In contrast, Pentagon civilians urged shifting from search-and destroy operations to population security by deploying the bulk of the military forces along the demographic frontier, a line just north of the major population centers. 78 Commenting on this, Brigadier General Willard Pearson, Commander, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, wrote in December 1966 that his units motto was Save Lives, Not Ammunition.79 Given this, he wroteDecember 1966 that the ground forces main task involved finding the enemy. (There The 29th Infantry Division (29th ID), also known as the "Blue and Gray Division", is an infantry division of the United States Army based in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.It is currently a formation of the U.S. Army National Guard and contains units from Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia.. The remainder of the battalion was concurrently inactivated. When we returned to Bad Kreuznach I was called to the Battery Commanders office. + 8-inch H SP (M110), 5th Battalion, 2nd Artillery Contact: Later in the war, the 7/15th was under the 52nd Artillery Group. who had been a college math instructor but drank too much and ended up in the Army. (Everyone who wasnt GI was "Comrade.") Association - Vietnam, The Organization of the I remember his daughter, Susan (about my age). As the fighting grew hotter, the 1st Cavalry quickly concentrated by using the helicopters mobility, defeated the North Vietnamese, and forced them to retreat. Decades after he got back from Vietnam, he later told me he was moving 155mm howitzers around to different (mobile) firebases. The 2/5 Cavalry arrived at Columbus without contacting the enemy, but the 2/7 Cavalry bumped into North Vietnamese at Landing Zone Albany. While the Army modernized its field artillery, a crisis in Southeast Asia attracted American attention. My father's executive officer was Major Lightner (?). Dauphin, 7th Battalion, 9th Artillery The war assumed a new dimension following Tet. hyperlink for your unit on this page. Coleates, 155mm H SP (M109) Comments Nevertheless, division artillery commanders had difficulty locating moving units and coordinating supporting fires. Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. B Battery fired the last US Army artillery round Most Btry's were comprised of 6 howitzers, which allowed them to be split and moved to different locations for support and defense of more units and even themselves. This gave me the envious position of sitting in the jeep while the other men pulled the measuring chains and recorded the angles. If you have a contact person or unit webpage for your Vietnam artillery battalion, Contact: Jerry Bursky, 6th Battalion, 32nd Artillery If we had won, the team would be in a fix because a lot of us would be out of the service before the tournament was played. of guns, furnished fire support and helped defend other fire bases as required. I remember the fallout shelter symbols at our school (Giessen American Elementary, I believe) but we had no "duck and cover" drills. This created varying ways. Rod Shaughnessy, 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery Like most Army units, sports was a big part of off hours. His best friend was Ronnie Webster and they remained friends after he returned home. Great time, at night we drank beer from a truck some local Comrade brought out to us. Using this as protection, the Americans then pushed towards the North Vietnamese, who retreated. 6th Bn, 77th Arty (105, T) 1 Authors The picture is small so I can't be sure. Contact: I rotated home and was discharged October 11, 1956. COL Mundinger (deceased) was the commander of the Honest John missile battalion (3rd MSL Bn, 79th Arty). The Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands as a symbol of America's honor and recognition of the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War. 1st Bn, 14th Arty, 198th Inf Bde (105, T) 2nd HOW Bn, 92nd Artillery arrived in Europe on 25 June 1958 and was attached to the 42nd FA Gp with station at Rivers Barracks, Giessen. They were together as a Battery a total of 10 times (a total of 3 months), the longest of which was approximately 40 days they spent together on LZ Hambone, the rest of their time was spent as 2 (plt) and 4 (-) howitzer units. We lived in a big barracks building on the QM Depot. The 42nd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, first Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army (USA). Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. Commanders located the enemy with infantry and then attacked with field artillery and air strikes. 