were killed by air strikes. That evening, the VC launched an attack on Company B 1/6th Infantry's night defensive position, wounding 22 Americans.

On 14 April the Cavalry column reached Tiên Phước and by 17 April Route 533 was open to regular traffic.

Later in April the remaining companies of the 1/46th Infantry joined the operation together with Company A, 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry Regiment, which assumed responsibility for the defense of Firebase Bowman.

On 30 April, a VC force attacked Firebase Bowman losing 4 dead and wounding 8 defenders. On 1 May, Company A 1/46th Infantry, was landed 11km southwest of Bowman and was engaged by a VC force, the VC lost 31 dead before disengaging.

On 23 July elements of the 1/1st Cavalry engaged the VC 105th Local Force Company and elements of the VC 2nd Division’s engineer battalion near the southern entrance to the Quế Sơn Valley, 10km northeast of Tam Kỳ killing 68 VC.

The operation continued until 11 November 1968.
Aftermath; 1,931 VC/PAVN KIA, 129 US KIA



8 April 1969, Five waves of US B-52s raid suspected enemy camps near the Cambodian border.

8 April 1971 – 11 July 1971, Operation Montana Mustang, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division operation intended to locate and destroy enemy forces, eliminate VC infrastructure, conduct reaction/exploitation operations and assist in pacification and Vietnamization, Quảng Trị Province, 91 VC/PAVN KIA 57 US KIA.

8 April 1972, North Vietnamese 2nd Division troops drive out of Laos and Cambodia to open a third front of their offensive in the Central Highlands, attacking at Kontum and Pleiku in attempt to cut South Vietnam in two. If successful, this would give North Vietnam control of the northern half of South Vietnam. The three-front attack was part of the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive (later known as the “Easter Offensive”), which had been launched on March 30. The offensive was a massive invasion by North Vietnamese forces designed to strike the knockout blow that would win the war for the communists. The attacking force included 14 infantry divisions and 26 separate regiments, with more than 120,000 troops and approximately 1,200 tanks and other armored vehicles. North Vietnam had a number of objectives in launching the offensive: impressing the communist world and its own people with its determination; capitalizing on U.S. antiwar sentiment and possibly hurting President Richard Nixon’s chances for re-election; proving that “Vietnamization” was a failure; damaging the South Vietnamese forces and government stability; gaining as much territory as possible before a possible truce; and accelerating negotiations on their own terms. Initially, the South Vietnamese defenders in each case were almost overwhelmed, particularly in the northernmost provinces, where they abandoned their positions in Quang Tri and fled south in the face of the enemy onslaught. At Kontum and An Loc, the South Vietnamese were more successful in defending against the North Vietnamese attacks. Although the defenders suffered heavy casualties, they managed to hold out with the aid of U.S. advisors and American airpower. Fighting continued all over South Vietnam into the summer months, but eventually the South Vietnamese forces prevailed against the invaders, even retaking Quang Tri in September. With the communist invasion blunted, President Nixon declared that the South Vietnamese victory proved the viability of his Vietnamization program, instituted in 1969 to increase the combat capability of the South Vietnamese armed forces.

8 April 1972, The town of Loc Ninh was overrun.

8 April 1975, After a weeklong mission to South Vietnam, Gen. Frederick Weyand, U.S. Army Chief of Staff and former Vietnam commander, reports to Congress that South Vietnam cannot survive without additional military aid. Questioned again later by reporters who asked if South Vietnam could survive with additional aid, Weyand replied there was “a chance.” Weyand had been sent to Saigon by President Gerald Ford to assess the South Vietnamese forces and their chances for survival against the attacking North Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese were on the verge of collapse. The most recent assaults had begun in December 1974 when the North Vietnamese launched a major attack against the lightly defended province of Phuoc Long–located north of Saigon along the Cambodian border–and overran the provincial capital at Phuoc Binh on January 6, 1975. Despite previous presidential promises to aid South Vietnam in such a situation, the United States did nothing. By this time, Nixon had resigned from office and his successor, Gerald Ford, was unable to convince a hostile Congress to make good on Nixon’s earlier promises to Saigon. The situation emboldened the North Vietnamese, who launched a new campaign in March 1975, in which the South Vietnamese forces fell back in total disarray. Once again, the United States did nothing. The South Vietnamese abandoned Pleiku and Kontum in the Highlands with very little fighting. Then Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang fell to the communist onslaught. The North Vietnamese continued to attack south along the coast toward Saigon, defeating the South Vietnamese forces at each encounter. As Weyand reported to Congress, the South Vietnamese were battling three North Vietnamese divisions at Xuan Loc, the last defense line before Saigon. Indeed, it became the last battle in the defense of the Republic of South Vietnam. The South Vietnamese forces managed to hold out against the attackers until they ran out of tactical air support and weapons, finally abandoning Xuan Loc to the communists on April 21. Saigon fell to the communists on April 30.

