Good Morning RallyPoint on this, 21 March 2021, thank you for your service. Here is your history for the Vietnam War on this day 21 March 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 21 March in Vietnam History... Welcome home all Veterans… and to those that gave their all, …may you rest in peace...!

Today, 21 March in Vietnam War History;


21 March 1955, The National Front of Bình Xuyên, Cao Đài, and Hòa Hảo demanded that Diệm form a government of "national union" and gave him 5 days to comply. Diệm ignored the demand.

21 March 1965, South Vietnamese fighter-bombers escorted by U.S. fighters bomb the North Vietnamese military base at Vu Con, 15 miles north of the 17th Parallel.

21 March 1965, MACV publicly confirms riot-control agents have been used in RVN.

21 March 1966, First 11 US River Patrol Boats arrive in Vietnam.

21 March 1966, Operation Lê Lợi 15/21, ARVN Special Forces operation, Darlac Province, 134 VC/PAVN KIA, 10 ARVN KIA 12 ARVN WIA.

21 March 1966, The 2d Bde, 1st Inf Div, relocates its base camp from Long Binh Post to Bearcat.

21 March 1966, Three enemy Bns supported by artillery attack the 1/52ARVN Bn at Vo Xu in Binh Tuy Province, 107 enemy killed, 8 detained, 12 AVN KIA, 28 ARVN WIA.

21 March 1966 – 5 May 1966, Operation Benning/Trail boss, 1st Cav Div., US security operation, II Corps, Binh Dinh Province.

21 March 1967, The following units Arrive in Vietnam, HQ 34th Eng Grp, 6-32 Art, and G/29 Art (Searchlight).

21 March 1967 – 25 March 1967, Operation New Castle, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines search and destroy operation, Quảng Nam Province.
Operation con-ducted in the southern portion of the Da Nang TAOR 4 km northwest of An Hoa. On 23 Mar, E/2/5 made significant contact with an estimated enemy battalion, killing 61. The following day, Cos E and F fell in an U-shaped ambush but both units reacted swiftly, killing 42 VCs while losing only 1 KIA. Results: 118 enemy killed, 34 detained, 5 US KIA, 55 US WIA.

21 March 1967, The North Vietnamese press agency reports that an exchange of notes took place in February between President Lyndon B. Johnson and Ho Chi Minh. The agency said that Ho rejected a proposal made by Johnson for direct talks between the United States and North Vietnam on ending the war. The North Vietnamese demanded that the United States “stop definitely and unconditionally its bombing raids and all other acts of war against North Vietnam.” The U.S. State Department confirmed the exchange of letters and expressed regret that Hanoi had divulged this information, since the secret letters were intended as a serious diplomatic attempt to end the conflict. Nothing of any consequence came from Johnson’s initiative.

21 March 1967, In South Vietnam, Operation Junction City produced what General Westmoreland described as “one of the most successful single actions of the year.” In the effort, U.S. forces killed 606 Viet Cong in Tay Ninh Province and surrounding areas along the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon. The purpose of Operation Junction City was to drive the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops away from populated areas and into the open where superior American firepower could be more effectively used against them.

21 March 1967 – 17 April 1967, Operation Portsea, 1ATF (21 Mar-17 Apr); 1st Bde, 9th Inf Div (1-17Apr); 43rd ARVN Rgt. Task organization: 1ATF: 6RAR, 101st Fld Bty, 1/11 ACR, A/2-35 Art; 1st Bde, 9th Inf Div: 3-5 Cav, 2-47 Inf( M), 2-39 Inf, A/1-11 Art, B/1-11 Art, A/1-84 Art; 43rd ARVN Rgt: 1/43 Bn, 35th Ranger Bn, 2nd Trp, 5th ACS., Search and destroy, Dat Do, Xuyen Moc, Song Rai, The Horseshoe, Phuoc Tuy Province.
PORTSEA was a combined search and destroy operation aimed at disrupting VC movement of supplies and equipment from the populated areas to the south of the Province to main force units to the north and northeast of Xuyen Moc. Phase I was conducted by the 1ATF and 43rd ARVN Rgt in an AO centered 6 km east-southeast of Dat Do. On 1 Apr, the 1st Bde, 9th Inf Div joined the operation in an AO 11 km east-northeast of Dat Do. Contact was minimal but numerous caches were found. Results: 29 enemy killed, 6 captured, 4 US KIA, 39 US WIA, 3 AUS KIA, 7 AUS WIA.

