TF Oregon

[Boats]

DMZ-LT - your firend is one smart fella.

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by Packy I am so proud to know you guys and have served with men with such metal.

An Airborne salute to all, and yes James, Dan can confirm what you said about the Platoon and why you volunteered for LRRPS.

Again, I am proud and honored to know you guys....Tom, James, John.

Until we meet again!

AIRBORNE!

Pack

Thanks Tom
I hear you and Fred and Dan all met up lately--how did that go?
Three of my favoritest people, if you meet up again let me know, if I can make it I will.

More TF Oregon:
re: Sgt Williams. I got the chance to tell this guy what I thought of him when I clocked his best friend (who had threatened my life THREE times while Williams stood there watching) I then told him I was looking at a dead man. I then proceeded to tell Williams what I thought of his "leadership." I consider that to be one of the most satisfying communications I did in the Army and he just stood there listening. After decking his buddy, I was about to do him the same and he knew it. The only thing that saved his ass was daylight and a lot of witnesses. (when I go off the deep end, sometimes it can be spectacular! Sometimes in the war I just didn't give a shit any more--what were they gonna do? put me in the infantry and send me to Vietnam?) Williams had been dumped on us from a Mech unit that was getting rid of some deadwood, so was the guy I clocked, Wilson. Dan was there and can tell you about this one, too, it was semilegendary

I'm proud to know you too, Tom, and the rest of you guys.

Stay good---and Abu

James

[39mto39g]

James
My brother is about your size and I learned from him, along time ago, in a fight, it's not the biggest guy, it's the guy who hits first. Now this doesn't hold true 100% of the time, but is a good guide rule. My little brother is the toughest SOB you'll ever want to run into. I seen him stitch up a 1.5 inch deep cut in his hand, I seen him get a pair of pliers from my tool box and pull his own tooth, It was not pretty to watch or hear.
Getting the first hit on your "friend" was a good idea. Thats the problem with most organizations hear on earth, you don't get to pick the people you work with. Having "deadwood" in an Inf unit is not a good thing. And, in Vietnam there was a lot of that, most likely because of the one year thing, After all, you really don't want to put your ash on the line in a live/die situation when next month your going to be driving thew the hamburger place getting a whooper.

Its cold in Oregon.

Ron

[Packo]

James,

We had an absolute ball and we would have loved your company. Will let you know when we do something like this again. The wives were there also and we would be honored to have yours come along with you. I think the comment I heard most from Deb, Sallie, and Shirley, was..."Gee I just thought (fill in the blank, Tom, Dan, Fred), was like this." It was the first time I got a good nights sleep in YEARS!

As I think you know, Dan and I have been talking for over 25 years and have been the main reason we are both, well.....somewhat sane. I have heard him talk of your legendary fight, and the horrible racism you guys faced in the face of death. As a Paratrooper, I was upset when assigned to the Cav instead of the 101. Now, not at all condeming the whole 101, but after what I've heard from MANY Screamin' Eagles....glad I was a Jumpin' Mustang. I would have probably been at Hamburger Hill, which was a job for B-52's....not Parachute Infantry. The AF could have taken the top of the mountain and placed it in Laos.

Maybe we could get the other Tom in on this also....if we can get him out of the Bay Area.


Pack

[exlrrp]

Ah, the memories of goodl ol TaskForce Oregon.
Yr right,, Ron, if there's one thing I learned in the Army it was "Hit first!"
I know you guys won't believe this but I was raised up to be nice. I was an altarboy and a Boy Scout. ( I am NOT making this up) I had been in a few fights in High School bt it was the Pushme!OhYeah? Sezyou! stuff.
What I learned in the Army was strike first and strike hard. No warnings, either just walk up to the guy and start punching. In the particular incident mentioned above, you should have seen the look on his face!! One of the most satisfying memories of the war. He definitely was NOT expecting to get slammed in the face although he had just threatened my life three times("Ahm Gon' KILL YOU!") While that fucking squad leader just stood there and watched it happen. And I was tryng to talk Army business to hiim at the time--thats what was amazing. I'm trying to talk Army business to this sgt while this other guy was threatening my life and the sgt just stood and watched it happen. On the 2d time I called his atention to it and asked him if he was going to do anything about it. He told me not to tell him how to do his job. I told him someone needed to tell him his job if he wasn't going to say something. Then Wilson opened up the 3d time, stuck his face right in mine and said it, and I clocked him. He never saw it coming. He went down and I went down after him doing him all th damage I could--then Williams buttstroked ME! from behind!
That did it!! I was over the line!! Fuck him!! They were holding me back but I told him what I thought of his chickenshit black ass--as I say, one of my most satisfying communications ever and not at all what you'd expect from a liberal.
I'll tell you something about being with this guy--the experience made me a better soldier, after being in his squad I knew I could do anything--like kick his ass. After you do all the hard stuff continuously you get to be not afraid of it any more. And then youre the baddest motherfcker in the road. And you know it.

Stay good, all , I'm going on the road again
james

[DMZ-LT]

" Yea , though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil , for I am the baddest son of a bitch in the valley." For a long time after I got home I never talked about that year. once in awhile I would talk to my wife about it ( like why was I screaming in the bed at 3am soaked to the bone ) but I always felt like the lone ranger , couldn't believe anyone else had done and seen the things I did. All of you here , over the years , have helped me realize I wasn't some kind of freak and that we all grew up a lot while there. Like my friend that wrote me " now when I look at all of you I see the best of me " Pray for Andy. Band of Brothers. Thanks and Welcome Home !

