Frisco-Kid
21-03-04, 09:12
Airborne Units In Vietnam
Even though we were all paratroopers, our job was no different than any other infantry unit once we were on the ground. BTW, there was only 1 combat jump made during the VN War. It was in 1966 and was made by the 173rd Abn. Bde.. The terrain and the helicopter made the tactic impracticle. I made 1 jump in VN. It was a practice jump made with a Vietnamese Airborne unit near Kontum in the Central Highlands. However, all jump-qualified personnel serving in an Airborne unit was still paid the $55/mo Jump Pay.
The Airborne units that served in VN were the 101st Abn. Div., the 173rd Abn. Bde., 1 Bde. of the 1st Cav, the 5th SF Grp., and the 3rd Bde. of the 82nd Abn. Div.. The 173rd Abn. Bde. was the first Army unit sent into VN, preceded by the Marines. Next was the 101st. It was only the 1st Bde. All 3 of these units were deployed there in mid-'65. The rest of the Div. started to be deployed there the end of '67. At that time it was starting to be converted to Airmoble, with less and less jump-qualified personnel. The 1st Cav also got there in '65. At first it had 1 Bde that was all Airborne, but it was eventually phased out. When the 82nd was deployed in FEB68, it was only the 3rd Bde.. It would only spend 19mos. in VN. So there's a brief history of the Airborne in Vietnam.
A Rifle Company In The 101st
A typical day started before daybreak. We'd be up, silently preparing for the day's hump. As the day lightened up, squad-sized clearing patrols would fan out from the laager site looking for any signs that Charlie had been in the area. If there had been any out, the listening posts would be brought in. Trip flares and Claymore mines would be gathered up.
Once the LPs and clearing patrols were safely back in the perimeter, we'd clean up the area. Fighting holes were filled in, garbage was buried, the whole place was policed of any items that might benefit the enemy. Usually the unit commander had briefed the platoon leaders the night before on the next day's objective. The CO specified the route, pace, and the next laager site.
We'd head out. The platoons rotated the point position each day. Within the platoons the squads rotated the point, also. Most often, because of the thick jungle, bamboo thickets, or elephant grass, it was necessary to cut a path through the foliage. Each of us carried a machete to hack through this stuff. In the heat and humidity few guys could last on point for more than hour or two, then a new squad would move forward to continue hacking.
The hump would continue as we forced our way to the day's objective. Most of a grunt's life is pretty boring. Rarely did we see signs of the enemy. If contact was made, it was usually initiated by the enemy. A typical contact scenario would be a sudden burst of fire. Often there would be cries of pain or calls for a medic by those hit by the initial firing. The rest of us had hit the dirt and was firing off magazines towards where we thought their positions were.
After several minutes of firing, we'd cease fire. All would be quiet and the smell of cordite would hang in the air. You'd take a personal inventory of yourself. "Good, I wasn't hit!" Clearing patrols would cautiously leave the perimeter, seeking Charlie. Search and Destroy. Dust-off, a medevac chopper, would be called in for the casualties. By the time the LZ had been cut out of the jungle, the patrols would be back. Most of the time it would be the same report: "No sign of Charlie, Sir." The chopper came in, picked up the casualties, and departed. We'd organize back into our squads and continue the hump. We'd make it to our objective, set everything up like we did the night before, and do it all over again the next day.
We'd stay out for weeks at a time; sometimes MANY weeks at a time. Rarely did we get a cold beer, a warm shower, 3 hot meals in a row, a candy bar, or a newspaper. I've gone as long as 2 weeks without mail. We'd wear the same fatigues for weeks at a time, sweat stained and blood stained [hopefully someone else's]. Our jungle boots would often be rotting off of our feet before more were choppered out to us. When fresh fatigues were brought out to us, the platoon sergeants would divvy them up to the guys that needed them the most.
When it was just the 1st Bde. in-country, Westmoreland used us as a Reactionary Force. We would stay in an area anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks, and then moved to a different part of our Area of Operation. Sometimes to a different part of the country. There were three rifle battalions in the Bde., and we were often seperated to different parts of the country.
So that's a thumbnail description of a day in the life of a 101st Trooper. Of course, there were variations. Different terrain; bigger, longer battles; ambushes set up [usually no one showed up for them]; patrolling villes; stand downs in a base camp somewhere; being taken into hot LZs etc.. And that's how I spent my all-expenses-paid Southeast Asian vacation from JUN66-JUN67.
