From Vietnam Order of Battle, Shelby L. Stanton, page 7: Throughout the remainder of 1967 the division combated the North Vietnamese Armys 610th Division and Viet Cong units in the II Corps Tactical Zone. In January 1968 the division was ordered to I Corps Tactical Zone, arriving in time to blunt the enemys Tet offensive. Elements in II Corps continued to fight for Binh Dinh Province in Operation Pershing II in February 1968, but because of events the larger part of the division was committed to the contest near Hue. Then the 1st Cavalry Division moved swiftly to relieve the embattled U.S. Marine base at Khe Sanh in April 1968, along with other U.S. Marine and South Vietnamese airborne battalions. During the Tet offensive the division performed well, clearing Quang Tri City and crushing resistance on the northwest and southwest walls of the Imperial City of Hue outside the Citadel. In April and May the division was rushed into A Shau Valley to preempt enemy preparations for another attack in the Hue vicinity; the balance of the year was spent on sustained operations along the border of Quang Tri and Thua Thien Provinces. “The division moved from II Corps to I Corps in 1968, meeting the enemy head on in the battle for Hue, Khe Sahn and the A Shau Valley. In numerous close firefights aerial rocket artillery blasted the enemy, foiling his plans for victory. The deadly accuracy of the SS-11 missile penetrated his bunkers and fortifications. Psychological operations leaflets used pictures of ARA aircraft to frighten enemy soldiers into surrendering.” “1st Cavalry Division – Vietnam – August 1965 to December 1969, Turner Publishing Company, 1995, page 134. I was usually one of those picked for the advance party anytime the battery moved to another landing zone. We were sent ahead of the rest of the unit to set up perimeters and meet them when they got to the new camp. We in turn were always met by the 1st Cav.’s Pathfinders, when we first landed at a new place. These guys were airborne infantrymen and specially trained. We called them “Black Hats” because they wore black baseball caps. They made sure the landing zone was cleared of danger, trees, underbrush, and booby-traps. They were a familiar sight to me. They showed us where to set perimeters and landing areas.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 04:11:48 +0000
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