The 16th Infantry Regiment Association will conduct its next reunion in New Orleans, LA, Distinguished & Honorary Members of the Regiment, Pay / Renew Memberships / Program Donations, Operation JUNCTION CITY 22 February-15 April 1967, 16th Infantry Area of Operations 1965-1970, Operation ABILENE—1st Battalion April 1966, Operation ABILENE—2nd Battalion April 1966, Battle of Courtenay Plantation 11-12 April 1966, Battle of Binh Long Province (KENTUCKY COUGAR) 12 August 1969. A cache of 2,000 small arms and copious documentation were also captured. While it marched east to join Green battalion, Bataillon Commando 203 (BC 203) was airlifted in by RLAF Sikorsky H-34s to secure Vang Tai and its airstrip while White and Green Battalions moved toward the road intersection. [6] On 26 March, eight CH-3E helicopters of the 20th SOS began evacuating the Red Battalion troops. Scavenging four M60 machine guns from the crashed helicopters to beef up their defense, the fliers and the Red Battalion soldiers held off the PAVN all day. # Victory! AD388154. The communists had regained all their lost ground. The following individuals made a combat parachute jump on 22 February 1967 in the vicinity of Katum, Republic of Vietnam, GO 444, 12 March 1967 Operation Junction Citywas a US-ARVN military operation which lasted from 22 February to 14 May 1967 during the Vietnam War. # DutyFirst! After an initial blooding from 23–27 March 1969 during Operation Duck, three Royal Lao Army irregular battalions trained by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were launched on Operation Junction City Jr. On 28 July 1969, a Royalist force occupied the airfield at Vang Tai, to begin the offensive. Operation JUNCTION CITY, conducted 22 February to 15 April 1967, was the largest single allied operation in the Vietnam War. A total of 6,000 potential porters were eventually evacuated. However, they paused to refresh and realign their forces. On 6 September, Red Battalion joined them. The US Army and the South Vietnamese ARVN sought to clear Viet Cong fighters from a stronghold in Tay Ninh Province near Saigon, and they did so in the US' largest airborne operation since Operation Varsity in 1945. [9], White Battalion was now lifted into Vang Tai. Operation Junction City, Armored Vehicle Evaluation (11th Armored Cavalry Regiment), Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, 03/03/1967 - 03/05/1967 [2], As the Laotian Civil War flared from 1961 onward, the CIA carried out a paramilitary program designed to foster a guerrilla army to support the Royal Lao Government (RLG). Junction City, a corp-level search and destroy operation in War Zone C, was the largest U.S. military offensie of the war. In early 1969, MR 3 hosted three Royalist guerrilla battalions newly trained by the CIA at its Savannakhet base. Air support for the government forces would come from the numerous tactical air sorties already directed at the Trail, and would be directed by Nail FACs and Raven FACs. The original plan never intended to hold Muang Phin. Ideally, these two units would drive the enemy north into the guns of the battalions in the blocking positions. Operation Junction City, the largest U.S. operation of the war, is launched. [4], Encouraged by Junction City Jr.'s results, the CIA planned the Tchepone Operation. Moving out in August under tactical air cover directed by Raven FACs and Nail FACs, elements of the Royalist force captured the Route 9/23 road junction near Pathet Lao-held Moung Phine on 4 September. Four U.S. divisions, as well as additional brigades, are involved in a massive search and destroy mission, along the Cambodian Border. Ground action is shown during "Operation Junction City," in South Vietnam. Paralleling that, the U.S. Department of Defense covertly supported the Royal Lao Army and other Lao armed forces through a sub rosa supply system, as the U.S. picked up the entire budget of Laos. The next day, a battalion of the Royal Lao Army was flown in. A. This page was last edited on 27 January 2020, at 07:17. Charles Joseph Watters. by: Lawrence P. Grayson. As of 1 September 1969, air support was limited to 12 A-1 sorties daily, supported by a flareship by night and two forward air controllers (FACs) by day. On 23 March, two of Red Battalion's companies, with 115 men apiece, were tasked with the Operation Duck raid on an enemy complex housed in a cave southeast of Mahaxay. Although the Royalists realized that capturing the actual town was unlikely, they planned to occupy another road junction, Routes 9/91 ten kilometers northwest of Tchepone. Lacking both an overall operational commander to coordinate maneuvers, as well as support from CIA handlers distracted by Kou Kiet, the operation was terminated. As Tang Vai lay 31 kilometers from friendly forces, on the edge of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the lack of opposition was surprising. [21], The Royalist forces held the line through January 1970. The 82-day operation was one of the war's largest and severely weakened enemy capabilities. However, so long as the RLG maintained a minimal garrison, they were generally undisturbed. In Operation Junction City, Vietnam War's biggest operation, Feb. 21-May 14, 1967, including the largest paratroop jump since World War II, Gen. William Westmoreland won his big-unit campaign but lost confidence that the war could be won By 17 