VOL. II, NO.5 1 March 1969 BONG SON- The 173d Airborne Brigade recently terminated three combat operations which accounted for nearly 2,000 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Soldiers killed during the past year. The Sky Soldiers conducted Reconnaissance in Force, Search and Clear type operations in three primary areas; around An Khe (Operation Walker), the coastal mountains west of Tuy Hoa (Operation Bolling/Dan Hoa) and heavily populated Binh Dinh Province (Operation Cochise/Dan Sinh). Operation Cochise, which commenced 31 March 1968, featured Reconnaissance-in-Force operations against the 3d NVA Division, the 22d NVA Regiment and several Viet Cong local force Battalions. In 10 months, the Brigade accounted for 929 enemy dead, 1,987 detainees, 122.1 tons of rice and 247 pounds of documents, 233 individual and 22 crew served weapons. The operation was highlighted by heavy contact by the 1st Battalion (Mechanized) 50th Infantry, during May, accounting for 329 KIA, a joint sweep and clear operation, titled 226, with the 40th ARVN Regiment during September which ended with over 300 confirmed Viet Cong killed or apprehended and the largest money cache of the war, $150,000 in 50-dollar greenbacks, found in July. |
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During the operation, the Brigade expelled the 3d NVA Regiment
from the province, totally secured coastal highway QL 1, and from Qui
Nhon to the southern border of I Corps and conducted extensive pacification
programs. |