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1st CAVALRY DIVISION 29 28 INTERIM REPORT OF OPERATIONS The defeat of the Field Front, or 630 NYA political support organizations have grown so When the battle area cleared the next morning, cadre concluded there were traitors within the Division, in the Pleiku Campaign, blocked his rapidly they now collect four times as much taxes the enemy had once again been defeated. In this regiment providing target information to the first attempt to move into the Central Highlands as does the constituted government of South case it was thethe 8th Bo, 66th Regiment which had Americans. in strength. We will see later that the enemy Vietnam. The logistical requirements for food and halted in hasty positions on its way to the artil had placed considerable emphaSis on gaining a weapons have also greatly increased. As a result lery positions and was eating lunch when outposts LESSONS foothold in the western portion of the II crz. "Olarlie" is supported in the field by an incred· brought word of the approach of a large US unit. The PLEIKU Campaign was the division's ible logistical organization beginning with the In some cases enemy machine guns were fired baptism of fire inin thethe Vienam War; itit marked THE THE ENEMY L<>cal V.C. tax collector and extending many miles from exposed positions and many NVA then to North Vien8.m over trails and roads worn FIRST TEAM's participation in each of the three This first major engagement with the enemy entered the fight wearing their heavy forage smooth by the feet of thousands of porters. Major Conflicts our nation has been involved in taught the cavalrymen a great deal about the packs. To say the enemy was completely unpre Literally translated, the phrase Viet Cong since the division's formation in 1921. It meant training and discipline of the NVA regulars. It pared would not be a understatement. This means VietnameSe Communist and those who are that thethe 1st Cavalry was one of thethe twotwo US Army also proved the elusiveness of the supporting Viet state of unreadiness meant thethe enemy lostlost 403 members of the V.C. army employ all the com Divisions entitled to two stars on the Combat Cong guerrillas. We had learned a lot about the killed by body count as well as substantial weap munist tricks of deceit and violence. Viet Cong Infantryman's Badge. It also meant some new enemy. We know that there were two nominally ons and equipment. It would be safe to say that also applies to the military or to the civilian "firsts" in FIRST TEAM history. It was the distinct enemy military organizations-the NVA this 8th Battalion was no longer an effective components of the "Front;' Of the National Front first time a large American unit operated con· and the Viet Cong forces. More convincingly fighting unit. for the Liberation of South Vietnam, more popu. tinuouslytinuously over difficult terrain,terrain, devoid of roads, though we knew each was controlled by the Hanoi relying extensively on heliborne tactics. It was larly known as the NFL. THE BLACK KNIGHTS based Communist Party led by Ho chi Minh. the first time American units met and defeated These NVA units infiltrated into South Vietnam "The war in Vietnam is a different kind -of On 20 Nov the 3d Brigade terminated SILVER consistently large NVA units fighting as battalions through the demilitarized zone at the 17th parallel war" said President Johnson on July 28, 1965. BAYONET I and was replaced by thethe men of and regiments under Field Front control. Also and along the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos and 'There are no marching armies of solemn thethe Blackharse Brigade with thethe initiationinitiation of particularly noteworthy were thethe repeated moves Cambodia, a system of roads and foot trails mean· declaration. Some citizens of South Vietnam, SILVER BAYONEr II. Included in the 2d Bri of the l05mm howitzers by means of the Chinook dering southward before turning east tov.rard the at times with understandable grievances, have gade task force were four cavalry battalions helicopter to provide constant fire support to fast sparsely populated frontiers of South Vietnam. joined in the attack on their own government. the 1/5, 2/5, 2112 and 1/8 and elements of four moving airmobile infantry, the reconnaisance by In addition to these NVA units other Com· But we must not let this mark the central artillery battalions-lI77, lI21,~lI2I,~ and 2/20. fire techniquestechniques developed by thethe Air Cavalry munist fighting forces in South Vietnam include fact that this'this is really war. It is guided by The remainder of the operation was spent at Squadron, the coming of age of the aerial artillery the VC'sve's Main Force, District Force, and Village North Vietnam and it is spurred by Com tempting to regain contact with large bcxlies of tactics, and the perfection of massive logistical Defense Force Organizations. munist China. Its goal is to conquer the the enemy and was characterized by constant efforts. There was an unprecedented use of air Significantly and most dangerous is the VC south, to defeat American power and to extend harrassment of small groups attempting toto avoid mobility and fire power as over 400 helicopters pretense of a truly South Vietnamese "people's the Asiatic domination of Communism." contact. AIl told,told, thethe enemy lostlost 1,519 killed by consumed 85,000 gallons of fuel daily. anny." 