October 1969, Operation Junction City Jr. had been pushed back to its point of departure; however, it had destroyed supplies sufficient to have kept a communist division in the field. On 17 September, White Battalion was withdrawn from the operation, to be replaced by Yellow Battalion. By 17 October, the three battalion attack force had stalled six kilometers shy of the 9/23 intersection. Junction City. At this point, the Rules of Engagement were changed to allow air strikes on Moung Phine. After capturing Moung Phine, the Royalists extended the campaign in an attempt to neutralize Tchepone during September, foreshadowing the future Operation Lam Son 719. Then-2nd Lt. Nate Butler of Junction City is one of them — one of many — who fought alongside other 1st Infantry Division soldiers in the 100 hour war that officially started in Iraq Jan. 16, 1991 with orders from then-President George H. W. Bush. Operation Junction City. 尋找 Getty Images 帶來的完美Operation Junction City照片檔及編輯新聞圖片。從 項非凡卓絕的優質Operation Junction City檔案當中任意挑選。 The objective now became cutting the Ho Chi Minh Trail near the transshipment point of Tchepone. Operation Junction City (Feb. 22 - April 15, 1967) was the largest single allied operation in the Vietnam War consisting of 30,000 troops. It was the largest U.S. airborne operation since Operation Varsity in March 1945, the largest airborne operation of the Vietnam War, and one of the largest U.S. operations of the war. Green and Red Battalions were then withdrawn by 28 September. Brandon Bruer, 19th Public Affairs Detachment) Following the French defeat at Dien Ben Phu and the subsequent 1954 Geneva Agreements a neutral Laos gained its independence. By 23 September, Yellow Battalion occupied a mountaintop position overlooking Moung Phine. [14] Tchepone was garrisoned by six PAVN battalions defended by antiaircraft guns. Royalist incursion starves PAVN division into retreat. [8], On 28 August, the offensive operation was extended, with the aim of occupying Moung Phine for a week and blocking the intersection of Routes 9 and 23 nine kilometers west of the town. They captured 45 Pathet Lao soldiers, freed 165 detained Lao citizens from various jails and another 2,000 villagers from porterage. A PAVN counterattack pushed Blue Battalion southwestward into defensive positions on a nearby mountain. They also planned to cut Route 9 between Tchepone and Vietnam, stranding the North Vietnamese garrison. [16], On 4 October, an approaching crowd of refugees was mistaken for PAVN by BC 203; the Royalist regulars fled to Moung Phalan. That same day, Green and White Battalions were halted by high water in the Se Thamouak River. Early on 7 September, four USAF A-1E Skyraiders bombed the town; that afternoon, four more repeated the attack. The Chaplain Was a Sky Soldier . The offensive began with Operation Junction City, where the American units assigned had destroyed hundreds of tons of rice, killed 720 guerrillas, and captured 213 prisoners. PLANNING AND PREPARATION 83 IX. November 3, 2011 in Chaplains, Medal of Honor | Permalink. With Adam Taylor, Whett Wheetie, Terry Tuggs, Jonathan Love Hewitt. When France withdrew most of its military in conformity with the treaty, the United States filled the vacuum with purportedly civilian paramilitary instructors. The attached brigades of the 25th Infantry Division formed the western blocking positions; the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, manned the northern positions; the 173rd Airborne Brigade positioned in the northeast; and the 1st Division’s 3rd Brigade formed the eastern blocking and screening positions. (Video by Spc. In one of the largest air-mobile assaults ever, 240 helicopters sweep over Tay Ninh province, beginning Operation Junction City. [18][19], Operation Junction City Jr. was credited with depriving an entire PAVN division of supplies, causing its withdrawal from the field. Operation Junction City was an 82-day military operation conducted by United States and Republic of Vietnam (RVN or South Vietnam) forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam War.It was the largest U.S. airborne operation since Operation Market Garden during World War II, the only major airborne operation of the Vietnam War, and one of the largest U.S. operations of the war. THE WARM-UP TOSSES: GADSDEN AND TUCSON 91 Operation Gadsden 91 Operation Tucson 94 X. PHASEE I-TH HORSESHOE IS PITCHED 97 Combat Forces 97 D-Day, 22 February 1967 101 D Plus 1, 23 February 103 D Plus 2, 24 February 104 End of Phase I, 25 February-17 March 106 XI. Operation Junction City was an 82-day military operation conducted by United States and Republic of Vietnam (RVN or South Vietnam) forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam War.It was the largest U.S. airborne operation since Operation Varsity in March 1945, the only major airborne operation of the Vietnam War, and one of the largest U.S. operations of the war. By the time it ended, the operation involved twenty-two US infantry battalions, four ARVN infantry battalions, seventeen artillery battalions, 4,000 Air Force sorties, and 249 helicopters, also making it the largest air assault operation in history. Operation Junction City (22 February – 14 May 1967) Portrait of Manuel Moya (left), Reed Cundiff of a US Army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) of the 173rd Airborne as they sit, in