ambush of the 173rd airborne
He was dead, but he kept me warm.. Melzer is a 22-year-old infantryman assigned to the 173rd Airborne's 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, in Vicenza, Italy, 173rd spokesman Maj. Chris Bradley told Military.com. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. [87] The jump took a total of 58seconds, though 32 paratroopers were unable to jump because they would have landed too far from the rest of the force. For the medics in the mix, casualties represented far more than statistics. to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade . Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets [119][122][121] The paratrooper was charged with leaking classified information (including the unit's location) to the RapeWaffen Division and the Order of the Nine Angles (O9A), a European Satanic occult-based neo-Nazi and white supremacist group that is also anti-Semitic, and has expressed admiration for Nazis such as Adolf Hitler and Islamic jihadists. Specifically, they sought to destroy Special Forces camps at Ben Het, about five miles east of the Cambodian border, and at Dak To, some 10 miles east of Ben Het. The 1-508th (minus Company B) conducted combat operations in eastern Afghanistan, attached to 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. The first of the separate brigades was the 172nd Infantry Brigade, activated in 1998. The 173rd was the only separate brigade to have support formations permanently assigned to it, though other separate brigades would receive support elements of their own a year later. He said Melzer's fellow paratroopers in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team were left feeling angry as . [5], After Vietnam, the Army retained the 173rd Airborne Brigade as a quick deploying contingency brigade. The author visited Afghanistan's Korengal Valley five times in 2007 and 2008 as a reporter embedded with part of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade as it attempted to thwart the Taliban in . The attached Assault Helicopter Company, the 335th AHC, the "Cowboys", deployed with the brigade all over Vietnam into mid-1968 and comprised the Airmobile capability along with the Caspers. [128], Illinois Route 173, which runs for 66 miles along the Illinois/Wisconsin border was designated the "173rd Airborne Brigade Highway" in 2008. All rights reserved. As far as brutal fighting goes, 4th ID commander Maj. Gen. William R. Peers told news correspondents, I would say this is the worst weve had., That was confirmed by the 1st Brigades Presidential Unit Citation for defeating a numerically superior enemy during 33 days of violent, sustained combat., Slept with Corpses Tragically, one air strike hit too close to the paratroopers. As of the sentencing, Melzer is no longer a part of the Army, although it is not immediately clear when between his guilty plea and now he was discharged. until 0400 est. [3][25] As the Pacific quick-reaction force, they were the first brigade to be sent to South Vietnam two years later when hostilities escalated there. The 3rd Battalion on Nov. 10-11 sustained another 18 KIA and 118 WIA on Hill 724 during a five-hour ground and mortar attack. During fierce, close-quarters fighting, some of the paratroopers made it into the PAVN trench line but were ordered to pull back as darkness fell. [69] A U.S. Army report detailed a pattern of "cruelty and maltreatment" between March 1968 and October 1969. No weapons were discharged. [5] The infantry battalions and the brigade headquarters remained in Vicenza, Italy through the transition. Assisting the LRS and 5th Group ODA were elements of the 82nd Airborne, Iowa National Guard, and ANA. Every Objective was Taken Throughout the day, U.S. airstrikes and artillery continued to pound the top of the hill, as the NVA lobbed mortars at the U.S. perimeter. In May 2020, Melzer was reassigned to a unit preparing for deployment. The 23rd and 26th Mike Force companies (indigenous outfits led by Green Berets) were engaged as well. . Women in the military: Moving beyond firsts, Issues with the Armys Europe-based equipment trigger readiness alarms, Veterans Affairs drops mask requirement for all agency medical offices, Tax scams How to report them Money Minute, Capitol Hill weighs action on two controversial topics: medical marijuana and abortion, Lockheed wins hypersonics contract | Defense Dollars, Go inside a secret nuclear fallout bunker sealed for decades, Black Vietnam vet at last getting his due: Medal of Honor, Junior NCO promotions have collapsed heres the data, and why, Army artillery officer dies during assignment in Thailand. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. [18] 340 of the 570 173rd Airborne troops who attacked the hill became casualties. 