Military History
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Good morning RallyPoint on this, 30 May 2021, thank you for your service. Here is your history for the Vietnam War on this day, 30 May through the years of the war. Welcome home all Veterans… and to those that gave their all, …may you rest in peace...!
Today, 30 May in Vietnam War History;
30 May 1868, By proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, the first major Memorial Day observance is held to honor those who died “in defense of their country during the late rebellion.” Known to some as “Decoration Day,” mourners honored the Civil War dead by decorating their graves with flowers. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.
30 May 1960, Three U.S. Special Forces teams, a total of 46 soldiers, arrived in South Vietnam to train Vietnamese commando companies. These 4-week courses were the first formal training for counterinsurgency operations that the U.S. had provided to the ARVN.
30 May 1962, Eleanor Ardel Vietti, Archie E. Mitchell and Daniel A. Gerber, missionaries working at the Buôn Ma Thuột leper colony were abducted by the VC. None have been seen since then and Vietti is the only American woman unaccounted for from the war.
30 May 1963, More than 500 monks demonstrated in front of the National Assembly in Saigon. The Buddhists evaded a ban on public assembly by hiring four buses and filling up and pulling the blinds down. They drove around the city before the convoy stopped at the designated time and the monks disembarked. This was the first time that an open protest had been held in Saigon against Diệm in his eight years of rule. They unfurled banners and sat down for four hours before disbanding and returning to the pagodas to begin a nationwide 48-hour hunger strike organized by the Buddhist patriarch Thich Tinh Khiet.
30 May 1964, Operation Chinh Nghia, ARVN operation, 14 km southeast of Biên Hòa, Biên Hòa Province.
30 May 1965, The 32nd PAVN Regiment begins the siege of the Duc Co CIDG camp in Pleiku Province.
30 May 1965, the arrival of the following units in Vietnam; 123d Trans Co, 347th Trans Co, 1097th Trans Co, 1098th Trans Co.
30 May 1965, Viet Cong offensive began against US base at Da Nang, South Vietnam.
30 May 1966, 300 U.S. planes US airplanes bomb North Vietnam and destroyed five bridges, 17 railroad cars and 20 buildings the Thanh Hoa and Vinh areas south of Hanoi. They also attacked Highway 12 north of Mugia Pass. A U.S. spokesman attributed the unprecedented number of planes taking part in the raids to an improvement in weather conditions.
30 May 1966, China charges that US planes killed three persons during an attack on Chinese fishing boats north of the Gulf of Tonkin in international waters.
30 May 1966, Operation Quyet Thang 296, ARVN operation, Quảng Tín Province. 100 Enemy KIA, 2 ARVN MIA.
30 May – 6 June 1966, Operation Reno I, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation, III Corps.
30 May – 8 June 1966, Operation Reno, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines reconnaissance in force, vicinity of Dong Ha, Quảng Trị Province. Execution: 2/4 Marines flew from Da Nang to Dong Ha and conducted a reconnaissance-in-force operation in a 8 km-radius from the town with no contact. Results: 3 enemy killed, no US casualties.
30 May – 9 June 1966, Operation Adelaide I, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation and security for repair of Route 16, III Corps, Ong Dong Jungle, Tan Uyen, Phuoc Vinh, Bien Hoa and Binh Duong Provinces. . Execution: Operation was conducted to provide security for the1st Eng Bn upgrading Route 16 from Tan Uyen to Phuoc Vinh. In addition, a long-term project was initiated aimed at the complete penetration and reduction of the Ong Dong Jungle, a traditional VC safe haven. The area was systematically defoliated and sliced into checkerboard squares by bulldozers to provide rapid access.
30 May – 6 June 1967, Operation Tulsa, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment reconnaissance in force operation and to secure the Gia Ray rock quarry, Route 1 near Suoi Cat.
30 May – 1 July 1969, Operation Lavarack, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (ANZAC) reconnaissance in force operations, north of Nui Dat. 102 Enemy KIA, 3 Allied kIA.
30 May 1969, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, concluding a four-day visit to South Korea, tells reporters at a news conference that he would “never” agree to a coalition government with the National Liberation Front (NLF). Regarding the role of the NLF in possible elections, Thieu said, “If the communists are willing to lay down their weapons, abandon the communist ideology, and abandon atrocities, they could participate in elections.”
30 May 1971, The North Vietnamese conclude a series of 48 attacks inside South Vietnam during a 24-hour period. Included in the assaults are five allied DMZ bases, and the US air base at Danang. The following day a Saigon bomb blast levels a government building.
