This attack broke the back of the enemys defense. Of the fifteen American helicopters sent to support the operation, only one escaped undamaged, and five were either downed or destroyed. Under the cover of darkness the Viet Cong withdrew from the battlefield, having won their first major victory. They all had to be searched and cleared, even though most were found to be unoccupied. True, our division G2 had indicated that a sizeable enemy force was in the Ap Bac area. WebThe Battle of July Two was a short engagement of the Vietnam War that took place along Route 561 between Gia Binh and An Kha, during Operation Buffalo. WebLearn about the Battle of Ap Bac, a major battle fought in Vietnam on January 2, 1963. These people won't listen. He considered the operation to be a major success: after the Viet Cong abandoned their positions, the South Vietnamese units captured the hamlets of Ap Bac and Ap Tan Thoi. [29] A second CH-21 was sent to rescue the crew, but it too was immobilized as soon as it touched the ground. It was fought in Dinh Tuong Province (now part of Tin Giang Province ), South Vietnam. Because of his attitude, neither the South Vietnamese or the Americans learned important lessons from the battle.[57]. Meanwhile, Company A, 3/60th, was formed up and waiting at the helicopter pickup site for the promised company of choppers. ft) southeast of the regiment's position. WebThe Battle of Ap Bac was on 2nd January, 1963. Thirteen men had died in the little pasture and many more had been wounded. Ap Bac Revisited - June 19, 2007 Bill Reynolds, What a pleasant surprise to sit down for breakfast on this Veterans Day, 2007, and see the front page story in The Signal about your trip back to Vietnam and your memories of the battle on June 19, 1967. Thanks for the memories on this Veterans Day, 2007. As a result, Dam could only send one company at a time onto the battlefield. Even so, it was of little help to the Viet Cong, most of whom had died. Particles of phosphorus from the heavy artillery that had lashed the area flared fitfully, lighting up shattered palms and underbrush with a ghostly glow. Company C, 3/47th Infantry would act as reserve. WebOn Sept 10, 1967, the 3rd battalion of the 26th Marines ventured forward to secure Hill 88. WebFor the VC, the Battle of Ap Bac marked the first time they stood and fought a large South Vietnamese formationdespite being outnumbered by more than five to one. Just when the M-113 crews closed in on their objective, a Viet Cong squad leader and his men jumped out of their foxholes and tossed grenades at the lead formation of the attack force. They marched south in three separate axes towards their objective. [15], An operational plan suited for an attack on a small enemy formation was drafted by Ziegler, who was an adviser to Dam and the command staff of the 7th Infantry Division. They make the same mistake over and over again in the same way". I also lost my best friend from Alpha Company, SP4 Noel T. West who was a combat medic. Mobile Riverine Force in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1921 June 1967 against the Viet Cong (VC). WebThe Battle of Ap Bac was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. But experience had shown that at best this was an educated guess, one that all too often had proved false. [43] In his final effort to defeat the Viet Cong, Vann flew into Tan Hiep and asked Cao to deploy an airborne battalion on the eastern side of Ap Bac, the most logical retreat route for the Viet Cong. They got away, that's what happened". [2], Large-scale American support began during the Kennedy Administration in the early 1960s, with the arrival of large numbers of the U.S. Special Forces to help out in the field. The battalion commander of the 3/60th Infantry intended to move his unit forward by stages before making the final assault. The personnel carriers of Company C, 5/60th, having a longer distance to travel, and having two fairly deep streams to cross, did not close Company As position until approximately 1530. In fact, if anything, the operation got off to an inauspicious start. South Vietnamese casualties included 83 killed in action and at least 100 wounded. Click most pictures to enlarge. Diem was more interested in using the military to protect his regime than to take on the Viet Cong. However, Cao argued that a surrounded and well-entrenched enemy would fight more fiercely than a retreating one, so he wanted the Viet Cong units inside the hamlets of Ap Bac and Ap Tan Thoi to expose themselves by retreating through the eastern side of the battlefield, where he could destroy them with artillery and airpower. Small-scale military actions, which would eventually escalate into the Vietnam War, started in the late 1950s, when South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem instituted an anti-Communist campaign aimed at rooting out "left behind" Viet Minh forces. A different day and a different time, when young men knew their duty and performed it well. One was the commander of the Communist forces. Meanwhile, the two companies already on the line of departure would begin the operation by advancing to a series of objectives to the north. Even though the general location of the enemy was known, the excellent camouflage and small holes customarily used by the Viet Cong made it impossible to spot exact fire positions until very close to them. 