Timeline, November 22nd

[David]

PREBELLUM:
November 1925 (Year of the Dog [Nham Tuat]): Saigon: Workers in the underground union, who had in August successfully struck the Ba Son naval shipyward in Saigon-Cholon, now hold massive demonstrations to protest the arrest of the Vietnamese revolutionary, Phan Boi Chau, in Shanghai.

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
November 22, 1953 (Year of the Snake [Quy ti]): Operation Castor update: The last of the paratrooper battalions who will form the initial garrison at Dien Bien Phu arrive, including the 5th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion (Bataillon Parachutiste Vietnamien, or BPVN), as well as Col. Dominique Bastiani, who will replace General Gilles, and Mlle. Brigitte Friang, the only woman reporter in the command who holds a military parachutist diploma and a record of five combat jumps (including that of the 6 BPC into Tu-Le in November 1952). On the ground, the organization is taking shape and part of the airfield is already capable of receiving small aircraft, the first flight of three Morane-500 observation aircraft (called Crickets, because of their ability to "hop around" - eventually the fortress will have six Crickets stationed there for visual recon), while the combat engineers are busy laying long rows of prefab pierced steel plates to form what will eventually be a 3500 foot long steel runway. Troops are out uprooting and burning trees and brush as they clear the approaches to the airfield, as well as the sites of what will eventually be strongpoints. The T'ai inhabitants of the valley, who had fled, are now starting to return and strike up trade with the foreigners, as children flock all around the paras, especially the radio operators. In the afternoon, the garrison receives its first formal visitor, General Rene Cogny, commander of the northern theater and France's youngest Major General. Back home, while most newspapers, apart from the Communist press there, are singing the praises of the new airhead, Le Monde gives it restrained coverage in its November 22-23 issue, saying, "It is not certain, however [that the enemy], will not soon react."

INTERBELLUM:
November 22, 1954 (Year of the Horse [Giap Ngo]): The French Army forms a light aviation branch, the Aviation L?g?re de l'Arm?e de Terre (ALAT), to operate its own aircraft and helicopters. The nucleus of the force is made up of pioneering helicopter pilots who are Indochina veterans; over the next eight years, the unit will grow to make the Algerian War the first helicopter war.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
November 22, 1963 (Year of the Hare [Quy Mao]) (US Advisory): The President of the United States is assassinated. No coup is precipitated there; the society does not descend into confusion, though there is a massive outpouring of shock and grief; and the existing form of government in America continues on unchanged, with the new President keeping many of the same policy advisors the former President had utilized.

November 22, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Attleboro update: The 1/5th (Mech) conducts local patrols and performs maintenance during the day. About 20 minutes into a patrol, a Company A APC is hit by an AT weapon. Three men are wounded and evacuated. About ten minutes later, in the same area small arms fire wounds another man. After adjusting artillery fire throughout the area, Company A continues its patrol, finding and destroying 12 bunkers at 1622. The company then returns to the battalion base.

While on patrol, a Company B platoon receives small arms fire from the west at 0855. The Americans return fire with no results. Three huts are destroyed at 0942. A docking site is found, with heavy ox cart tracks indicating loading and off-loading activities. At 1226, the company finds miscellaneous documents in a hut, which the company destroys. Company B then returns to the battalion base.

Company C departs at 0816 hours on its patrol. At 0850, one hut and three fish traps are found and destroyed. Small arms fire is received at 1027, killing one soldier. Fire is returned, and while sweeping the area, one rifle grenade and small arms fire are received, but no further casualties are sustained. Fire is returned. Three bunkers are found in the same area. A check of the area discloses wires leading out from the bunkers and at the end of one set of wires is "a new type mine." All bunkers and the mine are destroyed. Also found and destroyed in the same area are one bunker, 350 feet of blasting wire (Cambodian type), two Cambodian blasting caps and five 7.62mm rounds. Company C then returns to the battalion base.

November 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): A C/7/17 Cavalry OH-6A is shot down near QL 19 between Pleiku and Qui Nhon.

November 22, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation MacArthur/Battle of Dak To update: At Hill 875, 2/503 and 4/503 withdraw down the ridgeline and form a new defensive perimeter in order to allow more room at the summit for air strikes and artillery on enemy bunkers. By late in the day, a landing zone has finally been cut out at the base of the hill, and 140 of the wounded are evacuated while much-needed supplies of food, water and ammo are brought in. Brigadier General Leo Schweiter unexpectedly gives his paratroopers the option of choosing whether they want to finish the assault themselves or withdraw and let a nearby unit from the 4th Infantry Division take over. The surviving Airborne men insist on continuing the attack themselves and, heartened by fresh supplies, start talking of a final assault. In the evening, flamethrowers are brought in.

In the vicinity of Hill 882, C/1/503rd engages an NVA squad, killing one at the cost of one American WIA. In the afternoon, after finding another NVA body and weapon in the morning, D/1/503 engages and kills an enemy soldier. Later in the afternoon, D Company again contacts an unknown-sized NVA force, resulting in one US KIA, one US WIA, and one NVA KIA.

November 22, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): Operation Meade River update: Heavy fighting with many casualties throughout the day, but enemy fire prevents medevacs until darkness, and even then these are conducted under heavy fire.

November 22, 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): Battle of Trapezoid IV begins when Company A, 2/28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, finds the enemy while out on recon.

November 22, 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): 40 ARRS rescues a Navy pilot.

November 22, 1970 (Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VII)): The 57th AHC loses a man while supporting besieged ground troops at Plei Me.

November 22, 1971 (Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Consolidation I): South Vietnamese troops begin the sixth phase of Operation Toan Thang, a major drive into eastern Cambodia along Route 7 to disrupt enemy troop concentration and to safeguard the road into Phnom Penh.

BORDER CLASHES:
November 22, 1976 (Year of the Dragon [Binh Thin]): Border clashes occur between Thai and Cambodian (Kampuchean) troops.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
November 22, 1978 (Year of the Horse [Mau Ngo]): Malaysia states that there are now 37,947 Vietnamese refugees in the country illegally.