8 April 1975, A Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) pilot dropped bombs from his F-5 on the Presidential Palace in Saigon and defected to the North Vietnamese. The bombs did little damage but caused panic in Saigon.

8 April 1975, Hearts and Minds won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Accepting the award co-producer Bert Schneider said, "It's ironic that we're here at a time just before Vietnam is about to be liberated" and then read a telegram containing "Greetings of Friendship to all American People" from Ambassador Dinh Ba Thi of the VC.


Today is 8 April 2021
Vietnam War Memorial facts
124 Names on the wall were born on 8 April
175 Names on the wall died on 8 April
245 men earned the Medal Of Honor in the Vietnam war and 160 of those men are listed on the wall

Other wall information/stories/quotes & Notes left at the wall; None today


Vietnam war quotes and other interesting items; None today


Links of interest?

Looking for a Brother or sister you served with? This might help you.
The Viet Nam Veterans Home Page to be quite useful in finding living veterans. They maintain a Lost and Found section http://www.vietvet.org/lostfnd.htm, with listings of people looking for people.

To find information on the availability of U.S. Navy deck logs during the Vietnam war era, check out this link. https://historyhub.history.gov/community/military-records/blog/2020/10/08/update-on-availability-of-vietnam-era-1956-1978-us-navy-deck-logs

Unit Reunions, Homecomings, Gatherings, Newsletters, Etc. can be found at http://www.vietvet.org/unitlist.htm
There are two replica versions of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial that tour the United States regularly. The first of them which is called The Moving Wall, has been traveling the country for almost twenty years. You can find their schedule at http://www.themovingwall.org/
Where can I find the latest information on the status of Prisoners of War and those listed as Missing in Action? A: The Library of Congress maintains POW/MIA information at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pow/powhome.html


Quotes;

“To succeed...You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.”- Tony Dorsett

"Just as our religious institutions are guaranteed freedom in this land, so also do we cherish the diversity of our faiths and the freedom afforded to each of us to pray according to the promptings of our individual conscience."- President Reagan, January 13, 1986

“Those loud voices that are occasionally heard charging that the Government is trying to solve a security problem by throwing money at it are nothing more than noise based on ignorance.”- President Reagan, March 23, 1983

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.”- William Arthur Ward

“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”- William Shakespeare



Two (2) Congressional Medal of Honor Citation for actions taken in the Vietnam War on this day 8 April in Vietnam War history. Sergeant First Class Gary Lee Littrell, US Army Ranger and Specialist Fourth Class, Don Leslie Michael, US Army.

