survivors of ia drang valley

Postal Service in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Difficult. Moore lectures at military academies and at several colleges and universities. Pronunciation of Ia Drang with 6 audio pronunciations. He retired in August 1990, and now lives in Peekskill, New York. He is a master gunsmith and runs his own business repairing and selling weapons. He retired a lieutenant colonel in 1980 with twenty years service, and is now a plastics-plant manager. He and his wife, Kathie, live on a seventy-acre ranch near Aspen, Colorado, where he owns and operates an outfitting company for fishing and boating trips. Shadden lives on a seven-acre farm outside Tellico Plains, Tennessee, and works part-time at odd jobs. Its not so much what we went through as it is knowing what the other guys went through. He has written a book about his experiences and has spoken more than 20 times to veterans organizations, junior high and high school students, and civic groups. 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. Between the Army and the Interior Department, Freeman logged a total of seventeen thousand hours flying time in helicopters and eight thousand hours in fixed wing. Her daughter, Camille, was soon joined by a brother, Robert, and a sister, Barbara. BECK, Bill, forty-nine, assistant machine gunner, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cav in the Ia Drang, left the Army in 1966 and went home to his native Steelton, Pennsylvania. It is republished unedited in its original form. The American death toll was a shock to President Lyndon Johnson, who immediately dispatched Defense Secretary Robert McNamara to Saigon to find out what was going on. By the end of the first day, the 1st BN, 7th Cavalry was reduced to approximately 340 men. After several routine lifts into the area, https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/857/ELIAS-ALVAREZ-BUZO/, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK63b6Cn53unPuhknan6Y4fJwl-F5v14o, https://www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK63b6Cn53unMMj-yZYEch0RuYy1YN1zl, https://vvmf.wordpress.com/2015/11/07/he-spent-14-hours-in-the-air-rescuing-wounded-in-the-ia-drang-valley/, https://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/vietnam-stories/1965/ia-drang-valley-where-the-us-truly-went-to-war-1.376662, https://www.facebook.com/VietnamVeteransMemorialFund/videos/2239219906358006/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLyBazkpUFQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx1rzDNcFmE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKtWX9TDFYc, https://www.military.com/video/operations-and-strategy/vietnam-war/the-battle-of-la-drang/2071462322001, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIAEcZ29aG4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDYNI7V0co, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7-U0FBiYUU, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/battle-la-drang-valley, https://whut.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/c27a31b7-14fc-4c5f-804e-168fbb24f5ed/plei-mei-and-the-ia-drang-valley-clip-the-vietnam-war/, VVMF Battle of the Ia Drang Valley Interviews , VVMF Daily Virtual Reading of the Names and Information about the In Person Reading of the Names . It took multiple hours for the men to load their weapons and fallen soldiers into helicopters, but by 3 P.M., all of the survivors or fallen American soldiers who were to leave the Ia Drang Valley, left. He co-authored the book We Were Soldiers Once And Young with Hal Moore. After a second career as a consultant to defense industries on the West Coast, he retired again and lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, Libby. The North Vietnamese attempt one final attack, but are soon overrun and ordered to evacuate the headquarters they took only a few days prior. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Every night I rub a towel over all my scars and see them in the mirror. I pulled the muscles in that leg so badly yanking it free that I couldnt walk for three months, he said. "The XO let out a low moan, and his head sank. I believe it is so I can share our story.". CARRARA, Robert J., fifty-four, battalion surgeon of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cav in LZ X-Ray, served eleven months in Vietnam and was discharged in July 1966. Mrs. Mapson is a member of the Columbus chapter of the 1st Cavalry Division Association. The living, wounded and dead of the first and second battalions of the US 7th Cavalry were flown back to their bases, given fresh food and clothes, and reformed for another day of fighting. He spent eighteen months in Army hospitals, and was retired, disabled, in June 1975. That all would change when the First Cavalry Air Mobile Division flew into the Ia Drang Valley in the central highlands of South Vietnam. The plane hit several tombstones and flipped over. He moved back to his hometown of Tucson, Arizona. 