Momma, don't let your boys grow up to be Paratroopers :lol: .
Even though we were all paratroopers, our job was no different than any other infantry unit once we were on the ground. BTW, there was only 1 combat jump made during the VN War. It was in 1966 and was made by the 173rd Abn. Bde.. The terrain and the helicopter made the tactic impracticle. I made 1 jump in VN. It was a practice jump made with a Vietnamese Airborne unit near Kontum in the Central Highlands. However, all jump-qualified personnel serving in an Airborne unit was still paid the $55/mo Jump Pay.
The Airborne units that served in VN were the 101st Abn. Div., the 173rd Abn. Bde., 1 Bde. of the 1st Cav, the 5th SF Grp., and the 3rd Bde. of the 82nd Abn. Div.. The 173rd Abn. Bde. was the first Army unit sent into VN, preceded by the Marines. Next was the 101st. It was only the 1st Bde. All 3 of these units were deployed there in mid-'65. The rest of the Div. started to be deployed there the end of '67. At that time it was starting to be converted to Airmoble, with less and less jump-qualified personnel. The 1st Cav also got there in '65. At first it had 1 Bde that was all Airborne, but it was eventually phased out. When the 82nd was deployed in FEB68, it was only the 3rd Bde.. It would only spend 19mos. in VN. So there's a brief history of the Airborne in Vietnam.
A Rifle Company In The 101st
A typical day started before daybreak. We'd be up, silently preparing for the day's hump. As the day lightened up, squad-sized clearing patrols would fan out from the laager site looking for any signs that Charlie had been in the area. If there had been any out, the listening posts would be brought in. Trip flares and Claymore mines would be gathered up.
Once the LPs and clearing patrols were safely back in the perimeter, we'd clean up the area. Fighting holes were filled in, garbage was buried, the whole place was policed of any items that might benefit the enemy. Usually the unit commander had briefed the platoon leaders the night before on the next day's objective. The CO specified the route, pace, and the next laager site.
We'd head out. The platoons rotated the point position each day. Within the platoons the squads rotated the point, also. Most often, because of the thick jungle, bamboo thickets, or elephant grass, it was necessary to cut a path through the foliage. Each of us carried a machete to hack through this stuff. In the heat and humidity few guys could last on point for more than hour or two, then a new squad would move forward to continue hacking.
The hump would continue as we forced our way to the day's objective. Most of a grunt's life is pretty boring. Rarely did we see signs of the enemy. If contact was made, it was usually initiated by the enemy. A typical contact scenario would be a sudden burst of fire. Often there would be cries of pain or calls for a medic by those hit by the initial firing. The rest of us had hit the dirt and was firing off magazines towards where we thought their positions were.
After several minutes of firing, we'd cease fire. All would be quiet and the smell of cordite would hang in the air. You'd take a personal inventory of yourself. "Good, I wasn't hit!" Clearing patrols would cautiously leave the perimeter, seeking Charlie. Search and Destroy. Dust-off, a medevac chopper, would be called in for the casualties. By the time the LZ had been cut out of the jungle, the patrols would be back. Most of the time it would be the same report: "No sign of Charlie, Sir." The chopper came in, picked up the casualties, and departed. We'd organize back into our squads and continue the hump. We'd make it to our objective, set everything up like we did the night before, and do it all over again the next day.
We'd stay out for weeks at a time; sometimes MANY weeks at a time. Rarely did we get a cold beer, a warm shower, 3 hot meals in a row, a candy bar, or a newspaper. I've gone as long as 2 weeks without mail. We'd wear the same fatigues for weeks at a time, sweat stained and blood stained [hopefully someone else's]. Our jungle boots would often be rotting off of our feet before more were choppered out to us. When fresh fatigues were brought out to us, the platoon sergeants would divvy them up to the guys that needed them the most.
When it was just the 1st Bde. in-country, Westmoreland used us as a Reactionary Force. We would stay in an area anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks, and then moved to a different part of our Area of Operation. Sometimes to a different part of the country. There were three rifle battalions in the Bde., and we were often seperated to different parts of the country.
So that's a thumbnail description of a day in the life of a 101st Trooper. Of course, there were variations. Different terrain; bigger, longer battles; ambushes set up [usually no one showed up for them]; patrolling villes; stand downs in a base camp somewhere; being taken into hot LZs etc.. And that's how I spent my all-expenses-paid Southeast Asian vacation from JUN66-JUN67.
Momma, don't let your boys grow up to be Paratroopers :lol: .