2nd Bn, 20th Arty (ARA) Schilling in Vietnam in August 1972. Contact: 1st Bn, 30th Arty (155, T), 1st Bn, 8th Arty (105, T) Prior to this time the 1/92nd (in 52nd Group) and the 1/30th (in 41st Group) were the only completely Air Mobile medium artillery units in all of IICTZ. At the end of the eight weeks a high percentage of the troops were assigned to the 264th FA Btl in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. Shield: Gules, two bendlets between four shells, two in chief and two in base, all Or. A few years ago I ran across a book entitled Private Presley by Andreas Schroer which documents Elviss years in Germany and I swear it is as good as a high school yearbook for memories. For the field artillery these capabilities were critical because the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong were elusive, used hit-and-run tactics, and engaged the Americans and their allies at close distance with the idea of negating their superiority in artillery, helicopter, and tactical air support. Although enemy resistance was light, the field artillery fired missions from bases ringing the area of operations to seal off escape routes or reduce small points of resistance and fiercely shelled landing zones. Mastering all the usages of 're equip' from sentence examples published by news publications. Once we sat on the Fulda Gap near the East German border in concentric circles with half of the 7th Army. We were to fire one round from each gun to give the Russians something to think about, blow up the Breech blocks, and race like hell for the Spanish coast. Arty Units - detailed list or Vilseck at least twice a year and stayed in primitive quarters. My father, LTC Henry Ewell (Hank) Strickland, Jr. (deceased 12/20/2012) was commander of 6th Battalion, 9th Artillery (175 mm Self-Propelled howitzers) which was at Rivers Barracks in Giessen, Germany. We used to drive there in our White 1966 Volkswagen 1300 (1.3L) which my Dad bought when we first arrived. The 42nd Artillery, CAC was an Army Railway Artillery Regiment and was assigned to the French 240mm Railway mounted guns. Descriptors: *ARTILLERY AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE ARMY TRAINING ARTILLERY FIRE CASUALTIES CLOSE SUPPORT COMBAT SURVEILLANCE COUNTERINSURGENCY HELICOPTERS HOWITZERS LOGISTICS MAINTENANCE MILITARY FORCES (FOREIGN) MILITARY INTELLIGENCE Muller, 1st He and his men trained at Fort Sill on the 105 mm towed howitzer. After a couple of years it dawned on me that I would have to serve my two years with Uncle Sam when I was done with school. Steele, 6th When we got there a French unit with about a dozen 20mm cannons were shooting at a wooden tower with a bunch of what looked like Generals with BC scopes watching the results. Dennis, 6th | News | Based on a number of criteria (like the mental health of the men that had been on a hot firebase for an extended amount of time and enemy activities) the swing battery could be swing for anywhere from 3 months to a year. The author of this history is unknown That same day, 1/9 Cavalrys airborne scouts spotted a battalion-size enemy force advancing towards the recent fight. and 155-mm. .. PHAN RANG VIETNAM Reunion information you'd like to share. 2nd Bn, 77th Arty (105, T) Whenever possible or appropriate, the pilots adjusted tube artillery to flush personnel into the open and then attacked. Photo: Bob Webster, Comments 7th Bn, 13th Arty (105, T) My first assignment was in the radar group, which didnt last very long. PHEONS", 1st Battalion, 8th Artillery Driving the jeep for the Lt also created a memorable moment. The camp was located on Route 15, 16km southeast of Bin Ha. 5th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment- Inactive since 16 May 1996. . in Vietnam, 2nd Battalion, 320th Artillery I agree with Charles Kelley. 5th Battalion, 38th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division, [ Steel Behind the Rock ], Korea 1969. mount sinai corporate office 42nd street; william brewster van zandt; when is the next wimberley market days; national police and troopers association; Community. more mixed military patches - click here! Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. This usually creates fear and I was no exception. Contact: Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed FESTINA LENTE in Black letters. Contact: Steve Order of Battle of the I Field Force Vietnam by the Association of I Field Force, Vietnam Veterans, an international organization dedicated to the military and civilian personnel who served with IFFV in Vietnam. "C" Battery fired the first US Army artillery round Both Within the first couple of weeks the outfit went to the field for training for a week. Artillery '68-'69, 3rd Battalion, 6th Artillery Contact: 5th Bn, 27th Arty (105, T) 5th Battalion, 4th Artillery 155mm H SP (M109) 8th Battalion, 4th Artillery 175mm gun SP (M107) + 8-inch H SP (M110) Headquarters Battery, 4th Infantry Division Artillery Contact: Dante' M. Puccetti Division Survey section was in Camp Enari along with Survey Info Center and S3 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery Contact: James Strange B Btry '68-'69 U.S. Army Vietnam Artillery On 2 January 1953, the 42nd Field Artillery Group was activated at Nellingen, Germany and subsequently moved to Giessen. - 5th Battalion, 22nd Field Artillery (175mm Gun / 8-inch Howitzer) - 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery (155mm Howitzer, Towed . 