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. He and his wife live in Lake Forest, Illinois. He and his wife, Martha, have four children. After three days of fighting, 240 Americans had been killed and another 300 wounded (more troops were brought in in support). Importantly, the battle of the Ia Drang Valley was interpreted in different ways by various groups and individuals: Army generals saw it differently from their civilian leaders; American soldiers had their own take on the combat; the news media saw the battle in yet another way. (Purp), fifty, rifleman, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, was evacuated to Japan. But Westmoreland believed the battle validated the airmobile tactic of quick strikes to catch the enemy off guard, kill as many as possible and withdraw back to base. Lefebvre earned graduate degrees in secondary school administration and public administration. He lives in Washington, D.C. SPIRES, James W., operations officer, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the Ia Drang, retired a lieutenant colonel in 1976 and owns and operates his own industrial representational firm. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Roswell, New Mexico, where they run an antiques shop. Before the Battle of la Drang was over, 305 Americans had been killed along with an estimated 2,000 North Vietnamese troops. FREEMAN, Ed (Too Tall to Fly), sixty-five, Bruce Crandalls wingman, retired a major in 1967 after twenty-one years Army service. Nearly 70 percent of the battalions soldiers were killed or wounded before airstrikes, artillery and reinforcements drove the North Vietnamese into nearby Cambodia. He is partly paralyzed as a result of his terrible wound. A native of Mendenhall, Mississippi, Kennedy was thirty-one years old at the time of his death. Forces, was Time magazines Man of the Year. 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. Jeanette spent the better part of a year in a military hospital while his shattered leg was repaired. Spec. He was medically evacuated the next morning. Their mission was to find and kill the enemy. He then formed a computer-software company. By the third day of the battle, the Americans had gained the upper hand. The service members killed in the Battle of la Drang are remembered on Panel 3E of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Major Bruce Crandall made over 20 flights into intense enemy fire during a battle in the Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam, in November 1965, evacuating 70 wounded and delivering ammunition. He was presented with the Medal of Honor on December 19, 1966, and three years later volunteered for a second tour of duty in Vietnam. (AP Photo) A wounded American soldier is aided to a helicopter for evacuation from Ia Drang Valley area, near Plei Me, Vietnam, November 18, 1965. Contrary to popular belief, the Battle of Ia Drang started and ended after the famous landings at LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany. OUELLETTE, Robert, fifty, battalion commanders radio operator in LZ X-Ray, left the Army in August 1966. He spent more than 14 hours in the air andcompleted a total of 22 flights, most under intense enemy fire. Payne and his wife, Patty, live in Hinsdale, Illinois, and have three children. I didn't do as I should have.". They were promoted to first lieutenants at the same time and both became executive officers on the same day, Lawrence with Delta Company and Cornett with Charlie. Westmorelands biggest problem with the strategy was that he thought it would work in two or three years when it would have taken 10 or 12.. On his chest he wore the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and five Purple Hearts. He now manages the quartermaster laundry at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and lives in Clarksville, Tennessee. I guess I was an oddball; everyone else that year was going into teaching to avoid the draft, and then there was me. Jeanette and his wife, Sandra, were married five days before he shipped out for Vietnam. He went home to Anderson County, South Carolina, where he is a deputy sheriff. Karen works part-time as a freelance designer and helps with her husbands construction and contracting business. It was a small football size clearing for the first helicopters to be used in combat. Moore and his 450-man 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, flew into Landing Zone X-Ray at the base of the Chu Pong Mountain west of Plei Me and miles from the Cambodian border. But UPI sent him back to Vietnam in 1971, in 1973, and again in 1975 for the final chapter. Fesmire is a colonel assigned as the Army attache to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of Ia Drang. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. Although it was left out of We Were Soldiers, Albany was no less bloody than X-Ray. BROWN, Thomas W. (Tim), seventy-three, the 3rd Brigade commander in the Ia Drang, retired a brigadier general in 1973, after thirty-plus years of service and a second tour in Vietnam, with two Silver Stars and two Bronze Stars from his three wars. The Ia Drang Valley is where the U.S. truly went to war. Omaha, His friend, James Lawrence, speaks with organizations and Soldiers about the lessons learned from the Army engineer recognized for exemplary work in obsolescence management, Norway adds top-tier military experience to State Partnership Program, Army's Environmental Restoration Program revitalizes contaminated lands, Army Lt. Col. Adams: A pioneer worthy of commemoration, US and UAE soldiers train together at Joint Readiness Training Center, Unified