Today is 30 May 2021
Vietnam War Memorial facts
165 Names on the wall were born on 30 May
129 Names on the wall died on 30 May
245 men earned the Medal Of Honor in the Vietnam war and 160 of those men are listed on the wall
As of 2021, there are 58,282 names on the wall
The number of Americans still listed as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War stands at 1,586 as of 2020
Other wall information/stories/quotes & Notes in the guest book left at the wall;
“Remembering Richard "Dick" Donathan L/CPL USMC who lost his life August 10, 1966 in Vietnam at the age of 22.
Last base before being deployed to Vietnam was Kaneohe Marine Corps Station in Hawaii. Buried in his hometown - Price, Utah.
Always missed, remembered and loved. RIP Dick. ” -Unknown author.
“I visited the wall and found a classroom friend, Ronald Knosky who was killed in 1967. He was a sweet, funny guy, also known as Goosey. It brought tears to my eyes as I remember his wake and funeral. He was only 21. I touched his name and wish[ed] him peace.” – Nancy C., New Jersey
Vietnam war quotes and other interesting items;
“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it… it flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.” -Unkown Author
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;
"The legacy of heroes — the memory of a great name, and the inheritance of a great example." -Benjamin Disraeli
“And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” -Lee Greenwood
"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die." -G.K. Chesterton
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Winston Churchill
"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices." Harry S. Truman
Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for actions taken in the Vietnam War on this day 30 May in Vietnam War history. None on this date through the years of the Vietnam war.
Vietnam War
Vietnam
Military History
American History
World History
Posted 3 y ago
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30 May 1962: Eleanor Ardel Vietti, Archie E. Mitchell and Daniel A. Gerber, were missionaries working at the Buôn Ma Thuột leper colony were abducted by the VC. None have been seen since then and Vietti, a surgeon, is the only American woman unaccounted for from the war.
Early that Wednesday morning, Archie Mitchell and a missionary's son discovered three burned bridges on the road into Ban Me Thuot, one of which had a warning sign: FIX THIS BRIDGE AND OFF WILL GO YOUR HEAD.
Mitchell reported this to Dr. Vietti and the other missionaries. They agreed it could not refer to them as they were not there to harm anyone. The Viet Cong had never evidenced any ill feeling toward the resident missionaries nor the Leprosarium. It seemed in the best interest of all concerned for the assigned personnel to continue their medical ministry. Dan Gerber jumped on his tractor and left to start repair work.
Late that afternoon, Gerber took his fiance, nurse Ruth Wilting, for a walk. Dr. Vietti was in her room, nursing a painful leg ulcer. It was almost time for the staff prayer meeting, a Wednesday evening ritual, and that night it was to be at Dr. Vietti's house across the compound.
At about 7:45 p.m., about a dozen armed men, Viet Cong wearing black pajamas, appeared at the compound. Dividing into three groups, one accosted Gerber and tied him up. Another band went directly to Mitchell's houser. They ordered him outside, tied him up and led him away to join Gerber. The third group crossed over to Dr. Vietti's house and ordered her to go where the two men were being held just outside the compound.
For the next two hours the intruders rifled through the houses, taking sheets, towels, clothing and anything of value. About 10 that evening they departed in a hospital pickup truck with their captives. Not a shot had been fired. Nor had they attempted to molest any of the Vietnamese or the four missionary nurses on the compound. However, their orders to Mrs. Mitchell and the nurses were explicit: They must leave the Leprosarium the following day and not return.
The missionaries who had been left behind informed authorities in Ban Me Thuot the next morning. Almost at once, the Foreign Department initiated behind-the-scenes efforts to secure the release of the trio. American military advisers joined South Vietnamese soldiers in a search-and-rescue operation. When they got within sight of the abductors and saw they had been heavily reinforced, the senior U.S. adviser reluctantly decided not to attack. He notified the Christian & Missionary Alliance headquarters in Saigon that the rescue attempt would only bring heavy loss of life. Optimism for the captives early return waned as months went by with little information.
The missionaries who had been living at the leprosarium moved to houses in the Alliance compound at Ban Me Thuot. Tribal nurses continued to keep the hospital open with medicines and supplies obtained from the mission clinic.
During the years following their capture, a number of fierce battles were fought in the area. Still, tribesmen coming in from the jungle brought encouraging stories. One Montagnard said he had seen all three alive in a mobile VC prison camp. The Americans immediately went out and found the hospital complex where it was reportedly located, but it had been evacuated. A woman told of seeing two white men and a white woman with a group of VC and the woman had asked for a Bible. In 1967, Allied soldiers overran a VC jungle hospital and found prescriptions they claimed only an American doctor could have written. Alliance leaders kept up a continual diplomatic offensive. The American, International, Cambodian and North Vietnamese Red Cross organizations were asked to help. An appeal for intervention was made to VC political representatives in Cuba and Algiers. Other pleas went to Russia, Switzerland, and the International Control Commission. All to no avail.
