Tuesday, August 20, 2013

NC: Battle of Ia Drang

Via Cousin John

Head and shoulders of an older man with thinning hair wearing a dark suit coat, white shirt, and red tie. A star-shaped medal hangs from a light blue ribbon around his neck and on his lapel is a small round blue pin. 
Walter Marm in 2006
From Freemont, NC


10 comments:

  1. Was this battle that was made into the movie with Mel Gibson "We Were Soldiers"? I always get something in my eye when I watch it...

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    1. Yes, the same one. If you missed the link, be sure to go back and read it, please.
      Joe Marm MOH, Courage Personified

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  2. Wow! Have to watch that movie again and share with the kids. Movie title was appropriate.
    Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Certainly and if you search my site with Ia Drang, you will get a number of hits.

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  3. The book that the movie "We Were Soldiers" is based on is fantastic. It’s called "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young". It covers the part of the battle depicted in the movie, but also the second part, when the 7th Cav. relief forces marched from LZ Xray to LZ Albany. Excellent book. Compiled through detailed interviews with veterans of the battle, and includes maps of the battle area and photos taken by some of the US troops during the fighting. It covers the soldiers as they fought their way through the battle, but also the Vietnamese commanders and how they reacted to the unexpected level of determination of US forces and the mutual respect both sets of commanders, in the end had for each other. Written by Hal Moore (Mel Gibson’s character and Joseph Galloway (Barry Pepper's character)

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  4. I've read the book, and many, many others (Ripcord, Close Quarters, etc). After seeing the movie with Mel Gibson, I personally was left with the inability to articulate my feelings. I can only seem to think about "The Wall", and all the names etched on it....

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    1. Ripcord is the best battle account I've ever read. I hope they don't screw up the movie.

      http://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2013/04/ripcord.html

      http://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-battle-of-ripcord-last-stand-of.html

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    2. The saddest part is that the war was won with the Paris peace accords signed. The US removed its soldiers and the North Vietnamese removed their soldiers and all agreed to stay out of South Vietnam. But the North attacked in a WWII tank battle when Nixon was impeached and the US senate in all their cowardice refused to allow any material or personnel support to help the South. I will never forget those dodging bastards while I live, nor the Fonda/Kerry bastards that betrayed everyone.

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    3. No, the North Vietnamese were allowed to stay where they were and this Thieu would not accept. Nixon knowing it was the best that could be done as the Democratic Congress would cut off all funds, pledged to Thieu that if the North Vietnamese broke the agreement he would bring back the B-52's regardless of the restrictions. Thieu seeing the die was cast, accepted. Of course Nixon wasn't around to fulfill his promise. I got half the money requested in '75 for the AF, $750K instead of $1.5 million. We grounded the A-5's, but sent them back up when the offensive started. The North Vietnamese admitted that Thieu was forced to fight a poor man's war and that the NVA had the advantage in weapons and supply. Thieu's decision to abandon the Central Highlands and take 400K civilians with them was insane. The general commanding refused to order it, so Thieu flew there to give it in person. No army in the world could have accomplished this task. The saddest time in my life and it still breaks me up.

      "A pregnant lady" – abandoned by her lover to face her fate.
      http://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-pregnant-lady-abandoned-by-her-lover.html

      By noon on March 16, a mass of humanity; troops, dependents, civilians, and deserters; was clogging the old road. Some 400,000 civilians, 60,000 ARVN, and 7,000 Rangers began the attempted escape to the sea.

      By the time that the last straggling men, women, and children had reached Tuy Hoa on the coast; 300,000 civilians, 40,000 ARVN, and 6,300 Rangers were missing, never to be accounted for.

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