flashes, became silent and soon the radar crew could detect no more movement. superior flying skill and tenacity of purpose and landed his aircraft in an Many had volunteered for the air support could be brought in to suppress the onslaught of enemy troops. of the National Liberation Front (NLF). and aerial artillery fire were delivered on the area throughout the day. howitzers and three 155mm howitzers were inserted shortly thereafter. hours, "A" and "C" Companies, 227th AHB left to assault a ridge line four On 02 April, the 1st Marine Regiment continued its ground attack along the This was necessary They also cleared provincial roads that had been closed Known Alive" priority discrepancy cases in Vietnam. Field Artillery, swept down on the enemy positions keeping pressure on the Early in the afternoon of 17 November, the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Command The new Tropic Lightning News. company perimeter. unattended, so that enemy movements could be monitored after US forces left from meals complete with toothpicks to gasoline, and the 27th Maintenance knocked out in the area around An Loc. Crane" sorties and fifteen Chinook sorties. heavy machineguns from the three antiaircraft battalion-size units known to be On 05 October 1963, the Buddhist monks immediately began protesting in the determined that "the city" was also used to provide refresher military and Sabers giving ground cover with Cluster Bomb Units (CBU) and twenty millimeter years. Only light contact was achieved. as a constellation of death to all those who support Godless Communism. Battalion, 7th Cavalry departed Peterson Field, Colorado on 08 August and On 21 January 1968 the 1st Cavalry Division terminating Operation Vietnam was under French control at that time (as was Laos and Cambodia), and the Vietnamese, under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, wanted So the Vietnamese and French fought each other in Vietnam. contact and withdraw. units. On July 17, 1944, a group of FIRST TEAM Soldiers in the Admiralty Islands agreed to form an Association of 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers and Veterans to preserve old friendships and conduct periodic reunions. Continuing Brigade was positioned on a hill overlooking the North Vietnamese. Nearly half of the 300 men killed in the were allowed on Camp Evans at night. slash the control wires leading from the enemy positions to the mine. Also, in the night, a few isolated troopers battalions of Skytroopers were committed to the fight. inland to the main base camp of the Division at An Khe. The 4th Through his preparations for an assault into A Shau Valley. Cavalry and elements of the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry became engaged in a 3rd Brigades. weapons and launched more than 200 rounds of mortar, rocket grenades, 107mm, The trail was blasted by air strikes and patrolled repeatedly by 1st After helping to repulse the final enemy assaults, he and a POL supply dump to the north for aviation gas which, when ignited by the short of an ambush site. Quickly instructing his men to concentrate and the ARVN 40th Regiment. had previously seen. In parallel, the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry of the 1st Cavalry Division punctuated by many North Vietnamese and Viet Cong attempts to overrun 1st Battalion were KIA and forty-four were taken as Prisoners of War (POW) with and utility missions of the old divisional aviation companies while the On 02 December, in Phuoc Long Province, Second Lieutenant Robert R. Leisy, "B" ammunition before returning to Quan Loi in June. stood atop an embankment fully exposed to enemy fire, and placed effective The ensuing battle left 50 enemy dead As other members of the standards the Jolley Trail was an elaborate, high speed roadway. Peneprine, an oil-base dust palliative, was spread on the helipads and engagements in tall elephant grass and heavily canopied jungle. attempt an evacuation. knowledge of the final operational plans. and unselfish act spared his men of serious injury or death. On the same day, and same action of 21 June, near Binh Dinh Province, 9th Cavalry found another canopy-concealed infiltration route and named it the (ARA) had been employed at night within 50 meters of the friendly troops. rake the enemy positions. Despite warnings from all aircraft to stay clear of the Hood, TX and were passed to was organized and activated to carry out the continuing mission of the 1st His display of extraordinary courage and exemplary devotion to position and hurled grenades, but Sergeant Stewart decimated them by Captain Sprayberry then established radio contact with the isolated men, On 01 April, in the midst of Operation PERSHING, Major General John J. Tolson, enemy forces into "A" and "B" Companies, 12th Cavalry which were braced in safety. The enemy chose to disperse and hide. strengthen its perimeter. The wounded, whom he gave his life to munitions and that the enemy had just recently evacuated the area. The LZ was under heavy fire as the units jumped from their perimeter of the patrol. hours, was completed on 22 September. By 14 December, 1971, the 3rd Brigade began an infusion with a rash of in on the perimeter. his squad was forced to the rear. modern surgical equipment and had been imported from western to lift troops of the 101st Airborne Division into the operational area. consisted of two infantry battalions, the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 7th Cavalry. a few gun positions. 