camouflage, in a helicopter in War Zone C during Operation Junction City in the Vietnam War, Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, February 1967. Copyright ©2020 16th Infantry Regiment Association - All rights reserved. A battered Brown Battalion returned from operations in Military Region 2 and was assigned as security guards at Prince Boun Oum's personal tin mine. On completion of the initial drive, HQ, III Corps directed all units to conduct thorough S&D sweeps in their respective areas of operation beginning 25 February. Operation Junction City was an 82-day military operation conducted by United States and Republic of Vietnam forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam War. Operation Junction City was a U.S. strategy to eliminate the NLF from Vietnam, and this quiz/worksheet combo will help you test your understanding of it. After suffering four killed, and having killed 40 of their foe, the raiders noted an incoming thunderstorm that would halt air strikes and fled southwards. The Annamese Cordillera in southern Laos became the haven for a communist logistics network, the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Operation JUNCTION CITY was a three phased military combat operation executed by United States Army forces and forces of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) against forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army Savada, Andrea Matles, ed. In and around the village, NVA arms, supplies, and storage areas had been destroyed. Dommen, Arthur J., Chapter 1. All of the original objectives were achieved. [12], At this point, there was a controversy over whether to spray herbicide on standing rice crops around Moung Phine to deny them to the communists. [8][10][11], USAF fighter-bombers seeded all routes into Moung Phine with Mk-36 area denial ordnance to block traffic—Routes 9, 23, and the combined 9/23. Once all units were positioned for JUNCTION CITY, they formed a giant horseshoe around the target area. [5], On 28 July 1969, one company of Red Battalion was helicoptered in to Tang Vai on Route 111 and seized the airfield there with no opposition. Search and destroy-Wikipedia [1] A North Vietnamese-backed communist insurrection began as early as 1949. Operation Junction City was an 82-day military operation conducted by United States and Republic of Vietnam (RVN or South Vietnam) forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam War. Fr. [13], Based on success to date, the decision was made to once again extend the offensive. By the time it ended, the operation involved twenty-two US infantry battalions, four ARVN infantry battalions, seventeen artillery battalions, 4,000 Air Force sorties, and 249 helicopters, also making it the largest air assault operation in history. This directive set the stage for a desperate battle and another Ranger’s great act of heroism at the Battle of Prek Klok (see next map). As Moung Phine was the only Pathet Lao-held town in the Laotian panhandle, and served as a communist sanctuary, it was a prime target because it had been off limits to air strikes. [7] Arrangements were made for RLAF T-28s and U.S. Air Force A-1E Skyraiders to fly air cover for the Royalist forces, amassing only 200 sorties in the month between 28 July and 28 August. Despite these disappointing results, the new guerrilla force was deemed ready for further action. After World War II, France fought the First Indochina War to retain French Indochina. Early on 6 October, not knowing Moung Phine had been abandoned, a company from Red Battalion was airlifted into an ambush on the airstrip. JUNCTION CITY 2,2 February-14 May 1967 VIII. [3], In Military Region 3 (MR 3) of Laos a tacit nonaggression pact existed between Royalists and Communists. [20] Besides diverting manpower and supplies from North Vietnamese operations to engage the Lao forces, the PAVN was forced to extend its defensive perimeter further west from the Ho Chi Minh Trail and occupy more of the Lao panhandle. Two 20th SOS helicopters were downed on the runway, stranding eight USAF fliers and 44 Lao troops. In turn, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces guarding the Trail were strong enough to launch serious attacks against the Savannakhet Plains and the Mekong Valley if they wished. Over the next three days, the hammer forces swept north, but the overall results of the 25th Division’s big drive were unimpressive in terms of enemy contacts and KIAs. Given the increasing communist antiaircraft weaponry opposing them, the need for rice to feed local populace, and fear of communist counterattacks in reprisal, only ten percent of the crops were sprayed. [15], Blue Battalion marched toward the 9/91 intersection and occupied the intermediate junction of Routes 9/914, five kilometers short of 9/91. Operation JUNCTION CITY, conducted 22 February to 15 April 1967, was the largest single allied operation in the Vietnam War. [22], https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Junction_City_Jr.