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A ication oi the JOI$t Airborne Division(Airmobile)

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The Task Ahead

por ~early . three decades, . and throu~~ 'the .course of two major co~cts . the 101 st . Airborne Div~sion (Atrmobtle) has upheld a proud tradttiOJJ a~ an unparalleled reputation f ex ellen em all undertakmgs.

AU of us who are members of the division today h3fe,an obligation to build on and add- to the accomplish-ments of the past. This, in itself, is a challengin~ task, one which demands a high degree of dedication,

hard work, and professionalism. r r: '~ \

( The job ahead-that of Vietnamizing the current conflict-will require the same aggressive sprit and can-

do attitude that members of the division hitve ·demonstrated in all endeavors. As the burden of the war shifts more and more to our Vietnamese alMes,we mqst insur,e that they receive the full support of our know­how and resources. At times it will n ot oe easy; tliere"will be frustrations and temporary set backs. The ingredients of success are determination, understanding, and patience.

1 am secure in the knowledge that once again the Screaming Eagles will not fail.

John J. Hennessey Major General Commanding

Summer 1970

Commanding General Jfaj. Gen. John J. Hennessey

Information Officer Maj. Richard L. Bryan

Editor

Spec. 4 Thomas Jensen

Assistant Editor Spec. 4 Daniel Suderman

Staff Artists Spec. 4 Michael Brady Spec. 4 Da vid GraPes Spec. 4 Wilson Spottedbird

Cover: Spec. 4 DaFid Graves

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Contents Task Force 3/506- Cambodia

Spec. 4 Nicholas G. Kobe, Jr.

P rofile of a Company Commander

Sgr. Timo thy Coder

Scout Dogs, Hot on the Enemy's Trail Spec. 5 Joel Bean

The Veghel Operation

Spec. 4 Ellio r Cooper

Screaming Eagle Vietnam Diary

Spec. 4 Daniel Suderman

Eagle Eyes

The Development of Airmobile Artillery

Spec. 4 Thomas Rampton

326 Engineers

Pfc. Charles Kahn

Fashion Forec.ast Vietnam

Spec. 5 Scott Evans

aj. Richard L. Bryan and Pfc. Joseph Demomelle

Pinnell

Task Force 31506 Ca~nbodia

Photos and story by Spec. 4

Nicholas G. Kobe, Jr.

Prek Drang Cambodia had for four years belonged to the enemy. Its

river and tributaries cut through the jungle floor to the rock mantel of the earth's strata. Along its banks lay the rolling hills and spiraling trees which reached 60 feet into the life giving sun­light. The Prek Drang River carried the rich soil along its course and into the plain which lay at the foot of the lushly vegetated slopes. Nature had with its waters from the monsoon rains built a paradise for the ants, snakes and liz­ards.

The enemy was there too. An enemy who had torn away the undergrowth for his hooches and cut the heavy towering timber for his bunkers. His sandals, bicycles and vehicles had worn the narrow trails into the long broad express­ways which carried the supplies, troop reinforcements, and the broken remains

I: .:.S - " . · ;nid-May 1970. Task Force ~ : _- ·- ~:: _ as.sed fro m the operational ~- :::-;:- , OPCO of the 173rd Airborne B-:~::Z ·o he operational control of the .! :_:: - -;, ry Division. The task force, ~~ o: he 101st Airborne Division . ·:wo ile), was to spearhead the 4th

Ll.:·a;; ·7>· Division thrust into the Prek D g · sanctuary of Cambodia. The -c hee" task force had already

ro,·en itself a formidable force while OPCO 'ed to the 173rd Airborne Bri­gade. The Screaming Eagles had smashed the 8th Battalion, 22nd NV A Regiment in a vice grip on Hill 474 killing 90 of the enemy west of Landing Zone North English, capturing recoilless rifles and heavy machine guns. Southwest of LZ U plift the 3/506 engaged elements of the 3rd NV A Division headquarters killing 22 of the enemy in bitter fighting.

Alpha and Delta companies were com­bat assaulted into the lowlands of Prek Drang with a detachment of engineers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 326th Engineers (Ambl). Fighting the swampy lowlands, the rain

and the persistent swarm~ of mosquitos they began etching out, with explosives and chain-saws, the crude beginnings of a fire support base (FSB) and a tactical operations center (TOC).

