Report: Unit Killed Hundreds in Vietnam

[darrels joy]

Report: Unit Killed Hundreds in Vietnam

The Associated Press
Sunday, October 19, 2003; 1:40 PM

TOLEDO, Ohio - An elite unit of American soldiers mutilated and killed hundreds of unarmed villagers over seven months in 1967 during the Vietnam War, and an Army investigation was closed with no charges filed, The Blade reported Sunday.

Soldiers of the Tiger Force unit of the Army's 101st Airborne Division dropped grenades into bunkers where villagers - including women and children - hid, and shot farmers without warning, the newspaper reported. Soldiers told The Blade that they severed ears from the dead and strung them on shoelaces to wear around their necks.

The Army's 4 1/2-year investigation, never before made public, was initiated by a soldier outraged at the killings. The probe substantiated 20 war crimes by 18 soldiers and reached the Pentagon and White House before it was closed in 1975, The Blade said.

William Doyle, a former Tiger Force sergeant now living in Willow Springs, Mo., said he killed so many civilians in 1967 he lost count.


TODAY
The farmers of the Song Ve Valley thought they would be safe. They were too old to serve in the military and not aligned with the North Vietnamese. But the farmers were wrong. Tiger Force soldiers killed farmers, villagers, and prisoners in the valley and across the Central Highlands in the longest series of war crimes of the Vietnam War.

MONDAY

The cover-up began before the killing ended. And by the time the Army finished its investigation - which was sent to the Pentagon and the White House - no one was ever charged. A justice system that promised to prosecute war criminals ended up protecting them.

TUESDAY

Thirty-six years later, the reminders of Tiger Force's rampage through Quang Ngai province are everywhere, and the stories of their atrocities are still told by Vietnamese villagers. To this day, the shooting deaths evoke anger in those who survived the attacks - with some calling for the former American soldiers to be prosecuted.

WEDNESDAY

Many former Tiger Force soldiers say they're haunted by their memories of the killings and mutilations of prisoners and unarmed villagers in 1967. Ten have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Some have turned to alcohol and drugs to ease their pain.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs...ORCE/110190169

Why does the Toledo Blade get so much information from troops that have, according to them, talked to anyone about what happened. Who are these guys?

The Associated Press picked this up and I read about in the Las Vegas Review-Journal

[sfc_darrel]

BULLSHIT!

[MontanaKid]

Remembering the Time/CNN fiasco of a few years back, involving Peter Arnett et al in a false story about US POW/deserters killed in Operation Tailwind, I'm skeptical. I will look into their sources. I'll tell you what I found out.

[MontanaKid]

Followup: I just finished reading the first two installments of the four-part series now running in the Toledo Blade. The sources appear to be the National Archives, interviews with 1/327 veterans, and interviews in Vietnam with civilians reprted to have survived and witnessed atrocities. From my knowledge of the times, one brigade of the 101st joined a brigade from the 4th ID and the then-independant 196th Light Infantry Brigade in the division-sized task force, Task Force Oregon. My Americal division, formed from the veteran 196th, and two new brigades that arrived in fall of 1967, the 198th, from Fort Hood, and the 11th, from Scoffield Barracks, Hawaii, was the successor to Task Force Oregon. They have interviewed a lot of sources, some who defend the action and others who regret or blame others. Without examing sources directly, I can't say for sure. But I will say the story so far is compelling. It appears SOMETHING happened with this unit (1/327th's Recon platoon?). Whether that something is exaggerated in this story, I don't know. I am close to the National Archives on Vietnam stored at College Park, MD. In fact I have a National Archive card because of research I've done on my battalion. I'm intrigued by this story because it appears the 1/327 operated in my old AO. I'll follow up with the rest of the series and take a first-hand look at some of the National Archives records, cited in the story. I'll let you know what I find out.

[MORTARDUDE]

I would like to know the names, places, and faces, of the Army officers who investigated this from 1967 - 1975. If true, they should go to jail also. Gen. Colin Powell covered up My Lai ( a fact ) and look where he is now. Why did this suddenly come out now 36 years later and 28 years after the investigation was closed ? Are there any pictures, physical evidence, movies, affidavits, tape recordings or the like ? Has any of this been published in book form or on the internet ? How many different US soldiers were involved. Good to see you back with the platoon
MontanaKid !!!

Larry

[39mto39g]

For the unit should be available.

Ron

[MORTARDUDE]

Just read all the many articles of the Toledo, Ohio paper. Also did some google searches for info about the unit. It is out there on the 'net. It looks to be true. A sad, sad episode if so.

Larry

http://www.tigerforcerecon.com/

many other links as wel...

[frisco-kid]

This was formed up in late APR67. It consisted of the 196th LIB, 3rd Bde. of the 25th ID, and the 1st Bde. of the 101st Abn. Div.. The 1st Bde. of the 101st was the only Bde. in-country at that time. It consisted of 1/327, 2/327, and 2/502. The 3rd Bde. of the 25th ID was soon changed to the 3rd Bde. of the 4th ID. This is how Ron ended up serving in both units [jump in here Ron]. I think this was formed to allow the Marines, that had been operating in Quang Ngai Province, to move up to the DMZ. The 101st and the 196th, both being brigade-sized units, were obvious choices for the TF. I guess the 25th/4th ID was just the luck of the draw.

The 1st week of MAY67 the whole 1st Bde. arrived in Duc Pho. Some of us flew in from the Highlands [me] and some arrived by sea on LSTs that they had boarded in Nha Trang. On 11MAY67 1/327 [James] and 2/502 [me] made CAs into the mountains west of Duc Pho, kicking off operation MALHEUR I. The 2/327 came in the next day to act as a blocking force. MALHEUR I carried into MALHEUR II as we continued to do Search and Destroy patrols all around the Duc Pho area. I DEROSd 28JUN67 and we were still there.

I think TF OREGON disbanded later in the year when the other units that would become the Americal Division, and the rest of the 101st Abn. Div. started arriving in-country. James and Ron can probably elaborate more on this.

Right up to the time I left I never heard ANYTHING that even hinted at misconduct by the Tiger Force Recon platoon, although I was in a different battalion. However, this was James' battalion and if he doubts it, I have no reason not to. Like MK, I would be VERY skeptical about this.