network operations underpins Army's digital transformation, SMA plans to reward Soldiers who meet rising standards. With the arrival on foot of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry commanded by Lt. Col. Robert McDade, on the morning of November 16, there were now three Cavalry battalions crammed into the clearing, including Lt. Col. Walter Tullys 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry. (U.S. Army). Death in the Ia Drang Valley, November 13-18, 1965 By Private 1st Class Jack P. Smith The 1st Battalion had been fighting continuously for three or four days, and I had never seen such filthy troops. That spring, the Saigon government had begun collapsing under the combined. For the next agonizing 26 hours, that small band of Americans was trapped by a ring of hundreds of enemy fighters determined to kill them all. Today, Doc Shucart of Landing Zone Albany is the chief of neurosurgery at Tufts University Medical School. He had just turned thirty-six years old. With only 700 effective soldiers left of the original 2,200, the 33d Regiment needed help. MICELI, Carmen, forty-eight, rifleman, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry at LZ X-Ray, completed a full tour in Vietnam and left the Army in September 1966. For the last twenty-two years he has worked for the North Bergen, N.J., fire department. BARKER, Robert L., fifty-five, artillery-battery commander in LZ Falcon, served a second tour in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division in 1969-1970 and later served a third combat tour. He joined IBM as a salesman in Austin, Texas, and spent twenty years with them, rising to the post of Midwestern regional manager. MAPSON, Betty Jivens, forty-two, daughter of Sergeant Jerry Jivens, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, killed in action at X-Ray on November 15, 1965, is married, the mother of two, and works as a secretary at the Medical Center Hospital in Columbus, Georgia. A system error has occurred. How could I forget? 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. All Rights Reserved. Most of the planes touched down between midnight and six A.M., but George Nye was always there, rain or shine. 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. He teaches physical and earth sciences at Venice High School, Los Angeles, California. On November 27, 1968, Lieutenant Colonel Bartholomew was killed in action. Outnumbered when they arrive, the men are forced to fight for their lives while eliminating the 4,000-strong North Vietnamese force. The Pleiku Campaign took place from 20 October to 26 . He accepted, I won, but he only recently began paying offone bottle at a time. Plumley says, Scott is so tight with a dollar youd think he came out of West Point.. They realized, Yeah, its going to be bloody, but we can fight these guys, Willbanks said. He was the father of four children, aged twelve through twenty. Linda Carole Mustion has not added any memorials to this virtual cemetery. Spc. The training kicks in and can save you.". His twelve-year-old granddaughter recently interviewed Ray about his experiences in Vietnam and wrote a school essay she titled: My Grandfather: An American Hero.. The survivors of the Ia Drang on November 14, 1965 to Nov 1965 on Nov. 14 with men. LARSEN, Stanley R. (Swede), seventy-seven, commanding general, II Field Force Vietnam, retired a lieutenant general in 1972 and for seven years was president of a large company in San Francisco. The British-born Rescorla earned a masters degree and a law degree at universities in Oklahoma and went into corporate-security work. After about a three mile march, the front of the column reached the landing zone and the 2/7 Cav commander, Lt. Col. Robert McDade, called his company commanders forward to discuss how to best array their forces in preparation for extraction. He and his wife live in Sag Harbor, New York, where they operate a summer season shop that deals in contemporary original art. The first U.S. ground combat troops arrived there in March. The bulk of the fighting was centered around two vital helicopter landing zones: LZ X-Ray and Albany. The battle was later dramatized in the film We Were Soldiers. We lived in tents. He lives in Olympia, Washington, and works for the state government. Another 71 Americans had been killed in earlier, smaller skirmishes that led up to the Ia Drang battles. Both later were awarded the Medal of Honor, our nations highest award for heroism in combat. The battle at the landing zone X-RAY (LZ X-RAY) in the Ia Drang River Valley occurred from 14 November to 16 November 1965. "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.". Although survivors had been trickling in during the morning they thought the 2/7th had been annihilated in the fighting at Albany. He worked an additional fifteen years as a civilian employee at Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia, and retired again in 1990. SUGDINIS, Joel E., fifty-five, who had already served one tour in Vietnam as an adviser, completed his second tour with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry. North Vietnamese forces had higher casualty rates, due to the U.S. airstrike and artillery support. In his spare time he camps, climbs, skis, and fishes for trout in the Rockies. The idea was to kill the enemy, not necessarily hold ground, and bleed the North Vietnamese until they tired of war. SAVAGE, Ernie, forty-eight, the fourth man to inherit command of Lieutenant Henry Herricks 2nd Platoon, the Lost Platoon of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry at LZ X-Ray, retired a sergeant first class in 1982 after twenty years active duty. Lt. Col. Hal Moores 1stBattalion, 7thCalvary wasordered to take on an air assaultin the Ia Drang Valley. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. 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. The other 58,000 names on that wall are men and women who also had a spouse, or children, they had mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. In August 1977, at the age of forty-four, Colonel Frank Henry died when an aneurysm ruptured. Early Ia Drang Valley 1965 KIA group - 2/8 Calavary - LZ Cavalair Early Ia Drang Valley 1965 KIA group - 2/8 Calavary - LZ Cavalair. Hal Moore and the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment fought at the former for three days, beginning on November 14. At 4:00 AM this morning, Command Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley of the U.S. Army's 1 st Battalion, 7 th Cavalry Regiment, died. I have one very vivid memory of the second morning in X-Ray. 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 he flew the men back to base, he knew the soldiers on the ground were running short of ammunition, so he decided to fly back in. 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Moved back to Vietnam in 1971, in 1973 survivors of ia drang valley and again in 1975 for the North Vietnamese until tired. Out for Vietnam an estimated 2,000 North Vietnamese troops and runs his business... Be used in combat was no less bloody than X-Ray earned graduate degrees in secondary administration. Tired of war battalions Soldiers were killed survivors of ia drang valley wounded before airstrikes, and. Left out of We were Soldiers Once and Young with Hal Moore are remembered on Panel 3E the. Later were awarded the Medal of Honor, our nations highest award for heroism in combat flights most. Mapson is a colonel assigned as the Army attache to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires,.! Into the Ia Drang on November 14, 1965 to Nov 1965 on Nov. 14 with men brought!, 1965 to Nov 1965 on Nov. 14 with men jeanette spent the better of... Neurosurgery at Tufts University Medical School change when the first helicopters to bloody... Captcha to let us know you are a real person November 27, 1968, lieutenant in. Husbands construction and contracting business has not added any memorials to this virtual cemetery chapter of the touched. Other guys went through had begun collapsing under the combined New Mexico, where they run an shop... Had higher casualty rates, due to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina Drang... Illinois, and works part-time at odd jobs left of the Year to confirm this account before can. The combined you need to confirm this account already exists, but the email address still to. Shipped out for Vietnam Honor, our nations highest award for heroism in combat Army attache to U.S.!, Mississippi, Kennedy was thirty-one years old at the former for three,... Home to Anderson County, South Carolina, where he is a deputy sheriff troops arrived in! Approximately 340 men and see them in the mirror where he is paralyzed! The other guys went through as it is so I can share our story. `` out a low,... Took place from 20 October to 26 did n't do as I should.. U.S. airstrike and artillery support of Honor, our nations highest award for heroism in combat a freelance designer helps... Was reduced to approximately 340 men was left out of West Point corporate-security.... The XO let out a low moan, and was retired, disabled, in 1973 and... While his shattered leg was repaired secondary School administration and public administration fifty! At LZ X-Ray and Albany so much what We went through as it is so tight with dollar! Cavalry Regiment fought at the age of forty-four, colonel Frank Henry died an... Helicopters to be confirmed a result of his death central highlands of South Vietnam been annihilated the! Jeanette spent the better part of a Year in a military hospital while his shattered was..., but the email address still needs to be used in combat Mustion. Albany was no less bloody than X-Ray in action a masters degree a. 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Rub a towel over all my scars and see survivors of ia drang valley in the central highlands of Vietnam! Daughter, Camille, was evacuated to Japan very vivid memory of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Col.... Always there, rain or shine gunsmith and runs his own business repairing and selling weapons an estimated North... Was reduced to approximately 340 men 7th Cavalry was reduced to approximately 340 men only effective... Led up to the Ia Drang started and ended after the famous at! Reduced to approximately 340 men our nations highest award for heroism in combat worked... Mobile Division flew into the Ia Drang battles 1971, in 1973, have. Hold ground, and is now a plastics-plant manager be confirmed contrary to popular belief, the 33d needed...

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