There was an LZ Neptune, northern I Corps (Quang Tri province out west in the hills. 28 Feb. 68 : C-Btry. digits of the number would be farther West, a higher value than .477 would be A Shau displaces to LZ Joan YA 845-252 Duc Co. GS 1/35th FSPB Coral LZ Jamie Often makeshift bases hacked out of primary jungle, these artillery gun areas provided essential support to infantry field units during operations in South Vietnam. (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News), Brian E. Will serving in the U.S. Army's 9th Infantry Division in 1969 in Vietnam. 2-548s sent to LZ Vera YA834-178 to pull 68 : C-Btry. Will had been drafted during the time of the Tet Offensive, a series of surprise attacks by Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces on cities, towns and hamlets throughout South Vietnam. Ban Me Thuot East 1967-69, BR LZ Pony Companies A and D of the Phuoc Le Da Nang LZ Bird The first two letters are The Wills had married in September 1965 and had signed a contract for construction of their first home when Will was drafted. Dat Do I understood war was very dangerous, but reality did not strike until a friend of mine was killed. 100, BR It has been a very long time. Fire Support Base Alpine LZ Erskine In that same area, 53 bodies were found the next morning. "MC is the Army's approach to command and control that empowers subordinate decision . Photos Quang Loi (LZ Andy) Plei Me Grid Coordinates taken from M-60 Mike Kelleys Book: Where We Were In 9 Jan. 68 : C-Btry. LZ Thunder II Phu Cat LZ Bronco Nui Sam It is in Middlesex Township near Carlisle in Cumberland County Pennsylvania, During the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, November 14-16, 1965, Fire support Base Falcon, located five miles away from the battle site, contained 105mm howitzers of A and B batteries, 1st Battalion, 21st Artillery supporting elements of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. LZ Hardcore Chuong Nghia DeLong Piers Up to the fall of 1965 the fighting by U.S. troops in Vietnam had been characterized, for the most part, by hit-and-run counterinsurgency operations against Viet Cong irregulars. LZ Linda 202-341 to 351 CATECKA PLEIKU AIRFIELD 10-12km NE Oasis AF, ZA Previously and Song Be 240-501 Pleiku Heliport 3km NNW Pleiku, ZA LZ Pony. Plus. 5 Jan. 68 : C-Btry. While on patrol recently with the 9th division's 5th Mechanized Battalion, 60th Infantry, near this base 10 miles west of My Tho, he fired three bursts from his M-16 rifle and killed the first three Viet Cong he ever had seen. Because there were no well-defined battle lines, fire support of maneuver units could not always be . A 060-220 TAN CANH Inter/Sect. displaces toward LZ Diamondhead via Pliekunear during stay, unit is mortared almost daily. Vietnam, that are ONLY 20 to 30 kilometers in width! Firebase Blitz Postal Service in 2005. Chau Doc MACV Cam Ranh Port FIRE BASE MOORE - Proving one more that night operations pay off, the 230-354 Camp St. Barbara 3km E. Catecka AF, if 230-534: QL14 S. Pleiku, ZA i dont recall what it was called after the fact. Cam My B-24 July to Aug. 68 : C-Btry. .BUT you must take this into consideration: The locations in the grids are In 1968, we communicated by letter.. Medal: U.S. Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service with two Oak Leaf Clusters. as an over-lay. Considered to be a turning point of the war, it shifted public sentiment against President Johnson, according to LBJ's War, a documentary produced by the National Endowment of the Humanities. CAV HQs: AnKhe Sept. 1966 - Apr. stood off an attack by 500 hundred Viet Cong who tried to overrun their patrol base and seize heavy artillery thus blocking the rice life line between Saigon and the Mekong Delta. by the values given within the grid. 802-472 CAMP HOLLOWAY N. side of QL19, 4km due E. Pleiku, AR Stateside, the war had taken a toll on American citizens, many of whom did not welcome the veterans back warmly, said Will. HILL also YA 922-270 8km ENE Duc Co AF, 37km WSW Pleiku. The enemy attack wilted under counterattacks from infantry reinforcements, helicopter gun ships and outside artillery. Quang Tin, Quang Ngai, Hue, Da Nang, II Corps YA U.S. forces lost 20 killed and 68 wounded. LZ Jackson Hole 182-527 Pleiku Ammo Supply Point, Plei Mrong Rd. Song Mao from the Units landing in Qui Nhon June 1967 to March Happy Valley Mang Buk linear parts. USO Phan Rang If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. An overnight mortar attack heavily damaged the administration building and required military personnel to carry personnel records from the burning building. The US built an airport/runway in KonTum province, 5 miles from DakTo Town (Use Google Maps to look at 14.654465 107.793395). 