Operation New Life
OPERATION NEW LIFE:
Bien Hoa and Binh Tuy Provinces
November 22 - December 17, 1965
Daily Situation Report: 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st INF Division and 10 Division for mission of securing rice harvest in Long Khanh Province in Vo Dat - Gia Ray area. Engineer missions included booby trap destruction, fields of fire clearance, MSR maintenance between operational area west to Bien Hea.
Company A prepared for classified move ref Frag Order 1 New Life 65 HQ 173 Brigade. During this reporting period, 1st Brigade was supported by improvement of a new water point location. One 5-ton dump truck was damaged while taking part in a road clearing operation. A command mine was detonated beneath the truck and heavily damaged the vehicle also cratering the road. No casualties resulted from the action.
Operation Marauder/Operation An Dan 564
Western Hau Nghia Province
January 1-7, 1966
1st INV DIV, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and ARVN operation in Plain of Reeds area of the Mekong Delta. Hau Nghia Province.
Ed's paperwork puts him on Operation Marauder, but I have yet to find any good information on this operation.
Operation Crimp
Ho Bo Woods-20 km (12 miles) north of Cu Chi Binh Duong Province
January 8-14, 1966
Mission: Clearing and road repairing Operation Crimp was considered a large scale attack in an attempt to sweep the Cu Chi region. It was this operation that they found the underground tunnels.
Letter of Commendation reads, "During this operation, the enemy's important Saigon-Cholon-Gia Dinh Special Committee headquarters and secret base area was uncovered and destroyed. The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment played a key role in the battle in reducing enemy resistance in the maze of tunnels which constituted former VC headquarters and in capturing numerous enemy documents of great intelligence value."
Killed were 138 Viet Cong, captured eighty more and seized 72 enemy weapons in the Ho Bo woods region of Binh Doung Province.
Operation Quick Kick II
Eastern Binh Dinh Province
January 11-14, 1966
Mission: Built Landing Zone
First LZ built by Battalion
One Platoon OPCON HQ, 1st brigade to cut helicopter landing zone (1st one cut by 1st ENG Battalion) and assist in extractions and/or destruction of 1400 tons of rice and miscellaneous supplies found in War Zone D. No US casualties.
Letter of Commendation read, "Although the enemy did not choose to stand and fight, he lost important stores of rice and other supplies in what was obviously a principal VC supply depot on the western edge of War Zone D."
Operation Rolling Stone
Northwest of Bien Hoa Air Base
Binh Duong Province
February 11-March 2, 1966
From the Unit Historical Report 1966:
"A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss"
It is not out of order to apply this old adage to the first major battalion size operation code name "Rolling Stone." The operation began on 7 February and lasted through 2 March 1966. It was designed to construct new roads and repair existing parts of "Route Orange" between Route 13 at Ben Cat east to Route 16 so that it could be used to speed supplies across an all-weather main supply route to Phuoc Vinh.
Engineer ground reconnaissance determined that a three-mile stretch through jungle, plantations and rice paddies just north of the existing single bridge or culvert. A bridge on the existing road had been partially destroyed by the Viet Cong. Shortly after the reconnaissance, the Viet Cong erroneously believing the bridge would be repaired, further demolished it.
The operation was not without opposition. A platoon of Company D starting on the southern leg of "Route Orange" removed 50 Viet Cong (illegible)...placed berms and ditches. Engineer construction was hampered during the operation by two major Viet Cong attacks. One was the Battle of Tan Binh. The other occurred on the morning of 26 February when engineer security ... (illegible)...mine sweeping towns, found three VC bodies. The discovery of those bodies apparently used as a lure by the VC, engaged the engineers in a heavy firefight with enemy forces for about a half hour but work was soon restored. There were other occasions when the engineers were harassed with mines, (illegible), heavy small arms fire, sniping and ambushes.
In the tradition of the 1st ENG Battalion, the road, 30 feet wide, from Ben Cat to Route 16 was completed in three weeks instead of the three and a half weeks previously estimated. In a Letter of Commendation, General Westmoreland wrote, "The successful completion of this project, accomplished under hazardous conditions, exemplifies the importance of the engineer effort in Vietnam. Its ultimate effort on our future military operations and on the revolutionary development program within the province will be significant. This outstanding performance was supported at different times by different units including units of the 1st Brigade, 1/4 Cavalry and the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment."