5, March 1970 173rd Airborne Brigade Newsletter A bolt of an AK47 rifle betrayed an enemy ambush, and soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) turned the tables on the Viet Cong. The fighting was intense and lasted into the fall, when the North Vietnamese seemingly withdrew. In an interview with FBI agents, he admitted being a traitor against the U.S. and confessed that he planned to cause the mass casualties of U.S. service members. After. All Rights Reserved. In command for five months, I had been assured that I would be leading the company for one year, which suited me fine. Former Pvt. [88] In the weeks before there had been heavy rain and the mud created problems for those doing the jump. Melzer and his co-conspirators used the information that he attained to plan what they referred to as a jihadi attack with the objective of causing a mass casualty event victimizing his fellow service members. A recon patrol made the first contact on Nov. 2, briefly skirmishing with NVA, resulting in one U.S. KIA. [104] Journalist Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington were embedded with Battle Company of 2nd Battalion which saw extensive action in the Korengal Valley. Ethan Phelan Melzer, 24, who also goes by Etil Reggad, pleaded guilty last June to charges of attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information during the days leading up his units mid-2020 deployment. Melzer sent messages to members and associates of O9A and, in particular, a sub-group of O9A known as the RapeWaffen Division, providing details about his units anticipated deployment including troop movements, relevant dates, locations, armaments, topography, and security, all in connection with the proposed attack on his unit and the Military Base. The bill is part of a package of so-called parental empowerment and child safety legislation that includes a ban on instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity for students through Grade 8, and requiring licensed health care facilities to attest that they do not provide sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures to patients under 18 years of age, the State Senates office announced in a news release. ALSO IN THE NEWS: Americans belief in God hit an all-time low about 6 months ago here's why. [85] Though the brigade's movement was impeded by Italian protestors, the Italian police provided escort operations to the brigade and ensured that it reached the Air Base without incident, and was not significantly delayed. Melzer, 22, was arrested last spring in Italy, where he served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and pleaded not guilty in September to eight charges, including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals . 2nd Battalion was initially attached to 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and conducted stability and combat operations in Kunar Province for the first half of the deployment. [26], The brigade arrived in South Vietnam on 7 May 1965, the first major ground combat unit of the United States Army to serve in the country. (See the sidebar on page 36 for the 4th IDs role.). At 06:58 the following morning, Alpha Company began moving alone up a ridge finger and triggered an ambush by the 6th Battalion of the 24th PAVN Regiment. For example, after describing the units weaponry during the deployment and providing information consistent with the briefings he had received Melzer described to his co-conspirators how an attack would essentially cripple the units fire-teams.. The brigade returned to Europe and home station after once again proving itself in combat throughout the eastern mountains of Afghanistan. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. [5], In mid-1968 at the instigation of II Corps commander General L Mng Lan, I Field Force, Vietnam commander General William R. Peers paired with the Brigade with the ARVN 22nd Division in Bnh nh Province in what was almost a replica of Operation Fairfax. This week a former member of the Ohio National Guard was sentenced to six years in prison for manufacturing ghost guns and making threats against Jewish schools and synagogues. At the same time that Hello Dollyopened at NhaTrang airbase, a company of 173rd Airborne had walked into an ambush in Viet Cong base zone, known as the Iron Triangle. On Nov. 3, A and B companies made a combat assault from Dak To airstrip to a ridge line just below Hill 1338, recalled Alex Cooker, then the platoon leader of 3rd Plt., B Co., 3rd Bn., 12th Inf. It was the first U.S. Army. I slept with Joe. Air Force). . The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, parachuted into Iraq in the early days of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and saw intense combat in Afghanistan. He was arrested by the FBI on June 10, 2022 after investigators claimed he gave sensitive military information to the Order of Nine Angles, a British neo-Nazi Satanist group with pro-Jihadi views that encourages extreme violence in an effort to destabilize society and attempts to overthrow what it views as Jewish control of global culture and economics. Specifically, Melzer corresponded with individuals belonging to an O9A subgroup known as the RapeWaffen Division, which is known to promote rape and murder as weapons in the groups pursuit of a race war. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to provide a Europe-based neo-Nazi, Satanist, and pro-jihadist group by giving it classified information to attack his unit, federal prosecutors said Friday. Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. Among the first ground combat troops in northern Iraq, Haynes parachuted in this time with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Address: 18458 East Orkney Street, Azusa CA 91702-0219. In May 2020, Melzer was informed his unit would be deploying to another overseas location to guard a sensitive U.S. military base. In approximately October 2019, MELZER deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. At 14:30 PAVN troops hidden at the bottom of the hill launched a massed assault from the rear. The 3rd Battalion, 503rd joined the brigade at Tuy Ha Province in September 1967 following the former's activation and training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. [126], The 173rd's service, particularly in Vietnam, has been featured several times in popular culture. The 173rd Airborne paratroopers trained the Ukrainians on how to better defend themselves against Russian and rebel artillery and rockets. However, in the long run the operation appeared no more successful than Fairfax's efforts to clean up Gia Dinh Province around Saigon prior to the Tet Offensive. After the new units were integrated into the brigade, the preponderance of the forces within the brigade were stationed in Germany, apart from the brigade headquarters in Italy. Ambush of 173rd Airborne, South Vietnam Tim Page/Corbis Expand Favorite Artist Tim Page British, 1944-2022 Titles Ambush of 173rd Airborne, South Vietnam Date 1965, printed 2004 Place Vietnam Medium Silver dye bleach print Dimensions Image: 18 3/8 12 3/8 in. And vets of that proud unit feel the sting. Kirkuk. He also allegedly said he shared Biden's debate strategy during the 2020 campaign with Kushner. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to provide a Europe-based neo-Nazi, Satanist, and pro-jihadist group by giving it classified information to attack his. The next day, Pfc. a private assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, Soldier indicted for conspiring with neo-Nazi group seeks dismissal because grand jury wasn't racially diverse, Paratrooper pleads not guilty to charges he plotted with satanic Neo-Nazis to ambush his unit, Italy-based paratrooper charged with plotting with satanic neo-Nazi group to attack his unit, Gallantry: Biden presents Medal of Honor to retired Army Col. Paris Davis for his heroics in Vietnam, US to send bridge-launching vehicles for tank deployments to Ukraine in new $400M aid package, Japan complains to US over Utah senators remarks on imprisoned Navy officer, Military, VA provide troops, vets more gun safety options to help reduce suicides, Pentagon tells service members to stop displaying giant US flags at major events, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Though they were severely bloodied, the paratroopers inflicted even heavier losses on the NVA. "Melzer allegedly attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his own unit by unlawfully revealing its location, strength, and armaments to a neo-Nazi, anarchist, white supremacist group, then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, Audrey Strauss, said in a statement at the time. Abandoned weapons, helmets, rucksacks, clothing, canteens and empty ration containers littered the battlefield. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. The sign had read. After the end of major combat operations in mid-2003, the 173rd Airborne Brigade did not engage in any major battles, though it was regularly involved in skirmishes with Iraqi insurgents. In January 1966 they launched Operation Marauder, the first U.S. military operation in the Plain of Reeds. . I would've died successfully cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark," authorities said. But Murphy says that during the actions around Dak To, 376 Americans were killed and 1,441 wounded. [51][52], The battle around Dak To became more costly as 4-503 of the 173rd was ordered to occupy Hill 823, south of Ben Het Camp, for the construction of Fire Support Base. Regt. The 173rd Support Battalion and the 173rd Combat Support Company provided logistical support from Kandahar, while sending individual soldiers to assist at other forward operating bases. Paratroopers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team fighting on Hill 823 during the Battle of Dak To. [15] The troop entered combat in 1944 and fought in three European campaigns; central Europe, the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace operations. The other hit C Companys command post and aid station. Melzer was convicted of attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. [131] In the 1998 movie The Siege, fictional Major General William Devereaux, played by Bruce Willis, states that he was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade at the same time that character Anthony Hubbard was in the 82nd Airborne Division. While there, he consumed extensive propaganda from numerous extremist groups, including O9A and ISIS, and routinely downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks and executions, court documents showed. Engineers of 1st Air Cav at Chu Phong Mt. 94,278 11 months ago. "The defendant