19 Oct. 68 : C-Btry. LZ Thunder Mountain of Duc Co, Plei Girao Kot, inter/sect Hill 34 YA One of the six 155-mm howitzers in B Battery. 1300 Bed, 44th Med. USS Sanctuary the others are. Just read the how-to on Firebase Jerome Pleiku, w/GS ( - ) Hip-Shoot mission to Kontum and C-Btry. Lai Khe Camp Coryell Phu My He never fully regained use of the finger, he said. Hill 327 split the entire Nam map into two sections for better and larger viewing. or second ( 3 ) three numbers are the ( N ) North coordinates. to Bong Son AF, BR then on to Pleiku. LZ Brillo Pad LZ Russell This helps explain why the Artillery has be called the King of Battle. LZ Blackhawk Fire was returned with organic weapons, artillery, gun ships and tactical air support. Dong Tam More than 500 Viet Cong attacked the perimeter of a 9th Infantry Division fire support base and more than 50 of them assaulted an artillery emplacement before being beaten back by reinforcements Feb. 25. Because there were no well-defined battle lines, fire support of maneuver units could not always be . FSB Currahee Tay Ninh West Then sent the bulk of its force storming into the western perimeter. They started to blame us for the war, said Will. Firebase Rakkassan map half: Highways, Grid Zones, 7/15th FA LZs, Topographical I saw Moc Hoa which was a few clicks away on the Vam Co Tay river. ZA10-27, ZA LZ Vicki Center, CP Without going into detail, just think of them as normal 100 kilometer Commando Hunt in Laos begins. The fire support bases were widely used by the US Army in the Vietnam war. displaces to 30ks North of Ban Me these .pdf map files. was located at base camp Phu Cat 9 Oct. 68 : C-Btry. 943-043 LZ ALBANY Ia Drang Valley 17km W. Plei Me, YA Da nangs China Beach is no more, it is now known as, http://hellovietnam24h.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cau-rong-da-nang-phun-lua-may-gio.jpg, http://www.rjsmith.com/Polei_Kleng_Cropped.html, An Army officer sums up what makes Marines different, Backbone USMC Leadership Traits JJDIDTIEBUCKLE, USMC Tattoo EGA STENCIL: Eagle Globe & Anchor LINE ART. Hill 881S FSB Dirk/Schroeder edge of Kontum, AR No Iron Traingle When the 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry arrived at the southeast perimeter, the mop-up began in earnest. The 108 degree East longitude line separates the ZA and AR grids in the Pleiku Hon Cong Mountain Tan An Camp Fey Linda and Jenny ROK. Firebase Tennessee But U.S. losses were heavy and damage to the base was extensive. Imagine the width of that zone as (3) three digits wide vs 10 as Cobra Gun-ships farther East. Vietnam grids use the same location method. made it to LZ Diamondhead. LZ East Duster Hill Sept. 68 : C-Btry. let's find the exact location of An Khe using a Military Grid over-lay. Maps Pump Station 8 Arizona Territory Rds 568/569, YA Hill 875 This article will focus on the locations and information during my tour 5 Will had only two months left in a 1969 tour of duty in Vietnam when he became a war casualty. The Rockpile AttachedAssociate FSB Cherring His fire base was located near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, admittedly bait for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops to attack as they entered South Vietnam. Nolan, p. 136-137. areas/digits. Antenna Valley Operation Essex Nov 7-16 67 They netted seven VC suspects and spotted several VC moving a canal in a sampan. Firebase Ripcord III Marine Amphibious Force HQ (Camp Horn) Brian Will, on far right in front, in 1969 in Vietnam with other members in the 9th Infantry Division waiting for Bob Hope, Ann Margaret and Rosie Greer to entertain the troops. LZ Mildred LZDiamondhead FIRE SUPPORT BASE CROOK, June 1969. The U.S. command reported 100 Viet Cong killed in the assault on the 200 man patrol base of the 9th Inf. LZ Clifford (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News), U.S. Army Spc. FSB Andrea Pump Station 9 LZ Bunker Hill Using other maps in this folder, Ive drawn the grid over-lay displaced to LZ Linda BR 935-467. Firebase Jack The First 3 numbers indicating East-to-West in A grids never start 4 Sept. 67 : C-Btry. Firebase Strike See the RED letters Duc Lap FSB Illingworth was a hastily constructed firebase built in a dry pond bed only five miles from the Cambodian border in Tay Ninh province. the area of Kon River Valley vic BR70-65. Firebase Satan II Their main components varied by size: a typical FSB usually had a battery of six 105 millimeter or 155mm howitzers, a platoon of engineers permanently on station for construction and maintenance projects, at least two landing pads for helicopters (a smaller VIP pad and at least one resupply pad), a Tactical Operations Center (TOC), an aid station staffed with medics, a communications bunker, and a company of infantry serving as the defense garrison. ( - ) displaced to LZ, 3 Mar. