Army Reporter information
for 173 ABN
For date 651211
Primary service involved, US Army
Operation NEW LIFE-65
Binh Tuy Province, III Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Vo Dat
Description: 173rd Airborne Brigade in Operation New Life 65 Vo Dat (173rd IO) - Since being deployed to this rich, rice producing valley, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and attached elements have scored heavily against the local element of the Viet Cong, and initiated a large scale civic action program with unprecedented speed. Operation NEW LIFE 65 commenced with the 2/503d Infantry making a heliborne assault on the Vo Dat airstrip. The paratroopers rapidly secured this vital facility and minutes later, follow-up elements arrived by Air Force C-130 Hercules transports and Army helicopters. At sunset, the Vo Dat area was ringing with the thunder of American artillery as the infantry moved into positions for the night. With lightning speed the infantry cleared and secured the road south from Bo Dat for a distance of approximately 15 kilometers. This signaled the start of a multi-battalion road convoy from Bien Hoa to Vo Dat. Although several bridges had been damaged or destroyed by the VC between Ghia Rey and Vo Dat, the engineers quickly prepared earth fill bridges and the convoy moved into the object area without further incident. Meanwhile, the Vo Dat airstrip, working at full capacity, was receiving resupply missions and other flights at the rate of one landing or takeoff every six minutes. The newly accepted Army transport plane, the CV-7, is being used extensively in support of the operation. Protection of the rice harvest in the Vo Dat area is the foremost mission of the 173rd in NEW LIFE 65. Civic action projects have involved the cooperation of four nations; Australia, the Philippines, Korea, and the U.S. in food distribution and medical assistance. The soldiers have repaired numerous roads and buildings.
The source for this information was Paper copy supplied by Jim Oden
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Last updated 10/29/1999
Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023
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