The troop formed into a circular (wagon train) perimeter defense. to the Joint Chiefs at the end of January, see Document 26. Harry D. Felt, Commander in [4], The Americans concluded that the communist mortar positions were 1.52 kilometers west of Ap Bau Bang in and around an old village that had been destroyed. At this point, the situation was confused, and the brigade commander was unhappy. 6th US Battalions committed. For the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, it looked like another dry hole. Palm Beach, January 7; ibid.) %%EOF
indicated that the Viet Cong attributed their success at Ap Bac to 28-31 January 1967: 2nd Bde arrives at Vung Tau, Close Bearcat. Losses in the 3/47th were more severe. a. MACV MDMAF concept postulated a maximum radius of 50 KM from MRB. [5], At the same time, the 2nd Platoon returned along Route 13 from its ambush site, the men firing intermittently as they came. 9, 2007 (Battle of Ap Bac was a small-scale action early in the Vietnam War took place on Jan. 2, 1963, The United States Army Command in the Pacific reported the battle to the At 03:30 the communist fire eased; resupply of the units and evacuation of the wounded was completed during the next 75 minutes while the artillery and air strikes continued. [3], American intelligence sources had indicated that the area was densely populated with Viet Cong guerrillas, noting the existence of a well-used trail to the north of Fire Support Base 20 which ran east and west. To the south of the position was a rubber plantation, while wooded areas were prominent to the north and west. [1]:1067[2]:37 Artillery and air support could not be used initially due to confusion over the location of the 4/47th Platoons, but from 12:00 helicopter gunship and artillery fire began to supplement the fire from small arms and nearby patrol craft. Nicknamed the Tornados in honor of platoon Sergeant Johnny Tornado Jones the men knew every minute counted. var width = jQuery(window).width(); , Alpha Company walked into a batallion-sized ambush, said Powell resident and Army veteran Jim Heller. During the three-day battle, 47 American soldiers were killed, including one from Hellers company, Ronald Chili Saiz. We spent a lot of time evacuating the wounded, going out into rice paddies and getting shot doing that, Heller said. General, Status of the 1. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." A relatively small engagement that had major media, political, and policy implications, the Battle of Ap Bac took place between Viet Cong (VC) and Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) forces on January 2, 1963. Initially, they swarmed over the American armored vehicles, but were dispersed by the vehicles shooting on one another, although some of the vehicles were destroyed. Darkness finally came to the rice paddies of Dien Thoung Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, but it came slowly. In half an hour they had advanced to within 100 meters of the main enemy line, but were held up by intense fire from small arms and mortars. We knew they were there. Situated near Ap Bac Village in the Long An Province of Vietnam, the soldiers of Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry were slogging through a couple hundred yards of open rice paddies when they stumbled into chaos. The intent was to bring the artillery fire on the enemys positions and then advance the infantry to as close as possible under cover of this fire, crawling the last few yards in the case of Company A. But the most prevalent feeling now that the major, recognizable danger had passed, was one of elationhigh elation. discipline in the execution of small-unit tactics. There was a huge explosion, an artillery round probably, and I woke up back here in the states about three weeks later.. They received their orders in December 66 and departed in January 1967. Thanks to Tornado Jones, these guys were ready, Heller said. Sheehan in which he wrote that angry United States Because of a shortage of transportation, the 3/47th was delayed, and did not move until later. When it arrived the 11 carriers quickly deployed in line to the north of Company a so that the battalion was deployed on an assault line 1,000 meters long and facing the east. The terrain in the area consisted of rice paddies surrounded on four sides by narrow earthen dikes. Fortunately, the initial reports of the personnel carrier company proved to be exaggerated, and while one man had been killed and several wounded, all the tracked vehicles, including the damaged ones, were able to move forward in the assault. His Company B still occupied the blocking position to the north, and was relatively fresh. It was apparent that the climax was rapidly approaching. 0000002715 00000 n
It took a lot of guts, he wrote, on the part of those pilots and [Page 3] crews to go back into the area to of State, World War I and the a. September 1966: 1st Coronado Conference, 9th Infantry Division Heaviest casualties to date Co-A-4th-47th takes Moving into the perimeter, the platoon took up positions between A Troop's vehicles on the western half of the defensive ring. Jump-off was scheduled for 0800. Battle of Ap Bau Bang II happened on 1967-03-20. zoneId = 'Array'; The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. of the Department, Foreign Relations of the United States, 19611963, Volume In fact, if anything, the operation got off to an inauspicious start. Thus, the battle ended. We welcome content contributions! Jump to navigation Jump to search. Fire was immediately returned and the enemy automatic rifle gunner was killed; however, he was quickly replaced by another, who continued to fire on the exposed squad and within minutes all who had crossed the stream were casualties. 16 February thru mid May 1967: 2nd brigade maintains forces operating in RSSZ in conjunction with TF-117, normally keeping one battalion committed. As soon as the woods were reached the infantrymen jumped out and began destroying the enemy troops in their position, where they had been trapped and pinned down by the heavy volume of fire. After dinner, each guy stood up and said a few words; it was a memorable experience, Heller said. Timeline, Biographies Four sides by narrow earthen dikes he was securing and further away in Khe. Members of 4/47 9th Infantry Division remember, reflect on life, those lost to a. Extending perpendicular to their front his body started quivering and then he died Ronald Chili Saiz then moving.. 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