On the morning of May 13, 1969, "Charlie Company" was combat assaulted into an area near Tam K and Nui Yon Hill and came under small arms and machine gun fire. Lieutenant General Peers' inquiry team grows exponentially, and the number of officers under investigation increases to 46. Authorities at Fort Benning decide to press charges against Lieutenant Calley. The group of civilians that had been herded to the south of the village are all shot by the soldiers guarding them. Recognize Waz but not sure of others. Normandy, the Infantry has led the way. (Sanford 196) 11th, 1971 Location: Rear area - Americal Div. A fire squad is left guarding the people in the ditch, a number that has grown to about 50. 1/20th 11th Light Infantry Brigade . ORANGE
During the conversation, some command group members stray off and kill several wounded Vietnamese. As the "square" divisions of the National Guard were being transitioned to the triangular division TO&E in 1942, they each "shed" an infantry regiment, leaving several trained and operational "orphan" regiments available for independent service. Charlie Company is ordered out of their bunks to gather gear and receive ammunition. Lieutenant Jeffrey LaCross' 3rd Platoon continues killing. A. Early March, 1968 ' The Panel names 30 people who had suppressed evidence about the killing of civilians during the My Lai operation. Between 24 and 27 October, elements of the regiment withstood repeated assaults from Japanese battalions and inflicted some two thousand enemy casualties; the 164th also supported and participated in Marine attacks. B. Georgian governor Jimmy Carter asked his constituency to drive for a week with their lights on in protest, and flags are flown at half-mast in the state of Indiana. The division next moved to the Fiji Islands, beginning 5 March 1943, to assume the defense of the main island of Viti Levu and to engage in extensive training. Hersh's story is the first to explicitly alert the American press to an investigation, and within days the reporters from theNew York Times,Newsweekmagazine and ABC descend upon Son My village where some My Lai survivors remain. The French objected to the arrangement and, increasingly worried about Japanese invasion being attracted by the airfield, demanded additional American forces. BILLY RANDOLPH JEFFERSON. Medina "embellishes" Barker's orders and adds a "revenge element" in his briefing. POSTED ON 11.8.2015. During the period 25 December 1943 to 12 January 1944 the Americal Division landed on Bougainville, relieving the 3rd Marine Division. Requests do not post automatically. Brigadier General George Young, Colonel Henderson, Lieutenant Colonel Barker, Major Watke and Lieutenant Colonel Holladay hold a crisis meeting in a van at landing zone Dottie. [7] Despite some desire locally to use the force to reinforce Australia or the Netherlands East Indies, under direct orders from Washington the force moved secretly, not even informing the French, to New Caledonia. 9:00AM With Meadlo's confession, Colonel Wilson presents the findings of his investigation to the Office of the Inspector General in Washington. It is commanded by a Major General, assisted by two Brigadier Generals. Officers believe that a surprise attack on the 48th could wipe them out. If you would like to be added to this roster, please Contact the webmaster directly or go to our In March 1968, soldiers from the U.S. Army's Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment of the 11th Brigade, Americal Division attacked the Vietnamese village of My Lai, massacring more than 500 people, including elderly men, women, and children (Willbanks, 2014). 1/20 and 4/21 were OPCON to 198th Inf. Thompson is shot down five times, the last occurring during a mission from Da Nang to an airbase at Chu Lai, which breaks his back. The Division was composed of the 11th, 196th, and 198th Light Infantry Brigades and divisional support units. [14] Seymour Hersh broke the story of the massacre in November 1969, and a year later 14 officers including Samuel W. Koster, the division's commanding officer were charged with covering the massacre up. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). January 1971 11th Light Infantry Brigade, Casualties 135th Assault Helicopter Co, KIA 141st Infantry, 36th Inf Div WW2 150th Engineers, KIA 15th Wisconsin (Civil War) Casualties 162nd Assault Helicopter Company, Casualties, V'nam 16th Inf Rgmt, 1st Inf Div, WW2 173rd Airborne Bde, Vietnam 17th Armored Inf Bn, Casualties Koster, 86, Who Was Demoted After My Lai, Dies", Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, Narrative History of Task Force 6814 (Probable transcription error as the official histories all have TF 6184 citing original sources) Americal Division January 23, 1942 to June 30, 1943, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Americal_Division&oldid=1122398662, Joseph Cresenz, Medal of Honor recipient 20 November 1968 action, Donald Paul Sloat, Medal of Honor recipient 17 January 1970 action, This page was last edited on 17 November 2022, at 10:56. No retreat was possible, no reinforcements could be relied on. Bn., 1st. September 5, 1969 For the first time Lieutenant Calley speaks publicly about My Lai. Major Watke passes the information on to Lieutenant Colonel Barker, who radios Major Charles Calhoun to find out what is happening on the ground and put an end to it. November 26, 1969 This page was last edited on 17 November 2022, at 08:13. Ridenhour, who had trained with Charlie Company in Hawaii and went on to serve as a door gunner for another company, is told by Gruver that 300-400 civilians had been shot and killed. 02 Aug 69 1210. Henderson's investigation report, submitted on April 24, states that 20 civilians had been killed and Thompson's allegations are false. The 11th Infantry Brigade (Light) was an infantry brigade of the United States Army. He would go on to proudly serve his country as a radio telephone operator and infantryman in the 4th Infantry Division from 1967 to 1969. However, a lack of the necessary personnel and equipment prevented the organization of the field artillery battalion, engineer company, and signal platoon that completed the structure of a separate brigade. Infantry, 3/1, 3/1-11th., 3/1 - 11th.LIB, Vietnam,