The CH-47 Chinooks with their sli ng laden loads of ammunition and howitzers brought in six lOS 's from Delta Btry., 2nd Bn. (Ambl.), 320th Arty.

Fire Support Base Currahee, Republic of Cambodia was ready .

Delta Company, was commanded by Capt. William C.Ohlll of Albuquerque, N.M., who led the company out of FSB Currahee in search of the enemy.

"We hadn't moved far before we encountered the first bunkers. They were well constructed against indirect fire and

A Currahee trooper clears one of the many enemy bunkers discovered by Scream ­ing Eagles of 3/506 during their Cambodian operation.

air bombardment. They weren't the type of bunker you could use as a fighting position," observed Capt. Ohl.

A short distance ahead lay a bamboo bridge worn grey and unpolished by the countless numbers of NV A soldiers treking south. The trail bent sharply left, through an oriental bamboo gate and up along a gently sloping hill.

Nine men from Delta Company were kneeling on both sides of the deeply rutted trail. Spec. 4 Carmine Monti of San Pedro, Calif. rose to a crouched position-glanced quickly then rushed the bridge gaining the far bank. Lt. John . C. Hall of Manhasset, N.Y., the patrol leader and Spec. 4 Dale Herrman, Belle Plaine, Minn., followed Monti across the bridge.

Again Monti rose, crouched, and slowly moved up the inclining trail. Through the irregular fo liage off to the right of the trail -the thatched roof of a hooch caught his eye.

Four NVA soldiers were variously occupied in the village.

New voices came from further up the trail. This time eight NV A soldiers were stroll ing down the trai l towards the three Currahees.

Confronted with the unexpected enemy Lt . Hall and the two troopers concealed themselves on each side of the trail and waited.

As the soldiers drew closer Lt . Hall initiated the firefight. Monti and Herr­mann joined the action with their M-16s after Lt. Hall's firs t rounds fo und their target.

Two NV A fell. The others fled back up the trai l and out of sight.

The six Currahees who had been left at the bridge rushed up the trail and began pouring M-60, M-79 and M-16 fire into the enemy vi llage. U nder the

Screaming Eagle Vietnam Diary

by Spec. 4 Daniel Suderman

April 2 -In :~e :r;0..:. :ain south\\eSt of Hue near :he m-; g Bo Ri\·er south of Three For:..:- . Bra\-O Co .. 2nd Bn . (Am bl. ). : o::: :1d lr. ·. rna ' es contact with an estima:ed e em~· pla toon while in their ni gh: efensi \·e position. The "Strike For-e· · troopers engage the N YA a d repu lse the a ttack. An early morn ing earch of the area reveals the bodies of 12 l"Y A. The sweep continues an d three enemy bunker complexes are di scovered which have been heavily damaged by Aerial Rocket A rtillery, art illery and air strikes. A further search di scloses 50 NVA killed and nets num­erous military equipment .

April 29-Screaming Eagles of the 2nd Bn . (Ambl.), 50lst Inf. receive RPG, mortar and small arms fire at FSB Granite. The "Drive On '' so ldiers return fire with organic weapo ns and call for support from Aeria l Rocket Artil­lery. The attack is repelled and a post­dawn sweep nets 22 N YA bodies and one detainee.

.'vfm· J - \Vhile on a recon naissance mission southwest of Hue, elements of the 2nd Bn. (Ambl. ), 502nd Inf. receive small arms and RPG fire . T he !Olst troopers return fire and ca ll in Aerial Rocket Artillery and air strikes. After the battle a sweep of the area reveals the bodies of 27 NYA.

May 9- In another action involving members of the 2nd Bn . (Ambl.), 502nd Inf. , "Strike Force" troopers, while on a reconnaissance mission , receive sma ll arms and RPG fire and fragmentati on grenades from an esti­mated 12 to 15 enemy in bunkers . The Screamin g Eagles return fire with organic

\\·eapons and ca ll in Aerial R ocket A rtil­lery. artillery and a ir st ri kes. A sweep of the area a fter the successful support strikes reveal 18 NYA KIAs.

