March 2000

        1 JAN - came and went with no problems .. Y2K or otherwise. We only had about 200 soldiers around for the Christmas and New Years Holidays - rest were out on Block Leave. Good news is that we are starting to get a few new soldiers in. Received about 15 during December and about 8 so far in January.

        10 JAN - Soldiers returned from Block Leave. We continued our After Operations Recovery (AOR), which was concluded on Thursday, 13 JAN, with an inspection by CSM Forest and me.

        28 JAN - CPT Nick Vamvakias gave up command of A CO to CPT Chad Arcand. Also conducted Awards Ceremony to recognize the accomplishments from our December 99 Gunnery Density. Of note was:

• A CO recognized as the "Top Gun Company". In recognition they were presented with the Clark Trophy (Cdr - CPT Nick Vamvakias, Master Gunner - SSG Travis)

• C CO recognized with the Schaffer Trophy for having the "Outstanding Rifle Squad" (1SG - 1SG Higgs, Squad Leader - SSG Serrano)
• 1LT Travis McCrakine, SGT Silva, and SPC Eller recognized as "TOP GUN" in the Battalion for firing a perfect score on Bradley Table VIII.

        1 - 4 FEB - Completed our first Command Inspection (CIP) of the last three years. Major event (similar to the old IG Inspection, but a little more "friendly"). Basically, it's where you get more help than you want in order to get your systems and administrative areas squared away. The soldiers and leaders put a lot of time and effort into this inspection and the results were phenomenal! 63% of the areas received a "commendable" rating and only about 3 areas required additional work. A great testament to our outstanding soldiers, NCO's and Officers.

        14 FEB - 1 MAR - Began preparations for the upcoming gunnery and CMTC rotations. Each line company conducted a series of four missions: 1) Night Air Assault and Attack of an Urban Area; 2) Mounted/Dismounted Deliberate Attack of an enemy force defending a trench line; 3) Dismounted infiltration, area reconnaissance and hasty attack; 4) Platoon Defense conducted on the PGT (Precision Gunnery Trainer). All training went extremely well and -across the board- I was extremely pleased and proud of the effort and motivation of our soldiers. It does my heart good, and you all should be proud, to see the professionalism of our young soldiers. As an example .. the urban fight was conducted at night using Night Observation Devices, in the rain/sleet/
snow/mud, against a very determined enemy and our soldiers performed magnificently.
 

        14 FEB - 1 MAR - Scout and Mortar Platoon participated (as the Opposing Force) in 1-4 CAV "Troop Challenge". Both got the opportunity to conduct their Mission Essential Tasks against a very good .. and uncooperative .. enemy. Because of the line company training I did not get out to see them as often as I would have liked but .. according to the 1-4 CAV Commander .. they performed magnificently!  I am very confident in the fact that we have extremely well trained, professional Scout and Mortar Platoons.
        During the same period we got the Tactical operations Center and Administrative/Logistical Operations Center out to the field to shake off the cobwebs and start their preparation for CMTC rotation. Great events that will pay huge dividends in May/June.
        My bottom line assessment from observing the line companies, scouts, mortars, snipers, and command posts during these three weeks is .. no matter what you read in the papers .. we have the finest soldiers in the world and a great many of them are right here in 1-18 IN!

        17 FEB - CPT Keith Brace gave up command of HHC to CPT Nick Vamvakias. Keith has been a Vanguard for the last four years and spent almost two years of that time in command of first B CO and then HHC. He is currently attending school at FT Leavenworth. He returns in April to clear and then move on to his next assignment. ft is always hard to say goodbye. Keith and his wife Amy have done tremendous things for our soldiers and their families. and we owe them a great deal of thanks
 

March (Projected)

• Unit Leaders Training Program at Hoensfeld
• Weapons Qualification at Wildflicken
• Staff Ride to Battle of the Bulge sites
• Scout and Mortar Platoon External Evaluations
• Preliminary Bradley Gunnery
• 31 March VUA Presentation

April (Projected)

• Preliminary Bradley Gunnery
• Spring Clean-Up
• Spring Block Leave (7-12 April)
• Deploy to Grafenwoehr (14-15 April)

May (Projected)

• Finish Gunnery and deploy to Hoensfeld (CMTC) 
• Five days of Company Training and a 14 days high intensity rotation at CMTC.

June (Projected)

• Complete CMTC Rotation and re-deploy to Schweinfurt 
• After Operations Recovery 
• Begin preparation for EIB and EFMB Testing
• Brigade Change of Command 30 JUN (COL Steve Hicks gives up a very successful command to COL Pete Palmer).

