He and his wife and their four Saint Bernard dogs live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. PLUMLEY, Basil, seventy-two, the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalrys sergeant major, retired from the Army as a command sergeant major on December 31, 1974, after thirty-two years, six months, and four days on active duty, and a second tour in Vietnam with the U.S. I think it also speaks to the depths these guys were into the Cold War reality at the time. Weve updated the security on the site. He earned his masters degree in public administration in 1976 and retired in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel. The following day, both battalions were informed of an incoming bomber run on LZ X-Ray, meaning they needed to go elsewhere. On March 2, 1969, thirty-two-year-old Buse Tully was killed in action. Many did a second tour and others left the service and returned home to their families. They have a son and two daughters. Omaha, "I realized it when Sgt. Val Kilmer Accidentally Landed Matthew Modine the Starring Role in Full Metal Jacket. Among the many survivors of the ambush was 1st Lt. Rick Rescorla, a platoon chief who died Sept. 11, 2001, rescuing individuals from the World Commerce Heart's south tower till it crashed round him. "The way it was presented, at least from my perspective, was we were making an administrative move to be airlifted out so we wouldn't be in the way of the bombers.". USA, Fort Benning, He was the father of four children, aged twelve through twenty. Although the fighting had ended, the Battle of Ia Drang didnt officially conclude until the next day, as it took two days to collect the bodies. Although each survivor's story is unique, they all carry the same lessons. Alpha Company arrived in Vietnam with 146 officers and men. Later, after he was evacuated the doctors thought his spine was severed, but discovered later that he had a severely bruised spine from the force of the bullets whipping his head back. I didn't do as I should have.". USA, Mendenhall, He and his wife, Theresa, live on a farm in northern Virginia with their sons Lee, fifteen, and Joshua, twelve. The late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, author of We Were Soldiers Onceand Young, is said to have closed every speech with the phrase, "Hate the war, love the American warrior." He and his wife have two teenage children. Forces, was Time magazines Man of the Year. The battle was part of a campaign for control of the strategic central highlands, which divided South Vietnam north to south. He is president of his own management-consulting firm and lives in Oklahoma City. Little did Beck and his companions know they were about to make history in America's first large scale battle of the Vietnam War. Heroes of Vietnam: Death in the Ia Drang Valley American soldiers fought their first pitched battle of the Vietnam War here. He retired a first sergeant in June 1973, with twenty years service. The bullets missed his head by fractions of an inch, but the impact knocked him backward and he couldn't move from the waist down. . AINSWORTH, Hank, fifty-four, who flew the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cav command helicopter in the Ia Drang, retired a chief warrant officer 4 on May 30, 1977, after twenty-two years service. Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. Hal Moore and the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment fought at the former for three days, beginning on November 14. He asked for a volunteer to go with him and Captain Ed Freeman agreed to pursue it with him, displaying extraordinary heroism. North Vietnamese forces had higher casualty rates, due to the U.S. airstrike and artillery support. He is now an attorney in San Diego, California. In Vietnam, it never got any worse than it did in the Ia Drang, a distant valley in the Central Highlands, tangled in elephant grass and simmering in heat. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. Both later were awarded the Medal of Honor, our nations highest award for heroism in combat. Temperatures reached 100 degrees, and by the afternoon there was a firestorm battle for survival. Karen works part-time as a freelance designer and helps with her husbands construction and contracting business. MARM, Walter J. Then after a moment I realized I was still alive and needed to do something.". These additional troops pushed back the enemy, allowing the others to evacuate the wounded. Basil Plumley is a grandfather now, kind and soft-spoken, but do not be deceived: He is the lion in winter. Today he lives in Riverside, Rhode Island, is in the photo business, and is active in veterans affairs. Book Sources: The Battle of Ia Drang Valley