The 1st Airborne Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile
has one of the shortest peacetime and wartime histories of any of the Airborne units of the United States Army.
The
Brigade was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia 1 July 1965, sailed to Vietnam in August and September of that year as part
of the 1st Air Cavalry Division, Airmobile. The Division and the Brigade engaged in its first action against North Vietnamese
Army Divisions in the Highlands, based out of An Khe in the II Corps Area. The 1st Air Cavalry Division was the first full
division size unit deployed to Vietnam.
One year after activation, the 1st Airborne Brigade ceased to exist as
an Airborne unit, continuing in action as an Air Mobile unit with the remainder of the Division. All personnel on jump status
within the brigade, continued in that status and drew jump pay throughout their tour. The following historical facts come
from the book, "Year of the Horse, Vietnam", published in 1968 by Exposition Press; re published in 1989 by Ballantine
Books as a pocket book; re published again in 1996 in hard back by Schiffer Publishing Company. Author is Colonel Kenneth
D. Mertel, US Army Retired, who served as the first Commander of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, Airmobile, Airborne, Air
Assault and later as Deputy Brigade Commander of the 1st Airborne Infantry Brigade.
Original plans called for the
1st Air Cavalry Division to be both Airmobile and Airborne in its entirety. The Chief of Staff of the Army Harold K. Johnson
opposed any airborne for the Division, however Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Wheeler insisted on at least one brigade, thus
only a brigade slice of the Division became Airborne.
First mission for the Brigade was to become Airborne. All
straight legs (non-airborne) in the Brigade were encourage to volunteer for Airborne training. Most of the men volunteered
and a few of the younger sergeants as well as most of the 2nd and 1st Lieutenants. Special airborne classes were set up by
the Jump School at Ft Benning for the three Infantry battalions of the brigade (1/8, 2/8 and 1/12, artillery and the division
slice of Division Support and Combat Support Units. The Brigade went through training as a unit, the first time this had occurred
since World War II, under supervision of its own officers. Physical and disciplinary training was conduct by respective battalion
commanders of the brigade, thus the Jump School was in charge only of the airborne training. All troops were housed in their
own respective billets.
During the airborne training, airborne company commanders and many of the staff received
from the respective advanced courses. Senior non-coms, to include most of the platoon sergeants, first sergeants and sergeant
majors came from the 101st Airborne Division. Battalion Commanders and other senior officers were from former paratroopers
already part of the former 11th Air Assault Division, now the 1st Air Cavalry Division, Airmobile.
8 July 1965
marked the first parachute jump for those paratroopers already qualified as jumpers. This was a brigade level jump from C-130's,
spilling out over the wet fields on the Alabama side of the Chattahoochee at 1845 hours. No injuries in this first jump, with
all participants becoming charter members of the 1st Airborne Infantry Brigade. Several other jumps were made by all members
of the brigade as the budding new paratroopers made each of their qualifying jumps. By the end of the month, the 1st Brigade
was truly an Airborne Infantry Brigade, ready for what ever combat role would be required in Vietnam.
Incidentally,
the first jump in the Airborne Brigade was made from a HUEY D Model by the Brigade Commander, Colonel Elvey Roberts (later
three stars); Robert Shoemaker, Commander of the 1st of the 12th Airborne, Airmobile Battalion (later four stars) and Kenneth
D. Mertel, Commander of the 1st of the 8th Airborne, Airmobile Battalion.
Architect, father and Commander of the
1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile was Maj Gen Harry W. 0. Kinnard, (later three stars). The two Assistant Division Commanders
were Brig Gen Jack Wright, (later three stars) and Brig Gen Richard T. Knowles, (later three stars).
The 1st Airborne Brigade sailed for the most part
on the USNS Geiger from Savannah, Georgia on 20 August 1965. Up anchor at 1745 hours, down the Savannah River to the Atlantic
Ocean, then around through the Panama Canal, with stops in Hawaii and Guam, finally debarking in Qui Nhon, Vietnam 30 days
later. The rest of the Division sailed on other ships including an aircraft carrier to carry the 435 helicopters and other
aircraft organic to the Division.