May 16- While fl ying in support of reconnaissance teams in the Vietna mese Sa lient area, elements o f the 4th Bn. (Ambl.), 77th Aeri a l Rocket Art illery receive sma ll arms fire fr om the ground . The Cobras in turn engage the- enemy and a later sweep reveals the bodies of 35 NVA. . May 25- ln a morning eremony a t Camp Eagle, Maj . Gen. John .\1. Wright Jr. passe.s the d i\·ision olors to Maj . Gen. John J . Hennesse\·. General H en­nessey becomes the Screaming Eagles' fourth commandin g ge eral since thev arrived in th e Repu-blf- o- \ 'ietna m as a full · di vision in D -em r of 1967. General Vl right's next a--i gnmenr is in Washington .-D .C. -

M ay 27- Re on eiemen s of the 1st Bn. (Am bl. ). 506lh Inf .. while in an ambush positio n enga=e t\\'O 1Y A at a distance of 5 meter-. . un known size enemy force rewrns small a rms and RPG fire . The "Currahees" retali ate and call for .-\erial Rocket Art illery support . T he su-- siul opera tio n results in 19 '\\'.-\ K L-\ >.

June 7- The 101 t welcomes Col. Olin E. Smith \\ ho is to become the Assistant D i\·ision Commander (Sup­port). Col. Smith has previously served with !he Screaming Eagles in the R ep ubli of \ 'ietnam as commandin g officer o the 3rd Brigade and division Ch ief of S aff. -

June 10-Eiemen ts of the 2nd Bn. (Am bl.). 3::: - th l nf. receive mortar

rou nds, RPG fi re an d a grou nd attack a t FSB Tomahawk. T he "No Slack" troops with th e help of Aeria l Rocket Artillery and a rt illery thwa rt the at tack den ying the enemy penetrati on in to the firebase. A dawn sweep of the area prod uces the bodies of 21 N Y A and three enemy so ld iers a re deta ined.

June 18- It is a busy day fo r the 2nd Sqdrn . (Amb l. ), 17th Cav. as they engage numerous enemy targets through­out the JOist's area of operations. After the day draws to a close, the Cava lry is credited with killing 26 NY A.

June 25- A three-day combined opera­tion invo lving elements of the 2nd Sqdrn . (Am bl. ), 17th Cav. and the lst ARYN Division Hoc Bao (Black Panthers) terminates res lu ting in 64 NY A K I As . ln addit ion to the combined ground forces , Cobra gunships, Aerial Rocket Art ill ery and air strikes were also em­ployed.

July 1- Brig. Gen . Sidney B. Berry arr ives in Eagl e Country to become the Assistant Division Commander (Opera­tions) succeeding Brig. Gen . James C. Smith . Genera l Berry comes to the JOist from Ft. Benning, Ga. where he was the Assistant Commandant of the U nited States Army Infantry School.

July 2- Elements of the 2nd Bn . (Ambl.), 506th lnf. receive small arms and RPG fire and satchel charges in their night defensive position from an unkn own size enemy force . T he "Cur­rahees" return fire with o rganic weapons and call in for art illery and Aerial Rocket Artillery support. The action resu lts in 15 NYA KIA.

July 6- In operations in northeastern I Corps, elements of L Co., (Ambl. ), 75th lnf. (Rangers) make contact with an est imated company size NY A force . T he ra ngers retaliate with small arms fire and support from Aeria l Rocket Artillery and Cobra gunships is em­ployed . A later sweep of the area reveals the bod ies of 13 NYA .

July 7- Cmd . Sgt . Maj . Richard J . Dunn a rri ves at Camp Eagle to assume the position of Command Sergeant Major of the I 01 st. He succeeds Cmd. Sgt. Maj. William T. Mixon whose next assignment is at Ft . Benning, Ga. This is the fi fth time Cmd . Sgt. Maj. Dunn has served with Screaming Eagles .

July 8- ln the largest act ion so far this year, elements of the 2nd Sqdrn . (Ambl.), 17th Cav. observe 150 to 200 NYA near Khe Sanh in th e northeastern section of the division's area of opera­tions. The Cavalry engages the enemy th roughout the day with a result of 139 NY A killed and four detained .

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