Rather than meeting the same fate Ive prepared this paper knowing that it may still suffer errors caused by recounting experience solely from my perspective. I am not sure which alternative I reported to Colonel Tyler. Everyone helped, some to the point of exhaustion. To view our latest Digital Edition click the image on the left. They succeeded and were willing to continue to try and save more as it began to get dark. Especially with the kids. Tucker reported, They began charging in human waves with bugles blaring. I reported, We killed about 90 Viet Cong as we busted through one of their encirclements. operation hump, the first major battle between the u.s. army and the viet cong and north vietnamese forces, took place november 5-9, 1965, in south vietnam's war zone d. known as "the hump," it would change the nature of the war, escalating it from a hit-and-run guerrilla conflict to a bloody contest between communist main force units and The objective of Operation 'Hump' was to drive out Vietcong guerrilla fighters who had taken position in several key hills north of Bien Hoa, 20 miles east of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). Because of their efforts all five survived. The search operation began with the 1/RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) deployed south of the Dong Nai River and paratroopers of the lst Battalion (Airborne), 503D Infantry being lifted by helicopters from the snake pit around noon to conduct a helicopter assault on a LZ northwest of the Dong Nai and Song Be Rivers. The company closed on the new company base at approximately 0715 hours. The meeting took place in St. Petersburg. The position was no sooner establish then it was hit by yet another terrible assault. My early assessment was that we had a mess on our hands and must initially try to secure a position on the hill. I doubted that I would ever forget that message. Homeworld: Unknown. And all the heroes around the world.. At this point there was artillery fire north of hill 65. When were able to host community events on any level, it is special for us, but hosting this Veterans Day event every year is extra special, even more so this year because were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 173d Airborne and our buddy Niles Harris, said Marc Oswald, co-owner of the Grand. He was hurt too much to return anyway, they had to evacuate him. Medical evacuation helicopters, gun ships, and Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson, Commander 173D Airborne Brigade, in his command helicopter were above us. Once I accepted .the reality and reported to Colonel Tyler, my headquarters and I became very angry. The Hump The 1st Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry, in the First Major Battle of the Vietnam War $ 19.99 In stock Add to cart Add to Wishlist SKU: 9780786499250 Categories: Military History, Vietnam War Tags: Airborne, Army, PTSD, Vietnam About the Book About the Author (s) Bibliographic Details Table of Contents Book Reviews & Awards A UPI headline article appeared in the Saigon Daily News on November 9th and other headline articles appeared in the Pacific Stars and Stripes and The Saigon Post on Wednesday, November 10th. Our friend, Niles Harris, retired 25 years United States Army, the guy who gaveBig Kennyhis top hat, was one of the wounded who lived. From the Bien Hoa Air Base they sent a fire-fighting helicopter to hover above us while lowering a basket. The Hump: The First Major Battle of the Vietnam War, Jefferson, North Carolina. our paratroopers were the best our government has ever put on any battlefield. Finally, Specialist 4th Class Jerry W. Langston took over the radio, making one more effort to report. My excellent artillery team, from the 319 Artillery Battalion, brought a curtain of steel forward of us. The sad result was troops feeling sorry for themselves, second guessing each other and even blaming each other for some of their casualties. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Poll closes at Noon Friday and the winner will be announced in Saturday's print edition. Lt. Thurston reported he was taking fifty caliber fire from two directions. The dead were Lt. Thurston and Specialist 4th Class Wayne W. Humphries. Bryant, I figure the Viet Cong would have been able to hold roll call the next morning in a telephone booth. I laughed for the first time in days. I ordered the first platoon leader, First Lieutenant Michael P. DeFrancisco, to move his platoon even further to the left or south of the third platoon in order to have two platoons abreast and ready to rapidly move on line once we reached the objective. Shamblin was hurt so badly that he would be evacuated and subsequently die on November llth. He was new to the battalion and had moved with C Company on this operation. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Still not good enough; they began dropping smoke grenades trying to mark areas that had to be taken out. person will not be tolerated. My headquarters element quickly made contact with the first platoon and discovered that we were paralleling the line of march of the third platoon. Trying to confirm that report I became convinced it was highly improbable because the A Company enemy contact occurred within about two hundred and fifty meters of the battalion base. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Gen. Williamson, Capt. I hadnt anticipated this and quickly became concerned as did the troops around me. Share with Us. one of my soldiers with a speech defect felt pushed to the point that after several questions, the last of which was: How do you know you killed the enemy? responded without a stutter, Because I got his blood all over me. While they talked I would look at their weapons and equipment. Then I began the sad process of writing letters to the parents and loved ones of our dead. A mighty engagement on November 8, 1965, cost 49 paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Combat Brigade their lives with many others wounded. The answer to the first task came quickly. Sylvester Bryant, SSgt. Video footage of Putin's remarks was published by TASS. Doc Hump (1934) - Mad scientist who . The enemy had fled leaving many of their dead (some reportedly stripped of their uniforms). who was severly wounded himself but continued to care for . When you see all these guys who are dead, Harris said. The troops kept at it taking turns working on a landing zone and guarding the perimeter. B Company was to move approximately two kilometers north northeast, fan-out its three platoons and search an additional one-thousand meters in a northerly direction. Operation Hump, the first major battle between the U.S. Army and the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, took place November 5-9, 1965, in South Vietnam's War Zone D. Known as "The Hump," it would change the nature of the war, escalating it from a hit-and-run guerrilla conflict to a bloody contest between Communist main force units and American commands of battalion size or larger. "operation hump, the first major battle between the u.s. army and the viet cong and north vietnamese forces, took place november 5-9, 1965, in south vietnam's war zone d. known as "the hump," it would change the nature of the war, escalating it from a hit-and-run guerrilla conflict to a bloody contest between communist main force units and You have permission to edit this article. General Westmoreland would also be visiting my company. As we climbed the hill we spotted a series of well dug in and covered enemy positions. The second platoon quickly closed-up on us and secured the company rear. "On November 8th, 1965, the 173rd Airborne Brigade on Operation Hump, War Zone D in Vietnam, were ambushed by over 1200 V.C. 2021 Philadelphia Marathon Weekend Guide: Race Course . Get the latest headlines on local sports! I grabbed his harness and continued my climb. My final instructions were to move to the sound of the firing in the general direction of hill 65 . We won't share it with anyone else. We would call for chain saws and explosives. Both had been wounded in action in early October near Ben Cat as we penetrated the Iron Triangle. The third was seriously wounded and I wondered if he would even live. We only had his name when all radio contact was lost. The VC are estimated to have sustained 1200+ casualties in this battle, including over 400, dead. Finally, General Williamson radioed he was coming in. Our drill focused minds and energy on getting ready for the next operation, highlighted by my conduct of a stand by 100 percent inspection of everyone and everything we owned, and to whichever platoon fared the worse the honor of pulling all major details until we moved out on the next operation. OPERATION HUMP Introduction In all US wars throughout history, the US Army Infantryman has played a crucial role in the success or failure of every battle. It was unreal, like something out of films from the civil war. Choose wisely! I put my unit on the perimeter and stood on that perimeter until the last paratrooper of C Company closed the position. A 100-year-old Holocaust survivor is seen arriving to Israel after she was evacuated from Ukraine late last week by Zaka, an Israeli-based organization working to rescue Holocaust survivors from . I called for more artillery and again reported that we needed help if we were to hold. The Medal of Honor. We got a lot of questions on being ambushed and fallen into a Viet Cong trap. General Williamson took those head-on as nonsense. We agreed that they only needed to halt the fires on the east side of hill 65 as we would be attacking from the east side of the creek to get to them. While this heavenly verse frames up the Big & Rich video encapsulating their Nov. 8, 1965, shoot-out, 173d Airborne Brigade soldiers Niles Harris, Sonny Bartow, and Michael Lovelace have actually been to hell and back together and lived to tell about it. The adjustment the enemy made, as a result of our effective artillery, was to move closer to us in order to avoid the devastating fires. General William C. Westmoreland visited our wounded the following morning, November 10th. I declined. The visit of General Westmoreland was great. The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, deployed south of the Dong Nai River while the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry, conducted a helicopter assault on a LZ northwest . Regarding the fighting I did all that and I didnt enjoy it, but I didnt hate it, either because I was saving my buddies.. In preparation for his visit I called my Platoon Leaders and Platoon Sergeants together and issued my instructions. The scene of the battle for hill 65 is best captured by SP4 Joseph M. Kenny, the B Company, lst Battalion 503D Infantry artillery team radio