The battalion suffered three men killed and 29 wounded. Total enemy losses for the operation reached 148 killed.
Operation Mastiff
Michelin Rubber Plantation and the Boi Loi Woods
Binh Buong, Binh Long and Tay Ninh Provinces
February 21-27, 1966
This was a 31,000-acre plantation halfway between the Cambodian border and Saigon and was an important source of revenue for the South Vietnamese Government. It was also a VC strong hold.
There are pictures in the GALLERY section of this website of the Michelin Rubber Plantation
Operation Silver City
Along the Song Be River Binh Buong Province/Long Khanh Province area
March 7-24, 1966 (Combat Mission Report shows dates as March 8-24, 1966)
Built twelve miles of road between Ben Cat and Route 16.
173rd Airbourne Brigade, 1st Brigade, 1st INF Division and the 1/RAR in War Zone D
"During the first few days, the units conducted screening operations which lead to the discovery of huge quantities of food, munitions, bunkers, and tunnel systems. The operation would claim 325 VC killed and the capture of several unexploded bombs and mines."
One platoon reinforced with four additional 4-man demolition teams, and water purification set, and 2 dozen tanks. OPCON HQ, 1st Brigade on S&D Operation in War Zone D operating from base camp vicinity YT0435. Engineer missions included destruction of VC booby traps, 4 each dud 500 16 bombs, captured VC equipment and vehicles. Fields of fire clearance and water purification.
NOTE: While Ed was in a tunnel during this mission, he found documents, along with various explosives, tools, and more than 16,000 round of ammunition.
Combat Activities and Circumstances:
March 7, 1966
Individual wounded by VC command detonated claymore mine while clearing road under OPCON
March 11, 1966
Individual wounded by VC booby trap while attempting to disarm
March 16, 1966
Personnel attempting to remove captured enemy vehicle and ran over booby trap 81mm mortar round. One US KGA, five US WHA casualties
March 24, 1966
Individual wounded by grenade fragment when Co A, 1/26 INF BN made contact with company-size entrenched VC force.
Operation Birmingham
Tay Ninh Province
April 24-May 17, 1966
Mission: Cleared and repaired 20 miles of road, installed 5 each, 36" culverts, built 20' timber trussell bridge, 100x200m of farmland cleared.
From the Unit Historical Report 1966:
On the morning of 24 April 1966, six mine detector teams with security were airlifted to six critical bridges on Routes 1 and 22. Simultaneously, engineers and their securing elements went ahead of other elements of the Big Red One equipped to replace blown bridges, repair roads and insure safe, quick passage on convoys. Operation Birmingham begun.
The action took place in Tay Binh Province. Company D, commanded by Capt. Joe H. Cannon was given the mission of repairing the road from general road repair such as filling in cuts, removing berms and widening narrow places in the road were required. This was done quickly and efficiently, enabling the convoys to pass to Suoi Da. The mission then turned to engineers to repairing Routes 243 near the mountain, Nui a Don, (Black Virgin Mountain and also Interprovincial Route 26), which by-passes Route 2 from Tay Ninh to Go Dau Ha. The mountain, giving the VC perfect surveillance of the activities of engineers, made their work more hazardous.
Although the operation is referred to as the Operation of Mud and Mines, these were by no means the only problems the engineers faced. Company A, while working on a road, came under heavy sniper fire. Even though artillery was called in, the enemy continued the attack. Engineer tank dozers and their security from the 1/4 Cavalry, arriving from Cu Chi, cam up behind the Viet Cong and opened fire. The enemy, overwhelmed, broke off the attack and fled. The harassment of sniper fire continued in the days ahead but work was accomplished on schedule. It was during one of these attacks when Capt. Charles R. Kesterson, CO of Company A, calmly moved up the road and organized return fire, risking his own life. Soon the work resumed and Capt. Kesterson was recommended for the Silver Star for his bravery.