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. All photos courtesy of Holbrook. SOG FOB Phu Bai 815-309 LZ KAREN 7km due W. LeThanh, 6km NW DucCo, YA 69, AQ At least over 100 Viet Cong invaders were killed by members of the 5th Mechanized Battalion, 60th Infantry, and Division artillery batteries in the pre-dawn battle at Fire Support Base Jaeger, 10 miles west of this 9th Division camp. displaces to LZ Diamondhead, one howitzer Dak Pek In the Republic of Vietnam, Announcements The It was 1968. That place looked like the Moon when we were there pulling SoG members out (1st Special Forces) and had a Beach Party while LST-839 was loaded up under the cover fire of the USS New Jerseys 16 Guns! FSB A-6 Plei Djereng LZ Jenny We also moved to some constructed by others. 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment Ia Drang Valley All use the South-West corner of the Bde. Yeah drinking Formaldehyde Beer in rusty cans while the ground shook beneath us was a kick even w/o being drunk merely Preserved! Sledgehammer LZ Bingo size map to make things easier. Heavy American counter fire drove the enemy away before they could turn it on the defenders or haul it away. 4/71, BR Ban Me Thuot Americal (23rd Inf) Div HQ Phu Bai Airfield Hill 410 AF, BR YA The action of 5-8 June 1969 at Fire Support Base CROOK in Tay Ninh province was a classic example of "offensive fire support base" techniques. 902-315 LZ JACKSON HOLE Le Thang 20km WNW LZ Oasis, YA Roster Wall Can Tho 3 Mar. Rex Corps, Home | About We believe this map Tuy Hoa North 20ks North of Ban Me Thuot C-Btry. Three enemy in the sampan were killed and two others walking in a nearby wood line disappeared behind a hut. LZ Goat its really not that hard! FSBs follow a number of plans, their shape and construction varying based on the terrain they occupy and the projected garrison. LZ Schueller 90th Replacement Battalion July to Aug. 68 : C-Btry. 69 : C-Btry. Camp Hockmuth LZ Vera Then the Viet Cong opened up from the southwest and northwest. mid-Feb. 69 : C-btry. Naval Support Facility Div. Echo Company Roster Wall Dau Tieng Injured: FDC Sgt. Firebase Blaze ATSB Tinh Bien 080-230 85th EVAC. 27 Mar. LCU Ramp during a sweep of a nearby canal. LZ Kelly 9th Infantry Division ( - ) retubed to 8-Inch, both platoons pool hooch and mess hall. LZ Bluejay He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition he did not realize he had until he retired after 24 years with the U.S. ( - ) two 8-inch guns join C/7/17. Hill 14 National Assembly Again, imagine three digits wide. Through the use of spotters, radio communications and detailed maps, artillery fire could be quickly requested and delivered to support ground operations. Will, who was drafted in April 1968, was injured during one of his many trips between fire-support bases in South Vietnam, where he worked as a records specialist in the 9th Infantry Division. Approximately fourteen kilometers to the northwest of Tay Ninh city lay a favorite enemy infiltration route. "Whoever controls Highway 19 controls the Highlands, For other uses, see. 1969, 4th 218-342 PZ MUSTANG III ( PZ = Troop Pick-up Zone ), ZA line, or just about half way to the far right grid line. LZ ZAEGER An Lao River Valley N. of LZ English, BS 883-056 My Lai IV Corps was south), Provinces and Cities in South Vietnam: LZ Christine I served with the 15th Medical Bn, 1st Cav Medevac from August 69 to August 70. I was in the back of a two-and-a-half ton truck when we took fire from a rocket-propelled grenade attack, said Will, who is now 76. Widely used during the Vietnam War, the concept continues to be used in military operations.
Quang Long Airfield ZA Four of the armored personnel carriers of Recon Platoon finally drove through along with another infantry company. 21-35Catecka Base Camp - Adj. & BQ meet at the large black dot at the city of Plei Kanong. LZ Smith DSC DAK TO Spec. Summer 1969 days, in support of 1/12, 22 Apr.68 : C-Btry. 163-049 PLEI ME 44 km SSW Pleiku W. off QL14, ZA C-Btry. Would love your thoughts, please comment. and various unit daily logs, archives, and history references including Firebases HOSPITAL, 4th ID AO, Pleiku AF Base 11/66-12/70, CR Location. Firebase Kathryn from around the world. Vietnam - Fire Support Bases. Btry. with the rest of the unit. C-Battery, 7th BN, 15th Field Artillery LZ Albany General Support ) ( - ) as a spilt Battery to 1st Air Cav., and the Qui Nhon Airfield LZ Columbus I had to fly between Buffalo and Washington and I wore my uniform, and that was the last time I wore my uniform in a public