3rd Brigade 82nd Airborne Division (Vietnam)

2LT Raymond George Krobetzky deployed with the Golden Brigade to Viet Nam and arrived in-country on February 14, 1968. He served as an infantry platoon leader with C 1/508th and was KIA by small arms fire on August 25, 1968 in Thua Thien Province. He was a native of Armonk, New York, born on February 11, 1947.

2LT Krobetzky is honored on The Wall on panel 46W, line 17. He will always remain “Forever Young” in our hearts. Please visit him on The Wall and post your remembrance.

We are making concerted efforts to identify and honor all of our fallen brothers. You can help by reviewing our “Forever Young” page and letting us know of any corrections that need to be made.

No one gets left behind, no one gets forgotten.

Troopers - we have just learned of Stu Harrell’s loss. Please join us in supporting him by conveying your wishes …

Darrel,

I just heard from Stu that his wife Martha passed away in mid May after a long and painful battle with cancer. He is really down in the dumps now.

Stu was the last ‘B’ Co Tiger 6 in Nam … came in after Roy Duncan replaced Dick Patterson for a time after Patterson was KIA. After we went home he was transferred to First Inf Div and had the Aerofifle Platoon in the 1/4 Cav.

Note: the last chapter of Hugh Mills’s book Low Level Hell features Stu and his guys.
 
If anyone wants to send condolences his e- mail is nttybmpo@aol.com.

Snail mail is 6712 N. 19th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85016.
 
He is one of the good guys and was at the reunion in Texas this year.
 
See you in August,

Jerry

Presidents often visit the 82nd. President Eisenhower received a delegation in the Oval Office. Lyndon Johnson sent us off to Vietnam. On Thursday, May 22, 2008, President George Bush spent almost the entire day at Fort Bragg honoring our recently returned young heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan.

He spoke at Division Review and “trooped the line” on foot. This is a ceremonial inspection that goes back to Roman or Greek times in which the commander shows himself to his men. Walking is highly unusual as previous guests rode in a Humvee to inspect the troops due to the size of the formation but the President insisted that he get on the ground with the soldiers. A very noble gesture, to be sure.

He also presented 2 Distinguished Service Crosses and several Silver Stars to 82nd troopers.

After the Division Review, he attended the Memorial Service outside the 82nd Museum and dedicated the Global War on Terrorism monument. The 82nd lost 97 troopers this past year alone. The President greeted each Gold Star family and expressed his condolences before they placed a gold rose at the base of the monument.

The tears rolled, including mine, at the reading of the names of so many young heroes.  God Bless them all.  Following is a letter that I wrote to the President in thanks for paying tribute to our fallen men and women.  We have also sent him a Golden Brigade challenge coin. 

—————-

May 28, 2008

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20502

RE: Fort Bragg, NC Memorial Service

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of all the members of the Golden Brigade Chapter, I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the honor that you bestowed upon the heroes of the 82nd Airborne Division, past and present, by your appearance at Fort Bragg on Thursday, May 22, 2008.

Our chapter is composed of Veterans who served with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division in Vietnam.  We lost 227 KIA and about 1,250 WIA during our 22 months “in country” 40 years ago. We have a special place in our hearts and souls for those that have followed on after us and have served our country with their selfless sacrifices. 

These young men and women who are serving today are our “historical sons and daughters”. They carry on a proud tradition that goes back 91 years and we are very, very proud of them as all Americans should be.

On behalf of our chapter, please accept the enclosed Challenge Coin as a small token of our profound appreciation for taking the time to honor these young heroes.

Airborne, All the Way and God Bless America!!

Richard F. O’Hare, American
Treasurer, Golden Brigade Chapter, 82nd Abn Div. Assn. Inc.

Videos from the Division Review.  http://fayobserver.com/special/bushvideos/

It is with deep regret that the National Office announces the death of Past President (1989-1990)Lawrence A. Law.

Larry Law was the keeper of the Association Educational Fund and did a magnificent job that benefited many of our children, including mine, and newly discharged troopers.  He was a fine man who will be sorely missed.

More information regarding the funeral, etc will be made available in a few days once his son Christopher has had the opportunity to make the arrangements.

They carried P-38 can openers and heat tabs, watches and dog tags, insect repellent, gum, cigarettes, Zippo lighters, salt tablets, compress bandages, ponchos, Kool-Aid, two or three canteens of water,iodine tablets, sterno, LRRP- rations, and C-rations stuffed in socks.

They carried standard fatigues, jungle boots, bush hats, flak jackets and steel pots. They carried the M-16 assault rifle.

