Timeline, May 17th

[David]

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
May 17, 1962 (14th day of the 4th month, Year of the Tiger [Nham Dan]) (US Advisory): Naval amphibious ready group lands Marines to guard Thailand's borders from Communist probes.

May 17, 1966 (27th day of the 3rd month, supplemental, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): Naval Support Activity, Saigon, is activated. Besides quartering, messing, payroll, and recreational needs of the naval officers and enlisted personnel in Vietnam, NSA Saigon supplies the Navy's Coastal Surveillance Force, River Patrol Force, Riverine Assault Force, and the various specialized headquarters, offices, and detachments operating in II, III and IV Corps, providing the commands with ammunition, weapons, and communications equipment. It also transports cargo and personnel; repairs and maintains ships and craft; stocks spare parts; and builds bases and facilities, such as those at Qui Nhon, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh Bay, An Thoi, Cat Lo, and Vung Tau that primarily serve the Market Time operation (although the last two bases are home to other naval combat units as well). Detachments are also established at Can Tho (and later moved to nearby Binh Thuy), Nha Be, Vinh Long, Sa Dec, My Tho, Tan Chau, and Long Xuyen. These units see to the special needs of the Task Force 116 PBR commands. The Dong Tam detachment is exclusively for supplying the Mobile Riverine Force naval units.

May 17, 1967 (9th day of the 4th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Battle of Xom Bo II, NNE of Saigon.

May 17, 1967 (9th day of the 4th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): HMAS Hobart comes under fire while bombarding Truc Li Ferry.

May 17, 1967 (9th day of the 4th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Dallas starts.

May 1967 (3rd and 4th months, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II: To counter the Communist artillery batteries that are firing into South Vietnam from positions in the northern half of the DMZ and in southern North Vietnam, as well as menacing allied ships and craft offshore, the US Navy's Operation Sea Dragon and Task Unit 70.8.9 combine forces off the DMZ in the strongest concentration of American surface gunfire ships since the Korean War. Cruisers Providence and Saint Paul and five destroyers take part in Operation Beau Charger, an amphibious landing and sweep into the southern half of the DMZ.

May 17, 1968 (21st day of the 4th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Operation Nevada Eagle starts.

May 17, 1968 (21st day of the 4th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Operation Jeb Stuart III starts in Quang Tri Province.

May 17, 1968 (21st day of the 4th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Operation Allen Brook update: In southern Quang Nam Province, US Marines approaching a dry river bed with a heavily wooded tree line near the hamlet of Lee Nam are suddenly attacked by a large enemy force.

May 17, 1969 (2nd day of the 4th month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Tet69/Counteroffensive)(Zaffiri): Ap Bia Mountain/Hill 937: Five firebases intermittently shell the mountain during the early morning hours. At 0918, fighter bombers again hit enemy bunkers there with 1000-pound bombs with delayed action fuses. Col. Honeycutt keeps his 3/187th Alpha and Bravo companies at their NDPs, ready to move out if the 1/506th gets close enough to launch the two-battalion attack.

At 0952, A/1/506 and B/1/506 move out from their NDPs over a km away, but encounter enemy fire and RPG attacks. By 1300, despite air support and a CS gas attack on NVA positions, B/1/506 is only 100 meters past its starting point and has lost at least 1 KIA and 7 serious wounded men. A/1/506 has advanced 50 meters at the cost of at least 1 KIA and 1 WIA. Brigade again postpones the assault until the morning. Col. Honeycutt spends the rest of the day preparing his men for the upcoming fight: distributing more flak jackets; putting extra ammo, including concussion grenades, in depots; and improving the CP defenses. RIFs are sent out west, northwest and northeast to check on enemy movement and locations. A platoon each from Alpha and Bravo companies, 3/187th, moves up its respective ridge as far as possible without making contact to search for positions from which they can support the 1/506's attack.

May 17, 1970 (13th day of the 4th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Sanctuary Counteroffensive): The NVA steps up activity across I Corps. A US Chinook helicopter is shot down in the mountains west of Firebase Nancy; the whole crew is lost. Pilots on resupply missions to Ripcord and other areas take fire in areas that have generally been considered safe.

May 17, 1970 (13th day of the 4th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Sanctuary Counteroffensive): A/7/17 finds an enemy compound in Cambodia.