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. Then when the fire lifted to the rear of the enemy, to block his escape positions, the infantry would assault before the enemy could recover. He wanted to hit the Viet Cong with 500 rounds of artillery and destroy them as they retreated. [56] However, the Viet Cong were far more interested in exposing the weaknesses of Diem's regime and its military. Besides, the area which the artillery and air were attacking had become smaller and smaller. At that point, South Vietnamese M-113 crews backed off while firing their .50 caliber machine guns aimlessly into the sky. Company A, 3/60th, had moved forward several kilometers from the line of departure in order to remain in supporting distance of the forward companies. The battle represented the first major confrontation between ARVN forces and the NLF during the Vietnam War; it was also a significant victory for the NLF. Learning that elements of the 3/47th were in contact, and anticipating that his battalion would become involved, the commanding officer of the 3/60th ordered company B to move toward the area of contact, followed by Company A. Customarily, when major events occurred in Vietnam, there was nothing to indicate that the days operation would be other than routine. [2] However, Diem's campaign was too successful to allow them to do nothing, and small-scale actions broke out across the country. away! Not bad for a small neighborhood. Darkness finally came to the rice paddies of Dien Thoung Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, but it came slowly. The 1st Company, 514th Battalion, covered the tail of the formation, with one of their platoons acting as a rear guard. The gunship immediately attacked this group, killing an estimated 40. As the men worked their way toward the enemy, they were forced to crawl over the dead of the other unit. WebBattle Of Ap Bac January 2, 1963 Overview Historical Debates Resources Elements of the South Vietnamese 7th Infantry Division engage a smaller Viet Cong force outside the village of Ap Bac, 40 miles southwest of Saigon, in the Mekong Delta. Thus, Moyar (2008) argues that Harkins' optimistic and mis-directed doctrine negatively affected the long-term performance of the South Vietnamese military and the American advisers attached to them. Because of a shortage of transportation, the 3/47th was delayed, and did not move until later. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. They evacuated through the rice fields, taking their dead and wounded comrades. [28], Vann then ordered his pilot to make contact with the other L-19 that was leading the ten CH-21s with the first South Vietnamese reserve company from Tan Hiep. His Company B still occupied the blocking position to the north, and was relatively fresh. 19th Battle): Here's my ole pal, Roy and me showing our support. During that time, artillery support was ineffective, as Civil Guard forward observers would not stand up to observe the fall of artillery rounds. However, for the Tigers of the 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry, and especially for Company A of that unit, what had started out as a routine walk in the sun was rapidly becoming a grim one. for our troops. Three VC were killed and the others fled to the south. Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1963, National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This was the plan finally coordinated on the evening of 1 May 1967. The last battle for which two living service members received the Medal of Honor was the 1967 Battle of Ap Bac in Vietnam, a spokeswoman for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society said. [9] Cao used the excellent military intelligence network they had developed to find areas devoid of the Viet Cong, and planned operations only in those areas. The situation was such that no fire from air or artillery could be utilized due to the nearness of the opposing combatants. Web2 May 1967: Battle of Ap Bac, not riverine, but most significant battle fought to date by 2nd Brigade. I knew he had been in Charlie Company. [58] Militarily, the morale and confidence of Viet Cong commanders and soldiers, who had experienced serious setbacks during the previous year, were significantly boosted. away! The last battle for which two living service members received the Medal of Honor was the 1967 Battle of Ap Bac in Vietnam, a spokeswoman for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society said. Undeterred, the ARVN 8th Airborne Battalion launched small-unit attacks, but on each occasion they were repelled, and sporadic fighting continued until sundown. 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Shortly afterwards, three companies of the 11th Infantry Regiment were committed into battle in northern Ap Tan Thoi, but they too could not overcome the FNL soldiers who had entrenched themselves in the area. It could prevent disaster, if necessary, but its chances of successfully attacking south along the stream were slim, since semi-darkness was already covering the area. WebAs night fell, PLAF soldiers fled the battlefield to the east under the cover of darkness, securing their first pitched battle victory of the war with America and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). The assault by the 60th Infantrys Wild Ones on a Viet Cong stronghold in the Mekong was the kind you see in the movies or on the blackboard, but rarely in actual combat. Late in the afternoon, the ARVN 8th Airborne Battalion was dropped onto the battlefield and in a scene that characterized much of the day's fighting; the paratroopers were pinned down and could not break the FNL's line of defense. It was also planned to place a battery of 105-mm. By 20:00 darkness and enemy fire stopped the assault with Companies B and C, 3/47th Infantry, still some 600 meters west of the ambush site. A great way to spend Veterans Day and While these deployments were being made, the 3/47th continued to alternate intense artillery fire and air strikes the enemy position, thus effectively preventing most of them from escaping. These soldiers, infantrymen of the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry (the Wild Ones), and their attached mechanized support (Company C, 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry), were utterly exhausted and physically weak from their exertions. WebIt is the first battle since the Vietnam War in which two living service members earned the Medal of Honor. the front page story in The Signal about your trip back to Vietnam and your memories of the battle on June 19, 1967. WebOn Sept 10, 1967, the 3rd battalion of the 26th Marines ventured forward to secure Hill 88.