6/15th's AO, and IV Corps included the Mekong Delta and the southernmost parts of They suspended the ammunition and the howitzer beneath the helicopter by means of a double-sling system to allow the transportation of a complete firing section. 7th Bn, 11th Arty (105, T) Even though Army doctrine still called for fire and maneuver, practice in Vietnam differed con- siderably. If any enemy tried to escape, aerial gunners fired on them. M. Puccetti, Division As a result, the enemy feared American field artillery and made batteries prime targets for infiltration or full-scale attacks. To fire a 280mm cannon the exact quadrants of the gun were required by FDC. Along with the pressure from public opinion to preserve lives, by 1966 the Army made field artillery, naval, and air firepower more important than maneuver since infantry, armor, and cavalry units would not conduct operations unless they were under the protective umbrella of fire support. Mostly though we were all E3s or E4s. containing a list of ALL US Army Vietnam Artillery units. From there, the Battalion moved to Los Negros and, in February, on to Admiralty Islands. 3rd Bn, 34th Arty (105, T) Most every one in the unit had at least two years of college and we were treated a little nicer that we expected. There are pictures of convoys, survey crew at work, trips to London, Paris and Amsterdam, scenes of Germany during our surveying, and of BK. We knew that Elvis was the COs driver so as the lead jeep passed us we waved and yelled to him. HSB, 5th of 16th Artillery June 1969 - June 1970 Sir, My father William Ralph Francis passed away on 06 JUNE 2018 and I found many photos of his firebase in Vietnam. The Vietnam Years Clyde When they finished we moved out and did a Rhine River crossing. Vietnam era Field Gear. From these positions located so that any point in the area of operations could be reached by at least one battery and usually two or more, the maneuver commander conducted offensive operations, while field artillery, ranging from 105-mm. The Viet Cong gave the North Vietnamese another tool to bring down the South Vietnamese government by infiltrating South Vietnam and conducting sabotage, terrorist, and propaganda campaigns. C Btry 5/4 Arty. You will be honored at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC on September 9, 2016 by your brothers in arms who served with you in the 5th BN 42ND FA- we have never forgotten. was the farthest north just below the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), II Corps included the Within twenty- four hours after the beginning of Tet, on 30 January 1968 Hanoi launched a series of attacks from the demilitarized zone to the southern tip of Vietnam. Which basically meant they would be the battery responsible for moving around as the demand for movement increased. In 1968 the North Vietnamese abandoned their strategy of a protracted war. I was afforded a wonderful chance to see Germany from the inside. As the 2nd Brigade opened a thrust south down the valley, the rest of the division pushed rapidly southwest of Bong Son. Walked everywhere! The regiment did not initially mobilize for the Second World War during the general activation of units beginning in August 1939. Contact: Ron I remember going to Grafenwoehr for some sort of Family weekend and my Dad was wearing his .45 cal Colt M1911A1 and ear plugs. to your artillery unit on this page by notifying the of three firing batteries. D. To eliminate confusion The Artillery and Missile School devised a method to fire in a complete circle in 1966 and disseminated it throughout the Army.72 Moreover, the school increased its instruction time on firing in a complete circle (6400-mils) to prepare grad- uates better for combat in Vietnam. Contact: Dante' 26th Artillery, Headquarters Battery, howitzer by eliminating unnecessary equipment, the 1st Cavalry flew a four-gun battery a distance of fifteen miles in approximately two hours to provide fire for the ground forces. They were just fascinating. To ensure that the maximum area was defended by available troops, the Army assigned an area of operations to each unit from the high- est to the lowest. 2nd Bn, 320th Arty (105, T) and 155-mm. John Howard, 1st Battalion, 83rd Artillery Because of guerrilla warfare, commanders simply could not position their field artillery without adequate protection. 