Vietnam Communique

(Official U.S. Army Weekly Press Release, 25 May 1968)

Army Reporter information for 173 ABN

For date 680525

173 ABN was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Operation COCHISE GREEN
Binh Dinh Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Qui Nhon

(Edited version.) A NVA battalion attacked a company of infantrymen from the 173rd Abn Bde 25 miles NW of Qui Nhon. The attack was repelled resulting in 60 NVA killed. The action took place in the Operation Cochise Green area where a company of the 1/50th Infantry, conducting a reconnaissance-in-force mission, came under heavy fire from mortars and automatic weapons. A second company of the battalion was quickly deployed to reinforce its sister unit and artillery and tactical airstrikes were called in to provide additional fire support. Sixty NVA soldiers were killed in the fighting while the U.S. force suffered three soldiers killed and 33 others wounded.

Students of the 173rd's Jungle School found 24 VC and NVA bodies yesterday during their pre-graduation reconnaissance mission two miles south of An Khe. The jungle school is mandatory training for all enlisted men and junior officers assigned to the Abn Bde. After five days of practical exercises and classes in jungle tactics and other necessary subjects, the class goes on a live exercise in an unprotected area.

This edition also carried a photo labeled ON THE RUN that has the caption: Paratroopers from the 2/503rd Infantry, 173rd Abn Bde assault into an expected enemy area. The battalion killed 10 enemy soldiers in continuing action during Operation Cochise Green on the Bong Son Plain 30 miles north of Qui Nhon