D. Millward, Lieutenant Colonel Donald They have been referred to as, "The grubbiest bunch I've ever seen," by First Lieutenant Norman Parker, platoon leader, 60th Land Clearing Company, 62nd Engineer Battalion based at Long Binh. The battalion deployed again in August 1992 to Dade County, Florida, for hurricane Andrew relief. You may be the one that can help them get in contact with a long-lost friend or loved one. J. Eineigl, Lieutenant Colonel Clifford J. Rochefort. J. Walter, Lieutenant Colonel Andre of Command, Lieutenant Colonel Amos Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. D. Stipo, Lieutenant Colonel Early u.s. army special troops battalion, 1st bct, 3rd infantry division unit crest (dui) . In 1983, units of the battalion took part in the Invasion of Grenada. FORT DRUM, NY -- Command Sgt. L. Blalock, 864th Engineer Battalion J. We work all day and then we have to work all night to get the dozers ready for the next day.". For example, a vehicle in which he was riding struck a landmine. F. Pelosky, Lieutenant Colonel John 1967, Lieutenant Colonel James Lieutenant Colonel Pendleton The sun was usually hot enough to heat the drums enough to provide lukewarm showers. L. Sargent, Jr. 20 September 1965-16 August All of the maintenance on the 591st Engineers equipment was done under field conditions, that is, in the dust, mud, and high humidity. United States Army Center of Military History. Lieutenant Colonel Donald A. L. Spruill, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Photo by Mark Sigrist. The tankers were so happy that they kept Dave and Bob supplied with beer during their short, combined tenure. Although the intent was to keep the roadway at less than 6 percent slopes, some locations were well in excess of the prescribed slope due to the mountainous terrain. Allis Chalmers 645M scoop loaders assisted in emplacement of drainage features, culvert pipes, and in digging in bunkers and defensive positions. In effort to reduce risks to hostile fire, heavy airborne applications of defoliants (which later became be known as agent orange) covered wide swaths of the route way and potential firebase locations. It blew him off, throwing him into the ditch. $29.99 $24.99. H. West, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Engineers from the 27th repaired the runways, among other responsibilities. For whatever reason, some of the tankers were unhappy with the location of their M2 50 cal. W. Chapman, Jr. Brigadier General Edwin The research for this After Action Report included OPERATIONAL REPORTS, DAILY STAFF JOURNALS and DUTY OFFICER S LOGS at the Battalion, Brigade and Division levels located in the National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines (3/27) was the shortest serving Marine battalion to deploy to Vietnam and was composed of over 400 Marines . Typically, bunkers were completely underground. Ploger, Major General William T. After the termination of hostilities, the unit was demobilized. (P), Brigadier General Henry But after several hours of relaxation, it's back to work. Redesignated 1 August 1942 as the 2d Battalion, 37th Engineer Combat Regiment. In that split second my whole life flashed in front of me. S. McGarry, Lieutenant Colonel Nick So elusive was the enemy that officers speculated that all seven attacks could have been made by the same NVA soldiers. Division). According to Major Thomas J. Kerver, assistant G-3, Plans, II Field Force, there was only speculation as to what the results of the operation would be, but in his own words, "We didn't know what to expect, but we knew it would be something big." find my friend. A. Anderson, Lieutenant Colonel Beaufort 45th Engineer Group Jun 1966 - Jan 1972. T. Robinson, Lieutenant Colonel Charles But the plow operators of a land clearing company are experts and take pride in their job. Well-worn Caterpillar D7 undergoing maintenance near Firebase Blaze in 1968. . W. Wilkinson, Lieutenant Colonel Joe H. Design Type Personalized Designs. The mission was in support of the 101st Airborne Divisions efforts to deny the enemy of a safe haven area, logistic dumps, and communications (supply) routes, that is, a leg of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Vietnam veteran, Sp4 David Flinn, 591st Engineers, left us with this photographic record of his units activities in the A Shau Valley. Over those years, an OCE (Office of the Chief of Engineers) Liaison Officer routinely traveled to various locations in Southeast Asia to visit army officers and engineer troops and to gather information on the many activities and projects undertaken by army engineers in the region. P. Andrews, Lieutenant Colonel Pleasant The battalion worked with the 10th Mountain Division (Light) and established Base Camp Dragon and Castle. When we got there, we ran into a NVA soldier. The unit entered. A. Selleck, Jr. 26 September 1967-29 August In January 2003, Company C deployed to Afghanistan and became the first counter-mine company in the entire US Army since the Vietnam War. The 588th was placed under the operational control of the 25th . Lieutenant Colonel William H. Sievers, Jr. All rights reserved. R. Vavra, Lieutenant Colonel Byron The teams receive rations and security from the tactical units they support. Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Military Catalog, Sales, Discounts & more. Before the decision to send troops into Cambodia was made, the 60th Land Clearing Company was operating in the Michelin Rubber region near Minh Than, clearing vast tracts of jungle in an area of repeated enemy activity. Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Flanigan, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Our expert research specialists are on site at U.S. archival research facilities which hold the operational records of your veteran's military unit or vessel and can assist you . Monsoon rainstorms can be difficult to describe. R. Hukkala, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas C. Hunter, Jr. The dozers pulled back to Firebase Birmingham where the 591st was in short-term residence. C. Costanzo, Lieutenant Colonel Al S. G. Wolfe, Lieutenant Colonel Domingo 1966, Lieutenant Colonel George The state of the 20th Engineer Battalion upon reactivation was desperate. "You feel helpless. Lieutenant Colonel Richard He is so thankful I called and we exchanged addresses and he wants to come and visit. 1966, Lieutenant Colonel Ray S. Though he suffered from what has come to be known as PTSD and from the effects of the defoliants, he only recently turned to the Veterans Administration for assistance. Lieutenant Colonel Homer These liaison officers wrote reports, took photographs, and captioned the images. E. Cox, 4th Engineer Battalion (4th The history of the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) began on 16 January 1918 at Fort Meyer, VA, as the second battalion of the 37th Engineer Regiment. Enlarge This series primarily consists of command chronologies of U.S. Marine Corps units that served during the time of the Vietnam Conflict, and includes the records of those units that served in Vietnam as well as domestically and throughout the world. How cool is that. Commanders of the 20th Engineers in Vietnam. The company used both mechanical clearance equipment and modern mine detectors to clear hundreds of thousands of square meters of land mines and other explosive hazards. The battalion deployed with the 20th Engineer Brigade from 22 September through 5 November 1994. The typical procedure for establishment and development of night defensive positions up to and including complex fire support bases had similar protocols. Brigade, 45th Eng. Janairo, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Please remember to check our Guestbook occasionally. During the operation, 56 separate contacts was reported. Thank you for your registration! The 60th Land Clearing Company, in tactical support of C Company, 1st Squadron, 11th ACR was then sent south of Snoul in the Fish Hook region. T. O'Donnell, Brigadier General Kenneth M51 series dump trucks hauled aggregate and dirt. The large unit was still housed in tents, which raised some eyebrows, and was tasked with building a national road including many bridges. Several incidences stick out in Daves memory related to travel on the road. He wanted to give a bit of history to his sons and grandchildren. V. Parish, Jr. F. Meador, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Lieutenant Colonel Morris On 13 November 1966, Company A (-) with one platoon of the 4th Engineer Battalion attached, was airlifted to a small landing zone vicinity ZA 6055 where it immediately began to enlarge the area. An official website of the United States government, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters Website, About the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters Website, Vietnam So Many Years Later: Remembering Army Engineer Activities in Southeast Asia, 1966-1972, Deactivated Nuclear Power Plant Program (DNPPP), Regional Environmental and Energy Offices REEOs, Industry Information Re: COVID-19 Support, Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans, Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, G-1 Reserve Component Augmentation, Office of Human Resources Directorate, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. D. Engle, 1st Engineer Battalion (1st Needless to say, the road travelled by frequent convoys was, at times, a hazardous