He was assigned as a medic in a helicopter evacuation unit, known as Dustoff. Captain Forrest still had to write a gut-wrenching letter to the mother of a missing soldier. Donald Fenske passed away on October 9, 2019. Petrilli Jr., Joseph A. The Association was formed by the officers and men in May/June 1945 immediately following the conclusion of hostilities in Germany. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.103230/. On August 1, 1940, the 9th Division was reactivated and began training at Ft. Bragg, NC. With the rest of the platoon, he set out to find them and bring them back. On the flight over, while some of the planes were grounded by weather, Jim Littig saw an amazing test of wills in an Airborne versus Air Force standoff. As 1944 approached people began to wonder what the New Year would hold in store, would we see the end of the War? Speculation among the local people suggested the Germans may have had knowledge of the American activities at Northington, Micheldever and Alresford. Richard Jackson's men tried probing the ground with sharp sticks, but they broke too easily. On one of his first missions, he learned not to triage the wounded too quickly. HOT: US Size Available For Leather Jacket Shop Now Search input Search Search Welcome to the 2nd Battalion, 47 Infantry (Vietnam) Web Site! Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans. 1 talking about this. After firing every round he had, he saw a wounded American on the other side of the river. Alresford & District Community Centre where the men danced the night away with the English ladies. WebWW2 US ARMY 29th infantry patch and DI - 110.00. He describes the tactics he used to fight the enemy and recalls one memorable fight in which his men and an NVA unit charged at each other in darkness. They were always short of pilots in the assault helicopter company, but he didn't think this guy was going to work out. Members of the 47th Infantry Regiment owed a particular debt of gratitude to Lord and Lady Tichborne and Mr & Mrs. Campbell-Browning who furnished them with billets. [37], Relieved by the 357th Infantry Regiment (of the 90th Infantry Division) along the English Channel, facing Jersey, the regiment moved to Saint-Jacques-de-Nhou where it began its push northward to Vasteville, via Bricquebec; on 20 June it began its push towards Cherbourg, but was initially halted near Sideville by stiff German prepared defenses around the outskirts of the port city. 9th Infantry Division, 47th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion Mechanized, Jim Littig - Army, Mike Leonard - Air Force, LTG (Ret) John Le Moyne - Army, Tony Nadal - Army, Sammy Davis - Army, David Farthing - Navy, Tim Dunn - Marines, Roye Wilson - Army, Marvin Cole - Army, Tom Buchan - Army, LTG (Ret) Lawson W. Magruder III - Army, Mike Morris - Army, Dave Oliver - Air Force, Richard Jackson - Marines, Freddie Owens - Army, Bill Pearson - Army, Laurie Druyor - Navy, Tommy Clack - Army, Stuart Jamison - Army, Joe McDonald - Army, George Forrest - Army, LtGen Ron Christmas - Marines. Jim Littig shuffled through several assignments as the war was winding down for US forces. On a lighter note, he remembers the songs that he heard there and that take him back to that time. Constituted 15 May 1917 in the Regular Army as the 47th Infantry. This isn't going to work. Brice Barnes remembers having to talk sternly to some of his soldiers in order to ensure order within camp. [41], By 10 July, the 9th Infantry Division was tasked to join the effort to liberate Saint-L; the next day it was attacked by the Panzer Lehr Division. concurrently assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Riley, Helmeted Bobbies courteously answered the mountains of questions, and driving on the left side of the road soon became natural. [57] In 1957, the regiment was reorganized into the Combat Arms Regimental System. [56][35] In December 1946, the regiment was deactivated in Germany. September 1966: 1st Coronado Conference, 9th Infantry Division. They had new wounded coming in constantly, and trying to care for all of them at once was emotionally exhausting. of the 47th. Several helicopters were lost due to enemy fire, and two artillery barges sunk; the Benewah was struck by enemy fire, and one LCM was sunk. I also want to thank Vincent Z. Whaley for allowing me to use parts of his excellent article about Hambone the dog, as published on his great website. [65] For the most part the regiment's battalions were assigned to the 9th Infantry Division's 2d Brigade, except for the 2d Battalion, which was temporarily assigned at various times in 1968 to the division's other two brigades. assignment to the 7th Division; assigned 1 August 1940 to the 9th Division [later Mike Morris describes the hour long battle with an NVA unit that made an unusual frontal assault. 