21 March 1968 – 6 April 1968, Operation Alcorn Grove, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment operation, Long Khánh Province.

21 March 1971, Daniel Ellsberg obtained a copy of the Pentagon Papers, commissioned by then-Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, from his former pentagon colleagues and showed it to Neil Sheehan, a young New York Times reporter, at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

21 March 1971, Two US platoons in Vietnam refused their orders to advance.

21 March 1971, In Laos South Vietnamese Marines at FSB Delta, south of Route 9, came under intense ground and artillery attacks. During an attempted extraction of the force, seven helicopters were shot down and another 50 were damaged, ending the evacuation attempt.

21 March 1972 – 6 October 1972, The Lavelle Affair began when USAF General John D. Lavelle, commander of Seventh Air Force, was accused of breaching the rules of engagement for reconnaissance patrols and protective reaction strikes over North Vietnam, allowing the falsifying of records to show that U.S. aircraft had been fired on and so allowing them to hit North Vietnamese targets. Lavelle would be forced to retire as a Major General.

21 March 1972, In Cambodia, more than 100 civilians are killed and 280 wounded as communist artillery and rockets strike Phnom Penh and outlying areas in the heaviest attack since the beginning of the war in 1970. Following the shelling, a communist force of 500 troops attacked and entered Takh Mau, six miles southeast of Pnom Penh, killing at least 25 civilians.

21 March 1975, As North Vietnamese forces advanced, Hue and other northern towns in South Vietnam were evacuated.

Today is 21 March 2021
Vietnam War Memorial facts
138 Names on the wall were born on 21 March
310 Names on the wall died on 21 March
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; None today


Vietnam war info of interest, Quotes, etc.

“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight- it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” ― Dwight D. Eisenhower

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;

“A hot dog at the ballpark is better than steak at the Ritz.”- Humphrey Bogart

"If Benjamin Franklin rose to invoke the Almighty as the Constitution itself was being drafted, if the Congress of the United States opens each day with prayer, then isn't it time we let God back into the classroom?" - President Reagan, July 28, 1988

"When a man has cast his longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct." - Thomas Jefferson

"Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion... in private self-defense." - U.S. President John Adams

“In America, anybody can be president. That's one of the risks you take.”- Adlai Stevenson


Two (2) Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for actions taken in the Vietnam War on this day 21 March in Vietnam War history; Master Sergeant CHARLES ERNEST HOSKING, Jr. US Army SF, and Specialist Fourth Class, Donald R. Johnston, US Army.


Charles Ernest Hosking Jr. (May 12, 1924 – March 21, 1967) was a United States Army Special Forces soldier who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the medal posthumously for holding a Viet Cong prisoner with a live grenade, taking the brunt of the blast rather than allowing the prisoner to reach several of his commanders.

Biography;
Born on May 12, 1924, in Ramsey, New Jersey, Hosking left high school to join the Canadian Army in 1941 when he was 16 years old and was discharged one month later for being underage. With his grandfathers permission, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard at the age of 17. After serving beach patrol duties he was discharged from the Coast Guard because of a heart condition in December 1942. Still wanting to serve and with the assistance of his congressman he was inducted into the Army on May 1, 1943. During World War II, Hosking served with the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. He served in Vietnam as a sergeant first class in Company A of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces Regiment. On March 21, 1967, he was working as an advisor to a Civilian Irregular Defense Group battalion in Đôn Luân district, Phuoc Long Province, when a Viet Cong sniper was captured. As Hosking prepared to transport the prisoner to base camp, the man grabbed a hand grenade from Hosking's belt, armed it, and ran towards the 4-man company command group. Hosking tackled the prisoner and held him to the ground, using the prisoner's body and his own to shield others from the grenade blast. Both he and the Viet Cong prisoner were killed in the ensuing explosion. Hosking was posthumously promoted to master sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor for this action.

