bobdina
06-26-2009, 12:54 PM
This Day In The Vietnam War
June 26
1965 - Westmoreland given authority to commit U.S. forces
Gen. William Westmoreland, senior U.S. military commander in Vietnam, is given formal authority to commit American troops to battle when he decides they are necessary "to strengthen the relative position of the GVN [Government of Vietnam] forces." This authorization permitted Westmoreland to put his forces on the offensive. Heretofore, U.S. combat forces had been restricted to protecting U.S. airbases and other facilities.
The first major offensive by U.S. forces under this new directive was launched two days later by 3,000 troops of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, in conjunction with 800 Australian soldiers and a Vietnamese airborne unit. These forces assaulted a jungle area known as Viet Cong Zone D, 20 miles northeast of Saigon. The operation was called off after three days when it failed to make any major contact with the enemy. One American was killed, and nine Americans and four Australians were wounded.
1972 - U.S. aircraft shifted to Thailand
The shift of fighter-bomber squadrons, involving up to 150 U.S. planes and more than 2,000 pilots from Da Nang, to bases in Thailand is completed. The shift was necessitated by the pending withdrawal of the U.S. infantry brigade that provided security for flyers at Da Nang. The departure of the U.S. unit was part of President Richard Nixon's Vietnamization program that he had instituted in June 1969. Under this program, the responsibility for the war was to be gradually transferred to the South Vietnamese so U.S. forces could be withdrawn . http://vietnam-veterans.us/ also on this day in DUC PHO - The sudden flash and sharp crack of enemy mortar explosions shattered the silence. The incoming rounds signalled the beginning of a three-hour night battle which many men of the Recon Plt and Co B of the 2nd Bn, 35th Inf, will long remember.
The “Cacti” had been sweeping an area where there had been recent clashes with units of an NVA battalion. It was late afternoon when the infantrymen set up their perimeter for the night. Ambushes were set along enemy routes.
At 2:30 the first mortar rounds landed and contact was made for the third time in three days. The NVA hit the Cacti with everything they had. It was estimated 100 to 150 rounds of 60mm and 82mm mortar and recoilless rifle were fired at the infantrymen. The enemy then assaulted, supported by two machine guns, attempting to penetrate the perimeter.
Artillery immediately began to pound the charging enemy and was lifted only long enough for the gunships and “Spooky” to have their chance.
“My platoon was on ambush when the first rounds landed,” said 2LT Walter Twyford. “We moved back to the perimeter as fast as we could. The men on the perimeter were running low on ammo when we arrived after slicing through the enemy on the way in.”
The recon platoon, also on ambush, moved back to reinforce the perimeter.
Dug in behind rice paddy dikes, the Cacti fought to hold off the furious assault by the NVA unit. The enemy charge carried them close enough to throw grenades over the paddy dikes. Gunships from the 1st of the 9th Air Cav with flawless accuracy delivered their ordnance within 20 meters of the infantrymen driving back the enemy assault.
With the enemy momentum broken the Cacti swept the enemy back.
Daybreak revealed a battlefield littered with bodies of NVA. A total of 30 NVA were killed and three captured. Sixteen weapons were captured including a 57mm recoilless rifle and three light machine guns. http://www.25thida.org/TLN/tln2-25.htm#v2n25p1b
June 26
1965 - Westmoreland given authority to commit U.S. forces
Gen. William Westmoreland, senior U.S. military commander in Vietnam, is given formal authority to commit American troops to battle when he decides they are necessary "to strengthen the relative position of the GVN [Government of Vietnam] forces." This authorization permitted Westmoreland to put his forces on the offensive. Heretofore, U.S. combat forces had been restricted to protecting U.S. airbases and other facilities.
The first major offensive by U.S. forces under this new directive was launched two days later by 3,000 troops of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, in conjunction with 800 Australian soldiers and a Vietnamese airborne unit. These forces assaulted a jungle area known as Viet Cong Zone D, 20 miles northeast of Saigon. The operation was called off after three days when it failed to make any major contact with the enemy. One American was killed, and nine Americans and four Australians were wounded.
1972 - U.S. aircraft shifted to Thailand
The shift of fighter-bomber squadrons, involving up to 150 U.S. planes and more than 2,000 pilots from Da Nang, to bases in Thailand is completed. The shift was necessitated by the pending withdrawal of the U.S. infantry brigade that provided security for flyers at Da Nang. The departure of the U.S. unit was part of President Richard Nixon's Vietnamization program that he had instituted in June 1969. Under this program, the responsibility for the war was to be gradually transferred to the South Vietnamese so U.S. forces could be withdrawn . http://vietnam-veterans.us/ also on this day in DUC PHO - The sudden flash and sharp crack of enemy mortar explosions shattered the silence. The incoming rounds signalled the beginning of a three-hour night battle which many men of the Recon Plt and Co B of the 2nd Bn, 35th Inf, will long remember.
The “Cacti” had been sweeping an area where there had been recent clashes with units of an NVA battalion. It was late afternoon when the infantrymen set up their perimeter for the night. Ambushes were set along enemy routes.
At 2:30 the first mortar rounds landed and contact was made for the third time in three days. The NVA hit the Cacti with everything they had. It was estimated 100 to 150 rounds of 60mm and 82mm mortar and recoilless rifle were fired at the infantrymen. The enemy then assaulted, supported by two machine guns, attempting to penetrate the perimeter.
Artillery immediately began to pound the charging enemy and was lifted only long enough for the gunships and “Spooky” to have their chance.
“My platoon was on ambush when the first rounds landed,” said 2LT Walter Twyford. “We moved back to the perimeter as fast as we could. The men on the perimeter were running low on ammo when we arrived after slicing through the enemy on the way in.”
The recon platoon, also on ambush, moved back to reinforce the perimeter.
Dug in behind rice paddy dikes, the Cacti fought to hold off the furious assault by the NVA unit. The enemy charge carried them close enough to throw grenades over the paddy dikes. Gunships from the 1st of the 9th Air Cav with flawless accuracy delivered their ordnance within 20 meters of the infantrymen driving back the enemy assault.
With the enemy momentum broken the Cacti swept the enemy back.
Daybreak revealed a battlefield littered with bodies of NVA. A total of 30 NVA were killed and three captured. Sixteen weapons were captured including a 57mm recoilless rifle and three light machine guns. http://www.25thida.org/TLN/tln2-25.htm#v2n25p1b