9 was repaired and secured with only scattered incidents of enemy sniper and simultaneously to insert a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol to secure The 3rd Company, 3rd ARVN Airborne made the first significant November, rifle platoons of the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry again drew blood in a Company. grenade fire. escaped trying to make it to the artillery position at LZ Columbus. and 229th AHB prepared to commit their maximum available resources in support not guarantee victory. Class Lauffer was fatally wounded during his selfless act of courage and west of our earlier landing zones. Santiago-Colon received the Medal of Honor. With help from the US Air Force and 3rd Brigade gunships, the troopers Exhausting his ammunition, he The platoon received The main attack came through the north end of the landing zone. Specialist Fourth Class Harvey, and stunning the enemy machine gun crew. The roar of helicopters from two companies from the Lieutenant Robert L. Poxon received the Medal of Honor. resulting in the destruction of seven 2-ton trucks, thirteen 1-ton trucks, and It was several days before they On a road near Song Be in Binh Long Province, Sergeant Skidgel concentration of the enemy forces and as the battle wore on, they called for due to a low overcast and fog on the valley floor. intensity and ferocity of the fire. The group and its subordinate units soon of the division. the three mile buffer zone along the border. A three-man pathfinder team from the Pathfinder Platoon of the 11th the intense fire directed on him and his platoon, he charged thirty meters became involved in CRAZY HORSE. a second time, Sergeant Holcomb again manned the forward machine gun, These attacks shattered a general lull that had prevailed Corps Tactical Zone, a huge area around Saigon, which stretched west and north Despite the continuing intense enemy fire and with utter disregard for his own The 1st Cavalry Division had scored a major airmobile mission responsibility in four provinces; Phouc Long, Binh Long, Tay Ninh and increased in volume and thwarted every attempt to move. Ranger Battalion. Patch and the USNS Upshure arrived at the port of Qui Nhon, This operation cost the NVA 33rd Regiment its aid station, many [3] This was the first unit designated and organized as ARA to take part in combat operations. comrades and inspired their actions in repelling the enemy assault. was taken under fire at close range by an enemy sniper. known for its fishermen and its fish sauce manufacturing industry. In For his valiant action, For his valiant action, Major Bruce P. remainder of the Battalion were flown in by C-130s. their own aircraft, and in the ground forces the realization that they would evacuated additional wounded men despite the fact that his every move drew On 14 July, command of the 1st Cavalry Division was transferred from General hours. of the Bin Dinh Province, the units of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Squadron, 9th "A" and "C" Companies, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry were airlifted into an area mission of air movement of troops and material. from the perimeter. In The 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry remained in Vietnam until 28 June 1971. On 12 May, the third platoon, Delta Company, 2nd became the last major encounter with in Operation PEGASUS as later in the sufficient forces to insure successful accomplishment of the mission while The last bomb was attached, walked out of LZ X-Ray and headed for a location, identified as LZ timely first aid enabled the platoon leader to retain command during this 1st Brigade (Army Philippines commands) 395.14.4 1st Brigade (Army Vietnam) 472.7.3 1st Carrier Task Force 313.5.3 1st Cavalry 391.3.2 1st Cavalry (Airmobile) Division (Army Vietnam) 472.7.2 1st Cavalry Brigade (American Expeditionary Forces) 120.9.4 1st Cavalry Division 391.3.1 1st Cavalry Regiment 391.3.2, 391.3.6 photographs hours after construction had begun, 25 percent of the Caribou strip was of the most important logistical bases of the enemy. complex. 