[39mto39g]

While digging around in Cacti green sites I came across this, so I Cut-N-Paste it hear. I was not involved, it was a A&B company thing.
Ron


"3rd Brigade Kills 81 Enemy In Task Force Oregon Battle

DUC PHO ? Following artillery preparation, 18 air strikes and naval gunfire, infantrymen from the 3rd Brigade Task Force, 25th Division recently assaulted battered enemy positions and finished off what remained of an estimated North Vietnamese battalion.

After a day and a half of fierce fighting, which left the battlefield scarred by artillery and bomb craters, the "Cacti" assaulted with two companies, leaving 81 enemy dead and capturing huge amounts of weapons, equipment and documents.

The battle took place in a heavily fortified area approximately eight miles southeast of Duc Pho in lower Quang Ngai Province.

The area was believed to have been one of the primary resupply points for the NVA as the mountains run almost to the coast.

The battle, one of the largest to date for Task Force Oregon, began when Company A, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry made contact while on a sweep of the area.

The crack NVA unit was tenaciously holding ground between two hills and fighting from prepared bunkers, tunnels, caves and complex trench systems.

Receiving heavy fire from automatic weapons, Company A maneuvered to flank what was later estimated to be a NVA battalion.

Captain Lloyd Yoshina, Company A commander who was wounded by the initial burst of fire, said, "The fire was so heavy I couldn?t move even three feet to get to my radio."

Although members of the company attempted to get to him, Captain Yoshina ordered them hack so that they wouldn?t be hit. Refusing to be evacuated, he was still commanding his company a day later when the battle ended.

Artillery, gunships and air strikes were immediately called in to pound the entrenched enemy. Major James E. Moore Jr., 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry commander who was hovering overhead in his command helicopter, coordinated the supporting fires as well as combat assaults and the units in combat.

By mid-morning Company B had been airlifted into the area of contact. Upon touching down, the company quickly maneuvered to assault the enemy positions.

However, the NVA, dug-in in caves and bunkers, continued to fight throughout the afternoon. During that time other units were moved into the area and by nightfall the enemy was surrounded by four companies and a cavalry platoon.

Before darkness engulfed the battlefield, the "Cacti" had killed 43 NVA and captured 16 weapons.

When darkness came, flare-ships turned the battlefield back to day. The battle continued throughout the night.

At daylight the "Cacti" were still receiving heavy fire from the entrenched NVA. Once again the area was saturated by air strikes and artillery.

While the supporting fires continued, Major Moore lifted his field commanders out by helicopter and conducted a detailed aerial reconnaissance of the battlefield for the final assault.

By mid-morning the air strikes and artillery were lifted. Through a screen of smoke and in 103 degree heat, two "Cacti" companies, accompanied by Colonel James G. Shanahan, 3rd Brigade commander, assaulted and overran the enemy positions.

Besides killing 81 NVA, the 3rd Brigade troops seized 151 82mm mortar rounds, thousands of rounds of small arms ammunition and large quantities of weapons, grenades and other equipment. They also detained one NVA sergeant.

The "Cacti" were still policing the battlefield when Major General William B. Rosson, Task Force Oregon commander, landed in the middle of the area to commend the infantrymen on a "tremendous victory."

[frisco-kid]

Way to go, Cacti!

[Bill Farnie]

I have been reading this thread with awe, admiration and respect for you guys and I'm proud to know you, even though it's only in cyberspace.

And Pack,

Originally posted by Packy I would have probably been at Hamburger Hill, which was a job for B-52's....not Parachute Infantry. The AF could have taken the top of the mountain and placed it in Laos.

Pack

They did bring ArcLight thunder after the NVA began to re-occupy the Dong Ap Bia hills. And your right ... should have happened the first time.

[MontanaKid]

Frisco. It was probably a typo, but one small correction on the three brigades that made up the Americal. It was the 198th and the 11th that joined the 196th.

The 199th was based out of the Long Binh area. they remained an independent brigade throughtout their Vietnam deployment.

My battalion, 1/46th, deployed to Vietnam as part of the 198th. However we were always posted north of Chu Lai and under the operational control of the 196th. Finally, in July 1969, the marriage was official and we became a permanent part of the 196th.

Of course it meant that the battalion didn't standdown with the 198th in the fall of 1971 when the Americal rolled up its colors. It deployed north with the rest of the 196th. And as Vietnam trivia people know, it was elements of the 196th that were the last maneuver units of infantry to leave Vietnam in 1972.

Sometime I'll have to show you Jonathon Schell's "the Military Half" article from the New Yorker in 1967. Schell rode along with the FAC OV-10s that flew support for Task Force Oregon. He discusses operations of the 101st and 196th during the summer of 1967.

I would be curious to know if you recognize the action described. One section of the article talks about action in the valley where our Firebase, LZ Professional, was eventually located. Professional was built in late 1968/early 1969 by 1/52 Infantry of the 198th. When 1/52 was hit hard there in March, 1969, 1/46th took over the firebase and AO and operated there until August of 1970.