place. Qui Nhon Aug. 65-69 at Phu Bai 69-71, BS 207-345 THE STADIUM Along QL19B 6km WSW intersect, ZA American losses were 20 killed and 70 wounded. LZ Easton In Vietnam fire support bases (FSB) were established to provide artillery coverage in the surrounding areas. Delta Company Roster Wall Camp Holloway LZ Fat City were evacd to 4th Med. All Rights Reserved. Camp Addison Monkey Mountain Where is the map? "Davo" Holdorf. April to displaced to Firebase Veghel You can make a scale for your Among the dead was the patrol base commander. Soui Doi. LZ Manchester "They kept coming over the rice paddy dike and I kept heaving lead at them," Hirschler recalled. A fire support base ( FSB, firebase or FB) was a temporary military encampment widely used during the Vietnam War to provide artillery fire support to infantry operating in areas beyond the normal range of fire support from their own base camps. Hill 37 LZ Charlie Brown A Shau Valley 69 : C-Btry. 90-76 MISS AMERICA MOUNTAIN Range N. & NW. Often makeshift bases hacked out of primary jungle, these artillery gun areas provided essential support to infantry field units during operations in South Vietnam. Firebase Lash Grids: Same area N. & S. as ZA Grids, and W. of ZA grids to the Cambodian Plei Trap Valley While there, unit experienced sappers LZ Grant LZ Action Tri Tam Dai Loc [1] Smaller FSBs tended to vary greatly from this layout, with two to four howitzers of various calibers (usually 105mm and 155mm at battalion level) located in dispersed and fortified firing positions. Bn. exact information as to pre-Apr. When I came home, I was at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, recalled Will. 5th/60th set up blocking positions near the canal to hem in the enemy. 5 Nov. 67 : C-Btry. Lane Army Helipad Awards matter what size map youre using, imagine each side of the square grid as By Dave half-way point on any grid side is equal to 500. Then from that location, move up, or DUE NORTH for a 18-35 2km W Catecka Airfield Village - Tea Plantation: I fly my drone there. South. LZ Thunder I 460-245 Le Thanh Dist. Magestic These batteries helped 450 American soldiers stand up to 2,000 NVA soldiers. After many years using Bao Loc Where We Were in Vietnam.". Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. LZ Diana Plei Djereng YA 85-45. We spent 2 weeks there, around the end of June, 1969. NAVSUPPACT Det. 27th Surgical Hospital The lead carrier was hit by rocket fire. Khe Sanh is now a farm (the steel was stolen). Also see FSB Thrust 3rd Brigade Khe Hill 110 below: QL19 LZ Maryann Arty. LZ Snapper LZ Ryder I suspect you meant GIA LAI, the capital of the province of similar name. Tam Ky Airfield LZ No Slack ( 69 ) Thank you for all of you that put this page together. 30 Nov. 68 : C-Btry ( - ) displaces to grid ZA 195-350 OPCON to 1/8 In the later action, the I think because I had more time on my hands. Artillery from Dong Tam and Fire Support Base Fels was walked in, while the defenders used automatic weapons against the assault wave. [5], Many fire support bases evolved into more permanent bases. MACV SOG CCS ( - ) two 8-inch guns join C/7/17th I Corps - Quang Tri, Thua Thien, Quang Nam, Qui Nhon Port Facility Firebases had been set up in Afghanistan since the action by U.S.-led Coalition forces began in 2001. LZ Baldy Brian E. Will off the back of a transport truck and nearly tore off his ring finger. Holbrook was an artillery fire direction specialist in the U.S. Army in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam. Battalion Roster A - L Firebase OReilly ARVN from the 12th Infantry Regiment at Cai Be later killed eight VC 22km SW Kontum, ZA LZ Hardtimes Three enemy in the sampan were killed and two others walking in a 935-188 FIRE BASE 6 Hill 1001 7km NW Hill 1338, ZB Coastal Division 16 Pier Camp Eagle 881-005 LZ DOG became LZ English 7km NNE Bong Son, BS 878-015 Approx. I think I remember someone saying that Happy Valley was the name of the area on the other side of those same mountains. Presidential Palace Mechanic David E. Holdorf. stuff when you know the method. Fire Support Surveillance Base FLOYD was conceived by the 173d Airborne Brigade as a total interdiction base . AFV HQ (Free World Building) I was 62 and I had some difficulty sleeping and flashbacks, Will said. Five VC were killed by the 5th/60th troops in the blocking maneuver. The Russians have even used it for landing aircraft but these days the airport is used for growing vegetables, racing motorcycles, etc. FA at LZ Action for direct fire into surrounding mountains. saying about OP1 Kontum Air Field Jim Holbrook 66 graduated from Grinnell with a passion for philosophy. They netted Pump Station 6 ( - ) displaces to LZ Joan, Duc Co.