'This facade rapidly crumbled beginning body count with another 2,000 estimated killed. In another respect these 37 days of combat had in 1965 with the increased introduction on a grow~ While NVA units are usually found wearing There were 57 captured. His material losses were proven something of even greater importance. ing scale of North Vietnamese forces and equip khakis and carrying packs, the local guerrilla or comparable, with 897 individual weapons captured They had shown beyond a doubt that the air ment and stepped up operations by regular North old charlie is clad in Calico Noir. the traditional and more thanthan 400 others destroyed; 126 crew assault concept was valid under actual battlefield Vietnamese divisions. The Main Force units are black P.J.'s of the Vietnamese peasant. The anns served weapons captured, as well as a great deal conditions. The campaign had been the acid test the VC Shock Troops and are composed of well for main force and district force units may range of communication equipment and grenades. of combat for the airmobile division and there trained and equipped men who are capable of from 75mm recoilless rifles and 82mm mortars to There is no doubt that the ARVN relief force can be no question that it fully carried its weight. fighting conventional battles of limited durations, Communist and French manufactured machine would ha'\1e been defeated en route to Plei Me, The accolades· paid toto thethe division reflect thisthis although they are reluctant to do so. The District and submachine guns. The individual soldier may and thethe camp itselfitself overrun. without thethe interinter splendid success. General Westmoreland declared Forces and Village Defense Forces are usually be armed, however, with nothing more than a few vention of the 1st Cav. What made the inter it "the most significant defeat inflicted upon the paramilitary forces and are generally made up of potato masher grenades. He is ingenious, a master vention even more unique was the maJUler in enemy in this war." Other congratulatory mes local civilians who are part-time soldiers or at camouflage, and an expert in living and moving which THE FIRST TEAM conducted the initial sages followed: General Harold K. Johnson, Anny guerrillas and whose military duties do not take underground. His elaborate tunnel complexes support operation and eventually thethe pursuit. Chief of Staff, sent a message toto General Kinnard them far from home. They are often seen as stretch for miles and are used for both cover and The enemy was no stranger to the helicopter which recited in part: farmers and merchants by day-terrorists for concealment from ground and air surveillance. and the advantages it offers its allies. What he He knows the insidious effectiveness of booby "On behalf of all members of the United guerrillas at night. Among them the less well· failed to grasp was the use of the helicopter in a trained and equipped serve as guides, guards, traps, poisonous punji stakes, spike boards, Malay role other than as mover of supplies, other than States Anny. I salute the intrepid officers and men of thethe lst cav Div (AM) for theirtheir messengers, bearers, and informants for the reg· sian gates, and trip·wired cross bows. Each has as an airborne 2¥.1 tonton truck.truck. For thethe first timetime superb action in the battle of the la Drang ular military units. taken its toll in American casualties. His adept he found his withdrawal routes blocked, his Valley.... The Anny and the nation take The enemy, whether he be NVNYA or local goer· use of terrorism has controlled great numbers of columns attacked, artillery fire adjusted on routes pride in your display of courage, determina· rilla, is collectively referred to as "Victor Charlie," Vietnamese. for he thinks nothing of torturing or of exfiltration-allexfiltration-aU because of the third dimension tion and fighting skill." V.C., "81d Charlie" or just "Charlie." The small killing village and Province Chiefs, teachers and which thethe 1st Cavalry added toto thethe war. So guerrilla army which existed in 1960 had matured other influential citizenry. As a result many Viet baffled was the enemy during the pursuit of the Secretary of Defense McNamara.

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