July (Projected)

• Two weeks of Block Leave (WELL DESERVED)

        As you can see .. our Association is represented by the finest soldiers in the greatest Army in the world. I know you are proud of your Regiment and the young men representing you. Please share that pride. We all have a role in making sure that our soldiers' accomplishments (past, present, and future) are recognized and rewarded.

DUTY FIRST - FIRST TO BATTLE!  LTC Mike Murray (VANGUARD 6)
 
 

     Bravo Company assembled and moved out as soon as it became apparent that a serious firefight was in progress. Upon reaching the area, Bravo Company swept west to east, then hooked north to engage the enemy force. Heavy fighting continued all afternoon. Temperatures ranged from 90 to l00 degrees with high humidity, taking a toll on the troops. Bravo Company was receiving fire from machine guns and large numbers of hand grenades were being thrown from ditches that crossed the area. Helicopter Light Fire Teams (LFT) were called in and expended their loads on the VC positions that were concealed in the areas streamlines, jungle, ditches and dikes. The LFTs received heavy caliber machine gun fire and automatic small arms fire from the wood lines as they made their gun runs. Troop A, 1/4 Cav, moved to Bravo Company's left flank and continued to poor deadly fire upon the battlefield. During the battle, Bravo Company captured the company commander and executive officer of a VC Company, and Alpha Company captured an NVA Captain. The POWs supplied important and timely intelligence information. The enemy was identified as the Dong Nai VC Regiment, with NVA advisors. This unit had been badly mauled during the Tet Offensive, but now had been re-trained and fitted with new small arms, RPG7s, 82mm mortars, rockets and gas mask. As of 1930 hours the enemy body count was over one hundred killed and five POWs. As darkness fell, contact was broken and our battle weary units maneuvered back through the North Gate at Di-An, closing at about 2230 hours.

     On the morning of May 5, Bravo Company, with the Recon Platoon attached, was transported by truck to the battle site and conducted a RIF in search of remaining enemy forces. A sweep of the area was performed by a company size skirmish line with a platoon on each flank. They found nine additional VC bodies and a large cache of weapons and supplies. A brief firefight broke out and three more VC were killed. One more sweep of the area was conducted on May 6. Several short fire fights erupted, with Alpha Company losing one man KIA and Bravo Company having one KIA and one WIA. Four more VC were killed. Additional VC bodies and equipment were found throughout the battlefield area. All units closed into Di-an by 1645 hours, thus ending the Battle of Tan Hiep. This engagement cost the Dong Nai Regiment over 200 dead, five POWs, and an undetermined number of wounded, leaving it ineffectual as a fighting force for months to come. The 1/18th lost eight men killed in action and 24 wounded.

     On the morning after initial contact, the VC officially launched their Offensive by raining mortars and rockets down on Saigon. It is clear that the Dong Nai Regiment planned an assault on Di-An during the night of May 4th or the early morning hours of May 5th. Had it not been for the heroic actions of the 1/18th combined arms task force, Di-An would likely have suffered major losses. NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT, NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT, DUTY FIRST!
 
 

    The point men for D Company's lst Platoon were puzzled to find Tan Hiep deserted as they approached. When the Division began to search more thoroughly, rather than move on, a nearby treeline suddenly erupted with rifle, automatic weapon and RPG fire. Captain Hugh Shaw, Delta 6, and his command group caught much of this fire, but he was able to move his other two platoons to seal off the southern edge of the battle area. He then called for help with what was clearly a large enemy force, concentrated in a surprisingly small area. All of D Company was in heavy contact.

    Within minutes, the Recon Platoon of Dogface Battalion, plus one platoon from A Company were moving to reinforce D Company. Soon after, the rest of A Company and a part of the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, followed, heading toward the south of D Company. By this time, overhead in a light helicopter, the battalion commander, LTC George Tronsrue, started to pass orders to the rest of the battalion, but was interrupted by Captain John Graham, the B Company commander, who said, "Sir, we've been on the way since we heard the first shots. Where do you want us?" And by continuing the quick move, B Company came up on Delta's left flank, thereby pinning the enemy battalion into a killing zone: an unfordable river to their left or east, D Company to their front or south, and B Company to their right or west. The enemy commander's most obvious option was to pull back to his rear or north, but that was relatively open rice paddy country crossed by only a few treelines along shallow canals. The Battle of Tan Hiep was now on. Dogface Battalion (B and D Companies, and the Battalion's Recon Platoon), with Troop A, Quarterhorse attached, fought the day-long action. A Company of Dogface, released to the operational control of the rest of the Quarterhorse Squadron, swept the area south of the fight, but made only light contact during the rest of the day.