They carried trip flares and Claymore mines, M-60 machine guns, the M-70 grenade launcher, M-14’s, CAR-15’s, Stoners, Swedish K’s, 66mm Laws, shotguns, .45 caliber pistols, silencers, the sound of bullets, rockets, and choppers, and sometimes the sound of silence. They carried C-4 plastic explosives, an assortment of hand grenades, PRC-25 radios, knives and machetes.

Some carried napalm, CBU’s and large bombs; some risked their lives to rescue others. Some escaped the fear, but dealt with the death and damage.

Some made very hard decisions, and some just tried to survive. They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworms and leaches. They carried the land itself as it hardened on their boots. They carried stationery, pencils, and pictures of their loved ones - real and imagined.

They carried love for people in the real world and love for one another. And sometimes they disguised that love: “Don’t mean nothin’!”

They carried memories for the most part, they carried themselves with poise and a kind of dignity. Now and then, there were times when panic set in, and people squealed or wanted to, but couldn’t; when they twitched and made moaning sounds and covered their heads and said “Dear God” and hugged the earth and fired their weapons blindly and cringed and begged for the noise to stop and went wild and made stupid promises to themselves and God and their parents, hoping not to die.

They carried the traditions of the United States Army, and memories and images of those who served before them.

They carried grief, terror, longing and their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear: the embarrassment of dishonor. They crawled into tunnels, walked point, and advanced under fire, so as not to die of embarrassment. They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it.

They carried the emotional baggage of men and women who might die at any moment.

They carried the weight of the world; they carried each other

Author Unknown

I had every intention of attending the reunion in Dallas, however I have developed some health issues that will keep me away.

I was a 2LT assigned to Bde S-3 Chemical Officer (1LT Jim Ramsey) when the Bde deployed to Viet Nam.

I have a collection of pictures that I took in Viet nam, several of staff, the TOC, Camp Rodriquez, etc.  I would be happy to copy them to a CD and mail to someone to take to the reunion.  I also have a 1:50,000 map of the Hue/Phu Bai area which has Camp Eagle, Camp Rodriquez, FB Boyd, FB Bastogne
and FB Birmingham marked.

Tom Ladwig
thladw@centurytel.net

My name is Juan F. Sanchez, I deployed with the 3rd. Bde. in 68 served in “Recon Plt” 2/505 until deros in Feb. 69. After ETS in 1970, I joined the Texas National Guard attended O.C.S. at Ft. Benning Ga. And retired from the guard as a major.
 
At this time there are five of us who served in “Recon” that are in touch and would like very much to contact other guys from “Recon” or friends from the line companies we served with. I live in Laredo, Tx. and hope to see you at the 40th reunion in Dallas, Tx.

Juan F. Sanchez
raiderlrrpjuan@hotmail.com

Great website - this has been permanently added to our ‘Links’ section.

http://www.history.army.mil/

Be sure to look for the 82nd on the “Special Designation” page.

http://www.history.army.mil/lineage/SpcDes-123.htm

Thanks to Rich!

To minimize, and hopefully prevent, the spamming that shut down our previous message board, you’ll need to register to contribute comments to posts on this site. It’s a simple process; just e-mail me your full name and a brief bio that includes your time and unit in ‘Nam. I’ll send you a user ID and password. You may then add your comments to any post made on this site… you may even be granted Author status to initiate new posts and articles … just let me know if you’re interested.

Was with the 82 MPs in Phu Loi,Vietnam. I have a company picture and several other pics.  Would love to hear from anyone who knew me or was in the company in 1969.  Have been trying to make contact for years.  I have some names and states, but can’t get any farther. If anyone is out there, and is interested, please let me know.  Thanks

Bill (William L. Ashby)
rabbit58@comcast.net

I was in Co. D 1/505th too! I was there from June ‘69 until Vietnamization in November, when I was sent to the 25th Division.

I remember Raider and how sharp he was - - - the blue towel, the sunglasses. He really had it all together! Do you remember his sucessor, “Jumper”?

My Platoon Leader was “Thunderball”, and my squad leader was Sgt. Daniel Coruthers.

Clifton L. Summerall, Jr.
cliftonsummerall@hotmail.com

I got a call from CSM (Ret) Michael Lynn on Friday that Jake Privette passed away about 6 months ago,  Lynn was the Bn SGM under Jake in the 2/505.  They both lived in Columbia, SC. Jake was a special person and led the BN 2 times in Vietnam. We are very fortunate to have had such wonderful leaders and I sincerely do miss Col John Jameson. He was  a dear friend.