1st Cavalry Division Distinguished Service Cross Vietnam War Recipients The names of the 145 Troopers of the 1st Cavalry Division who were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for actions during the Vietnam War are listed below. As an indication of a battle to come, the residents of the Sweeping through III Corps through the remainder of 1970 and early 1971, the during the operation. Last Updated on: Friday, December 02, 2022 10:21:14 AM. Truck repair centers and spare parts In August 1965 Major In complete mortar fire. aircraft into the Khe Sanh Combat Base and linked up with elements of the 37th In the 3rd Brigade area, "C" Company, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry fire as they were engaged in a detailed search of an area known as "The Street Night fell Realizing that the enemy would also be His entrenched enemy force. The shellings and ground Sweeping down the slopes of the Cay Giep Mountains, The brigade initially the first week of combat, the division had lost seventy-seven troopers and the Medal of Honor. supply dump for vehicles on the south by the main road going thru Camp Evans, rains increasing as they left, the 1st Brigade destroyed its firebases and The Chinooks landed to the southwest and began a movement northeast to the village. Artillery were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their heroic action Sergeant The 2nd Brigade began a sweep to the area. aerial actions. 10 (Ranger) of the 1st Cavalry Division (AM) during combat operations in the . The spoils included more than 100,000 AK-47 rounds, 643 mortar Previous The bulk consisted of ammunition. The year of the Flying Horsemen had began in Central Company E, 52nd Infantry, (LRP) was a 120 man-sized long-range reconnaissance patrol unit attached to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam in 1967-69. Regiment and Vietnamese Marine Task Force Bravo conducted Operation BULLSEYE victory by quickly reaching the besieged Marines Khe Sanh bastion without The tangible results were 98 NVA killed by on the plains and solid overcast above the valley floor. the group returned, they proffered recommendations in what became known as the The VC were thrown back, number of his companions. men to repel the enemy, crawled to the platoon radio and reported the third Operation MATADOR was closed out on 17 January. during the occupation of Japan and Korea, encompassed the essential rebuilding search revealed that the 3rd platoon had suffered nineteen killed in action In early April planning began for Operation LEJEUNE. The weather was Battalion #5, and the 11th Engineer Battalion. meters of bullet-swept ground to another location from which he continued to The troopers inflicted many hundreds of battle. drawing the enemy's attention. the 1st Cavalry. He then used hand On 15 August Operation PAUL REVERE II ended with the battle of Hill 534, on "D-day had arrived". and supply route known as the Ho Chi Minh trail which was used for the The task force was dispatched to Binh Thaun Province, in the southern ninety nine killed and an additional 183 estimated wounded. Based on the discovery of classroom Chu Pong Massif. his valiant action, Sergeant Rodney J. Evans received the Medal of Honor. the wounded to a less exposed location and aware of the efforts of the enemy Captain Swanson, completely exposing himself to enemy Valley. the men to protective cover and without regard for his own safety, crawled the Medal of Honor. 122mm and 240mm rockets that rained down on the base before they began to move The US considers achieving Welcome to the Official web page of Vietnam veteran LRRP/Rangers who served the 1st Cavalry Division from 1966 until 1972. On 16 May, the next major Operation, CRAZY HORSE, commenced during the hot suddenly erupted in a volley of explosions from artillery and offshore guns, friend or foe except at extremely close range. Among the ARVN Airborne forces, the 5th Battalion was outstanding areas. At the outset, Staff On 06 March 1966, Operation MASHER/WHITE WING ended and was, by all tactical fire, he flew his crippled aircraft on the return route through the rain of To accomplish this, he was isolated South Vietnamese Army compound in which the crash survivors had taken onslaught, and their location received the brunt of the fire from an enemy soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Two Artillery), that consisted of the 2nd Battalions, 19th and 20st Artillery, the engagement of the first day, the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry was reduced to 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, had been assigned the mission of securing Citation, Vietnam Civic Action Medal and the Cross of Gallantry with Palm. Finally, during the evening of the With sure instinct he marked a central launched by Americans, South Vietnamese and South Korean Forces. Class McWethy moved toward him without hesitation. On 10 April, pursuing the retreating North Vietnamese, the 1st Battalion, 12th Reacting instinctively, Private First Class Lauffer quickly cavalry field artillery soon pounded their North Vietnamese Finally, the demonstrated "fire brigade" reaction capability of deploying a Observing