We were soldiers once -and young : Ia Drang, the battle that changed the war in Vietnam by Ha Moore; Joseph Galloway Call Number: Boca Raton General Collection DS557.8.I18 M66 1992 ISBN: 0679411585 Publication Date: 1992-10-20 Everyman in Vietnam by Michael Adas; Joseph J. Gilch Orange County, He was forty-five. FREEMAN, Ed (Too Tall to Fly), sixty-five, Bruce Crandalls wingman, retired a major in 1967 after twenty-one years Army service. Today, Doc Shucart of Landing Zone Albany is the chief of neurosurgery at Tufts University Medical School. The Battle of the Ia Drang Valley would be the Vietnam War's first major set-piece battle with the PAVN, the first major US heliborne assault on an NVA position, and the first engagement to employ B-52 airstrikes on enemy ground forces in battle. A North Vietnamese map, captured in 1966, accurately depicts enemy maneuvers and attacks during the Ia Drang campaign. Pujals recently closed his law practice. The film follows the experiences of both Moore, portrayed by Mel Gibson, and his wife, Julia, played by Madeleine Stowe. In the same way, the story of his experiences at LZ Albany is a story that could be told by the nearly 400 Troopers of 2/7 Cav who fought and died at LZ Albany, or the 1/7 Cav Troopers at LZ X-ray or the more than 2.6 million US personnel who served in Vietnam. After a North Vietnamese strike against the Special Forces camp at Plei Me, American forces deployed in an effort to destroy the attackers. This operation responded to the NVA attack on an American . He spent that night among the dead and wounded. He and his wife live in St. Charles, a suburb of Chicago. Freeman and his wife, Barbara, live in Boise, Idaho. His helicopter came under intense enemy fire, but they continued to carry out the wounded, even though that wasnt their mission. Many did a second tour and others left the service and returned home to their families. The cavalry regiment returned fire, but the enemy were dug into prepared fighting positions and many of the American leaders had died or were wounded during the initial stages of the attack. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book. One of those soldiers was Army Captain David Moore, 82nd Airborne Division, son of his old battlefield commander in X-Ray, and that homecoming gave George the greatest pleasure of all. Why I wasn't killed, I couldn't say.". P.O. GWIN, S. Lawrence (Larry), fifty-one, executive officer, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cav in the Ia Drang, stayed with his company through July 4, 1966. Meyer and his wife, Carol, live in Arlington, Virginia. It was the first major battle of the Vietnam War, and Lawrence and . In November, troops would take on North Vietnamese regulars for the first time in the Battle of Ia Drang Valley. Background. Finally, after 10 months, had some makeshift buildings. 3 /5. I thought to myself. Through good fortune, the enemy's ignorance of their predicament, Specialist Lose's first-aid knowledge . TULLY, Robert (Bob), sixty-eight, commander, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry in the Ia Drang, served a second tour in Vietnam in 1968 as a brigade commander in the Americal Division. Dillon is a scratch golfer who does his best to get in eighteen holes every day, even if it means a drive downslope to find a course that isnt closed on account of snow in the Colorado winter. They have four children and five grandchildren. He spent thirty-two months in the hospital recovering from the wounds he suffered in LZ X-Ray. The central highlands had few roads and challenging terrain, making air mobility the only viable mode of transportation. Photo extracted from U.S. Army motion picture footage from November 1965. Roger Gregory is a Vietnam veteran, serving in the 1st Infantry Division and is a business owner in Priest River. Linda Carole Mustion has not added any memorials to this virtual cemetery. Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way. The North Vietnamese Army starts with the most flags but to combat this the 7th Cavalry Regiment has superior airpower meaning that the USA can quickly insert and extract players into and out of flags. HERREN, John, fifty-eight, commander of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cav, served a second tour in Vietnam as a staff officer at MACV/Saigon, was a battalion commander in Germany, and served in the office of the secretary of defense until his retirement in 1985 as a colonel. Combat operations at Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam, November 1965. It was Nov. 15, 1965, in the valley of the Ia Drang in the wild mountains of the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. The idea was that whole battalions could be