See you in Dallas - things are heating up.

Rich 

Panther Team,

This will be my last update from Iraq.  Today as I send this letter to you, we are only days away from our Transition of Authority with 1/101st Airborne (Air Assault).  Over the past several weeks we have been busy transitioning responsibility and setting up the Bastogne Soldiers for success.  We are nearing the end of our right-seat-left-seat rides, and our Paratroopers are getting ready to come home after a hard 15 months in Iraq.  We are grateful for the love and support of everyone back home who kept us going during these trying times.  From our families, the FRGs, the 505th Associations, to the numerous organizations who sent us countless care packages, I want to extend my personal appreciation for everything you have done for our Paratroopers.

As our Paratroopers arrive home, they will have a period of well-earned rest and recuperation.  The first weekend upon return to Fort Bragg every Paratrooper will receive a four-day weekend followed by 10 half-days of reintegration.  During reintegration every Paratrooper will have a series of finance, medical and dental screenings and briefings.   Much of the reintegration period is geared towards allowing time for Paratroopers to get personal matters in order and to spend as much time as possible with their families.

Every Paratrooper will go through Basic Airborne Refresher and will jump the last week of November after a 7-day Thanksgiving holiday (normal 4-day weekend plus 3 x admin days, one for each month after 12 in combat).  Early December, we will depart for one month of block leave.   This schedule will allow every Paratrooper to spend the holidays with his or her loved ones.  It will allow time for all of us to get re-acquainted with family members whom we have not seen for the past 15 months.                 

Since my last update our main focus in Salah ad Din has centered on starting local reconciliation with the tribes and their sheiks.  As I mentioned before, in early July, most of the sheiks in the province came together and created the Salad ad Din Support Council.  The goal of this organization is to fight al-Qaeda and other terrorist elements in the province and deny the enemy safe havens in tribal areas.

Our battalion commanders established security contracts with the sheiks in their areas and created what has come to be known as the Concerned Local Citizens program.  The security contracts allows for each sheik to hire members of his tribe to protect critical infrastructure in their areas and to curb violence levels.  As of date we have contracts with 26 tribes, and more than 2,700 Iraqis are a part of the CLC program.  They are making a great contribution in making Salah ad Din a safer place.  We have seen a reduction of 150 IED events per month in the Province since the contracts were signed and a commensurate decrease in significant activities by our enemy.  I just want to highlight a couple of the successes of this program.

In Bayji, 1-Panther has seen a significant reduction in IED attacks.  In fact, the 20 mile stretch of road north of the Fertilizer Plant saw a reduction from 39 IEDs to just 3 over a period of 15 days at the end of August.

East side of Tikrit, on the other side of the Tigris River, Task Force Loyalty has done a great job providing security for the city of Ad-Dawr.  As many of you may remember, Ad-Dawr was the city where Saddam Hussein was captured in 2003, and it was also the place where we established Patrol Base Woodcock after Operation Hershey.  Hand-in-hand with the security forces in Ad-Dawr and the CLCs, the Paratroopers of Loyalty worked to bring stability and security to surrounding towns and villages.  Their success has been noticed by the COIN academy, where Ad-Dawr has become a case study for incoming units on how to conduct a classic counterinsurgency operation.

The Paratroopers of 2-Panther, working with a local tribe and the National Police have had great success against al-Qaeda in the Samarra area.  The Golden Mosque bomber, Haitham Sabah al-Badri met his end at the hands of well-integrated U.S. attack helicopters in early August.   As the city moves towards the reconstruction of the Golden Dome Mosque, it will also experience a holistic program of revitalization and rejuvenation.  The city of Samarra will move into this next phase with the help of Bastogne, but it was due to 2-Panther’s efforts that Samarra is ready to make the leap into a new era.

Eventually the Iraqis working on the CLC contracts will become policemen or find legitimate jobs as the economy improves.  As violence levels decrease throughout the province, reconstruction can occur at a much larger level and jobs can be created for Iraqis.  The Bastogne BCT, led by COL Scott Mcbride, will lead Salah ad Din into the next phase and will be successful in helping the province reach Provincial Iraqi Control.  The Bastgones are a great unit, led by capable leaders, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers as we begin to redeploy.

