A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. 0000001845 00000 n Vietnamese forces at Ap Bac had made a number of errors, but he 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. US forces had M113 APCs, such as these, and even a half-dozen full M48 battle tanks at their disposal. Battle of AP Bac II, in AP Bac Hamlet, CAN/GUIOC District, Long An Province. Most were shot down as the troops of Company A, seizing the break they had been waiting for, quickly overran the position. Employing 0 battalions in the field for 8 days. [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. The entire crew was wounded and evacuated. 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. We spent a lot of time evacuating the wounded, going out into rice paddies and getting shot doing that, Heller said. response to his concern. [6] Later a switch was made and the aircraft attack runs were made from east to west on the south and southwest sides of the perimeter. Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. [4], The communists increased their intensity and two M113s were hit directly, wounding several Americans and destroying the vehicle. A copy of a report 20 March 1967: 3rd Bn 47th Inf arrives at Dong Tam, 4th Bn 47th Inf operates RSSZ under OpCon Div 5th Bn (M) 60th Inf 3rd Brigade. document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>"); [2]:39 Due to its location east of a town called Ap Bac, the 19 June ambush is sometimes referred to as Second Ap Bac after the disastrous Battle of Ap Bac on 2 January 1963, however that battle took place approximately 40km further west. By now, fire from all sides was intense, but despite this, several men of the platoon crawled forward to aid the wounded, only to die themselves. 7, The Washington Post printed a front-page zoneId = '3'; General Harkins noted that the South We had great food, great company; it was just wonderful. stiff resistance was apparently encountered, contact has been maintained The men were in Park County earlier this month to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Ap Bac. 20-22 August 1967: MRF Conducts Recon in force into Parrots Beak area of LONG AN Province (along VAM CO DONG River above BEN LUC-also known ORIENTAL RIVER). To have met the enemy on his own terms after so many fruitless months of seeking him, suffering daily casualties from mines and booby traps until frustrations reached a crescendo that seared the mind and bloodied the heart; to have met the enemy and destroyed him completely, provided a joy and a sense of accomplishment that caused their hearts to glow and animated each man. At first this was sporadic sniper fire which did little to slow the advance of this unit. Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. / 10.43833N 106.19528E / 10.43833; 106.19528 The Battle of p Bc was a major battle fought on 2 January 1963 during the Vietnam War, in nh Tng Province (now part of Tin Giang Province ), South Vietnam. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. Two companies of the 3/60th were at the jump-off point, the 3/47th was en route but had not yet arrived, and one company of the 3/60th was sitting in the brigade area at Dong Tam without transportation. Trong trn p Bc, qun Vit Nam Cng Ha tn tht 83 cht v t nht 100 ngi b thng. Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! [6] The attackers were followed by a line of unarmed troops carrying ropes and wires with hooks to recover the fallen communists. Department of State, U.S. of the Secretaries of State, Travels of States helicopters carrying Vietnamese troops into battle. This answer is: Series, History of the The APC operators decided to fire their canisters on each other to remove the Viet Cong, as they were too close for an APC to clear from itself. Links to friends, affiliates and other sites you should visit! Get the recipe! The 261st Battalion was among the best Viet Cong units in the country, a fact attributable to its fine leadership. Thank you for stopping by. g. Results: heavy contact with 514th Viet Cong Battalion, and 263rd Viet Cong Main force Battalions by US and VNMC, light contact with 261st Main Force Viet Cong Battalion by the 7th ARVN. Operation in Dinh Tuoung including CAM SON and CHO CAO. The first true battle of the Vietnam War was Ap Bac. Vietnamese forces, and concluded: It also hurts here when irresponsible S. Vietnam war and noted that the battle will provide enemy with Thus, the battle ended. Chiefs of Staff which suggested that the press was painting the battle Those on the south were believed to harbor Viet Cong, and the southern platoon of Company A would attack through that area. mini-guns. b. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 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