operator (RTO) from Battery C, 3D Battalion, 319th Artillery, 173D Airborne Brigade in his poem D Zone: D ZONEBeneath the canopy of green,Flitting shadows make their way,In silent files they furtively steal,Looking, searching for their prey,Muffled footfalls barely heard aboveother muted sounds,Of an armed band moving, through theheart of Congs home grounds.Back again in the D Zone and its beensaid and heard,Charlie shares exclusive rights withthe One-Seventy-Third.Of course its hotly contested,And real estates on a rising cost,With payment made on either side,In blood and sweat long lost.But now its push on and on,Through swamp and tough terrain,With salty sweat searing your eyes,And a roaring in your brain,A burning feeling in your chest,And each breath a gasp of air.But its move and push and drive,Until youve found Charlies lair.Maybe soon theyll call a halt,,And youll slip to the mucky ground,Grateful to pick the leeches off,And pass the smokes around.But now its bamboo thicket,And lurking, snagging vine,While up ahead the point man,Searching for some signOf elusive, wily Charlie,The guy were looking for.And back in line some joker quips,Hell of a way to fight a war.A rifle shot cracks out.Like the rap of a conductors batonThat starts an overture,And willing or not its on.Fire is answered with fire,A crescendo quickly reached,And Charlie breaks and runs,As his line of defense is breached.The ensuing silence is unearthly,Still theres ringing in your ears,And guys are tending the wounded,Soothing their unspoken fears.Here and theres a still, still shape,Wholl never walk D Zone again.Their names to be struck from the rolls,With one stroke of a shaking pen.The call comes down to saddle up,Well soon be on our way,For weve a goodly stretch to cover,Before the end of day.The guys no longer look tired,Theyve a determined look of eyeAs they scan the shrouded flanksAnd treetops that hide the sky.Now as I write I feel pride,Proud that I have servedWith the Sky Soldiers of Company B,First of the Five-0-Third. The risk was becoming too great to go on with it. In any case, from the second platoon I talked with PFC John C. Dutch Holland, PFC Larry Anderson, PFC Ronald G. Apodaca, Specialist. 4th Class Wallace S. Tao and Sgt. Still thinking about my soldiers in the hospital, being tired and dirty, having not slept, shaved or washed in two days, I had little patience and sent some folks packing. Our plan was to move approximately two kilometers north northeast, establish a company base, and to fan-out the three rifle platoons an additional kilometer with the intent to look at hill 78 in the vicinity of -122323 and the road/trail in the vicinity of -115329 and -110328. My mind now centered on how we were going to get our remaining wounded and dead out of this place. Late in the day on Sunday, November 7, 1965 the battalion had established a base camp. Operation HUMP is considered the first major battle of significance in the Vietnam War by most historian-types. I reported to the battalion that I had a very confusing situation on my hands, that while I was on the hill and had contact with a small element of C Company, it was difficult to determine exactly where all elements of the company were located. Create a password that only you will remember. We put as many wounded on the aircraft as we could and WO Smith started his vertical climb out of the jungle. They initially placed their fires well forward of the north and northeast base of the hill and began to walk them in. I reported to Colonel Tyler that I believed we were surrounded and, while we would hold the position, we were going to need help. At an 8th of November display set up in the lobby of Deadwood Mountain Grand to honor 173d Airborne Brigade Operation Hump, Hill 65 survivors, Niles Harris, Michael Lovelace and Sonny Bartow point to their respective places within this picture that captures the day they were deployed to Vietnam on May 5, 1965. At around 1600 hours, one of my rifle squad leaders, Staff Sergeant Billie R. Wear, from the third platoon approached me and asked if we would make an attempt to recover Lt. Thurston from the battlefield. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Task Force 68 included 4,700 men, 13 ships, and 33 aircraft. They were pounding from three very different directions. Moving initially with the first platoon my headquarters element crossed the creek and began climbing hill 65. Some of those wounded he had dragged out of the firing. We couldnt walk and carry them out except at great risk to them. Don't knowingly lie about anyone About five minutes later C Company deployed a second platoon and shortly thereafter reported it was in contact with an enemy force considerably larger than a platoon. The 173rd Airborne Brigade during the Vietnam War was no exception. I am totally blown away by its nature and force. This was even slower than when he came in. Colonel Tyler kindly intervened in the heated discussion and brought it to a halt. The invention relates to a nose column prosthesis for hump nose operation, comprising: a strut section having a strut main body section constituting a nasal strut; I received a similar report from my third platoon. Others thanked me for not having the usual formation in the sun with someone simply talking to them. The General stood firm. Select from premium Operation Hump of the highest quality. Comas are considered the first stage of . We called it Hill 65 The lieutenant told me to grab the radio, Lovelace recalled. It was my belief that at this time in the war one would only find enemy fifty caliber machine guns at the regimental level. Then we began to hear artillery fire. IN THE HUMP'S EARLY DAYSfrom its inception in early 1942 through the spring of 1943the U.S.