Jeff Schogol, a journalist at Stars & Stripes, sends us a link to his reportage of the 1965 battle at LZ Albany in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam the anniversary of which is today. You’ve probably seen the movie “We Were Soldiers” which portrayed part of that battle, but Jeff goes on to tell us the rest of the story.
…the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry was nearly annihilated. Of the roughly 400 soldiers in the battalion, about 70 percent were killed or wounded.
“What happened out there was just a shootout in the grass, and man oh man, the enemy was ready for that fight, we were not,” said Joe Galloway, a reporter at the time who co-wrote the book “We Were Soldiers Once … and Young,” upon which the film was based. He was also featured in “Vietnam in HD.”
You should read the rest and get an idea as to why I’m so proud to have known and been trained by veterans of that battle and the war, in general.
Studied the battle. Having a battalion going ranger file through a hot zone was madness.
The BC calling for a leaders huddle was just insane. That guy should have gotten fired right then and there. But sadly, they let him stay on leading to more deaths later on.
Why didn’t the BC have a sign erected over the “huddle”, drop mortars here? Agreed, insanity squared.
Witnessed the fight at LZ Albany by field radio at Pleiku Airstrip after being extracted, with Lt. Col. HAL G. MOORE and our 1/7th Cavalry Regiment, from the IA DRANG-1965 Valley of Death the evening before. Truly UNFORETTABLE..!!!
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm
This may seem strange but given my 16 nov 65 birthday I have always felt that I’m the reincarteted soul of one of the troopers who gave their all in those two battles. I just do.
Albany wasent an ambush.
they were in a column formation.
McDade did what every commander is suppose to do,its
quicker show his company commanders where he wants them. as
he only has two radios, one for Brigade, one for his
Battalion.the company commander has one radio, he calls his
platoon leaders to where he is and shows them where he
wants them.the platoon leaders only one radio,then calls
their squad leaders to where he is and shows them where he
want them.squad leaders only one radio then show his
teamleaders where he wants them. team leader then shows his
fire team where they are suppose to be.
every one knows where they are suppose to be.
ronnie was never in combat never fired his weapon his year
in nam. he wears the combat infantry badge, and a purple
heart????
lzalbany65@aol.com
recon platoon D 2/7 lzalbany,lzxray
Russell L. Ross
1741 Maysong ct.
San jose ca 95131