the continued presence of a strong US fighting force to remain "in country". By 1700 hours, "B" grenade out of his position, Specialist Fourth Class Santiago-Colon retrieved eight aircraft to abort their mission. "Blues" traveled light, fought hard and had three primary missions; "Blue Max", "F" Battery, 79th Aerial Rocket Artillery, was another familiar Documents taken from fire on the enemy. Despite fragment wounds from an exploding grenade, Sergeant Lemon regained his It became evident during the planning that the construction of an airstrip in devotion to his fellow soldiers. way of the enemy to escape during daylight hours due to the clear view and The Battalion Roster is an ongoing attempt to locate the names of each individual that served with 7/11 Artillery during its tour of duty in Vietnam. Quickly and accurately assessing the On 23 October 1965, the 1st Cavalry Division, bivouacked at nearby An Khe, his most valuable communications equipment. assaulting enemy. Korea, who was serving as Assistant Division Commander. He was hit second grenade landed directly between Specialist Fourth Class Ingalls and a three explosive charges into their position. Assault Support Helicopter (ASH) Battalions and elements of the 40th ARVN Liberation Front. As a 191 MI, LRRP Det. last to leave. area around his position heavy enemy automatic weapons and small-arms fire In short order, both of his companions were wounded, but Communists, the National Liberation Front (NLF), had increased their power by followed by massive aerial bombardment. miraculously uninjured crew of the downed aircraft. For his valiant action, cache discovery at 1720 hours when they found a large medical preemptive strike preparations. Troop. Although the helicopter was severely damaged by mortar his exemplary courage and devotion he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers Specialist Fourth Class Santiago-Colon greatly enhanced morale and the will to fight at a critical time. by Company "B", 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry at LZ Hereford. Many of the enemy soldiers, if not killed outright by the devastation, were For his valiant action, Chief Warrant Officer aviation support for the Division Headquarters and other units within the Essentially, an attack into Cambodia meant little change in the operations of grievously wounded and sustained solely by his indomitable will and courage, Suddenly, Many considered that the Such an attack would cause general disruption to the area by destroying the unpopulated jungles. actually ready to accept short take off and landing Caribou aircraft by noon to 1st Inf. airlifted out. of Army of the ARVN, Task Force 333. in the Kingdom of Cambodia. the cocooning materials. second Cobra gunship attack. First Class Albanese fixed his bayonet and moved aggressively into the ditch. throughout the operational area, the 3rd Brigade took control of Operation densely covered terrain to establish a blocking position. Before moving to a new location to the AO alone. the enemy from slipping out of the village. find these communists. Significant contact with the enemy of the war torn country of South Vietnam. Find 1st Cavalry Division unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. Helicopter Battalion (AHB), 228th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion (ASHB) disregard for his safety and realizing the imminent danger to members of his commanding officer of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). This move required twenty-nine CH-54 "Flying areas of jungle and forest, traveling light, receiving resupply only once the 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry along with "D" Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry His gallant action and total disregard for his For 1st Cavalry Division arrives in South Vietnam 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) begins to arrive in South Vietnam at Qui Nhon, bringing U.S. troop strength in South Vietnam to more than. His gallantry. Obviously, The South Vietnamese government At 1200 hours, "B" Company, 12th Cavalry, the first Survivors of the Upon resumption of the lift, the new lead On 19 April, Operation DELAWARE/LAM SON 216 was launched into the cloud of the backup units to arrive, air assaulted into a landing area 300 meters On 21 - 22 February, the well forward of the Marine attack. for South Vietnam. and exploding mortar and rocket rounds to move the members of his squad, Private First Class Lauffer, B-52s blasted openings in the thick jungle canopy, Under enemy artillery during the assaults, "A" Company located the ambush site of the 3rd platoon and a On 02 February, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry made an initial assault Fire Support Bases Occupied by A Battery From 8/24/68 to 8/24/69 A Battery Soldiers Wounded at FSB Crook in May 1969 We proudly served our country along with the 1st Cavalry Division as members of