believed he could force the U.S. into prolonged armed conflict while causing the deaths of as many soldiers as possible," the Justice Department said in a previous statement. [24] Immediately after its transformation, the brigade began intensive training in both Germany and Italy to prepare itself for future deployments. Email: wambicook@aol.com Members and associates of O9A have also participated in acts of violence, including murders. Prosecutors said Melzer was involved with the group starting in 2017 and joined the U.S. Army the next year specifically to help O9A "infiltrate its ranks," according to a Justice Department statement Friday. Artillery support was rendered ineffective by the limited range of visibility. The Vietnamese then unleashed B-40 rockets and 57mm recoilless rifle fire on the Americans. [There were] heaps of dead after that bomb, a survivor remembered. To walk away from Hill 875 would have diminished the importance of their sacrifices, Murphy concluded. On Nov. 20, 1967, Pfc. [78] Task Force 1-63 consisted of HHC/1-63rd Armor, C/1-63rd Armor and B/2-2nd Infantry. Company commanders pulled their troops back and called for more firepower. He then eliminated nine enemy soldiers who were assaulting his position. A search of the battlefield revealed only 15 dead North Vietnamese. [5][12][13], The 173rd Infantry Brigade was constituted on 5 August 1917 as an infantry brigade and organized on 25 August at Camp Pike, Arkansas,[14] as an element of the 87th Division[15] along with the 174th Infantry Brigade. Accessed 26 November 2015. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. Melzer was taken into custody by the FBI on June 10, 2020. On 1 December 1951, the troop was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division. U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade and Cypriot troops train on the M4A1, Tavor x95, MG3, Negev 7.62, and RPG-7V in Larnaca . [46] During the battle, the brigade operated out of the northeastern part of the war zone along with the 196th Infantry Brigade (Separate), as four other brigades from the 1st and 25th Infantry Divisions attempted to surround and destroy the 9th Division in the War Zone. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Marvinny and two other attorneys on Melzer's defense team argued in a sentencing memo last year that Melzer should get 15 years, plus 10 years' supervised release. MICHAEL LEVENSON. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The sign had read "American who read this die. These include Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Charlie Norwood,[133][134] Archbishop of Baltimore Edwin Frederick O'Brien,[135] Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert M. Kimmitt,[136] business owner Barney Visser,[137] activists Stan Goff and Ted Sampley,[138] and Sergeant Major of the Army Gene C. The 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sky Soldiers) is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapid forces to the United States European, Africa and Central Commands areas of responsibilities. One of these was the 101st Airborne Division, which had also been redeployed to Fort Campbell. [43], On 22 February 1967, the 173rd conducted Operation Junction City, the only combat parachute jump of the Vietnam War. A Kentucky man was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [97] The Turkish forces were eventually released. Dawn on Tuesday, Nov. 21, revealed a scene on Hill 875 no survivor of that battle could ever forget, Edward F. Murphy wrote in Dak To: Americas Sky Soldiers in South Vietnams Central Highlands. [58] At 10:30, as the Americans moved to within 300 metres (984ft) of the crest, PAVN machine gunners opened fire on the advancing paratroopers. Although its roughly 4,000 soldiers . When his weapon jammed, an NVA bullet ripped into his head. While stationed abroad, Melzer consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups, including O9A and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, which is also known as ISIS. Rick Holmes of C company, 2nd battalion, 503rd infantry, 173rd airborne brigade, sits down on January 3, 1966, in Vietnam. The brigade returned to its home station in Europe in November 2010. (Photo: U.S. Army) The 174th set up on Hill 875 about 10 miles southwest of Ben Het and less than a mile east of the Cambodian border. Washington Green proved to be the final American campaign in Bnh nh Province, and its greatest achievement may have been in training an impressive number of territorial and paramilitary forces. According to survivors, he was on his knees giving last rites to a dying paratrooper when the bombs hit, killing him instantly. The draws between the ridges are dreary, tangled places of perpetual twilight. As Peers' successor in March 1969, Lt. Gen. Charles A. Corcoran, reflected, "Barnes may have just been keeping the lid on the situation." The obstruction charge carries a minimum sentence of six months in jail. Melzer began active service as an Army infantryman in June 2019 and deployed that October to Vicenza, Italy, as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. On 23 April 2014, four paratrooper companies of the 173rd were deployed to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to reassure America's NATO allies threatened by Russian military maneuvers along the borders of eastern Ukraine during the 201415 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. 