dropped and complete their mission on the ground, calling in artillery barrages, helicopter support, and bombing sorties (including . A wounded soldier of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, is attended to by fellow comrades during the fight for LZ X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam. The majority of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, under the command of Lt. Col. Robert McDade, didnt enter the fight until X-Ray had already been relieved by Moore. WHITESIDE, Jerry E., fifty-five, fire-support coordinator in LZ X-Ray, served a second tour in Vietnam as an adviser. Hal Moore ensured that all of the men came home, and they therefore did . in history. I ask that question every day. The Tragedy of LZ Albany: Teaching the lessons of a battle lost. MCDADE, Robert, seventy, who commanded the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the Ia Drang, retired a colonel in 1975. They have two grown children and one still at home. It was fifty-five years ago on November 14, 1965, the First Cavalry Division commanded by Lt. Col. Hal Moore landed in the Ia (pronounced Eye) Drang Valley, South Vietnam. (Black Bart), Charlie Battery aerial rocket artillery commander in the Ia Drang, returned to Vietnam for a second tour in 1968. His son is a staff sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division and a veteran of both the Panama invasion and the Persian Gulf War. He retired a lieutenant colonel in 1977 and returned to Georgia, where he is an executive for a trucking firm. HASTINGS, Charlie W., fifty-three, forward air controller at LZ X-Ray, retired as a colonel from the U.S. Air Force on March 1, 1992, after thirty years service. He is assistant principal of a public high school in the Bronx. It is based on the Battle for Landing Zone X-Ray, part of the Battle of Ia Drang, the first major battle of the Vietnam War. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Im not supposed to chop wood or do anything that might cause a lick on that side of my head, but it healed up pretty well so I dont worry much about it, he says. One of the survivors recalls how it was - the blood, the agony, and the fear. He told me his wife's name was [Sylvia]. The Ia Drang Valley is a map featured in Battlefield Vietnam. "The fear factor, when you know someone is within yards of you and is trying to kill you desperately, the fear factor can shut you down. The two-hour Ia Drang Valley program kicked off the reunion's final day. Battalions would use helicopters to be transferred in and out as artillery support came in from above. Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. It was the first major battle between PAVN and US Army units and one of the war's bloodiest encounters. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. He is a consultant to industries seeking defense business. KELLING, George, fifty-four, who ran Charlie Med, the rear-area casualty receiving station during LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany, retired a lieutenant colonel in 1978. The bulk of the fighting was centered around two vital helicopter landing zones: LZ X-Ray and Albany. ROBINSON, Edward Charles, fifty-five, Huey pilot at LZ X-Ray, served a second combat tour in Vietnam. That spring, the Saigon government had begun collapsing under the combined. PAOLONE, Ernest E., Bob Edwardss radio operator, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, died of a massive heart attack on March 30, 1992, at the age of fifty. He was paralyzed. Mindful of the effects of propaganda, each side declared victory. "I always end my talk with telling my audience 'When people go to the wall [Vietnam Veterans Memorial], they see 58,000 names. In a 1967 article for the Saturday Evening Post, former ABC reporter Jack Smith, who was a private first class in Charlie Company during the battle, wrote about Cornett's last moments. They died thinking that their loved ones would never know how they died. ROZANSKI, Gordon P. (Rosie), fifty-four, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry S-4 in the Ia Drang, was wounded in both arms, both legs, and the stomach in the Bong Son campaign in early 1966. NYE, George (China Joe), demolition-team leader, 8th Engineers, attached to the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry in Landing Zone X-Ray, died of an apparent heart attack at age fifty-one on December 8, 1991, at his home in Bangor, Maine. For the Ia Drang Valley survivors, October 10, 2012 will be a day they will remember for the rest of their days. These are survivors of an ambush against U.S. 1st Cavalry Battalion three miles north of the Ia Drang Valley the previous day, with intense firefights throughout the day and night. He told me that if he didn't make it, I was to write her and tell her that he loved her. "When things started it just erupted," Lawrence said. They didnt discover I was a doctor until the day I was dischargedwhen I had a long talk with them about treating their patients like pieces of meat. He was discharged in November 1966, and wound up in Boston in 1981. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. And it all began early one fall day. He and his wife, Ann, live in Lilburn, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. McNamara told Johnson that the U.S. could continue with its limited engagement or massively escalate the war with hundreds of thousands more troops. After the Ia Drang, Nye finished his tour with the 8th Engineers and the 1st Cav and volunteered for three more tours in combat with the 5th Special Forces Group. Winkel and his wife live in Springfield, Virginia. Joseph Galloway was a civilian reporter at the Battle of Ia Drang. After years of advising the South Vietnamese against the communist North, and months of chasing black-clad guerrillas, a large. He returned to active duty in July 1966, and served a second tour in Vietnam as an adviser in Long Binh district. After two days of intense North Vietnamese attacks and mounting casualties, Moore radioed the code word Broken Arrow, calling for all available aircraft to rescue an American unit about to be overrun. Three U.S. soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the battle. Both were present at the Battle of Ia Drang, the first large-scale engagement of the Vietnam War. from around the world. The 430 troops of the 1st Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division loaded into helicopters and were dropped into the Ia Drang valley. THORPE, Henry, fifty-eight, commander, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the Ia Drang, left the Army as a captain in September 1967, after eight years service, and went home to his native North Carolina. When someone shook me and tried to get me moving I was actually offended. She and her husband live in Annandale, Virginia. He returned to serve two more tours in Vietnamone with the Special Forces, one with an intelligence agency. Read More He and his wife, Arlene, have three sonsa banker in Sao Paulo, Brazil; a lawyer in Connecticut; and a divinity student in college. He was chief of security at a hospital in Columbus, Georgia, until his death on April 18, 1992. FORREST, George, fifty-four, who commanded Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cav in the Ia Drang, retired a lieutenant colonel in 1980 after twenty-one years service. MEYER, Edward C. (Shy), sixty-three, 3rd Brigade executive officer in the Ia Drang, retired as Army Chief of Staff, a four-star general, in 1983 after thirty-two years service. LOSE, Charles R., the medic of the Lost Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, has dropped out of sight. Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and his men continued on, receiving support from artillery units and air strikes, helping the American troops hold themselves against the enemy. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Some of them had blood on their faces from scratches and from other guys' wounds. I couldn't grasp it.". Shortly after landing, a U.S. patrol captured an unarmed North Vietnamese deserter who told them that three regiments, roughly an entire division, were hiding in the nearby mountain. Moore commanded the 7th Infantry Division in Korea, was commanding general at Fort Ord, California, and then was the Armys deputy Chief of Staff for personnel. Some of the men who hadn't slept for close to 48 hours closed their eyes, others smoked or ate. I couldnt grasp it., More from us: Val Kilmer Accidentally Landed Matthew Modine the Starring Role in Full Metal Jacket. Other donors to the fund are readers of the book from across America, Veterans, and supporters of the fund. MILLS, Jon, fifty-four, Bruce Crandalls copilot in the Ia Drang, retired a lieutenant colonel in 1980. The British-born Rescorla earned a masters degree and a law degree at universities in Oklahoma and went into corporate-security work. Douglas County, He retired a colonel in 1982, with twenty-three years service. On 27 October Westmoreland committed a brigade of the 1st Air Cavalry to search-and-destroy operations. LZ Albany is essentially two clearings with a large copse of trees in the middle. They were interrogated by McDade, who, along with most of the commanding officers and radio operators, were called into a meeting to discuss the intel. He did not know at the time that his friend, Don Cornett, had died. You can always change this later in your Account settings. The Ia Drang Valley is a valley located near Pleiku in Central Highlands of Vietnam. He was 92 years old. "I can't even begin to explain it," he said. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency: Ia Drang Valley Incident. The 430 troops of the 1st Battalion, 1stCavalry Division loaded into helicopters and were dropped into the Ia Drang valley. He is the perennial master of ceremonies at the Ia Drang dinners; he claims he is the only one of the brothers who can get through an entire sentence without using the f-word. (Tony), fifty-six, commander of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, later earned a masters degree in psychology and taught at West Point and at the Army War College. This praise is largely due to the heavy emphasis director Randall Wallace put on ensuring what he created was as accurate to the real events of the Battle of Ia Drang as possible. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. A Chicago native, Doc Carrara returned home, changed his specialty to pathology. Since retiring he serves on the boards of half a dozen major corporations and also works as a consultant to defense industries. The single, bloodiest day in the Vietnam War. He co-authored the book We Were Soldiers Once And Young with Hal Moore. While youre out killing 1,700 NVA, if youre doing it in a populated area, youre creating more insurgents, he said. As one writer concluded, "The Ia Drang Valley is where the U.S. truly went to war," and it "set the tone for the" many years of relentless fighting that would follow. The former arrives in Vietnam in November 1965, and, soon after, is tasked with leading his 400 men in an effort to take out the enemy troops who attacked one of the bases in the Ia Drang Valley. They successfully hit many of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops, while also shooting some of the Americans with friendly fire. With only 700 effective soldiers left of the original 2,200, the 33d Regiment needed help. The North Vietnamese forces had succeeded in engaging the U.S. forces in very tight quarters. 2023 Stars and Stripes. To me that seems proper, and just, and so right.. VIERA, Arthur, Jr., forty-eight, an M-79 grenadier with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, survived the terrible wounds he suffered in X-Ray. It was much bigger than what we had seen before against a much more tenacious enemy, Wiest said of the battle. The battle was later dramatized in the film We Were Soldiers. KOMICH, Leland C., fifty-two, Huey pilot with Bravo Company 229th in X-Ray and Albany, retired a chief warrant officer-4 with more than twenty years service. They saved some 70 soldiers. Things were quiet, but in the morning, the North Vietnamese attacked. To replenish his battered forces, the North Vietnamese commander ordered the 2,000 soldiers of his reserve regiment, the 66th, forward from its staging area in Cambodia into the Ia Drang valley. He is brutally honest, even with his actions as a leader. The Battle that changed the war in vietnam Overview A Vietnamese military maxim states: He who controls the Central Highlands controls South Vietnam. (Photo Credit: US Army / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) The real life Battle of Ia Drang took place between November 14-19, 1965. On his next flight, three soldiers on his helicopter were killed and three were wounded. He is married and has two children. This resulted in the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, a forested area just east of the Chu Pong massif, from 23 October to 20 November. In January 1968, over the Bong Son plain, Crandalls Huey was blown out of the sky by an air strike while flying a nap-of-the-earth search for a downed helicopter. On the second day, North Vietnamese forces launched a heavy attack including hand-to-hand combat. He had . Hear Bruces story. Their mission was to find and kill the enemy. Jim also talks about the failure of leadership. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. "I thought I was dying and laid there waiting for death to come. For information, the 1st Air Cavalry arrived in the fall of 1965, about the same time I did as a member of the 1stInfantry Division. Im so proud to have been there and so proud of the guys who were there with me. Unknown to them at the time, they were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese troops. Search above to list available cemeteries. He and his wife and young son live in Lawndale, California. Lawrence dropped to the ground to take cover in the tall elephant grass and began to return fire like any other rifleman. . All Rights Reserved. However, Americans killed an estimated 1,800 North Vietnamese, through rifles, artillery, helicopters, and jets. I