Gary Lee Littrell (born October 26, 1944) is a retired United States Army command sergeant major who, while serving as an adviser to Army of the Republic of Vietnam's Ranger units during the Vietnam War, acted with extraordinary courage during a four-day siege on his battalion, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor action
Between April 4 and April 8, 1970, while serving on Advisory Team 21 of I Corps Advisory Group, in Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, Sergeant First Class Littrell was a Light Weapons Infantry Advisor with the 23rd Battalion, 2nd Ranger Group. The battalion was under intense mortar attack — all advisors except Littrell were killed. Unrelentingly, over four days, Littrell kept the battalion inspired, while he directed artillery and air support, distributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for the wounded, and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese in their own language. For his "sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness", he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
The Medal of Honor was presented to Littrell in a White House ceremony by President Richard Nixon on October 15, 1973.
Medal of Honor
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING Vietnam War
Service: Army
Division: U.S. Military Assistance Command
GENERAL ORDERS:
Department of the Army, General Orders No. 41 (November 5, 1973)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Gary Lee Littrell, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy aggressor forces at Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, from 4 to 8 April 1970. Sergeant First Class Littrell, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Advisory Team 21, distinguished himself while serving as a Light Weapons Infantry Advisor with the 23d Battalion, 2d Ranger Group, Republic of Vietnam Army, near Dak Seang. After establishing a defensive perimeter on a hill on 4 April the battalion was subjected to an intense enemy mortar attack which killed the Vietnamese commander, one advisor, and seriously wounded all the advisors except Sergeant First Class Littrell. During the ensuing four days, Sergeant First Class Littrell exhibited near superhuman endurance as he single-handedly bolstered the besieged battalion. Repeatedly abandoning positions of relative safety, he directed artillery and air support by day and marked the unit's location by night, despite the heavy, concentrated enemy fire. His dauntless will instilled in the men of the 23d Battalion a deep desire to resist. Assault after assault was repulsed as the battalion responded to the extraordinary leadership and personal example exhibited by Sergeant First Class Littrell as he continuously moved to those points most seriously threatened by the enemy, redistributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for the wounded and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese in their own language. When the beleaguered battalion was finally ordered to withdraw, numerous ambushes were encountered. Sergeant First Class Littrell repeatedly prevented widespread disorder by directing air strikes to within 50 meters of their position. Through his indomitable courage and complete disregard for his safety, he averted excessive loss of life and injury to the members of the battalion. The sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Sergeant First Class Littrell over an extended period of time were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him and the United States Army.
Honors;
In 1993, Littrell was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame, which serves to "honor and preserve the contributions of the most extraordinary U.S. Rangers in American history, to identify and highlight individuals as role models for current era Rangers, and to educate the public on the culture of the U.S. Army Rangers."
In later years;
Littrell retired from the army in 1985 as a command sergeant major.
As of October 2019, Littrell lives in St. Pete Beach, Florida. He makes speaking appearances as part of the Medal of Honor Foundation's Character Development Program to raise public awareness about the legacy of the Medal of Honor. Addressing area high school students, for example, he extols the importance of living a virtuous life, saying, "Integrity is the most important word in the world"


Don Leslie Michael (July 31, 1947 – April 8, 1967) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. Specialist Fourth Class Don Leslie Michael

Biography;
Michael joined the Army from Montgomery, Alabama in 1966, and by April 8, 1967 was serving as a Specialist Four in Company C, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. On that day, in the Republic of Vietnam, he single-handedly destroyed a Viet Cong bunker and was then mortally wounded while chasing the retreating enemy soldiers. For his actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Michael, aged 19 at his death, was buried at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Lexington, Alabama.


Medal of Honor
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING Vietnam War
Service: Army
Battalion: 4th Battalion
GENERAL ORDERS:
Department of the Army, General Orders No. 41 (June 13, 1969)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Specialist Fourth Class Don Leslie Michael (ASN: 14897007), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company C, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade, in action against enemy aggressor forces at Republic of Vietnam, on 8 April 1967. Specialist Fourth Class Michael was part of a platoon which was moving through an area of suspected enemy activity. While the rest of the platoon stopped to provide security, the squad to which Specialist Fourth Class Michael was assigned moved forward to investigate signs of recent enemy activity. After moving approximately 125 meters, the squad encountered a single Viet Cong soldier. When he was fired upon by the squad's machine gunner, other Viet Cong opened fire with automatic weapons from a well-concealed bunker to the squad's right front. The volume of enemy fire was so withering as to pin down the entire squad and halt all forward movement. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Specialist Fourth Class Michael exposed himself to throw two grenades, but failed to eliminate the enemy position. From his position on the left flank, Specialist Fourth Class Michael maneuvered forward with two more grenades until he was within 20 meters of the enemy bunkers, when he again exposed himself to throw two grenades, which failed to detonate. Undaunted, Specialist Fourth Class Michael made his way back to the friendly positions to obtain more grenades. With two grenades in hand, he again started his perilous move towards the enemy bunker, which by this time was under intense artillery fire from friendly positions. As he neared the bunker, an enemy soldier attacked him from a concealed position. Specialist Fourth Class Michael killed him with his rifle and, in spite of the enemy fire and the exploding artillery rounds, was successful in destroying the enemy positions. Specialist Fourth Class Michael took up pursuit of the remnants of the retreating enemy. When his comrades reached Specialist Fourth Class Michael, he had been mortally wounded. His inspiring display of determination and courage saved the lives of many of his comrades and successfully eliminated a destructive enemy force. Specialist Fourth Class Michael's actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect the utmost credit upon himself and the United States Army.