5th Bn, 16th Arty (155/8-in, SP), 6th Bn, 11th Arty, 11th Inf Bde (105, T) Because of the growing divergence of techniques, tactics, doctrine, equipment, and materiel for the two artilleries, the Continental Army Command outlined a plan in 1955 to develop basic courses in field artillery and antiaircraft artillery for new officers. Motto: FESTINA LENTE (Make Haste Slowly). My duty assignments with the 265th FA Bn (later 3rd Gun Bn, 81st Arty) were as follows: I lived with them mostly from Friday eves to Sunday eves to learn everything about them. Arty Legends - legends and This pamphlet was edited by 1Lt Robert A. Hentzen, who later became a reknowned sports reporter with a Topeka newspaper. He was 18 years-old. . In some cases, batteries fragmented operations even more by assigning part of their guns for base camp defense and the other for tactical employment. I used to play with Earl (deceased) behind their house in the bomb craters left over from WW II. Even though field artillery officers tried to minimize displacements, the speed of the ground troops and the size of the area compelled them to make over 160 displacements, which strained the divisions air resources. Find 5th Battalion, 22nd Artillery unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. commands used in artillery fire missions -- There is a printed history of the Battalion published in 1956 by the Wolf Printing Co., Baumholder, Germany. Artillery Time passes quickly. On the seventeenth the 2/7th Cavalry and the 2/5 Cavalry, which had joined Moores command on the fifteenth at X-Ray, moved on a sweep north to cut off North Vietnamese elements moving towards Columbus and Falcon. The 42nd Artillery came into existence in July of 1918 from Coast Artillery Corps units already serving in France. of artillery units in Vietnam We had gone to Grafenveer to fire the guns; we couldnt go to Baumhilder because the range was not long enough, and so we drove to the FO cement bunker on the range to observe the firing. Both the 41st and the 52nd Artillery Groups contained 4 battalions of artillery with calibers ranging from 105 mm to units with 8" and or 175 mm howitzers and guns. While deployed to Vietnam, SP4 Wright became ill with malaria. Even though the Vietnam War demonstrated the Armys flexibility to move from its preoc- cupation with nuclear war to unconventional war, it also revealed the Armys growing reliance upon firepower. Battery is abbreviated as BTRY or Btry. Taking hi3 argument even further, Kinnard insisted that the 1st Cavalry lured the enemy into battle by teasing it with a seemingly unprotected airmobile infantry battalion. Once the enemy struck, the 1st Cavalry hit it hard with massive artillery support.60 Simply stat- ed, the battles of Ia Drang vindicated the airmobile concept and showed the field artillerys capac- ity to provide close support in difficult terrain. Down time was spent playing poker and drinking beer. howitzers because of their rapid- TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. By In Vietnam the 4th Battalion of the 42nd Artillery was a towed 105mm howitzer battalion assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, to render direct support to the 2nd Brigade, of which the 1/22 Infantry was a part. O, Lt. Wegman, Our section S3, Lt. Aldrich and one of the gun officers, Lt. Hightower. Central Highlands which was the 7/15th's Area of Operations (AO), III Corps was the 1) Dan Ward. Because my Mom didn't want to go back to the States, we lost our PX privleges and had to live "on the economy". We were protected by a battery of antiaircraft guns and a company of light infantry. After leaving Vietnam General Westmoreland criticized this routine vigorously when he admitted that artillery and air power had produced a firebase psychosis. Angel, 1st Battalion, 321st Artillery Guidi, 6th Battalion, 84th Artillery Unit Crest 14th Infantry Regiment Single. You may have been within range of each other but this was not always the case one thing for certain, you were always on a "road march." They made great sandboxes for matchbox cars. 12 midnight curfew and you had to wear Class As or a jacket and tie. 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat. This article is about the US regiment. The base was abandoned and turned over to farmland although the Long Thanh North airfield is clearly visible on satellite images. Junction City culminated with the battles of Ap Bau Bang II, Suoi Tre, and Ap Gu. When the pieces were moved by helicopter, field artillerymen generally transported ammu- nition and guns separately. The 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, was originally constituted on 5 July, 1918, in the National Army as Battery D, 42nd Field Artillery, an element of the 14th Division. FAQ | Contact, 1st, Battalion, 82nd Artillery February 11, 2022 I have often wondered how that boy turned out, since at the age of twelve he spoke fluent Polish, English, German, and French. The people I remember were our CO Capt. 2nd Bn, 94th Arty (175), 2nd Bn, 319th Arty (105, T) artillery