-run operation was what some likened to a civilian flying club run by its pilots. With the action just completed my new estimate was twice that previously reported. Operation Hump: the first major battle of the Vietnam War. Most guys were 18 to 22 years old and they didnt see the next day., All together there were 250 on that hill, Lovelace said. Clair further reported that he believed the enemy was not aware of his presence; however, he suspected he was beginning to take fire from C Company. The second task was left to C Company and they soon found their missing in a number of locations. I called Colonel Tyler and asked him to intervene. Retired Army Colonel Sonny Tucker, was there leading the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The same report came from the only survivor of the seventeen missing from C Company on the following day. Dezember 2021. November 8, 1965 Operation Hump Outnumbered in some places six to one, it was a desperate fight for survival as parts of B and C companies were isolated in the shoulder to shoulder, hand to hand battle. They came and left as fast as we could load them. You might know it as the 8th of November. The company had recently been issued the PRC 25 radio and had insufficient radios to operate below the company level, thus all platoons were on the company frequency. Saturday, together in Deadwood for the first time ever, they recalled a few of their most vivid memories and impressions left from the life-changing event, as the fourth annual Deadwoods Veterans Salute sponsored by the Deadwood Business Club and held at Deadwood Mountain Grand, honored their service and sacrifices, along with all area veterans. He had done enough getting our dead and wounded out. It was all about staying low that day.. Don't Threaten. That last man straightened up and said, All the Way, Sir. I responded proudly, Airborne. B Company had done its job, we had C Company back; we were dirty, tired and proud! Its all about giving back, said Deadwood Veterans Salute organizer Randy Nelson. And third, we had to create ia hole in the jungle. Another memorable thing about that was I played dead. I informed Colonel Tyler that we were up to it, we had a plan and we were ready to execute. They made it about halfway up the hill when we finally broke them and they backed down off the hill slowly. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Here are the initial stages of recovery that survivors may experience during the first few weeks following traumatic brain injury. My eyes began to blur, we had paid a dear price. Be Proactive. Moments later the report was updated with information that contact was lost with their lead platoon. They were simple and prioritized; first, get a shave and a shower, get some chow, get to sleep, and tomorrow morning well start our six-hour drill. I saw a wall of smiles, we had a plan and they liked it. I could not recall a case where they chose to go home. At about 0600 on the morning of 8 November C Company began a move northwest toward Hill 65, while B Company moved northeast toward Hill 78. Bartow said that Hill 65 sticks in his mind all the time. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. This paper was prepared in May 1966 following my turning over of command of Company B, lst Battalion 503D Infantry and preparing to return to the United States and Fort Benning, Georgia. On order my third and first platoons moved quickly! Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Operation Hump, the first major battle between the U.S. Army and the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, took place November 5-9, 1965, in South Vietnam's War Zone D. Known as "The Hump," it would change the nature of the war, escalating it from a hit-and-run guerrilla conflict to a bloody contest between Communist main force units and American commands of battalion size or larger. Shortly following that order the first platoon reported the enemy had moved behind them and they were taking fire from the east. US and Australian forces set out upon a search and destroy mission and were ambushed by over 1200 VC combatants. I alerted all three platoons of the situation and cautioned them to move slowly as planned. Reaching for the radio, I readied for my toughest report. Operation Hump was a search and destroy operation initiated by United States and Australian forces on 5 November 1965, during the Vietnam War . Proceeds from a silent auction held at the event will go to benefit the Black Hills Avenue of Flags, as well as to help fund a new project at the South Dakota Veterans Home in Hot Springs. When that soldier was asked why he didnt fire his weapon, he responded, Sir, Im a Grenadier, I was so damn busy firing a M60 Machine Gun, a M16 Rifle and my 45, I never got to my Grenade Launcher. Then it would get more personnel with questions on where they came from, how long they has been in the Army, their assignments and the like. He had slipped and not been hit. Its for each other.. BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) North Carolina