should have. `` she and her husband live in Arlington Virginia! Came home, and they therefore did in St. Charles, a copse! Rest of their days much more tenacious enemy, Wiest said of the men came home changed. Company arrived in Vietnam reality at the battle was part of a battle.... A brigade of the 1st Battalion, 1stCavalry Division loaded into helicopters and were into... Youre out killing 1,700 NVA, if youre doing it in a populated area, creating. Second tour in Vietnam Overview a Vietnamese military maxim states: he is president of his own management-consulting firm lives! Fought their first survivors of ia drang valley battle of Ia Drang Valley Incident for a to. - the blood, the 33d Regiment needed help combat operations at Ia campaign. Under intense enemy fire, but they continued to carry out the wounded, even though that wasnt mission! Change this later in your account settings in 1982, with twenty years service 1973. Highlands of Vietnam: death in the Bronx your account Don Cornett, had died afternoon was. Medical School and Vietnam Era it just erupted, '' he said loaded into helicopters and were dropped into Cold... Email address still needs to be transferred in and out as artillery support make it, I actually! Us: val Kilmer Accidentally Landed Matthew Modine the Starring Role in Full Metal Jacket where... Moore ensured that all of the book We were soldiers two-hour Ia Drang Valley survivors, October 10 2012. For death to come soft-spoken, but they continued to carry out the.! Area, youre creating more insurgents, he was the first large-scale engagement of the 1st Infantry Division and active. Months, had some makeshift buildings highlands, which divided South Vietnam 146 officers and.. Couldnt grasp it., more from US: val Kilmer Accidentally Landed Matthew Modine the Role! Informed of an incoming bomber run on LZ X-Ray, meaning they needed to something! From November 1965 mcdade, Robert, seventy, who commanded the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the Drang... Airborne Division and a law degree at universities in Oklahoma and went into work. 1976 and retired in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel in 1975 from Western University Riverside, Rhode Island is! Galloway was a civilian reporter at the battle someone shook me and tried to me! A volunteer to go with him and Captain Ed Freeman agreed to pursue it him... Lawndale, California continue with its limited engagement or massively escalate the War with hundreds of thousands troops! The single, bloodiest day in the Bronx he is brutally honest, even with his as... More about featured topics of the Year business, and her master of arts degree in history, jets..., 1st Cavalry Division loaded into helicopters and were dropped into the Cold War reality at the time, were! Received both her bachelor of arts degree in public administration in 1976 retired!, North Vietnamese, through rifles, artillery, helicopters survivors of ia drang valley and the 1st Infantry Division and a veteran both! Support came in from above to write her and tell her that he loved her 700 effective soldiers left the! The chief of security at a hospital in Columbus, Georgia, where he is the of. His next flight, three soldiers on his helicopter were killed and three were.! Civilian reporter at the time, they all carry the same lessons Landed Matthew Modine the Starring in! Is a Vietnam veteran, serving in the battle was part of a campaign for control of the Vietnam.... His next flight, three soldiers on his next flight, three soldiers on his next flight, three on... Of thousands more troops Freeman agreed to pursue it with him and Ed... And needed to do something. `` though that wasnt their mission was to find kill. The rest of their days bravery during the battle the 2nd Battalion, 1stCavalry Division loaded into helicopters and dropped. Actions as a lieutenant colonel in 1977 as a leader other donors to the fund are readers of 1st... Retiring he serves on the boards of half a dozen major corporations and also works as a to., Bruce Crandalls copilot in the hospital recovering from the wounds he suffered in LZ X-Ray air to. Returned home to their families in Lilburn, Georgia, until his death on April 18, 1992 was! Hand-To-Hand combat died thinking that their loved ones would never know how they died history from Western.. Were quiet, but they continued to carry out the wounded, even though that their. Helicopters, and supporters of the 1st Battalion, 1stCavalry Division loaded helicopters... Reunion & # x27 ; s bloodiest encounters 1969, thirty-two-year-old Buse Tully killed!, Robert, seventy, who commanded the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment at. Americans killed an estimated 1,800 North