Diary 31 Jul - 6 Aug 1968
31 July Start 12 week. Inspect ditches. Quiet nite - A & B Co’s RIF’d Rubber. [nickname for one of two rubber plantations whose southern boundaries abutted Rte 22 from CC to TNBC. To further distinguish them, the northernmost and the larger of the two, was
called “Big Rubber.” Naturally the other was “Little Rubber.” Diary entries are not always clear as to which of the two was being RIF’d.] C Co. open road to Bao Cao (large mine on road). R OPCON D. [probably Dreadnaught, 2/34 Arm] Neg. results. Insp. BN. area. Very little progress. Set up insp. for Sunday. Heavy rain. Letter ML.
[List of items, each checked and entire list crossed out as if all items were corrected.]
Unit Fund
Athletic equip
Promotions
A 2, B 2
Police
Outside wire
.50 cal -B34
[note] Boatwright B, Reno - C Btry
Command briefing at FSB Rawlins TOC. LTC Neilson, MG Long, COL Hodson
(note: TOC consisted of two APCs back to back with tarp)
Command briefing. LTC Neilson, BG Long, COL Hodson
1 Aug Quiet nite - A Co. RIF then rotate with C Co. B Co. RIF N of Rubber. C Co. sweep road then come to field. R OPCON [not stated but presumably to D.]. Andy Parks, Westinghouse Radio visited. No mail [List of items]
Trailers - B52
Lube levels
Police
Mil Courtesy
Haircuts
View of rubber plantation in foreground.
2 Aug Quiet nite - C Co. swept rubber on foot east of airfield - engage 3 VC - killed 1 (nurse). B Co. stand down - A Co. opened road to Bao Cao. R OPCON D-A.
A 116
B 107
C 122
Post card Vickie
[List of items]
Steam jenny
Traversing - elev mech - 50 cal turn in
Unload weapons in NDP
Engr - cokes
.50 cal grnd mts
De LA HO Y A [No idea of significance.]
3 Aug Quiet nite - C Co. stand down & insp. B Co. sweep rubber to SE. A Co. open road. 2 men KIA while chasing boy who stole camera. R OPCON D-A. 2 ltrs ML - wrote ML. Xtremely heavy &
prolonged rain 5-6"[lined out] Kilgore - 2d Plat C
[Major General Ellis W. Williamson assumed command 25th ID. This was his 2nd RVN tour, his first having been as the CG, 173rd Infantry Brigade (Airborne.)]
Gone But Always Remembered
(From the 4/23 KIA list)
CPL Frank A. Harah, A Co.
CPL Larry La Vern Elzinga, A Co.
|
Special Edition TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS August 3, 1968
MG. WILLIAMSON
Page 2-3 TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS August 3, 1968
25th's General Commands:
The Finest Division Going!
Page 4 TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS August 3, 1968, 1968
NEW DIVISION COMMANDER
Major General Williamson has received the:
MG Williamson Is Div's 22d CG
The TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS is an authorized publication of the 25th Infantry Division. It is published weekly for all division units in the Republic of Vietnam by the Information Office, 25th Infantry Division, APO San Francisco 96225. Army News Features, Army Photo Features, Armed Forces Press Service and Armed Forces News Bureau material are used. Views and opinions
expressed are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army. Printed in Tokyo, Japan, by Pacific Stars and Stripes.
If you have complete issues to add to the online collection, please send me a note
Acknowledgements: |
Major General Ellis W. Williamson, new 25th Infantry Division Commander, assumed command during ceremonies held at Cu Chi Saturday morning, August 3, 1968.
4 Aug Inspect MP - A 1000 [probably motor pool at 1000] Billets A 1330.
Quiet nite - B Co. (-1 plat) & C Co. swept N of road in rubber to the east. A Co. opened road.
R OPCON D-A. B Co. assumes Bao Cao mission tonite. Switched to new call signs (Noble Corner) [This was the demise of Mohawk as the 4/23 call sign; hereafter at random intervals, a new two word call sign would go into effect for OPSEC reasons.]. MG Williamson made brief visit.
From Gen. Williamson’s Journal for 4 Aug 1968; 4/23-Emphasis
placed on (1) importance of proper vehicle maintenance and (2) problems with fuel cells.
Had good inspection of base camp.
3 ltrs ML.
$215 Aug will include ded [deduction] for meals for June-July $40.92/mo. $33 + $40.
5 Aug 53rd malaria pill. Quiet nite - B Co. road sweep to Bao Cao. R OPCON D-A. A & Co’s RIF’d rubber. C Co. found _100 lbs bag rice, 1 100 lb rock salt, 4 bicycles, VC flags. Col Hodson - LTC Wolf change of command.
[LTC Wolf was a
USMA Graduate Class 1946 and an Armor officer selected for, but not yet promoted to, COL. In 1963-64 he commanded an Armor battalion in the “spit and polish” US 7th Army in Germany. Many of his initial policy directives (see below) stemmed from that era. After a short time, he came to recognize their non-applicability to RVN.]
MG
Richardson visited. [MG Richardson was a former 3rd Armored Division BDE CO of mine in Germany in 1957-58. At the time, he was a COL and I a LT company commander The troops nicknamed him “Big R” and he had a reputation of dealing quickly and severely with officers who he deemed not up to his standards.].
No mail.
LTC Wolf Policy:
1. Safety - riding on tracks. Clear off top. [This meant, no one rode on top and everyone rode inside, the way mechanized infantry doctrine called for in Europe.]
2. Security - LPs & NOD’s - 1900
3. Stowage plan, basic load list. [A 7th Army requirement.]
4. Green tabs for leaders - ldrs must have shirt. [A then-current US Army-wide requirement virtually ignored throughout RVN.]
5. All weapons fired each day - 1900
6. .50 cal - TC - have HS & T [head space & timing] gauge on shirt
7. No deal [dealings] w/ VN (Vietnamese nationals)
8. Weapons in the perimeter
9. No APC in jungle. [Another European battlefield holdover where doctrine decreed that tanks & APC stay out of woods.]
6 Aug Quiet nite - C Co. OPCON 3/22 for seal & search of village. R OPCON D-A. A Co. stood down. B Co. road security mission. (1 man minor injury when .50 cal blew up.) [See Item 6 above; the BDE CO did know something about what happens to .50 cal mg
when the H & T is not properly gauged.]) Contact team rep [representative] visited.
Ltr ML, Molino - wrote ML & Molino
Condition of weapons - Art 15.
Knocking down trees
(note: photos courtesy Cliff Neilson unless otherwise noted)
Cliff Neilson
Mohawk 6
May-Nov 1968
Illegitimi nil carborundum