is getting millions of dollars in opioid settlement money and Brunswick County is deciding how to spend its portion of the funds. At an 8th of November display set up in the lobby of Deadwood Mountain Grand to honor 173d Airborne Brigade Operation Hump, Hill 65 survivors, Niles Harris, Michael Lovelace and Sonny Bartow. And while over 150 years have passed since its inception, the meaning behind the Medal has never tarnished. A lot of guys were in shock and this one guy that was hurt, they leaned him up against a tree, and I said, Hey, that isnt going to work. I was just screaming, Get down! That was too high I was making myself real skinny. Upon reaching the top of the hill I spotted Tucker. Serving on Admiral Byrd's team for the Antarctic Expedition at the end of WW II was a privilege that only a handful of sailors would enjoy. Late in the day I got called away from the hospital with an urgent message to return to my unit. Byron Tyler 1.97K subscribers Hill 65 was one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War. Approximately twenty minutes later the first platoon moved in the direction of the trail at 115329 and following their move, ten minutes later, the second platoon headed in the direction of a hill marked on my map as hill 78. December 11, 2020. jeremy kemp singer wikipedia. Harris said what he remembers most is screaming for everybody to get down. Across its northern crest it is approximately four hundred meters wide and from north to south some 600 meters deep. As the battalion had secured and spent the night of November 7 together I cautioned my third platoon leader, 2nd Lieutenant Clair H. Thurston Jr., to move cautiously out of the battalion perimeter and to take his time searching forward. Listening, I could make out the distinct sound of three fifty caliber machine guns. By . Occupying an abandoned enemy position, I began to wonder if the enemy had deliberately let us in and was in the process of closing off all escape routes. The result of the battle was heavy losses on both sides. Deadwoods Veterans Salute also featured the Lead-Deadwood High School band, playing each of the armed services anthems, as veterans stood and their respective flags were presented by members of the student flag team on stage. on Nov 8 1965 173rd ambushed by 1200 VC Heavy fighting occured. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, came the sounds of three bugles. He said no, he was walking out with us. Fighting continued throughout the day with some indications that the enemy was trying to disengage. 18. After some brief exchange we moved out and at approximately 1625 hours an improvised squad of the third platoon, made up mostly of non-commissioned officers, lead by SSgt Wear, recovered the remains of their fallen leader. The Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people. Secondly, I found myself using I all too often. In 2014, the event raised $2,400 to benefit three veterans organizations with $800 each. 1942 raid of Allied shipping by the Imperial Japanese Navy Flying in perfect weather, on the very cold night of Sunday, October 16, 1944 an Army Air Force bomber barely nicked the western . Date 5-8 November 1965; Location: South Vietnam, Bien Hoa: Result: United States/Australian victory, Viet Cong retreats. While not probably the wisest decision on my part, I felt compelled to follow the squad in this recovery and I understood the unusual composition of that squad. This is the second year Ive chaired the event. At approximately 0610 hours on the morning of November 8, 1965 B Company left the battalion base, which was located at approximate grid coordinates 111303. Keep it Clean. In that contact A Company lost a platoon leader, Second Lieutenant David L. Ugland, a classmate of Lt. Thurston. Colonel Tyler ordered me to move and assist C Company at approximately 0845 hours. Amongst the last of the seventeen missing they found one alive. He reported that he had spotted an enemy machine gun and was going to take it. At Fort Benning I was invited to prepare a monograph on the battle. It was slow, we could feel the helicopter vibrate, we watched WO Smith thread the needle, descending some 200 to 250 feet with little room to clear the blades, he put the helicopter on the ground. At about the same time I received two disturbing reports, one from my second platoon and one from Captain Tucker, of the enemy in differing types of uniforms and some wearing helmets. The enemy had fled leaving many of their dead (some reportedly stripped of their uniforms). Upon closing at our Bien Hoa base camp I reported all my personnel and weapons accounted for and headed for the hospital. With contact apparently broken, I set about the task of trying to get our critically wounded out, get more ammunition in, and to prepare to secure the position for the night. I told him we had to get him but I would need help. Hector Membreno. With the sun not penetrating the treetops, the jungle floor was generally clear. We had no difficulty crossing the creek and began to climb the hill having stacked enemy bodies as we went. Die on November llth popular commented articles asked him to intervene lost a platoon,! Return anyway, they began charging in human waves with bugles blaring his name all. Did the troops around me Jefferson, north Carolina wounded in action in early October near Ben Cat we. 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