God bless!John W. Gerbing - MRFA Member, From Tim Johnson's sister (Tim gave the ultimate sacrifice during the June On the south, Company A was exchanging fire with most of the enemy defenders. He refused to acknowledge the flawed system under which the South Vietnamese commanders and their American counterparts operated. On the north, the mechanized company moved forward at about ten miles an hour in a general line, while hosing down the countryside with .50 caliber-fire. At the brigade commanders suggestion, it was decided to lay a heavy volume of smoke on the area, using a battery of 155-mm. WebIt is the first battle since the Vietnam War in which two living service members earned the Medal of Honor. I just finished looking through your web site and enjoyed it a lot. [41] At around 2:30 pm, defeated and with their morale broken, the 4th Mechanized Rifle Squadron disengaged from the fight and withdrew. ft) west of Ap Bac, where they were hit multiple times by Viet Cong machine gun and small arms fire. Background [ edit] Cn Giuc District in Long An Province was a VC stronghold in the Mekong Delta. WebA brief lecture on the 1963 Battle of Ap Bac. Naval Forces Vietnam Monthly Historical Supplement June 1967", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Concordia_(Vietnam)&oldid=1101635797, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1967, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Army Center of Military History, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 August 2022, at 01:43. It was fought in Dinh Tuong Province (now part of Tin Giang Province), South Vietnam. I have always been proud to have been there and I have always been proud of you, Alan, Larry, Rick, Bob and Ted. One of the Hueys returned to pick up the crews of the two downed CH-21 "Flying Bananas".

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Leading up to this battle, the North Vietnamese Army was reported to have moved back into the area northeast of Con Thien, so A and B Companies of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines "The Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History. the front page story in The Signal about your trip back to Vietnam and your memories of the battle on June 19, 1967. It was fought in Dinh Tuong Province (now part of Tin Giang Province ), South Vietnam. Explore our catalog and purchase official MRFA gear here. The 173rd and 175th companies blocked the far western position side as Task Force C, but it was not committed into battle. Unit awards, medals and ribbons, and information on applying for and obtaining your medals and ribbons. For the Wild Ones of the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, and the attached troops, the action had confirmed what they believed all along: that given the opportunity, they could whip anybody. In a short time, all of those forward were dead from multiple bullet wounds, and the platoon was temporarily wrecked as a fighting force. Two Viet Cong soldiers received North Vietnams highest military-exploit medal for winning this battle. What a pleasant surprise to sit down for breakfast on this Veterans Day, 2007, and see The M-113s approached the landing zone in single file instead of in formation, and they were immediately fired upon by Viet Cong inside the hamlet who were able to concentrate their fire on one target at a time. Then just before midday, further reinforcements were flown in from Tan Hiep, and the fifteen U.S. helicopters ferrying the troops were riddled by Viet Cong gunfire, and five helicopters were lost as a result. God bless! "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." A reinforced company, and possibly more, had been lost for the time being to the Viet Cong 514th Battalion. Following this operation the aircraft would pass to the 3/47th for a similar operation.

This UH-1 gunship was one of five helicopters shot down during the Battle of Ap Bac. Operation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. They successfully stopped the well-equipped South Vietnamese army, supported by a combination of artillery and armored units as well as American airpower. Due to the delay in the arrival of the regular South Vietnamese army units, two Civil Guard battalions of Task Forces A and Bunder the command of Dinh Tuong provincial chief Major Lam Quang Thowere left to march against enemy positions by themselves. For the artillery, it was especially difficult; the tubes were so hot from continuous use that now the rounds they fired were beginning to become erratic. [48] By the end of the day, the airborne battalion had lost 19 soldiers killed in action and another 33 wounded. If we were going to win, the enemy must soon begin to break and run. To Vann's disappointment, Cao strongly opposed the idea and decided to drop one of his airborne battalions behind the M-113 formation on the western side instead. [5], The most successful South Vietnamese force had been the 7th Infantry Division, then under the command of Colonel Huynh Van Cao.