The Brigade engaged in maximum weapons training, including firing off the ship's
fan tail, constant and continuous physical conditioning and squad and platoon level skull sessions. Thus upon arrival in Vietnam,
the paratroopers of the 1st Airborne Brigade where ready for killing communist or whatever the mission might be.
The troopers were ferried by helicopter from ship side to An Khe to join the rest of the Division at the Division Base.
First missions were defending the base, and securing the area from any prowling Viet Cong or regular troops of the North Vietnamese
Army.
Numerous battalion level skirmishes occurred over the next few weeks as the 1st Airborne Brigade improved
its combat ability and professionalism. The first major engagement of the Brigade and the 1st Air Cavalry Division, Airmobile,
was the Ia Drang Valley Campaign, 23 October 1965 to 26 November 1965 where the first Presidential Unit Citation was earned
in the initial use of Airmobile Warfare to destroy the major portions of two or more regular North Vietnamese Army Divisions
and drive them from the II Corps Tactical Zone. All elements of the 1st Airborne Infantry Brigade participated in this action,
with A Company, commanded by Captain Ted Danielsen, 1st of the 8th, making the first combat night air assault in the history
of Airmobile Warfare.
In November and December of 1965, the 1st Airborne Brigade participated in a series of Search
and Destroy missions clearing the area East of An Khe to Qui Nhon, an area previously a safe haven for both Viet Cong and
regular North Vietnamese Army units. This was a most important mission for the 1st Air Cavalry Division Base at An Khe was
primarily supplied overland via Highway 19. In addition, the same highway was cleared to Pleiku, thru Mang Yang Pass, to the
West of the Division Base, the scene of the destruction of French Mobile Group 100 in earlier years. The Airborne Brigade
initially opened this pass, committing the 1st of the 8th Airborne, Airmobile Battalion.
During this same time
frame, A Company, 1st of the 8th was selected as the typical rifle company in Vietnam for filming of the famous ABC Television
Production, "I am a Soldier", one hour in length, a most pro Army and pro Vietnam movie film. Aired in March of
1966 in the US, this film focused much attention on the Airborne Brigade, and especially the 1st of the 8th. This film became
a training film for the US Army, widely used by units going to Vietnam. It also covered the first and only training jump of
the brigade in Pleiku, when a series of training jumps were conducted by most elements of the brigade. While not conducted
as an airborne assault, they were used to position the units for a series of search and destroy missions.
In January
of 1966, it was widely believed by the US media, that the 1st Air Cavalry would make an attack into Cambodia, long used as
a safe haven for supply points, hospitals, training areas and headquarters of major elements of the North Vietnamese Regular
Army. The Brigade was inundated by reporters and photographers. The 1st of the 8th was overwhelmed with over 30 media people,
four or five in each assault rifle company. Although the media and the troops were ready for the air assault into Cambodia,
which might have ended the war early on, this was not to be due to timidity on the part of US political leaders and fear of
further Russian and Chinese involvement. The attack into Cambodia would not take place until 1970, when the 1st Air Cavalry
Division, Airmobile, led the assault into Cambodia capturing tens of thousands of tons of vital weapons, ammunition and other
supplies that had been brought in from China and Russia via the long haul by elephants, pack bicycles and trucks over past
years.
The 1st Airborne Brigade continued a series of search and destroy and clearing operations in the area along
the China Sea Coast. It was here that the Airborne Brigade won its first Medal of Honor (second for the Division in Vietnam)
by David Dolby of B Company, 1st of the 8th, commanded by Captain Roy Martin. In this same action, Captain Martin won a Distinguished
Service Cross as did his successor a few weeks later, Captain Jerry Plummer won a Silver Star. These were examples of the
many demonstrations of heroism in combat shown by members of the Airborne Brigade and the 1st Air Cavalry Division.
Although no longer on airborne status as of 1 July 1966, the Brigade continued to lead the way in the many other famous
battles in which SKY SOLDIERS of the 1st Air Cavalry Division, Airmobile, participated in leading the way in the highly successful
AIRMOBILE warfare.
KENNETH D. MERTEL,
Colonel, Airborne Infantry
US Army, Retired
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