501FSC, 173rd Abn Bde. In September 2014, about 200 soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Regiment, 173rd BDE participated in the Rapid Trident exercise near Lviv in western Ukraine. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced Friday to 45 years in prison, the maximum, for plotting what prosecutors described as a "murderous ambush" overseas on members of his own troop. Casper platoon was part of the HHC 173rd Airborne Brigade and its members wore the brigade patch. Rose L. Thayer is based in Austin, Texas, and she has been covering the western region of the continental U.S. for Stars and Stripes since 2018. . The operation was a success, and the battered VC division fled. The affidavit claims that Peters then attempted to kick an officer, and shouted when ordered to stop kicking. The PAVN, in turn, had moved almost 6,000 troops in four infantry regiments and one artillery regiment. Prior to its deployment to the highlands, Peers' operations officer, Colonel William J. Livsey, attempted to warn the Airborne officers of the hazards of campaigning in the Central Highlands. The 173rd had been operating near Bien Hoa Air Base outside Saigon and had been in combat only against NLF guerrillas. parade field at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza Italy, to help uncase the colors of the most valorous,. All told, the 1st Brigade lost 86 KIA during Dak To, with the 3rd Bn., 8th Inf., accounting for 46 KIA and 3rd Bn., 12th Inf., sacrificing 24 KIA. The anguished cries of the wounded are what they remember most. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Legal Statement. Lieutenant Sanford later said of Olive's act that "It was the most incredible display of . [114] This program was known as Fearless Guardian which was congressionally approved under the Global Contingency Security Fund. If the allegations are true in the Dominion filing, "this is precisely what Murdoch provided to the Trump campaign," he said. The unit was supposed to guard an isolated, sensitive military base. (Staff Sgt. [5] It was a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army's VCorps and after June 2013, subordinate to US Army Europe. Before that she was a reporter for Killeen Daily Herald and a freelance journalist for publications including The Alcalde, Texas Highways and the Austin American-Statesman. [115], In 2017, some 600 personnel (1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment) were deployed to the Baltic countries to be positioned in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia for six weeks to coincide with the duration of the joint Russian/Belarusian strategic Zapad 2017 exercise that began 14 September 2017.[116][117][118]. At that time, he consumed propaganda from several extremist groups. The single deadliest day of Dak To was Nov. 19, when 83 Americans were killed and 110 wounded. On Nov. 23, the 4th Battalion from the north slope coordinated a final assault on the hilltop with the 1st Bn., 12th Inf., 4th Inf. [104][107] The 173rd's tour ended in July 2008, and the last redeploying paratrooper from the brigade returned to Europe by the beginning of August 2008. Name: walter d. {whity} elmore Email: maryaelmore@yhoo.com B1: Submit Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2009 Time: 09:10:34 PM News. Barnes manned a machine gun after its crew had been killed. Div., at Dak To. He was arrested in May 2020 while in Italy, before he could carry it out. Phone: (626)664-0219. My plan was to make captain and go to Vietnam as an experienced company commander. Murdoch's alleged hand-off of the confidential information to Kushner was revealed this week as part of the $1.6 billion Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News and the Fox Corp. Harold B. Birch, battalion commander at the time, recalled that about 14 Red Warriors were wounded in the attack, some by a misdirected American helicopter gunship.. We were ambushed by the NVA a short distance from where we landed. Regt. He acknowledged that would likely be killed if he carried out the attack, writing, who gives a f--- [. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Every objective was taken. Soon, U.S. air strikes and artillery fire were being called in, but they had little effect on the battle because of the dense foliage on the hillside. All rights reserved. On Nov. 19, 1967, Chaplain Watters repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to aid fallen men outside the perimeter. Parents would be allowed to kidnap their children and take them out of state if they are receiving gender-affirming care or are considered at risk of receiving such care under a proposed Florida law, Vice News reports. [79][80][81], The 173rd Airborne Brigade was made part of Task Force Viking, a special operations task force that contained elements of the 10th Mountain Division[82] and the 10th Special Forces Group.