Unfortunately we have lost 10 Paratroopers, Soldiers, and Seamen during the past two months, and we pray for their families and loved ones.  During the past two months 2-Panther lost two Paratroopers: SGT Joshua Morley and SPC Tracy Willis both on August 26 after heroically fighting off an al-Qaeda onslaught on their position in Samarra.  5-73 CAV lost SSG Joshua Mattero on July 29 and SSG Joan Duran on August 10.  1-Panther lost SFC David Heringes from an IED on August 24 and CPL Anthony Bento from a landmine on September 24.  We lost two soldiers from 3-8 CAV: PFC Dane Balcon and CPL William Warford on September 9 from an IED blast.  We also lost two Navy EOD techs in an IED blast: Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery Chaney and Chief Petty Officer Patrick Wade.  Their sacrifice will never be forgotten and their contributions to this fight were countless.  Our prayers are with the families that were left behind.     
                         
All The Way!! H-Minus!!  Panther 6  (COL Bryan Owens)

82nd Airborne Division          “America’s Guard of Honor”

As many of you know, the 82d Division was activated on August 17, 1917 during WWI. This is our 90th Anniversary.  Ironically, our troops are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan 90 years later.  You should also know that the 82d took about 7,000 casualties in 3 months during 1918 and that the most famous soldier of the war was an 82d man – Sgt Alvin York.

Virtually everyone reading this has seen Gary Cooper’s famous movie shot in 1939 - 1940 portraying Sgt (then Cpl) York accomplishing the most famous feat of arms of anyone in the 20th Century.  In October, 1918 Sgt. York single handedly killed 25 enemy soldiers and captured 132 others. He won one of the few Medals of Honor awarded to enlisted men of that period. He did this only with his rifle and .45 cal pistol. Ironically, he donated all of the royalties from that movie to a school for children in his home state of Tennessee.

The writer is convinced that the only reason that the 82nd was reactivated in WWII was because of the fame of Sgt York and Gary Cooper’s movie. 

The birthday of our Division was August 17, 1917 and we are celebrating our 90th Anniversary in 2007. Did you also know that we have had 3 unit designations?  The 82d Division of WWI, the 82nd Infantry Division in the early days of WWII, commanded by  none other than the future 5 star General, Omar Bradley and finally the 82nd Airborne Division from August, 1942 to the present day.

In WWII, the 82nd made 4 combat jumps and glider assaults, fought against tremendous odds in the Battle of the Bulge and fought all the way into Germany.  The Division accepted the surrender of a 121,000 man German Army.  It was assigned to Berlin at the end of the war and was noted by General Patton as “America’s Guard of Honor”. The Division lost thousands of men in WWII and fought in some of the most horrific battles in Europe.

Although the Division did not fight in the Korean War, it supplied many of the paratroopers for the 187th Regimental Combat Team.  The 187 made 2 combat jumps there and suffered almost 1,700 men killed in action.

The 82nd served in the Cold War as the country’s forward ready reaction force.  It sent units all over the world on various deployments.  In 1965, it deployed to the Dominican Republic to quell the civil war raging there.  Paratroopers were also sent to the Congo in 1967 to protect the Embassy and American citizens.  The Detroit riots came in the fall of 1967.

In February, 1968, President Johnson sent 3,500 paratroopers to assist in the fighting around Hue during the Tet Offensive. That Brigade lost 227 men killed and 1,250 wounded before coming home in December, 1969.

Grenada was next, then it was Panama, then Desert Storm. It was the first unit to ‘draw a line in the sand when ordered there by then President George Bush. In the meantime, when it wasn’t doing anything better, elements served in the Sinai and the Balkans.  It has  responded to hurricanes in Florida and lately in New Orleans during Katria.  It also donned its parachutes for a jump in Haiti. Knowledge that the 82nd was in flight to Haiti brought about the immediate end to a corrupt dictatorship in that impoverished country.

It has been deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq in the Global War on Terror.  Currently, the Division has about 15,000 Paratroopers in Iraq and 5,000 in Afghanistan.  The current Division Commander, Major General David Rodriguez (Also Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force – 76) is in Afghanistan leading his Paratroopers in the fight in the mountains along the Pakistan border. Losses in both theatres have been very heavy but these young Paratroopers soldier on to protect America.

Few other divisions in the US Army can trace their lineage back so far, with so many battle streamers.

With all of this activity, it is no wonder that the 90th Anniversary has not been commemorated in the fashion that it should be. Some sort of recognition needs to be given to these young and old heroes – past and present – living and dead for their valiant service to our nation.

During WWII, General Jim Gavin once said that “A man who will jump out of a plane will certainly fight for his country”. No truer words have ever been spoken!

Happy Birthday, Heroes!

Richard F. O’Hare