pieces in action, Home | About Without any artillery support the 1/9 Cavalry along with reinforcements airlifted into the battle area repeatedly repulsed enemy assaults. on the organization of Field Artillery in Vietnam. Their response was which corner. The regiment served in World War I, World War II, and Korea, and regimental units have served in Vietnam, Honduras, Panama, . David Powell A similar pattern emerged in other places with the exception of Hue. I don't remember if I got to fire one. Because of the size of the brigades area and range limitation, the division artillery commander attached a battery to a partic- ular battalion to provide the maximum coverage. SP (M110), Battery C, 6th Howitzer Battalion, 16th This rapid sweep taxed the 1st Cavalrys artillerys ability to support the maneuver elements. Fuller. Because of this, the 1st Divisions artillery commander delegated fire control to commanders of direct support battalions, who helped convert the Iron Triangle from a haven into a no mans land by the end of January. About once a week you pulled guard duty from 5pm to 6am. General As you might expect, a number of these personnel turned out to be considerably less than desirable, and caused no end of problems. "Out of sight, out of mind.". 25/ fev. We were there from Fall 1966 - Feb/Mar 1968. Artillery For a buck you could be a big shot and buy the section Lowenbraus all night. Quads = Quad 50 machineguns, Headquarters Battery, As such, the Vietnam War had a profound impact on the field artillery. [ADA]), 4th Battalion, 42nd Artillery your Republic of Vietnam Allen, Battery A, 377th Artillery 3rd Bn, 13th Arty (155/8-in, SP), 2nd Bn, 14th Arty (105, T) After establishing a patrol base, it staked out ambushes to catch North Vietnamese units fleeing to safety. "First For Freedom" As quickly as the Army could train advisory teams, it dispatched them to South Vietnam. Why his arm did not fall off is amazing, he pitched 6 games in five days. 5th Bn, 16th Arty (155/8-in, SP), 6th Bn, 11th Arty, Emborsky, 7th Battalion, 13th Artillery Survey section was in Camp Enari along with Survey Info Center and S3, 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery Shield:,Scarlet is the color used for Artillery. We were not the first unit he had befriended. Using colored smoke rounds to identify the precise outline of his perimeter, Lieutenant Colonel Harold G. Moore, the 1/7s commander, called for additional artillery support. I was introduced to my new Sgt. These bombardments along with small arms fire broke up several attacks during the day. In addition, I have some Orders and other information contained my 201 File which might be of interest. "A Battalion, 15th Artillery In 1965-1967 the demand for field artillery officers with highly professional skills in the Vietnam War finally caused the Army and the Continental Army Command to reorganize the artillery. Museum of the Kansas National Guard . Other times we would go out from Giessen for 10 day periods as part of NATO exercises or just to practice maneuvers. Entdecke US Army Unit Crest: 42nd Field Artillery Brigade - NOUS SOUTIENDRONS - G23 in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! Also, the war compelled the field artillery to adapt to fight a small-unit war, but it never abandoned its faith in massing fire. Although the enemy applied pressure into the evening, a continuous ring of artillery shells and tactical air strikes kept it from breaching the perimeters. earning the Medal of Honor Gary D. Harrington, 2nd Battalion, 9th Artillery 2nd Bn, 320th Arty (105, T) The 5th Battalion 42d Artillery remains assigned to the 23d Artillery Group, APO 96289, with the mission of General Support II Field Force Vietnam. FIRST FIELD FORCE VIETNAM ARTILLERY The story was that the perimeter guard/patroller heard a rustle in the bushes, turned, and saw the tiger coming at him in mid air. Battalions can be added or subtracted from the unit, as need dictates. As his article indicated, he believed that the field artillery had made a significant break- through with aerial artillery because it provided effective support to airmobile units. The 42nd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, first Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army (USA) . Contact: Russ Welcome to the official 504th Military Police Battalion page on Facebook. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. At the direction of the Commanding General, Continental Army Command, the Artillery and Guided Missile School and the Air Defense School explored the desirability of dividing the artillery into two branches. Contact: I lucked out and was given KP duty, which I didnt like at first. http://720mpreunion.org/history/project_vietnam/212th/detachments/Long_Thanh/long-thanh-north.html, "United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam 1972-1973 Command History Annex C", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bearcat_Base&oldid=1138001178, Installations of the United States Army in South Vietnam, Military installations established in the 1940s, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 14:08. 