101st

Airlift to Vietnam

History of the Division

Division Action for 1968

Vietnam Campaigns 1965-72

Unit Decorations

Brander Email

Avenger History - Back to Avenger History Page

Home - Back to Avenger Homepage

From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother

Shakespeare---

Division Commander - Major General Olinto Mark Barsant

101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION

July 1967 - July 1968Those of us who joined the 101st Airborne Division at Ft Campbell are very proud to have carried on the airborne traditions started in WWII. In Vietnam the "Screaming Eagle" transformed from an elite unit of paratroopers to a battle harden unit of airmobile solders. The transformation included several name changes.

On July 1, 1968, the division was redesignated the 101st Air Cavalry Division a name change that lasted 11 weeks. It finally becoming known as the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) and lost its jump status. Those of us from Fort Campbell continued to collect jump pay.

AIRLIFT TO VIETNAM

The operation to move the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell to South Vietnam, codenamed Operation Eagle Thrust, was the largest airlift transfer of men and equipment from the United States to Southeast Asia. Approximately 10,500 troops and 14,000 pounds of basic combat equipment were flown over 9,700 miles during a period from November 17 until late December 1967. The Division minus 1st Brigade deployed on 13 December 1967.

C-141 prepares to transport troops to South Vietnam - Fort Campbell, KY 1967

HISTORY OF THE AIRBORNE DIVISION

In the early '60s, the Army predicted a large involvement in Southeast Asia and began building up the 101st Airborne Division in addition to several other units. In July of 1965, the 101st was ordered into combat.

The 1st Brigade (Separate) of the 101st Airborne Division landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on July 29, 1965. It was the third unit to be shipped to the new war zone and was comprised of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 327th Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry. After a brief period where the Soldiers acclimated themselves and received all their equipment, the 1st Brigade (Separate) went into action.

The Brigade was ordered into the Song Con Valley, about 20 miles northeast of the town of An Khe. During one mission, the 2nd Bn, 502nd Infantry encountered heavy enemy fire at their landing zone. Three company commanders were killed and the contact was so close, air support and artillery could not be called in until they pulled back. That night, 100 sorties and 11,000 rounds of artillery hit the enemy. The next morning, the 2nd Bn 502nd Infantry was pulled out. They later discovered that they had landed in the middle of a heavily entrenched enemy base.For the rest of 1965, the 1st Brigade (Separate) continued to mount patrols and interdicted the enemy supplies lines.

At the beginning of 1966, the enemy greatly reduced its operations. In May, the enemy began massing in the Pleiku and Kontum provinces. The 1st Brigade was moved from An Khe to Dak To, a Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) base camp in the northern area of South Vietnam. Here as South Vietnamese force was surrounded by the 24th North Vietnamese Regiment. The 1st Brigade (Separate) was ordered in to reinforce the South Vietnamese position.
After evacuating the South Vietnamese forces, the 2nd Bn, 502nd Infantry established their lines inside the abandoned camp and sent C Company forward in an exposed defensive position. On the night of June 6, the 24th NVA Regiment attacked C Company in a brutal assault. In a desperate attempt to stop the enemy advance, the commander of C Company called in air strikes on top of his own position, killing NVA and Americans alike. It was a hard decision to make, but it worked. The 24th NVA Regiment pulled back long enough for A Company 1/327 Infantry to be brought in by helicopter to reinforce the C Company positions. With the arrival of A 1/327 Infantry, the 24th
NVA Regiment began to retreat.The soldiers of 1st Brigade (Separate) pursued the enemy and several large scale air attacks were called in. Hundreds of enemy soldiers were killed but the 24th NVA Regiment managed to escape into Laos.

In October and November, 1966, the 4th Infantry Division and 1st Cavalry Divisions were heavily engaged with enemy forces in the Kontum province. When it became clear that the enemy was attempting to withdraw into Laos, a massive helicopter airlift of the 1st Brigade (Separate), 101st Airborne Division landed just as the enemy was crossing into Laos and safety. Later, the 1st Brigade (Separate) was ordered into reserve at Phu Yen.

In early 1967, the 1st Brigade (Separate) acted as a rapid reaction force, reinforcing American and South Vietnamese forces when necessary and responding to enemy attacks. They had become experts in rapid helicopter assaults.

In April of 1967, the 1st Brigade (Separate) was attached to Task Force OREGON and placed under operational control of the III Marine Amphibious Force and moved to Chu Lai. At Chu Lai, the 1st Brigade (Separate) assisted in a large-scale pacification effort in the Quang Tri province. Later, the 1st Brigade (Separate) was called in to assist a Marine battalion finish off an enemy attack around Khe Sahn, which would be the scene of a long, bloody siege in 1968.

In the fall of 1967, Task Force Oregon was reorganized into the 23rd Infantry Division. Better
known as the American Division.

