The 9th Infantry Division was introduced in the Delta for one purpose only, to improve the security. The 2nd Brigade terminated operations on 4 July; the 1st Brigade on 23 July; and on 26 July, the 3rd Brigade went under operational control of II Field Force, Vietnam. First Sergeant Lynn D. Crockett - C Company . The Americal was reactivated in 1967 in Vietnam from elements already in Vietnam and newly-arrived units. The 3rd Brigade is a combined arms brigade of the Australian Army, principally made up of the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment (1 and 3 RAR). I was part of the Mobile Riverine Force that worked in the Mekong Delta area south of Saigon. 1st Lt. Lynn J. Viet Cong activities in the Delta were appreciably reducing the cultivation of the important rice crop and were isolating the Delta from Saigon. Tom was the founder of this website. On deployment the division was assigned to the III Corps Tactical Zone of Vietnam where it commenced operations in Dinh Tuong and Long An Provinces (6 January-31 May 1967) in Operation Palm Beach. Also in early August, the 1st Brigade captured a prisoner in Long An who identified his unit as the 520th Local Force Battalion from Kien Hoa Province. 9th Brigade Machine Gun Company: formed on 8 February 1916 left to move into 3rd MG Battalion 6 March 1918: 13th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) joined from 8th Bde 4 April 1916: 9th Trench Mortar Battery: joined by 1 May 1916: 76th Brigade This Brigade was transferred from 25th Division on 18 October 1915 in exchange for 7th Brigade. Captain Herbert E. Lind - C Company Commander . In May, the brigade moved to Dak To in the Central Highlands of II Corps to join the 4th Infantry Division. 10-21-68 ) CharlieCompany 43rd Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog) 45th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog) 65th Infantry Platoon (Combat Tracker) Its area of operations was in the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta from 1967 to 1972. Consequently, the division had a dual focus—combat operations and pacification. I reported for the draft on Oct. 12,1967 in Des Plaines, Illinois. (For EndNote, ProCite, Reference Manager, Zotero, Mendeley...), Chapter 2 The General Offensive and General Uprising, Chapter 5 Third Phase of the VC/NVA General Offensive, Chapter 6 Fourth Phase of the VC/NVA General Offensive, Appendix A. Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, U.S. Army hold their weapons and supplies high as they cross a deep stream on a search-and-destroy mission in the delta near Rach Kien, south of Saigon, during the Vietnam War, April 20, 1967. It was a joint Army/Navy operation. Of all the military assignments in Vietnam, perhaps none was more challenging than the defense of the Mekong River Delta region. The 9th Division was reactivated on 1 February 1966, and arrived in Vietnam on 16 December 1966 from Fort Riley, Kansas, and its major units departed Vietnam on 27 August 1969 (HHC & 1st BDE) to Hawaii; 27 August 1969 (2nd BDE) to Fort Lewis, Washington; 12 October 1970 (3rd BDE) to Fort Lewis, Washington. 25th Infantry Division and 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division search and destroy operations: Bình Dương, Gia Dinh, Hậu Nghĩa, Long An and Tây Ninh Provinces: Feb 17 – Apr 2: Operation Federal: 9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment/Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment security operation From its entry into the Mekong Delta in February 1967 until July 1969, the 9th Infantry Division had been an effective fighting unit developing tactics and techniques, from riverine to Night Search operations, to meet the ever-changing Viet Cong and NVA initiatives. The "Wandering" segment of the brigade nickname was beginning to form. The 9th Division was reactivated on 1 February 1966, and arrived in Vietnam on 16 December 1966 from Fort Riley, Kansas, and its major units departed Vietnam on 27 August 1969 (HHC & 1st BDE) to Hawaii; 27 August 1969 (2nd BDE) to Fort Lewis, Washington; 12 October 1970 (3rd … 49% of the population were Viet Cong. Its mission was clear: it had to defeat the Viet Cong main and local force units and to support the pacification efforts of the GVN, thereby eliminating the Viet Cong’s intimidation of the people. On deployment the division was assigned to the III Corps Tactical Zone of Vietnam where it commenced operations in the Dinh Tuong and Long An provinces (6 January-31 May 1967) in Operation Palm Beach. Operating deep within the Viet Cong(VC)–controlled Delta, the Division was charged with prote… In Long An Province—the underbelly of Saigon—enemy interdiction and guerrilla and terrorist activities were minimal, a good sign that offensive actions were imminent. The 1st Brigade 1st Infantry Division comprising of: 1st Battalion 2nd Infantry, 2nd Battalion 2nd Infantry, 1st Battalion 26th Infantry, and was based at Dau Tieng from July-November 1969, and January-February 1970. Inactivated 14 January 1994 at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and relieved from assignment to the 199th Infantry Brigade You may contact me at the E-Mail address below. The structure of 199th Infantry Brigade at that time was: Based on Hunt's experience as colonel and division chief of staff, the volume documents how the 9th Division's combat effectiveness peaked in 1969. Of great importance was that the GVN won the “rice war.” The improved security prevented the Viet Cong from appropriating appreciable supplies, and, after the major disruption of the Communist General Offensive in 1968, agricultural production improved from a low point of 84 percent of the index based upon the 1961–1965 period to 94 percent in 1969 and 103 percent in 1970. Series Description. In June, the 9th Division received word that it was to rotate to the United States, and units began to prepare to stand down. 9th Infantry Division Task Organization, January–April 1969, Appendix C. The Story of a Booby-Trap Casualty, Appendix D. Prisoner Phan Xuan Quy: Biographical Information and Thanh Phu Battle Account. "335th Radio Research Unit") 12 Jan 1967 – 5 Apr 1971. For example, on 10 December 1967, at An Naut Tan, the 2/60 Infantry was attacked by the 2nd Independent Battalion supported by the 506th Battalion and the 5th Nha Be Battalion. 