3:09 | During a brigade operation in the Plain of Reeds close to the Cambodian border, Richey's platoon was asked to stay behind to see what the Viet Cong would do. [8][59] although, the regiment was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and was reorganized into the United States Army Regimental System. to Alpha from Bravo Company"Brothers in War"Nat Geo's Documentary Another great attraction was afternoon teas served by a jovial lady with a limp, the men referred to her cafe as The Tea Pot but on making inquiries it was in fact The Blue Door in East Street, near where the National Westminster Bank is now situated. He has been back to Vietnam several times, including one memorable trip that was cut short. Guards were posted outside and the meeting continued for 2-3 hours. [13] In September and October 1918, the regiment fought near Cuisy, Septsarges, and Brieulles-sur-Meuse;[14][a] during this period of time Colonel Troy H. Middleton took command of the regiment, having previously commanded the regiment's 1st Battalion. For its actions in repelling the attack the regiment earned another Distinguished Unit Citation. if (navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") 1968, * Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM Mr. Harness remembers seeing the convoy of cars enter the Grange, VIPs walk into the building and then close the large doors. Politics and religion are the 2nd Battalion 47th Infantry Regiment Panthers - Past, Present and Future When a new pilot checked in, David Farthing asked where he was before. WebIn mid-January, the 9th Division became the first American infantry unit to establish a permanent camp in the VC-infested Mekong Delta. They were hunkered down after fierce fighting when the call came from "Ghost 4-6." Hambone Jr. the dog . WebThe 9th Infantry was disbanded for the last time in 1848. Recently, the Association changed from a 501(C) 19 veterans group to a 501(C) 3 not-for-profit group. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance. As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. While in the hospital at Fort Knox, Richey told his parents to come by themselves to pick him up. Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives. WebSubscribe to 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division Footer menu. The politicians decided they would leave and they did. On one of his first missions, he learned not to triage the wounded too quickly. John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Les Harness also recalls a German bomber flying over with a British fighter aircraft in pursuit.It quickly jettisoned its bombs and one landed in the Northington Lake and another in the Park, causing some damage to the gardeners cottage. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Librarys collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item. [10] Initially assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, it fought in Europe during the Great War;[11] within the division the regiment was part of Brigadier General Benjamin Andrew Poore's 7th Infantry Brigade. [46] This was followed by fighting in the Hrtgen Forest;[47] during the battle the regiment captured Frenzerburg Castle. [40] The regiment continued to fight in the western portion of Cherbourg, and by the 26th it captured German General Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben and Admiral Walter Hennecke. After being told to clean their ammunition their first time out in the field, Richey's company decided to instead use up all their ammo in free fire zones. WebThe pictures were taken during the Vietnam War in 1968 and 1969 A large number of records never made it back from Vietnam at all. All Rights Reserved. After an incident at the Tet Offensive, he went through what he calls the longest day of his life, as he had to deal with an incredibly complicated situation. [73] On 4 March 2019, 3d Battalion was re-activated in the 198th Infantry Brigade for infantry one station unit training. In a letter home, Tommy Clack expressed his worry that something bad was going to happen and it did when his unit engaged the NVA near the Cambodian border. Phase IV; * Counteroffensive, Phase V; * Counteroffensive, Phase VI; * Tet 69/Counteroffensive; [57][b] In 1957, the regiment's 2d Battalion was relieved from the 9th Infantry Division, returning to assignment with the 4th Infantry Division. One involves Laney Gardner, a man from Richey's home town, and a man named Arnt who liked to joke around. [23] At the time of the regiment was commanded by Colonel Edwin Randle. Company B, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry. WebRedesignated 1 February 1966 as the 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry; concurrently assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas Inactivated 13 October Captain Forrest still had to write a gut-wrenching letter to the mother of a missing