DIVISION ACTION FOR 1968

10 April 1968

Operation CARENTAN II: Companies A, B, and D/2/501st Airborne, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division encounter an estimated two battalions of the 812th NVA Regiment near the village of Thon Phuoc Dien 12 miles southeast of Quang Tri. Casualties: U.S. 7 KIA and 35 WIA; enemy 66 KIA. (Weider History Group; Vietnam War: The Battle for Vietnam; 40 years today-A Vietnam War Timeline).

Alpha & Delta Companies 2/501st were sent to verify the reported presence of two enemy companies entrenched in strong defensive position in the village of Phuoc Dien. In short time, both companies were pinned down and in heavy contact. It soon became obvious they would be unable to take the village without suffering heavy casualties and they would need additional reinforcements.

General Barsanti, the Division Commander, ordered the companies to “stay with the enemy’ and agreed to send them whatever they needed – which in this case was extra helicopters to bring in reinforcements. LTC Tallman, the Battalion Commander, moved Bravo Company into the fray, and by nightfall had succeeded in completely surrounding the village. American positions were established no more than ten meters apart. LTC Tallman ordered 100% alert during the night as well as continuous illumination by flare ships and artillery.Between 2000 hours that night and 0730 hours the next morning, the trapped NVA made at least 12 separate attempts to break out of the village. The next morning, 36 NVA Soldiers were found dead within hand-grenade distance of the American positions. Two dazed NVA were captured and taken prisoner. At 0800, companies Bravo and Delta assaulted the village in a coordinated attack
that met only moderate resistance. When the smoke and dust had cleared, the 2/501st had killed 70 NVA and captured 13.

May 25, 1968

The Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division continued their pursuit of the enemy in Operation Carentan II, killing 72 enemy and capturing seven weapons in scattered action. The largest action took place near Pha Tam Giang Bay five miles north of Hue.

VIETNAM CAMPAIGNS 1965-1972

The 101st Airborne Division
101st Air Cavalry
101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)
participated in 15 campaigns.

Vietnam Defense 1965
Vietnam Counteroffensive 1965-1966
Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase II 1966-1967
Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase III 1967-1968
Tet Counteroffensive 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase IV 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase V 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase VI 1968-1969
Tet 69 / Counteroffensive 1969
Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1970
Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase VII 1970-1971
Consolidation I 1971
Consolidation II 1971-1972

More about the Campaigns here.

UNIT DECORATIONS

The 101st Airborne Division
101st Air Cavalry
101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)
earn several unit decorations in Vietnam from 1965 - 1972

Presidential Unit Citation

Valorous Unit Award

Meritorious Unit Commendation

Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm

Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal

BRANDER EMAIL TO HIS MEN

The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) has demonstrated the characteristics of military professionalism since the unit's activation Aug. 15, 1942.

On August 19, 1942, the first commander, Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, promised his new recruits that the 101st has no history, but it has a "Rendezvous with Destiny."

As a division, the 101st has never failed that prophecy. During World War II, the 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop prior to the invasion. When surrounded at Bastogne, Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe answered "NUTS!" and the Screaming Eagles fought on until the siege was lifted. For their valiant efforts and heroic deeds during World War II, the 101st Airborne Division was awarded four campaign streamers and two Presidential Unit Citations.

General Order Number Five, which gave birth to the division, reads, "The 101st Airborne Division, activated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny. Like the early American pioneers whose invincible courage was the foundation stone of this nation, we have broken with the past and its traditions in order to establish our claim to the future.

"Due to the nature of our armament, and the tactics in which we shall perfect ourselves, we shall be called upon to carry out operations of far-reaching military importance and we shall habitually go into action when the need is immediate and extreme.

"Let me call you attention to the fact that our badge is the great American eagle. This is a fitting emblem for a division that will crush its enemies by falling upon them like a thunderbolt from the skies.

"The history we shall make, the record of high achievement we hope to write in the annals of the American Army and the American people, depends wholly and completely on the men of this division. Each individual, each officer and each enlisted man, must therefore regard himself as a necessary part of a complex and powerful instrument for the overcoming of the enemies of the nation. Each, in his own job, must realize that he is not only a means, but an indispensable means for obtaining the goal of victory it is, therefore, not too much to say that the future itself, in
whose molding we expect to have our share, is in the hands of the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division."

The 101st Airborne Division was reactivated as a training unit at Camp Breckinridge, Ky, again in 1950. It was reactivated again in 1954 at Fort Jackson, S.C., and in March 1956, the 101st was transferred, less personnel and equipment to Fort Campbell, Ky, to be reorganized as a combat division.

1968 YEARBOOK

Some of the soldiers had the opportunity to purchase this yearbook before leaving South Vietnam. Most of us never knew it existed.