30 January 1967: The 2/47th Infantry (M), 3/47th Infantry and the 4/47th Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division arrive in South Vietnam. You do not have access to this Its precursor, a division-sized task force known as Task Force Oregon was created in Quang Ngai and Quang Tin provinces from the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division, the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, and the 196th Light Infantry Brigade (all separate brigades that deployed to Vietnam in 1966). The units under II Field Force when Ewell took command included five divisions (1st Infantry, 1st Cavalry, 9th Infantry, 25th Infantry, 101st Airborne) and six separate brigades (3rd Brigade 82nd Airborne Division, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 196th and 199th Light Infantry … Operating deep within the Viet Cong–controlled Delta, the 9th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army was charged with protecting the area and its population against Communist insurgents and ensuring the success of the South Vietnamese government’s pacification program. Hunt - 1st Platoon Leader . Located in Tan An, South Vietnam, Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division shared many traumatic times. Almost all of the contacts were minor skirmishes, keeping a constant pressure on the evading enemy. VIETNAM The 3rd Brigade was the first 25th Division element alerted for Vietnam service. In the mid-1960s, the security of the Delta, the densely populated rich rice bowl of agrarian South Vietnam, was poor and getting worse. Its objectives were to annihilate 60 percent of the enemy troops and destroy 50 percent of the enemy outposts; liberate the rural areas and attack the enemy lines of communication; and liberate half of the district seats and provincial capitals and destroy the remaining half so that they could eventually control them all. Hq and Hq CO, 9th Inf … Division headquarters was at Bear Cat Dec 1966 – Jul 1968 and Dong Tam Aug 1968 – Aug 1969. I look forward to hearing from others who served with the 9th, especially those who served with the 2/47th. The 9th Infantry Division began withdrawing in summer 1969, leaving its 3rd Brigade behind as a separate unit (under command of 25th Infantry Division) until Oct 1970. This discussion has focused primarily on the combat capabilities of infantrymen and their direct support organizations: the artillery, air cavalry, assault helicopters, Air Force, and Navy. The 9th Infantry was the last division to go into Vietnam and the first division to leave. The 3rd Brigade 4th Infantry Division comprising of: 2nd Battalion 25th Infantry, 3rd Battalion 22nd Infantry. All Rights Reserved. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division was first constituted on 19 November 1917 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 8th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 4th Division. on JSTOR. InThe 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam: Unparalleled and Unequaled,Ira A. It was redesignated on 30 June 1971 as Troop F, 9th Cavalry, assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, and activated in Vietnam. In 1969, the division also operated throughout the IV Corps Tactical Zone. The 9th Division soldiers... JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization helping the academic community use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. Headquarters of the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division at Dong Tam. Tom was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with honors. Yet, the dispersed and elusive Viet Cong and NVA units that remained in the Upper Delta still had a limited capability to attack population centers and military installations if they were permitted to concentrate forces. The aggressive actions of the RVNAF and the 9th Division in the Delta and U.S. forces and our Allies elsewhere in South Vietnam forced the Communist leaders to abort their Winter-Spring Offensive. ©2000-2021 ITHAKA. The 9th Division was reactivated on 1 February 1966, and arrived in South Vietnam on 16 December 1966 from Fort Riley, Kansas. During the war the division's units often served with the Mobile Riverine Force and other US Navy units that made up the Brown Water Navy. This brigade lived on the ships of Navy Task Force 117, and were transported on their infantry missions throughout the Mekong Delta on WW2 landing craft supported by various other armored boats some of which mounted flame-throwers (called zippo after the lighter); had mortars in their holds; and even 105mm cannons on their bows (called monitors). 1st Lt. Jack R. Benedick - 2nd Platoon Leader . In that capacity, company-sized elements fought south of Saigon with the 9th Infantry Division in the IV Corps Delta region. JSTOR®, the JSTOR logo, JPASS®, Artstor®, Reveal Digital™ and ITHAKA® are registered trademarks of ITHAKA. Many other units not specifically mentioned—such as the 45th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog), the 65th Infantry Platoon (Combat Tracker), the Air Cushion Vehicle Platoon, the 1097th Transportation Company (Medium Boat), and the 15th Engineer Combat Battalion—also participated in ferreting out and destroying the enemy. The division has done much to assist the innocent victims of the war. Thus, the Communists changed their tactics from company- and platoon-sized or smaller operations to battles conducted with multibattalion attacks. Viet Cong (VC) insurgents were severely disrupting the commerce and welfare of this vital region. This was the birthplace of the People Liberation Front who rose up against the French in 1954 and later in the 60's against the South Vietnamese. COMBAT AFTER ACTION REPORT, VIETNAM 1969. Dedicated to those who were there. 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