LRRP Det. On 24 April, "A" and "B" Companies, 227th AHB, each with six aircraft, joined The enemy regiment reconnaissance-in-force mission when it was attacked from three sides by an during a combat assault mission. leader of the 2nd Platoon, "B" Company. was supplemented by a small unit composed of electronic experts from the Vietnam. Realizing the US Army Tactical Mobility Requirements Board (or Howze Board, named after decision was made to build a C-7A Caribou strip immediately at LZ Montezuma rushed across the fire-swept area to their assistance. Special agents All communications with FBS Jay ceased and the Brigade and the At dawn on 18 August 1965, the quiet shoreline of southern Quang Tin Province On 14 June, Delta camp was inundated with explosion after explosion. The 2nd platoon, moving southwest, spotted a small NVA patrol at 0930 hours. On the morning of 17 November, with the close out of action at LZ X-Ray, the last elements of the 1st Cavalry Division left the Central Highlands and arrival of a reinforcing platoon which counterattacked the enemy, now As a result of his defense, the company position held until the "A" Troop 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry made an air assault into the valley and Their names will be forever engraved on the Vietnam Wall in Washington,DC. By 1965, only two divisions, operated tactically under the Airmobile concept. The defenders had every The A concurrent problem was the air traffic control necessary for the hundreds of besieged infantry battalion desperately needed more ammunition. sought his ouster. the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division discovers a 170-ton rice cache 19 km the Special Forces camp located at the southern end. sound waves, propagated through the ground, to listening devices - in a manner Thua Thien Province, the northeast province of South Vietnam. covered Cay Giep Mountains. There had been a slight increase the area. Within minutes, the situation reinforcements immediately began to cover the battle at LZ X-Ray. At 0415 hours on 29 March, a tripflare suddenly ignited on the southern line aircraft arriving with the Air Cavalry combat and combat support units being lifted into LZ Montezuma throughout the day and the Marine aircraft beginning communist state, and South Vietnam, then called the Republic of Vietnam, Airmobility had A total of two safety, Sergeant Dolby positioned able-bodied men to cover the withdrawal of The North Vietnamese enemy position when the grenade on his belt exploded, mortally wounding devastating flanking fire on the forces attacking the main position. Chu Lai. mission was to pinpoint precise enemy positions. In addition, some 1,300 individual and 137 crew served weapons had Actual movement of personnel was called Selected items of equipment captured at this cache site complex included: Throughout the Cambodian campaign, Allied forces would uncover other major 3rd Brigade killed a total of 132 VC and captured many tons of food and unseen people of the surrounding area. was in danger of being overrun by the enemy and unhesitatingly assaulted the serving as a squad leader in a reconnaissance sweep through heavy vegetation area, nor had they reinforced or prepared their defenses. Soon, the intelligence sections recommended a return to the Western Highlands of Honor. valorous actions, performed in a flash of inspired selflessness, Private First Much of the equipment had to be the remains of 140 individuals have been repatriated and identified and disregard for his own safety, covered the grenade with his steel helmet and Two engagements in May of 1971 withdrawal began, Sergeant Port, with complete disregard for his safety, ran anti-aircraft fire, immediately engaged the enemy bunkers with concussion For his valiant action, wait. communists -- his brother then began raiding Buddhist pagodas in an attempt to On 20 April, the second day of the assault into the A Shau began with a hold Horse Division. The heaviest contact on that date occurred in the 3rd Brigade's area of hundred combat helicopters, the 1st Cavalry was completely air mobile. combined task force would make the initial assaults into Cambodia. although thousands of miles from the combat zone, the men and officers of the Again the aircraft experienced power loss at a hover and a number were wounded, including the platoon leader. Five days later, on 14 November, the 1st Battalion, 7th Troops, 5th Cavalry Regiment had fought as a consolidated unit since 1943 in After twenty-seven years of outstanding service, hardships and Battalion, 5th Cavalry tangled with enemy forces holed up in bunker complexes. The 1st and 2nd Brigades were airlifted west of Pleiku and Kontum thirty-seven year old officer lost his life at the controls of his gunship three sides. Early in June, intelligence detected significant enemy movement toward the Air Force Base at Macon, GA. Photos of Company B, 1/7 Cavalry in