52nd Artillery Group Up front were tank divisions, then armored infantry, then 105s, then 155s then 8 inch guns and then us. Links | 318 sentences with 're equip'. Late in 1965, it could not be applied at will. If it were m John F. Karr, 5th Battalion, 42nd Artillery Contact After receiving the on the way and splash we watched the French. The shells indicate the nature of the organization and with the bendlets produce the numerical designation of the organization. Since diodes and chips were not available, the Q-10 radar set operated on vacuum tubes. ! By having this record the gun could go to a known position and not have to wait for a survey. There were four Tactical Zones in South Vietnam; I Corps The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 42d Field Artillery Battalion on 7 May 1942. For the Canadian regiment, see, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 1st Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 2nd Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 3rd Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 4th Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 5th Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 6th Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), https://web.archive.org/web/20110722214111/http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Heraldry/ArmyDUISSICOA/ArmyHeraldryUnit.aspx?u=3446, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/default.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=42nd_Field_Artillery_Regiment&oldid=1133948340. Contact: 6th Bn, 27th Arty (8-in/175) This left some units in the theater with excess personnel, which they were directed to transfer to other units, including the 265th. Rex G Welty, the Exec. the webmaster of any Photo: Bill Van Eck C-2/32 "Can Do" of the 2/32d fires the first 175mm In November of 1967 and most of 1968 Bravo Btry was swing, let me illustrate briefly what it was like for the men of B Btry in the 9 months between November 1967 and July 1968 the men of B Btry moved a total of 19 times; 10 times by air and 9 times by road. To meet the external threat the Army abandoned its defensive strategy for aggressive offensive actions.54 After a series of limited offensives, General William Westmoreland, Commander, US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, opened a campaign to counter North Vietnamese moves to cut South Vietnam in half. Of course we couldnt pass up a chance like this, after establishing contact with FDC we asked if they could hit the tower. *Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Contact: Jim As the other combat arms scoured the countryside, gun crews supplied close support by shelling enemy positions. Although some officers opposed such a tactic, most commanders valued firepower because it preserved lives. Camp Dover, Hwa Yang-ri, Korea October 1967, Charlie Battery, 5th battalion, 38th Artillery " Best Steel Behind the Rock ". Vietnam changed this. Contact: Chris This was important for the married troops who lived off base because it gave them an extra hour and a half in the AM. This meant that the infantry and cavalry would have to fight alone on the enemys terms unless they were under a protective umbrella of fire support. The M42 has torsion-bar suspension consisting of five dual rubber-tired road wheels with the idler at the front and the drive sprocket at the rear, and three track-return rollers. According to Brigadier General David E. Ott, Commander, 25th Divisions artillery, the most significant artillery action occurred around Fire Support Base Gold during the Battle of Suoi Tre. The 42nd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, first Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army (USA) . It was here that I learned the folly of placing the barbs on the barbed wire a hand space apart. Richie, 108th FA Group Aerial Observation (VATLS), 2nd Battalion, 319th Artillery 7th Bn, 15th Arty (8-in/175) 6th Bn, 14th Arty (8-in/175) Despite these efforts and those that strengthened the South Vietnamese army as a whole, South Vietnam final- ly collapsed in 1975 in the face of a determined North Vietnamese onslaught. Even though habitual association created fierce loyalties between the infantry and field artillery, it made massing battalion and division fire difficult and elevated the importance of the battery fire direction center. Artillery, II FIELD FORCE By doing this, field artillerymen reduced the time required to occupy a position and dispelled fears about the field artillerys inability to keep up with the other combat arms on a highly mobile battlefield.