Medal of Honor;
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING Vietnam War
Service: Army
Division: 1st Special Forces
GENERAL ORDERS:
Department of the Army, General Orders No. 39 (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 Sergeant Major [then Sergeant First Class] Charles Ernest Hosking, Jr. (ASN: 32919642), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, in action against enemy aggressor forces in the Republic of Vietnam, on 21 March 1967. Master Sergeant Hosking, Detachment A-302, Company A, greatly distinguished himself while serving as company advisor in the III Corps Civilian Irregular Defense Group Reaction Battalion during combat operations in Don Luan District. A Viet Cong suspect was apprehended and subsequently identified as a Viet Cong sniper. While Master Sergeant Hosking was preparing the enemy for movement back to the base camp, the prisoner suddenly grabbed a hand grenade from Master Sergeant Hosking's belt, armed the grenade, and started running towards the company command group which consisted of two Americans and two Vietnamese who were standing a few feet away. Instantly realizing that the enemy intended to kill the other men, Master Sergeant Hosking immediately leaped upon the Viet Cong's back. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he grasped the Viet Cong in a "Bear Hug" forcing the grenade against the enemy soldier's chest. He then wrestled the Viet Cong to the ground and covered the enemy's body with his body until the grenade detonated. The blast instantly killed both Master Sergeant Hosking and the Viet Cong. By absorbing the full force of the exploding grenade with his body and that of the enemy, he saved the other members of his command group from death or serious injury. Master Sergeant Hosking's risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest tradition of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

Other honors;
After Hosking's death, the Special Forces compound at Bien Hoa, RVN was named C.E. "Snake" Hosking Compound. Hosking was buried at Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Hosking Field House was dedicated in his memory in May 1971 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Hosking Way, a road off of Darlington Avenue in Ramsey, New Jersey is named in his honor. His name is on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall at Panel 17E, Line 5. Hosking is memorialized in a plaque at Veterans Park in his hometown of Ramsey.




Donald Ray Johnston (November 19, 1947 – March 21, 1969) 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.

Biography;
After graduating from Baker High School, Johnston joined the Army from his birth city of Columbus, Georgia in 1968. By March 21, 1969 was serving as a specialist four in Company D, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On that day, in Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, during Operation Toan Thang III Johnston smothered the blasts of three enemy-thrown explosives with his body, sacrificing his life to protect those around him.
Johnston, aged 21 at his death, was buried at the Fort Benning Post Cemetery in Georgia.
For his heroism, the main recruit processing building at the 30th Adjutant General in Fort Benning is named after him.
Medal of Honor;
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING Vietnam War
Service: Army
Battalion: 1st Battalion
Division: 1st Cavalry Division
GENERAL ORDERS:
Department of the Army, General Orders No. 11 (March 9, 1971)
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 Donald Ray Johnston (ASN: 53455789), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in action against enemy aggressor forces in the Republic of Vietnam, on 21 March 1969. Specialist Fourth Class Johnston distinguished himself while serving as a Mortarman with Company D, at a fire support base in Tay Ninh Province. Specialist Fourth Class Johnston's company was in defensive positions when it came under a devastating rocket and mortar attack. Under cover of the bombardment, enemy sappers broke through the defensive perimeter and began hurling explosive charges into the main defensive bunkers. Specialist Fourth Class Johnston and six of his comrades had moved from their exposed positions to one of the bunkers to continue their fight against the enemy attackers. As they were firing from the bunker, an enemy soldier threw three explosive charges into their position. Sensing the danger to his comrades, Specialist Fourth Class Johnston, with complete disregard for his safety, hurled himself onto the explosive charges, smothering the detonations with his body and shielding his fellow soldiers from the blast. His heroic action saved the lives of six of his comrades. Specialist Fourth Class Johnston's concern for his fellow men at the cost of his life were in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.