Article The 10 Deadliest Battles

[Frisco-Kid]

10 Deadliest Battles

BATTLE-------------COMBAT--------------DATES
--------------------FATALITIES--------------------

Ia Drang Valley----300 (1)-------------Oct 23-Nov 26, '65
Khe Sanh-----------205 (2)--------------Jan 20-Apr 14, '68
Dak To--------------192 (3)--------------Nov 1-Dec 1, '67
Cu Nghi-------------121------------------Jan 28-31, '66
Hue------------------119------------------Feb 2-Mar 2, '68
Kim Son Valley-----107------------------Feb 16-28, '66
Con Thien (ambush near)--84---------Jul 2, '67
"Nine Days in May"-79------------------May 18-28, '67
Dak To---------------76-------------------Jun 22, '67
Vinh Huy-------------73-------------------May 30-Jun 2, '67

(1) LZ Albany alone claimed 155 KIA on Nov. 17, making it the single
deadliest U.S. action of the war. LZ X-Ray resulted in another 79 KIA
over two days, Nov. 14-16.

(2) During operations Scotland and Pegasus, a total of 553 Americans
may have been KIA.

(3) 158 of the KIA were sustained at Dak To over six days, Nov. 17-23.

Note: Lengthy operations are excluded. Only actions that could be
categorized as single or directly related engagements are tabulated.

Source: Sigler, David B. Vietnam Battle Chronology: U.S. Army and
Marine Corps Combat Operations, 1965-1973. Jefferson, N.C.:
McFarland & Co., 1992.

The 173rd was involved in the 3rd and 9th deadliest battles in the war. The 3rd deadliest was the battle for Hill 875; one of the most famous battles in the war.

Many paratroopers weren't real hot on being sent to them. They had a reputation of expending alot of their personnel unnecessarily. It often seemed that they had a disproportionate ratio of casualties. Like alot of units, the 101st included, in the day of the Search and Destroy tactics under Westmoreland, they liked to put a smaller unit out as bait and reinforce it when contact was made. This didn't always seem to work out....alot. I'm guessing that they often underestimated the size of the enemy units that they went up against. Most of the troopers that I met that served with them were glad to be out.....and alive.

The 173rd was the first Army unit into Vietnam, coming from Okinawa behind the Marines. They were one of the last units to leave, remaining a brigade-sized unit the whole war. They fought some of the bloodiest battles in the war. Eight days before the battle on Hill 875, the 4/503 fought a one day battle with the NVA near Ben Het. They suffered 20 KIA, 154 WIA, and 2 MIA. Charlie company had 4 dead and virtually everyone else wounded. They sustained 1758 KIA's during the war. A large number for a brigade-sized unit.

22JUN67
The 9th most deadly battle on the list. It occured on Hill 1338 near Dak To. It involved A & C companies of the 2/503. One more example of what has been said about the 173rd already.

Early in the day A company was cut off and systematicly decimated. As the battle went on through the day, platoons were cut off from each other. C company was succesfully kept at bay as the battle raged. Later in the day B company was put on the ground, but was pinned down not far from it's LZ. The place was a beehive of well entrenched NVA. The enemy was hugging Alpha too close for an airstrike or artillary fire. The smoke from the battle was so thick, gunships couldn't get an accurate fix on the paratrooper's position. Neither company was able to make it to A company's aid that day. They would have to listen to the sounds of their brothers in A company fight for their lives all night.

The next morning all was quiet. C company, being the closest, was the first to arrive at A company's battle site. It was a disaster. The death toll for Alpha was shocking. Out of 137 paratroopers, 76 were KIA. Another 23 were wounded. Of the dead, 43 of them had been shot in the back of the head execution style.

5 months later it would be A & C companies of 2/503, along with D company, that would be involved in the 3rd deadliest battle, the fight for Hill 875. Once again, it would be A company that is cut off and shot to Hell.

A tour with the 3rd Herd was definately Hard Time. Maybe Rocky will expand on this.

 

[Frisco-Kid]

Another example.

LAWRENCE JOEL
Rank and organization: Specialist Sixth Class (then Sp5c), U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade.
Place: Republic of Vietnam
Date: 8 November 1965
Entered service at: New York City, N.Y.
Born: 22 February 1928, Winston-Salem, N.C.
G.O. No.: G.O. No.: 15, 5 April 1967.



Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp6c. Joel demonstrated indomitable courage, determination, and professional skill when a numerically superior and well-concealed Viet Cong element launched a vicious attack which wounded or killed nearly every man in the lead squad of the company. After treating the men wounded by the initial burst of gunfire, he bravely moved forward to assist others who were wounded while proceeding to their objective. While moving from man to man, he was struck in the right leg by machine gun fire. Although painfully wounded his desire to aid his fellow soldiers transcended all personal feeling. He bandaged his own wound and self-administered morphine to deaden the pain enabling him to continue his dangerous undertaking. Through this period of time, he constantly shouted words of encouragement to all around him. Then, completely ignoring the warnings of others, and his pain, he continued his search for wounded, exposing himself to hostile fire; and, as bullets dug up the dirt around him, he held plasma bottles high while kneeling completely engrossed in his life saving mission. Then, after being struck a second time and with a bullet lodged in his thigh, he dragged himself over the battlefield and succeeded in treating 13 more men before his medical supplies ran out. Displaying resourcefulness, he saved the life of one man by placing a plastic bag over a severe chest wound to congeal the blood. As one of the platoons pursued the Viet Cong, an insurgent force in concealed positions opened fire on the platoon and wounded many more soldiers. With a new stock of medical supplies, Sp6c. Joel again shouted words of encouragement as he crawled through an intense hail of gunfire to the wounded men. After the 24 hour battle subsided and the Viet Cong dead numbered 410, snipers continued to harass the company. Throughout the long battle, Sp6c. Joel never lost sight of his mission as a medical aidman and continued to comfort and treat the wounded until his own evacuation was ordered. His meticulous attention to duty saved a large number of lives and his unselfish, daring example under most adverse conditions was an inspiration to all. Sp6c. Joel's profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

More than 40 Sky Soldiers died in this battle.

I was at Ft. Bragg, NC, with the 82nd Abn. Div. the same time Specialist Joel was. I never met him personally, but he was pointed out to me on post one time as a MOH recipient.