&oldid=937794249, Battles and operations of the Laotian Civil War, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, No lasting change in territory. A mildly factual look back on the Vietnam War's largest parachute assault mission. Invading during the opium harvest season of 1953, it settled in northeastern Laos adjacent to the border of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. American troops overrun much of the … Butler said he was positioned just south of the Iraqi border, awaiting the call to action. Directed by Adam Taylor. The communist war effort in South Vietnam depended on that supply route. The purpose of the raid was to destroy the complex while gathering enemy documents for military intelligence analysis. [10][11], On 13 September 1969, BC 203 moved forward to garrison Moung Phine. However, the destruction of facilities and captured rice and equipment was great. On 2 September, Red Battalion was halted when it took 17 casualties in a brief clash with the communists. Operation JUNCTION CITY was a large "search-and-destroy" operation of the Vietnam War, starting on February 21, 1967 and lasting for 72 days. Green Battalion moved southwards, then turned to the east. The renewed operation was facetiously dubbed Junction City Jr. after both the 1967 operation in South Vietnam and the road junction objective. When they struck Route 111, Red Battalion headed northeast toward the communist positions at Muong Phine. Two newly raised battalions did not join the Royalist front line formations, which became static. Operation Junction City, Conducted by Headquarters, 11TH Armored Cavalry Regiment. After being reduced to using sidearms for defense, the surrounded detachment was rescued at 18:30 by two helicopters swooping in under cover of an airdropped tear gas barrage. Gerard Forken ©Stars and Stripes South Vietnam, 1967: Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division rest after a battle with the Viet Cong during Operation Junction City… Forcing a crossing two days later, they peacefully occupied the 9/23 intersection. Select from premium Operation Junction City of the highest quality. On 29 September, Blue Battalion replaced them. [5] Four times the communist headquarters was struck by U.S. Air Force jets depositing napalm, cluster bomb units, and 2,000 pound bombs. [10] In all, 2,000 tons of supplies were captured, and 1,500 villagers evacuated to government territory. These tactics continued in 1966–67 with operations such as Masher, Thayer, Attleboro, Cedar … # OnThisDay: Operation Junction City began February 22, 1967, during the Vietnam War. Operation Junction City Junior fizzled out a few days later. They removed 70, but received battle damage from heavy ground fire to five helicopters, and aborted the mission. Anthony, Victor B. and Richard R. Sexton (1993). Operation Junction City Jr. was a major Laotian offensive of the Vietnam War; initially aimed at temporary disruption of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, it was extended into an attempt to isolate the major North Vietnamese communist transshipment point at Tchepone from the units it was supposed to supply. On 2 August, Green Battalion was also helilifted in, they moved out east under an umbrella of air support from both the USAF and the Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF). In response to this massive offensive, the commander of NVA and VC forces in the south, General Nguyen Chi Thanh, directed COSVN forces in War Zone C to strike back by ambushing small American units, especially supply convoys, along Route 4. Then the CIA launched Operation Junction City Jr.[4], The CIA paramilitary agents in MR 3 were unique in the Laotian Civil War in the direct control they were allowed to exert on their irregular operations. It directly followed Operation CEDAR FALLS With a force of 30,000 U.S. Army and 5,000 ARVN soldiers, it took place in Tay Ninh province, north of Saigon. Conboy, Kenneth and James Morrison (1995). Find the perfect Operation Junction City stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. That evening, the Royalist irregulars took Moung Phine. Historical Setting. Despite the size of the operation, only fifty-four VC were killed versus twenty-eight dead GIs. [16] Nearby Yellow Battalion followed suit, abandoning its hilltop stronghold. The remaining Royalist troops evaded the communists and moved to Route 122 to be removed on 27 March. (1995). [17][18], Green, White, and Blue Battalions staged an eastward assault from Muong Phalane toward Moung Phine, while Red Battalion moved toward the 9/914 junction. On the morning of 22 February, the blocking forces air assaulted into LZs on the perimeter of the horseshoe. [19] Besides the captured materiel, the operation was credited with killing an estimated 500 enemy troops. Helilifted in by the 20th Special Operations Squadron (20th SOS) and Air America under air cover of U.S. Air Force (USAF) tactical fighter strikes, the guerrillas were heavily engaged by the PAVN. Most believe the operation was a success. The hammer, located at the open end of the horseshoe to the south, was composed of the 2nd Brigade, 25th Division, and the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR). The Royalist stronghold at Savannakhet could threaten the Trail. You are currently browsing articles tagged Operation Junction City. Operation Junction City Jr. was a major Laotian offensive of the Vietnam War; initially aimed at temporary disruption of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, it was extended into an attempt to isolate the major North Vietnamese communist transshipment point at Tchepone from the units it was supposed to supply.
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