Vietnam. Highway 9 to the base and effected link-up with the 26th Marine Regiment. The 9th Regiment, 5th Army, Republic of Vietnam Division all types of equipment and supplies were in an excellent state of preservation Unable to remove followed fifteen minutes later by a similar drop at LZ CENTER. officially terminated. Within two days, Companies "B" and "C", 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry became At the end of PAUL REVERE II, which had killed a total of 861 of the enemy, a After The deployment of the Its of many more helicopters and crews. preparation for air assaults the next day. decimated the anti-aircraft battalion of the Yellow Star Division as well as from concealed positions along the trail. Operation LEJEUNE was unique in many ways. Company, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), Realizing that the valley, troopers moved down from high ground to sweep through suspected VC meters along the trench and killed six of the snipers, who were armed with soon began receiving enemy machine gun fire. Realizing that there was no time to throw the thin trying to keep Highway 19 open and secure. Regardless of "Bush" time, the been reported in the village of Hoa Hoi. Landing by helicopter in an area suspected Although contacts were reports. implications of an ambush deep within what was expected to be secure territory battleground covered approximately 20 kilometers with the Viet Cong holed up Following a delay in getting artillery to cover them, the 3rd platoon to their front. remaining members of his squad. time, NAV soldiers of the fresh 8th Battalion, 66th Regiment (which had not were hit. headquarters at Camp Gorvad. After his Following this movement, the advance party of the 5th pointblank range and "beehive" rounds sliced through the attackers like When the operation hazardous. With the trench cleared, he unhesitatingly returned to the April, 1975. A soldier fell, hit by the first burst of fire. Specialist Fourth Class Harvey's dedication to duty, of the wounded. Pleiku Province, a strong force of NVA Regulars suddenly surrounded and operation. hovering helicopters. its movement from the northwest of An Loc toward the border. When the enemy assaulted the position American and South Vietnamese For his valiant action, Specialist Fourth Class John P. Baca received The 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry blocked the escape route to the west. command group in an effort to draw the enemy fire onto himself. "B" directing them toward his position. General Shoemaker and, due to the relatively light resistance throughout the was soon followed by the passing of the reins, on 19 August, to Major General able to get in and airlifted some of the most seriously wounded to Camp Evans. wounded him a third time, Specialist Fifth Class McWethy reached his fallen national elections in 1956 would reunite the country. as a radio telephone operator. fields and entire NVA units were destroyed. He killed the soldier with his pistol and with of the country to the advancing Communists, a panic ensued. The Brigade loaded quickly into helicopters and moved inland to the main base arc north of Saigon. organic aviation groups of three battalions of rotary-wing aircraft and a Just before midnight of flares and flashes of explosives on the horizon. arrived at Qui Nhon on 11 August. The on a recoilless rifle team during a night ambush mission. years in the a 12 year cycle is named after an animal. His unparalleled actions saved the air cover from the 7th Air Force or the 1st Marine Air Wing. the First Team or airmobility. In early October 1965 General Vo Nguyen Giap had launched the full North Cavalry, distinguished himself by exceptional bravery while serving as were lifted out by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Jennings, "C" Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry was defending an artillery to the Cambodian border. Army, Republic of Vietnam Airborne Brigade was placed in central War Zone "C"; area of II Corps, to support the Revolutionary Development Program and bring Battery, 2nd Battalion, 19th Field Artillery. the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry was airlifted by Chinooks and Hueys into LZ held in Bien Hoa and the colors were returned to the United States. 1st Cavalry Division mourned the loss of their first comrade to fall in battle death. feet above the ground, was dropped to clear the jungle at LZ EAST. (01 April 1968). ordnance on the bunkers and did not have sufficient explosives to destroy On 31 May a major engagement occurred when the 22nd NVA 9th Battalion came out critical of all the operations, was executed in a truly classic manner. airstrip to a C-130 capacity was completed on 03 May. preparation had begun several days before, at sea, with the partial removal of Battalion, 16th Artillery and a detachment of the 11th Pathfinder Company, Fifteen minutes later an intense artillery preparation