PHOTO: Daniel Gerber (from left), Dr. Eleanor Ardel Vietti, and Archie Mitchell
Compiled from an account at: http://www.faraway-soclose.org/civilians.html
MSgt (Join to see) MSgt (Join to see) MAJ William Smith CPO Rob Ponce CSM Chuck Stafford CPO John Moran 1stSgt Jeff Blovat SMSgt Mark Venzeio CPT Andrew Wright MAJ Jim Woods SSG Samuel Kermon
Early that Wednesday morning, Archie Mitchell and a missionary's son discovered three burned bridges on the road into Ban Me Thuot, one of which had a warning sign: FIX THIS BRIDGE AND OFF WILL GO YOUR HEAD.
Mitchell reported this to Dr. Vietti and the other missionaries. They agreed it could not refer to them as they were not there to harm anyone. The Viet Cong had never evidenced any ill feeling toward the resident missionaries nor the Leprosarium. It seemed in the best interest of all concerned for the assigned personnel to continue their medical ministry. Dan Gerber jumped on his tractor and left to start repair work.
Late that afternoon, Gerber took his fiance, nurse Ruth Wilting, for a walk. Dr. Vietti was in her room, nursing a painful leg ulcer. It was almost time for the staff prayer meeting, a Wednesday evening ritual, and that night it was to be at Dr. Vietti's house across the compound.
At about 7:45 p.m., about a dozen armed men, Viet Cong wearing black pajamas, appeared at the compound. Dividing into three groups, one accosted Gerber and tied him up. Another band went directly to Mitchell's houser. They ordered him outside, tied him up and led him away to join Gerber. The third group crossed over to Dr. Vietti's house and ordered her to go where the two men were being held just outside the compound.
For the next two hours the intruders rifled through the houses, taking sheets, towels, clothing and anything of value. About 10 that evening they departed in a hospital pickup truck with their captives. Not a shot had been fired. Nor had they attempted to molest any of the Vietnamese or the four missionary nurses on the compound. However, their orders to Mrs. Mitchell and the nurses were explicit: They must leave the Leprosarium the following day and not return.
The missionaries who had been left behind informed authorities in Ban Me Thuot the next morning. Almost at once, the Foreign Department initiated behind-the-scenes efforts to secure the release of the trio. American military advisers joined South Vietnamese soldiers in a search-and-rescue operation. When they got within sight of the abductors and saw they had been heavily reinforced, the senior U.S. adviser reluctantly decided not to attack. He notified the Christian & Missionary Alliance headquarters in Saigon that the rescue attempt would only bring heavy loss of life. Optimism for the captives early return waned as months went by with little information.
The missionaries who had been living at the leprosarium moved to houses in the Alliance compound at Ban Me Thuot. Tribal nurses continued to keep the hospital open with medicines and supplies obtained from the mission clinic.
During the years following their capture, a number of fierce battles were fought in the area. Still, tribesmen coming in from the jungle brought encouraging stories. One Montagnard said he had seen all three alive in a mobile VC prison camp. The Americans immediately went out and found the hospital complex where it was reportedly located, but it had been evacuated. A woman told of seeing two white men and a white woman with a group of VC and the woman had asked for a Bible. In 1967, Allied soldiers overran a VC jungle hospital and found prescriptions they claimed only an American doctor could have written. Alliance leaders kept up a continual diplomatic offensive. The American, International, Cambodian and North Vietnamese Red Cross organizations were asked to help. An appeal for intervention was made to VC political representatives in Cuba and Algiers. Other pleas went to Russia, Switzerland, and the International Control Commission. All to no avail.
PHOTO: Daniel Gerber (from left), Dr. Eleanor Ardel Vietti, and Archie Mitchell
Compiled from an account at: http://www.faraway-soclose.org/civilians.html
MSgt (Join to see) MSgt (Join to see) MAJ William Smith CPO Rob Ponce CSM Chuck Stafford CPO John Moran 1stSgt Jeff Blovat SMSgt Mark Venzeio CPT Andrew Wright MAJ Jim Woods SSG Samuel Kermon
What I can do - I will - || In Loving Memory - Gerber, Mitchell, and Vietti
Remembering three civilians who were taken POW from the Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium on 30 May 1962.
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MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. You'd think 300 jet fighter-bombers could've done more damage . . .
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Thanks Chief for that history lesson on the Vietnam War for 30 May. Those Buddhist monks who haunted the Vietnamese people for so many years were a real pain in the butt for the VN leadership. Love the quotes today from all of those folks.
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1LT Voyle Smith
You do indeed keep them relevant, and we’re all very grateful for the hard you put into the problem of researching that topic.
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Excellent Memorial Day weekend history share CWO3 Dennis M. , starting with the 34 degrees this morning with a light frost Chief.
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CWO3 Dennis M.
Good Morning SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth. We are starting at 42 and we will be lucky to hit 54 today with rain and the rain will continue thru Memorial day. Why is it so cold?
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