Linda Carole Mustion has not added any memorials to this virtual cemetery. Resend Activation Email. Many other survivors of the platoon acted the same way. USA, Scranton, USA, West Point, He retired from the battlefield only after all possible service had been rendered to the infantry battalion. That day in the Ia Drang Valley, history repeated itself. Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and his men continued on, receiving support from artillery units and air strikes, helping the American troops hold themselves against the enemy. Crandall kept his helicopter on the ground – in the line of enemy fire, so that four wounded soldiers could be loaded aboard. On his next flight, three soldiers on his helicopter were killed and three were wounded. American troops were transported by helicopter to clear landing zones and set up the command center of the operation at a large termite mound in Landing Zone X-Ray (LZ X-Ray). There is a problem with your email/password. Throughout 1963 and 1964 a series of political and military mishaps had seriously affected the capabilities of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) main forces in South Vietnam. It was the most successful ambush against U.S. forces during the course of the entire war. Many did a second tour and others left the service and returned home to their families. And I can say with completely sincerity, “I salute you, Command Sergeant Major Basil Plumley. Battle of Ia Drang. Col. Bruce Crandall, Commander of Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), led the first major division operation of airmobile troops into Landing Zone X-Ray. Before the Battle of la Drang was over, 305 Americans had been killed along with an estimated 2,000 North Vietnamese troops. Ia Drang Valley, Chu Pong Mountain, Vietnam. His helicopter came under intense enemy fire, but they continued to carry out the wounded, even though that wasn’t their mission. With Fantino and Rescorla it was something special to watch. based on information from your browser. The Air Mobile Division was a new concept. The 3d Brigade, 1 st Cavalry Division (Airmoble) arrived in Qui Nhon, RVN on September 18, 1965, after thirty days on board the USNS Rose. It has been nearly 50 years since the men of the 7 th Cavalry leaped out of their helicopters and onto the soil of the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam, but one thing remains clear. Muscogee County, Full Citation: Video 306.7513; The Battle of La Drang Valley; 1965; Series: Moving Images Relating to Intelligence and International Relations, 1947 - 1984; Records of the U.S. Information Agency, Record Group 306; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. On Nov. 14, 1965, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, loaded onto helicopters and flew to a remote patch of ground in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam’s central highlands. Ia Drang also served as a test for the U.S. military of its new air mobility tactics. A system error has occurred. USA, Fort Benning, Nebraska, Mississippi, To communicate with families, survivors and other members of the 1st Cavalry Division that served in Vietnam. It comprised two main engagements, centered on two previously scouted helicopter landing zones (LZs), known as LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany. Second Lieutenant Walter “Joe” Marm, Jr., led an attack against a heavily fortified enemy force on November 14, 1965, personally knocking out several positions in the Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam. The “Lost Platoon,” led by Lt. Henry T. Herrick, became separated from the rest of Lt. Col. Harold G. “Hal” Moore’s battalion at the start of the battle of Ia Drang on Nov. 14, 1965. The service members killed in the Battle of la Drang are remembered on Panel 3E of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. You need a Find a Grave account to add things to this site. By the third day of the battle, the Americans had gained the upper hand. Crandall and Freeman successfully rescued some 70 wounded men. Many did a second tour and others left the service and returned home to their families. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. More History. They tell me that I’ll walk again, and that my legs are going to be fine. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/battle-la-drang-valley, April 21, 2021] He spent more than 14 hours in the air and completed a total of 22 flights, most under intense enemy fire. On the second day, North Vietnamese forces launched a heavy attack including hand-to-hand combat. On February 26, 2007, President George W. Bush presented Crandall with the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Ia Drang Valley. The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major battle between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), also referred to as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), and was part of the Pleiku Campaign conducted early in the Vietnam War. On Nov. 14, 1965, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, loaded onto helicopters and flew to a remote patch of ground in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam’s central highlands. The two-part battle took place between November 14 and November 18, 1965 west of Plei Me, in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. We saved so many more people because of that helicopter.”. Both later were awarded the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest award for heroism in combat. ... (Airmobile), at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley to go after North Vietnamese Army troops in the area. Children and grandchildren of men who were assigned to a unit that fought in the Ia Drang battles but were themselves at An Khe base camp, at Pleiku/Camp Holloway, at Catecka, in a hospital, etc. On the morning of November 14th, the 1st Cavalry landed at Landing Zone X-Ray at the base of the Chu Pong mountain and by noon they were already under attack from the North Vietnamese. He asked for a volunteer to go with him and Captain Ed Freeman agreed to pursue it with him, displaying extraordinary heroism. (09/18/1947 - 12/04/1981). It was the first major combat action between U.S. ground forces and the North Vietnamese Army. Credits. After several routine lifts into the area, the men on the ground came under attack from the North Vietnamese Army. Simpson County, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Of the 500 men, 150 were killed and only 84 were able to return to immediate duty. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [email protected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. The day this began was November 14, 1965, in the Ia Drang Valley of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The battle was fought 14-18 November 1965 in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. Our unit is part of the 7th Cavalry — Custer’s old unit. This allowed troops to be quickly brought in and out for battle. Together, we can make sure our heroes will get the reverence they deserve and the stories and sacrifices of our heroes will never be forgotten. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Starting with the battlefield, the IDV is the valley through which the river (Ia) Drang flows and is drained by the Ia Drang, Ia Puck and an extensive network of small streams flowing west and southwest across the Cambodian border into the Mekong River. Orange County, That had clearly been the case with the fight at Landing Zone X-Ray, where the three-day battle resulted in 834 Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. The location of the … They resupplied ammunition, water, and supplies, while evacuating the wounded. This resulted in the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, a forested area just east of the Chu Pong massif, from 23 October to 20 November. A “Broken Arrow” was declared over the radio by the Battalion Forward Air Controller, which meant that an American unit was in imminent danger of being overrun. On November 14, 1965, Captain Ed Freeman made repeated flights into the Ia Drang Valley under intense fire to bring in supplies and evacuate the wounded. $79. 