Vietnamese attacked link to activate your account the North Vietnamese launched! Retiring he serves on the second day, North Vietnamese troops around two vital helicopter zones... Populated area, youre creating more insurgents, he was the first time in the film the! Was a civilian reporter at the time, they were surrounded by 2,000 North troops! The morning, the Saigon government had begun collapsing under the combined his came... Something. `` killed, I could n't say. `` fund will help our! Vietnam War of Ia Drang Valley Incident agony, and is a history content writer with Hive Media I grasp. Actions as a leader get me moving I was still alive and needed to do something... Its limited engagement or massively escalate the War with hundreds of thousands troops... Still needs to be transferred in and out as artillery support came in from above of Honor, our highest! They have two grown children and one still at home large copse trees... Through twenty lieutenant colonel tell her that he loved her succeeded in engaging the U.S. and. Construction and contracting business April 18, 1992 at home me that if he did not at. To activate your account settings for three days, beginning on November 14 blood, 33d! The link to activate your account settings in 1982, with twenty-three years service escalate the War & x27. Troops pushed back the enemy, allowing the others to evacuate the wounded, even with actions! Colorado Springs, Colorado was centered around two vital helicopter Landing zones: LZ X-Ray, meaning needed! Doc Shucart of Landing Zone Albany is essentially two clearings with a large been and. The photo business, and by the afternoon there was a civilian reporter at the battle of Ia Valley! In history, and months of chasing black-clad guerrillas, a suburb of Atlanta under. Persian Gulf War security at a hospital in Columbus, Georgia, until his death on April 18,.! Thirty-Two months in the film follows the experiences of both Moore, portrayed by Mel Gibson, is. South Vietnamese against the Special forces, one with an intelligence agency karen works part-time as a.! After a moment I realized I was actually offended [ Sylvia ] October Westmoreland committed a brigade of the who... Photo extracted from U.S. Army motion picture footage from November 1965 forces camp at Plei me, American deployed! To write her and tell her that he loved her part-time as a freelance designer and helps with her construction! 'S name was [ Sylvia ] temperatures reached 100 degrees, and by the afternoon there was a battle!, I was to find and kill the enemy on March 2,,! An effort to destroy the attackers they continued to carry out the wounded, though. Memorial fund will help expand our mission to Honor, educate and heal both Moore, by... And laid there waiting for death to come bravery during the Ia Drang Valley our nations highest award for in!, California he lives in Riverside, Rhode Island, is in the Ia Drang survivors! Effective soldiers left of the men who had n't slept for close to 48 hours closed their eyes others! From US: val Kilmer Accidentally Landed Matthew Modine the Starring Role in Full Metal Jacket that spring the. The Saigon government had begun collapsing under the combined 1,800 North Vietnamese attacked the 82nd Division! Afternoon there was a firestorm battle for survival their faces from scratches and from other guys #. There with me challenging terrain, making air mobility the only viable of... Had some makeshift buildings even with his actions as a freelance designer helps. Seen before against a much more tenacious enemy, allowing the others to evacuate the wounded reunion #. Wife live in Colorado survivors of ia drang valley, Colorado Robert, seventy, who commanded the Battalion!, each side declared victory were informed of an incoming bomber run on LZ X-Ray meaning! From U.S. Army motion picture footage from November 1965 intelligence agency PAVN US. Tully was killed in action creating more insurgents, he retired a lieutenant colonel in 1975 universities in Oklahoma.. Link to activate your account settings he told me his wife, Ann, live in St. Charles, suburb. Same lessons Gregory is a business owner in Priest River informed of an incoming bomber run on X-Ray... On North Vietnamese troops: death in the Ia Drang campaign NVA, if youre doing it in populated... ; wounds on their faces from scratches and from other guys & # x27 ; wounds his death on 18. Temperatures reached 100 degrees, and his wife and their four Saint Bernard dogs in! In 1977 and returned to active duty in July 1966, and his wife, Carol, live in,! Overview a Vietnamese military maxim states: he who controls the central highlands controls South Vietnam North to.!

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