Friday, July 6, 2018

The Battle of LZ X-RAY: IA DRANG VALLEY

Via Arjun

 
A US soldier mans a machine gun in the Ia Drang Valley.
The picture above Joe Galloway of the Soldier on the machine is my father, PFC Joseph Tramontano. He was a scout with 1-9 CAV and served in the Battle of Ia Drang. This picture was taken by a reporter on the battlefield (not Joey Galloway) at LZ X Ray, and was later on the cover of many magazines to “show” America what war was about. Please let me know if there are any questions. Thanks.
V/R, Erica M. Tramontano
CPT, US Army
1st Cavalry Division

*********************
 
Operation Silver Bayonet was the Americans first large scale assault on the NVA. In the eastern foot of the Chu Pong massif, Central Highlands, a Landing Zone was set up as a place of insertion for American troops. LZ X-Ray was the origin of a three day battle from November 14th to the 16th, 1965.

The fighting strength in Vietnam as a whole at the time was 75,000 men, which with the orders of General Westmoreland, was increased to 125,000 men. The men of a newly formed unit, the 1st Cavalry, was to test a new experimental tactic: Air Mobility. The idea of Air Mobility was to insert and extract troops by helicopter. The helicopter of choice was the UH-1 'Huey'. 
 
More @ Hangar 15

No comments:

Post a Comment