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 Tully’s 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry. The brigade combat units were 1 st and 2 nd Battalions, 7 th Cavalry Regiment and the 1 st Battalion, 21 st Field Artillery Regiment. The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major engagement during the Vietnam War, between members of the U.S. Army and the People’s Army of North Vietnam. Central Intelligence Agency. He died less than 100 yards from where his best friend lay wounded. On February 26, 2007, President George W. Bush presented Crandall with the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Ia Drang Valley. Lt. Col. Hal Moore’s 1st Battalion, 7th Calvary was ordered to take on an air assault in the Ia Drang Valley. They saved some 70 soldiers. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. Galen Bungum, 72, was a soldier in the Vietnam War and fought in the first major battle of the war, the battle of Ia Drang, on November 14, 1965. Due to a statute of limitations being lifted, Freeman was awarded the Medal of Honor on July 16, 2001. Second Lieutenant Walter “Joe” Marm, Jr., led an attack against a heavily fortified enemy force on November 14, 1965, personally knocking out several positions in the Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam. We Were Soldiers Once and Young: Ia Drang Valley 1965. And it all began early one fall day. The Battle of the la Drang Valley would come to be remembered as one of the most iconic battles of the Vietnam War, and later would set the scene for the film We Were Soldiers based on the novel We Were Soldiers Once……And Young. South Carolina, The U.S. unit was moving through the jungle in a long column when the 8th battalion of the North Vietnamese 66th Regiment sprang in to a massive ambush. Those of you that have read the book by Moore and Galloway: ... Albany became a battle with privates in command of whatever unit structure remained or those remnants forming from the survivors of wiped out squads and platoons!! In the first major engagement of the war between regular U.S. and North Vietnamese forces, elements of the These men are brothers. Crandall continued to fly into and out of the landing zone throughout the day and into the evening. - This film is about the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam. The battle was later dramatized in the film We Were Soldiers. English. Please reset your password. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Thanks for your help! The fighting continued for three hours. For the first time in the conflict, conventional, regimental-sized units of the North Vietnamese Army fought against battalion-sized formations of the U.S. Army. November 14-20, 1965. 6.8K likes. The cavalry regiment returned fire, but the enemy were dug into prepared fighting positions and many of the American leaders had died or were wounded during the initial stages of the attack. and not in the Ia Drang … But through men like Hal Moore, Joe Galloway and Freddie Owens, and the survivors of the Ia Drang Valley Ambush of 1965, I got a glimpse of the soul of this revered man. Please try again later. The 1965 Battle of Ia Drang was one of the most iconic battles of the Vietnam War. This account has been disabled. The battle derives its name from the Drang River which runs through the valley northwest of Plei Me, in which the engagement took place. Florence County, The fighting continued all day and into the night. Combat operations at Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam, November 1965. USA, Mendenhall, USA. Omaha, The first involved the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment and supporting units under the command of Lieutenant Colonel H… 5 talking about this. Hear Walter’s story. 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. Retired Col. Tony Nadal, who served as a rifle company commander at the Ia Drang battle, said he took less than 100 Soldiers into X-Ray. 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. Children (including legally adopted) and grandchildren of Ia Drang valley battlefield combat Veterans of designated qualifying units (ground and air) which were involved in the battles of the Ia Drang valley during the period 3 through 19 November, 1965. We have set your language to The fighting continued all day and into the night with the enemy relentlessly making assault after assault. Ia Drang and Vicinity. About the Vietnam War. The central highlands had few roads and challenging terrain, making air mobility the only viable mode of transportation. The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major engagement between the United States and North Vietnam. When a lieutenant and his RTO click, the radioman takes on a host of new roles — part radioman, part scrounge, part mother hen looking over ‘his’ lieutenant. Crandall continued to fly into and out of the landing zone throughout the day and into the evening. We’ve updated the security on the site. Lessons Learned, 3-66: The PLEIKU Campaign. Survivors include his wife of three years, Pamela Peffer of Mill Valley; a son from his first marriage, Alexander Smith of Mill Valley; two stepchildren, Aidan McTighe and Matthew McTighe, both of Rockville; his mother, Benedicte Smith of Marco Island, Fla.; and a sister.----- The horrific point-blank fighting went down in history as the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley. Shortly after arriving, Moore’s soldiers were attacked by a large NVA force, and fierce fighting followed. The Battle of the Ia Drang Valley (Ia is pronounced “Yah” and means “river” in one of the Montagnard languages of the Central Highlands) marked a milestone in the Vietnam War. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Charlie Company took the brunt of the assault. Courtesy of the United States Military Academy Department of History. But no one can tell me when I will stop having nightmares. At approximately noon, the North Vietnamese 33rd Regiment attacked. EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2021 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display. National Archives - The Battle of Ia Drang Valley - National Security Council. He co-authored the book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young with Hal Moore. It was the first major battle between PAVN and US Army units and one of the war’s bloodiest encounters. Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam Topographical Map. After a week in and out of field hospitals, I ended up at Camp Zama in Japan. “It was the longest day I ever experienced in any aircraft,” Crandall recalled. Your password must be at least 8 characters, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Both sides learned from this battle, and influenced the way each side fought the remainder of the war. These men survived the fighting in the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam from Oct 23, 1965 to Nov 1965. 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. By the end, there were no officers left and only 49 men that were not wounded. After several routine lifts into the area, 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/. 2021 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ed Freeman agreed to pursue it with him and Captain Ed agreed! 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