soldier. However, before being allowed to leave camp and fraternize with the local people they had to attend classes. To him, it was an honorable enterprise and the only right course at the time and it is his belief that it contributed to the fall of Soviet communism. [17] Following the Great War, the army contracted in size;[18] due to this downsizing, the regiment was inactivated in 1921. Stuart Jamison recalls observing the reality and immediacy of death as his unit assaults a Viet Cong company during Phase II of the Tet Offensive. E-5, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Fort Ord, California; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Myer, Virginia; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Landing Zone (LZ) Betty, Vietnam. While he was beginning his shift as the night duty officer, Lawson Magruder would marvel at the wrecked helicopters brought back to base. WebUnit of Service: Company D, 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of The 9th Infantry Division ("Old Reliables") is an inactive infantry division of the United States February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . Web9th infantry division vietnam roster. * Summer-Fall 1969; * Winter-Spring 1970; * Sanctuary Counteroffensive; * Counteroffensive, He managed to finally get himself on a tank crew through sheer will and intelligence. Dances were organized and held on Saturday nights at the Alresford Town Hall (now the Alresford & District Community Centre), and also in many places in Winchester. The machine gun fire that hit him as he still tried to help others didnt kill him. Richey tells several funny stories that happened during his time in Vietnam. Part 3 of 4. [64]:75 By May of that same year it began to conduct combat operations near Ap Bac;[64]:77 that same month, the regiment's 4th Battalion completed operations in Rung Sat and began operations in the Mekong Delta. The situation was dire for the men on the ground so the answer was affirmative. Assigned to VII Corps, it was allocated to the liberation of the Cotentin Peninsula and was the division that sealed off the peninsula to prevent additional German reinforcements from breaking through. Everyone breathing in a uniform was hurriedly mobilized by the 82nd Airborne as they scrambled to reply to Gen. Westmoreland's demand for more troops. Part 1 of 3. In 1950, he was called up into the U.S. Army for the Korean War and was a member of the 47th Infantry Division Band. However, as difficult as this experience was, this was nothing compared to the Tet Offensive. While Richey's superiors typically got mad at the men in these situations, Richey knew it was important to keep loose once in a while. Coordinating with local agriculture was important for him as he tried to get help for the Vietnamese people. [59] In 1991, the 9th Infantry Division was inactivated;[71] due to this the 3d Battalion was assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade, but was later inactivated in January 1994 at Fort Polk. Warwick, Rhode Island. [4] Following its actions during Operation Torch, of which Blackstone was a part, the regiment took part in divisional duties of monitor Spanish Morocco, which lasted into early 1943;[24] during this time, the regiment conducted a foot march of more than 200 miles (320km) from Safi to Port-Lyautey. He had applied to Pathfinder school and was waiting for a slot when he got a lesson in how things get done in the Army. document.writeln (''); During the Cold War, the regiment saw multiple activations and inactivations, with service both in the Regular Army and the Army Reserve; it fought in Vietnam. [24] During March the regiment experienced multiple changes in command, at the beginning of the month Colonel Smythe departed the regiment, leaving Lieutenant Colonel Herman A. Schmidt to act as the regiment's commanding officer, only to be succeeded by Colonel Peter O. Ultimately it was reactivated as a training regiment, and as of 1999, it has been assigned to Fort Benning and consists of two active battalions. Save the Date The Division fought in eight campaigns in the European Theater from North Africa to the Elbe River in eastern Germany which included an amphibious landing in Sicily. Called the " China Marines ," these members of the military would remain in Shanghai through 1941. On the 24th March 1944 Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Supreme Commander, General Eisenhower, arrived in Winchester. Kent, January 1988 Special thanks to Roy Gentry ofwww.alresford.org and Vincent Z. Whaley of http://vincentzwhaley.com/MilitaryTributes/9th_photos_england_02.php, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), 39th Infantry Regiment at Sprimont Belgium, 9th Infantry Division in Winchester England, 47th Infantry Regiment in Alresford England, http://vincentzwhaley.com/MilitaryTributes/9th_photos_england_02.php.