    The enemy troops were now pinned in a deadly pocket, hammered by supporting fire from the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery and the 2nd Battalion, 13th Artillery. They were under direct fire, also, from Troop A, 1/4 CAV, commanded by Captain Fred Shirley, now on B Company's left, side by side, thus extending the western wall of the pocket. Overhead and outside the pocket to the north and east, helicopter gunships from the 7th Squadron, 1st Cavalry flew continuing fire missions to screen the open, rice paddy country to the north of the pocket. Farther to the north and east, but still in the same rice paddy country, the Aero-Rifle Platoon of that squadron established two blocking positions.

    For all that combat power hitting them, the enemy fought back hard. But, the men of Dogface Bravo, Dogface Delta and the Recon Platoon, and Alpha Troop fought harder, and during the next six hours, swept the southern part of the pocket clean. D Company and the Recon Platoon fought their way through several large groups of enemy, canal by canal, to the eastern edge of the pocket. Both units were then returned to Di An. B Company, with Troop A's support, continued to fight through many smaller groups of enemy soldiers in a relentless foot-by-foot wrap-up of the rest of the battle area. Dogface Bravo finally the far northern edges of the pocket nearly 12 hours after the first shot was fired. The Dogface Battalion headquarters, throughout that intense 12 hours, had not missed a beat in carrying out operational control of all maneuver units on the field of battle. Medical support and ammunition resupply were efficient, and the troops knew it.

    The troops also knew, from what they literally saw around them, that they had won a tough, face-to-face infantry battle against a disciplined, well-trained and equipped enemy force determined to fight to the last man. And, except for 6 enemy captured and evacuated for interrogation, that is exactly what the VC Battalion did (it was later determined to have been part of the well known Dong Nai VC Regiment). According to Dogface combat logs and AARs, at least 126 enemy dead were counted on the battlefield among their individual weapons and many crew-served weapons. Other reports placed the total at between 236 and 245. The price paid by Dogface Battalion was 6 killed and 23 wounded.
 

Name: Alice Cooper   amc1930@aol.com

Comments: I would like to hear from any one who remembers my son, Robert W. Cooper. He was a medic with D-1-18, KIA August 8, 1969. I have heard from one Buddy of his, but have not got much information. I'm trying to hear a little more of his short time in Vietnam. Please, can anyone help me?  His Mother.
  

The 18th Infantry Regiment Association Annual Meeting is scheduled for 9 am on Monday, September 4, 2000. Mark your calendars and plan now to attend. It will be in conjunction with the Big Red One reunion. There will be the usual CP activities and the Division reunion schedule. In addition, we hope to have some specific 18th Infantry activities arranged. If you have ideas for special 18th Infantry activities in Philadelphia, call me:
Ph: 562-596-8097, or E-mail: Ggentry@aol.com.

The 81st Annual Dinner of the Officers of the First Division will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2000 at the Crystal City Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington, VA. Join us Friday night and Saturday for refreshments and relaxed conversation at the 18th Infantry CP in room 1811. A good time for all. For information contact Phil Pryor at 757-564-1616, or E-mail at: Ppryor58@aol.com
 
 
 
 
 

This year the Big Red One Reunion is scheduled for the Labor Day week-end, September 1-5, 2000. it will be held at the Adams Mark Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. Make reservations through the Society. For information, please check out the Society web site at: www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/society or contact Rosemary Wirs at the Society Office: 1933 Morris Rd, Blue Bell, PA 19422. Ph: 1-888-324-4733 (Toll free), or Email: soc1ID@aol.com
 
 

Enclosed is a donation to the 18th Infantry Regiment Association. Please send me a light blue 18th Infantry Golf shirt embroidered with our distinctive unit crest on the left breast, the words 18th INFANTRY REGIMENT above the crest and IN OMNIA PARATUS below. PLEASE SHIP TO:
 

NAME: ________________________________________________________ 

ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________

CITY: _________________________________________________________

STATE: _________  ZIP: ________  SIZE: (circle one)  M     L     XL     XXL

TELEPHONE: ( _____ ) ________________   E-MAIL: __________________
 

Please complete all the information above AND below.

If you want more than one shirt, please be sure to specify how many and the size of each, etc. (check the options)
 

white color ____    black color _____   with pocket _____   women's shirt ____

    cotton cloth baseball cap ______      all-wool six-panel baseball cap _____
 

Make donation checks payable to: 18th Infantry Regiment Association. Print order form and send to:

 

George Gentry 1331 Hackett Ave Long Beach, CA  90815