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25th Infantry Division -- Vietnam
Tropic Lightning
""During the period from the summer of 1966 to the spring of 1967 the 25th Division was the largest division in Vietnam with four brigades under its command, the division's 1st and 2nd Brigades as well as the 3rd Brigade, 4th Division and the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. ...In April 1967 the 196th was transferred to Chu Lai in I Corps, thus reducing the division to three brigades. Based at Dau Tieng, the 3rd Brigade, 25th Division assumed command of the former 3rd Brigade, 4th Division units, the 2/12th Infantry, 2/22nd Infantry (Mechanized) and 3/22nd Infantry." (http://www.25thida.com/division.html)
Myron Williams was in Delta Co part of the 2/12 Inf in Vietnam in 1967. These men of Delta Company 2/12 Inf accounted for four Silver Stars, 17 Bronze stars, 14 Purple Hearts, and 6 ARCOMS during 1967-1968. Here are photos of some of these men.
2/12th Infantry
Delta Company
4th Platoon
Vietnam 1967-1968
Dau Tieng
Battle of Loc Ninh
Lt. Tuggle -
4th Platoon Leader
Vietnam 67-68
12TH INF KILLS 94
DAU TIENG - Five miles northeast of Loc Ninh, 3rd Bde, 25th Inf Div, soldiers killed 94 Viet Cong in a pitched battle that lasted over six hours. Seven of the enemy were detained. There were three Americans killed and 30 wounded.
The heated battle began near midnight with mortar and rocket fire precedingthe main three-pronged ground attack. Several probes of the battalion perimeter had been thwarted earlier in the evening.
The 2nd Bn, 12th Inf., commanded by LTC R.D. Tice, was pulledout of the Boi Loi Woods on the morning of the battle, and trucked to Dau Tieng. The last of the huge transport planes landed at the small Special Forces Camp 110 Kms north of Saigon late in the afternoon.
From Loc Ninh, the battalion was heli-lifted into a small egg-shaped landing zone big enough for only three choppers at a time. The "White Warriors" were to set up a defensive perimeter on the reverse slope of a hill just south of one of the huge rubber plantations which dot the area.
Almost before the men had a chance to dig in, the probings of the perimeter began. Eight Viet Cong moved stealthily through the perimeter until they were cut down by Delta Co.
The main attack began shortly after midnight when 30 rounds of mortar fire and RPG-rocket rounds pounded the battalion's perimeter. A ground attack followed.
Fighting at hand grenade range, the infantrymen repelled attackers throughout the night.
Some of the Viet Cong penetrated the perimeter only to be chopped down or captured. "My RTO told me that there was a Charlie right outside my CP," said 2LT Earnest Tuggle of Oklahoma City, Okla. "We took a small party of four men and crawled out of the bunker and there he was, lying under a log playing possum."
Artillery and airstrikes pounded the surrounding area with one airstrike as close as 75 meters from the eastern edge of the perimeter. "Spooky" ships also blanketed the area with their deadly rain of fire. Contact was broken early the next morning only to have the Viet Cong attempt a probe again while using villagers from the rubber plantationto screen their movement. Men of the battalion pulled the villagers into the perimeter to save their lives and returned the fire.
"They really wanted to overrun us last night," said Tice, "but the men fought very well I'm pround of them."
2/12 Infantry
Dau Tieng 67-68
Rex Parkinson
and Mike Hauser
VC Platoon Slashed; Base Camp is Ruined
3RD BDE - Members of a Viet Cong reinforced platoon were killed as they attempted to effect a delaying action 13 kms northeast of Dau Tieng.
The day-long action, in a jungle area of War Zone C, took place in an enemy base camp which was destroyed by Co D, 2nd Bn, 12th Inf.
The 3rd Bde, 25th Inf Div force, commanded by CAPT Edwin Bethea of Panama City, Fla., was air assaulted into a landing zone less than 300 meters from the enemy base camp and were greeted by fire from enemy RPG rockets, automatic weapons and small arms.
Air and gunship strikes helped reduced the enemy stronghold, but Bethea was of the opinion that the main force in the enemy base camp escaped.
The delaying force "was well armed and very persistent in keeping us from moving forward, although they took a heavy loss in doing so," he said.
After an all night vigil near the area of contact the "White Warriors" swept the base camp and finished its destruction.
Wayne Sinclair
Escape Fails, 2 Cong Caught
DAU TIENG - "We were clearing out some of the brush when we found two of the VC under a tree," related PFC James Gadbois of Boston, Mass. "They must have been there all night."
The night before, the 2nd Bn, 12th Inf, 3rd Bde, 25th Inf Div, forward base camp northeast of Loc Ninh had been attacked by a reinforced company of Viet Cong.
"There were three VC that were running around inside the perimeter last night," continued Gadbois. "We were firing at them but thought they had escaped."
"This morning we found two of them in a hole no more than 20 feet from the perimeter," he said.
Street - Fisher - Burton
Receiving their medals at Dau Tieng
25th Inf Div
3RD BDE
2/12 Inf
Delta Co
Burton
Dau Tieng, Vietnam
Delta Co "White Warriors"
From the Vietnam Veterans Association:
In case you Vietnam Veterans haven't been paying attention these past few decades after you returned from Vietnam, the clock has been ticking.
The following are some statistics that are at once depressing yet, in a larger sense, should give some a sense of pride.
"Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam ; less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 54 years old."
So, if you're alive and reading this, how does it feel to be among the last 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served in Vietnam ? Don't know about you, but feels a little strange considering this is the kind of information we are used to reading about WWII and Korean War vets.
So the last 14 years we have been dying at a faster rate then most.. Too fast, only a few will survive by 2015...if any.
Every day, 390 Vietnam Veterans die. So in 2190 days from today you will be lucky to be alive.
These statistics were taken from a variety of sources to include: The VFW Magazine, the Public Information Office, and the HQ CP Forward Observer -1st Recon, April 12, 1997.
STATISTICS FOR IN-COUNTRY VIETNAM VETERANS:
A total of 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era (August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975).
A total of 8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug 5, 1964-March 28,1973).
A total of 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam , this number represents 9.7% of their generation.
A total of 3,403,100 (Including 514,330 offshore) personnel served in the broader Southeast Asia Theater ( Vietnam , Laos , Cambodia , flight crews based in Thailand , and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).
A total of 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan. 1,1965 - March 28, 1973). Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.
Of the 2.6 million, between 1M and 1.6 M (40-60%) either fought in combat, or provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack.
7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam .
Peak troop strength in Vietnam : 543,482 (April 30, 1968).
CASUALTIES:
The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.
Hostile deaths: 47,378
Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
Total: 58,202 (Includes men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez casualties). Men who have subsequntly died of wounds account for the changing total.
8 nurses died -- 1 was KIA..
61% of the men killed were 21 or younger..11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old.
Of those 47,378 hostile deaths in Vietnam :
29,869 were single
17,509 were married.
Average age: 23.1 years
Enlisted Personnel: 30,274.
Officers: 6,598 28.43
Warrant Officers: ,2,724
E1(Private): 12,520.34
11B (Infantry, Rifleman) MOS: 18,465
Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old.
The oldest man killed was 62 years old.
Highest State death rate: West Virginia - 84.1% (national average 58.9% for every 100,000 males in 1970).
Wounded: 303,704
153,329 hospitalized
150,375 injured requiring no hospital care.
Severely disabled: 75,000,
23,204: 100% disabled;
5,283 lost or severely impaired limbs;
1,081 sustained multiple amputations.
Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than Korea . (Expanded use of land mines)
Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.
AT THE END OF THE WAR
58,338 - Missing in Action
POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity)
As of January 15, 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
DRAFTEES VS.. VOLUNTEERS:
25% (648,500) of total force in country were draftees.
66% of U.S. armed forces members were drafted during WWII
Draftees accounted for 30% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam .
Reservists: 5,977
National Guard: 6,140 served: 101 died.
Total draftees (1965 - 1973): 1,728,344.
Army Draft: 1,685,711
Marine Corps Draft: 42,633
Last man drafted: June 30, 1973.
RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND:
88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian
10.6% (275,000) were black
1% belonged to other races.
Killed in Action
86% Caucasions
12% (7,241) were black;
2% Hispanic
70% of enlisted men killed were of North-west European descent.
14.6% (1,530) of non-combat death were among blacks.
34% of blacks who enlisted, volunteered for the combat arms.
Overall blacks suffered 12% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the total population.
Religion of Dead: Protastant -- 64.4%; Catholic -- 28.9%; other/none --
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS:
Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups.
Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent.
76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from the working class
75% had family incomes above the poverty level
50% were from middle income backgrounds.
Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.
EDUCATION
79% of the men who served HAD a High School education or higher.
63% of Korean War vets
45% of WWII vets had completed High School
DEATH BY REGION
South -- 31%
West --29.9%
Midwest -- 28.4%
Northeast -- 23.5%.
DRUG USAGE & CRIME:
There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group. (Source: Veterans Administration Study, 1995/National Association of Chiefs of Police)
Vietnam Veterans are far less likely to be in prison - only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.
85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.
82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will.
75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political will, not of arms..
HONORABLE SERVICE:
97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
91% of actual Vietnam War veterans
90% of those who saw combat say they were proud serve their country.
74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome.
87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem..
INTERESTING CENSUS STATISTICS
THOSE TO CLAIM TO HAVE "Been There": (Census Figures)
1,703,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August,1995
9,492,958 Falsely claim to to have served Vietnam (Census Stats., 2000)
1995 Federal Census
Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00.
Vietnam Veterans are dying at a rate of 390 per day.
During the most recent Federal Census (yr. 2000), the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,227. (This means that FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not.)
The Department of Defense Vietnam War Service Index officially provided by The War Library originally reported that 2,709,918 U.S. military personnel as having served in-country (Corrections and confirmations to this erred index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense. All names are currently on file and accessible day and night.)
Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents of outrage from anti-war critics and the news media while Communist atrocities were so common that they received hardly any media mention at all. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy.
Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations.
From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. The death squads focused on leaders at the village level and on anyone who improved the lives of the peasants such as medical personnel, social workers, and school teachers.
( Nixon Presidential Papers)
2007 Reunion of D Company 2/12 Infantry
Left to RIght:
Mike Hauser, John Folden, Rudy Burton, Milton Santiago, Wayne Sinclair, Ron Hendricks, and Jim Hekker
25th Infantry Div
Delta Company "White Warriors"
Rudy Burton and Mike Hauser
Dau Tieng, Vietnam '67 - '68