In addition to the constant harassment of sniper fire, mud and mines were indeed two of the major problems encountered. The delicate and dangerous problem of disarming and removing at least 36 mines from the road faced the engineers. But alas, the monsoon season had begun in early May and the engineers had to tackle the sticky problem of rutted rocks made soft by the constant pounding of track vehicles and heavy convoys. The 1st Engineers defeated both problems.
With this phase of the mission being accomplished, the battalion moved to a new location. This time the job was to open a route from Tay Ninh to the Michelin Plantation so that resupply vehicles and artillery could be convoyed to that area. Again, bridges had to be reinforced, berms removed, culverts laid and laterite hauled. To moot the deadline, it was necessary for the engineers to work all night of 7 May. By 0830 on 8 May the last holes were filled and the weary engineers watched the convoy pass, encountering only light sniper fire.
It was a costly operation. Two men from the engineers were killed, one being the tragic death of Capt. Kesterson who stepped on a mine while rushing to the aid of his mine sweeping team which had been hit by a claymore. Sixteen other engineers were wounded. Known enemy losses from the combined forces in the operation were 113 killed with a total estimate of 306.
Combat Activities and Circumstances
April 28, 1966
Company came under light small arms and claymore mine (1 ea) fire while constructing bypass around blown bridge. 1/4 CAV tanks arrived and drove off enemy force within 20 minutes.
May 2, 1966
Dump truck struck enemy mine on newly constructed bypass causing moderate damage to vehicle.
May 4, 1966
Company taken under VC claymore and small arms fire while clearing mines from road. One individual stepped on press det. mine at same time. Contact broken by VC when taken under fire by APC's from 1/4 CAV and armed helicopters.
May 21, 1966
Individual injured by booby trap while following wire of prev. discovered command det. mine.
Operation Amarillo
Late August 1966
From the Unit Historical Report 1966:
In late August the 1stEngineers received the mission to provide combat engineer support for the 1stBrigade to clear and secure Route 16 for a much needed resupply convoy from Di An to Phuoc Vinh. Code named, “Amarillo”, the operation started out as an ordinary road clearing job. It turned out to be anything but ordinary. The road was in poor condition and two culverts gad been blown. Company C was given the mission to work north while Company A was to start at Phuoc Vinh and work south.
The ‘ordinary’ came to a halt on the morning of 25 August when a long range patrol from 1/2d Infantry located an estimated reinforced VC battalion about 8 kilometers west of Route 16 in a dense jungle area. The 1/2d and the 1/26 Infantry Battalions, which were providing security for the engineers were committed to action against the Viet Cong. The north bound convoy was about half way to Phuoc Vinh when the engineer battalion received the mission to reorganize as infantry and secure Route 16 while the convoy continued. Two 1st Engineer companies assured the security mission formerly assigned to two infantry battalions. For the next three critical days the engineers fought gallantly in their secondary role as infantry.
The battalion Commander called forth remaining elements of the unit from Di An and secured the road. By early afternoon the convoy passed without incident. At nightfall, the battalion, minus Company A, went into a defensive perimeter to the south. Company A formed a defensive …(illegible)… of 1/15 Artillery. During the night both perimeters were probed by Viet Cong. Company A killed two VC with small arms fire. Company C discovered an unknown number of VC in a tunnel near their position. A grenade silenced further activity in the tunnel.
The engineers were called upon to destroy tunnel complexes discovered by the infantry. They also continued to function as infantrymen until 28 August when the battalion resumed its mission as engineers. Elements of Company E, however, continued as infantry as they secured the remainder of the engineers who returned to road work.
Jungle clearing, road and bridge repair and cutting landing zones kept the engineers busy during the remaining days of the operation. Once again the battalion measured up to the highest tradition of its illustrious history by meeting a critical challenge.
Note: On August 31, 1966, while in the jungles of Vietnam, Ed received his air-travel instructions. "You are directed to report to the 90th Replacement Battalion, Camp Alpha, Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam for transportation aboard flight number E244 on 3 September 1966 at 0015 hrs."
Sources
Copies from Ed's C-file which included:
Historical Reports, Summery of Engineer Accomplishments and Commanders Daily Situation Reports.
Records of the United States Forces in Southeast Asia, 1950-1975 (Record Group 472)
The National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