place. T. Garver, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Following 2 years of carrying out combat engineering tasks . [2] The battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for their service. Office of History, Mar. The 209th was inactivated at the conclusion of World War II, and in 1947 was redesignated as the 27th Engineer Combat Battalion. The 588th Engineer Battalion (Combat) served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1970. It's been nearly 40 years since we parted. J. McCulloch, Lieutenant Colonel William The soldiers are in Kosovo as part of the peace-keeping mission, Operation Joint Guardian. A. Karst, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Theyre certainly not of professional quality, but do tell the story from the point of view of a self-described equipment operator. One of Daves regrets was that most of the photos he took were lost a few days before his DEROS (Date Expected to Return from Over Seas) as a result of a rocket destroying his bunker (he was on the perimeter berm), so the photo story is somewhat incomplete. 66 machine shop truck with gull wing doors alongside temporary work area with troops working on an undefined project. After threats were made, Dave ended all future rat eradication by gunfire inside of inhabited bunkers. Company C received two Meritorious Unit Commendations for its actions in Afghanistan. Battalion were transferred to the 18th Eng. 1968, Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Cold War: 1950-1966. E. Bunch, Lieutenant Colonel Robert A crazy coincidence occurred one evening. Primary Sponsorship. Came under the jurisdiction of the 34th Engineer Group on 20 April 1967. on 12 April 1968, the unit was transferred to the 45th Engineer Group at. We talked on the phone several times in the last few years, and finally we were able to meet in El Paso, TX for a short visit. Comments: I am the daughter of ROY B KIEFER, Army Veteran of Korean War, from Chicago, IL. Wisdom, 7 September 1968-7 February The lineage of the 27th Engineer Battalion (COMBAT) (AIRBORNE) springs from the 2nd Battalion, redesignated as the 209th Engineer Combat Battalion. You can now save a custom design or favorite a product. A. Teague, Lieutenant Colonel Richard L. Heimerl, Lieutenant Colonel Donald G. Broumas, Lieutenant Colonel Scott Sanders. Concrete truck doing a pour for a civilian public affairs project. Components of the battalion participated in operation "Bright Star 82" deploying to the port city of Berbera, Somalia, located on the central north coast of Somalia on the Gulf of Aden. A. Ghormley, Lieutenant Colonel Hugh F. Miley. As of October 1999, they had the last/only Airborne well-driller detachment/platoon left in the United States Army. 61 MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION", 27th Engineer Battalion (C)(A), @27thENBNGovernment Organization, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=27th_Engineer_Battalion_(United_States)&oldid=1100045875, LTC Leslie Sandvall (Commander at Myitkyina), LTC Ron Stewart (Desert Shield/Storm), LTC Mike Crall (Afghanistan), LTC Al Dodd (Afghanistan), Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 20th Engineer Brigade, Description: A Silver color metal and enamel device, The motto translates to "To Do All Things Well.". D. Peixotto, Lieutenant Colonel John By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. C. Loper, 30 September 1967-2 September "Our objective in this operation was to gain entry into active areas of the Fish Hook where enemy contact was heavy," Major Kerver added. In November 2001, the battalion deployed to Kosovo in support of Operations Joint Guardian. At that time, A Shau Valley was a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) stronghold. These leapfrogged forward as firebases were established. G. Rockwell, Jr. COMBAT AFTER ACTION REPORT, VIETNAM 1969. In January 2017, an initial complement of more than 700 unedited slides were made available on theUSACE Digital Libraryhosted by the Corps HECSA Library. G. Olentine, Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Although the overall story is accurate, the author cannot guarantee that every statement or photo caption is fully correct. The history of the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Airborne) began on 16 January 1918 at Fort Myer, Virginia, as the 2 D Battalion, 37th Engineer Regiment. Division), Lieutenant Colonel Carroll OK In another situation, a UH-1 slick, the primary utility helicopter in Vietnam, was carrying a higher engineer officer over the area at a very low altitude. Redesignated for the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) on 15 July 1955. J. Corley, Lieutenant Colonel William The photos were all taken by Sp4 David L. Flinn in 1968 and 1969.