Platoon Sergeant Finnis McCleery was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valiant efforts on Hill 352. 101st Airborne Division - 3rd Battalion, Charlie Company: 101st Airborne Division Association: 23d Infantry Division (Americal) Veterans Association - 327th Infantry Regiment: 11th Light Infantry Brigade - 501st Inf Regt, 2nd Bn, A Company - 1st Cavalry, 1st Squadron (1/1) - 501st Inf Regt, 2nd Bn, B Company RVN 67-72 - E Troop Thompson begs the other gunships to land and help rescue more civilians. New Caledonia, a likely target for the Japanese for its critical strategic position on the lines of communication with New Zealand and Australia and its nickel and chromium mines, was now under the control of the Free French with a poorly equipped and trained native force and a company of Australian commandos. Charlie, C Company, Charlie Company, 3rd. All issues will be posted on our web site. Website Created June 15, 2007. The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347-504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of 'Charlie' Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. This was unusual, as with the exception of the Philippine Division, all other U.S. divisions were known by a number. Historians describe the Americal Division as the most effective of all the US Army divisions in that campaign. In May 1945, the division began intensive training in preparation for its role in the invasion of Japan, but the war ended before the unit could leave Hawaii. Has served with the Second Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii and the 11th Infantry Brigade of the Americal Division in Vietnam . In his testimony, Sergeant LaCroix admits that there had been "unnecessary" civilian casualties and mentions that Warrant Officer Thompson had filed a complaint following the operation. veteranRon Ridenhour and asks him if he had heard about Pinkville. C/o National Archives, Lieutenant William Calley, leader of Charlie Company's 1st Platoon. That afternoon, unit commanders go on a reconnaissance flight of My Lai 4, a village called Son My, to scout landing zones. During the period 25 December 1943 to 12 January 1944 the Americal Division landed on Bougainville, relieving the 3rd Marine Division. Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. The soldier shoots the man in the head, later claiming it was an act of mercy. The ADVA is dedicated as a LIVING MEMORIAL to all veterans of the Americal Division. "This is what you've been waiting for -- search and destroy -- and you've got it," said their superior officers. Charlie, C Company, Charlie Company, 3rd. [11] The 6th Engineer Company was inactivated on 15 January 1968, after the brigade arrived in Vietnam and reconstituted as Company C, 26th Engineer Battalion, remaining in support of the 11th LIB. Charlie Company's Adopted
These records are in the custody of the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2). Colonel Henderson receives a second report of civilian casualties and directs a company back through Son My village to get an exact count. Along with Private Colburn, Thompson accepts his medal at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. August 20, 2009 However, Major General Joster, the commander of the Americal Division, radios that no further examination is necessary and countermands the order. The Americal Division of the United States Army was constituted from Task Force 6814 and the 164th Infantry Regiment on May 24, 1942 in order to hold New Caledonia against the Japanese during World War II.It was the only division not designated by number, taking its name from the phrase "Americans in New Caledonia." Its insignia was the four stars representing the Southern Cross on a field of . He writes a letter presenting the evidence of a massacre at My Lai. The troops move deeper into the peninsula. If you served on FSB Hill 4-11 in any capacity or were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment . Largely because of transport constraints, the Americal arrived piecemeal and was fed into combat alongside the battle-hardened and exhausted US 1st Marine Division, which it eventually relieved. Thompson confronts the company commander, Major Fred Watke in the aviation section's operations van. Membership begins on June 1 and ends on May 31 of the next year. April 24, 1968 The First Marine Division's commander, Major General A. This sentence is extremely controversial and generates a widespread public outcry, as an overwhelming majority of Americans believe that Calley was simply following orders, and condemn the fact that one soldier was serving as the army's scapegoat. 5:30AM As they move into My Lai the men shoot many fleeing Vietnamese and bayonet others. '' in his briefing on FSB Hill 4-11 in any capacity or were to! 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