Some 57 years ago this week. 21 November 1967, near Cat Lai, Republic of Vietnam. Official caption: PFC Fred L. Greenleaf, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 199th Light Infantry Brigade (The Redcatchers), crosses a deep irrigation canal along with other members of the company. After making a helicopter assault, the company moved towards a Viet Cong-controlled village. This was a search-and-destroy mission within Operation Rang Dong.
VIRIN: 671121-O-ZZ999-101Y, via National Archives Identifier 100310302 111-CCV-603A-CC44815
Note the pack of camels in PFC Greenleaf’s helmet cover ban as well as the thin antenna and ruck straps of the Prick 10 (AN/PRC-10) vacuum-tube radio set he is carrying, meaning he is likely a platoon or company-level RTO.
Also, he curiously has a camera guy following along behind.
This guy:
On 21 November 1967, PFC Daniel R. Bauer (Los Angeles, CA) crosses a deep irrigation canal. PFC Bauer is a cinematographer with the Department of the Army Special Photo Office (DASPO). PFC Bauer was photographing members of Co “C”, 3rd Bn, 7th Inf, 199th Light Inf Bde,. 111-CCV-478-CC44816
The 3-7th had been lifted into the area by Hueys earlier that day from their base in nearby Ben Chon to take place in the yearlong pacification effort in the Gia Dinh Province in conjunction with the 5th ARVN Ranger Group.
Operation “Rang Dong.” A column of UH-1D helicopters leave Ben Chon, the 3rd Bn’s rear area base camp, and fly to Co “C”‘s position to pick them up and carry them on a combat assault. 111-CCV-97-CC44801
Operation “Rang Dong.” A column of UH-1D helicopters prepare to disembark members of Co “C”, 3rd Bn’s, 7th Inf, 199th Light Inf Bde, for a combat assault. 111-CCV-97-CC44803
Operation “Rang Dong.” Members of Co “C”, 3rd Bn, 7th Inf, 199th Light Inf Bde, move in a skirmish line through rice paddies en route to their first objective, a Viet Cong-controlled village. 111-CCV-603a-44809
Across its four years of combat in Southeast Asia, the 199th brigade took part in 11 campaigns and received five unit decorations: Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Crosses of Gallantry with Palm, and an RVN Civil Action Honor Medal First Class. One company (D, 4-12 Infantry) received a Presidential Unit Citation. Four soldiers earned the Medal of Honor and 15 received the Distinguished Service Cross.
Overall casualties for the Redcatchers in Vietnam were 755 killed, 4,679 wounded, and nine missing, or roughly 95 percent of its TOE-authorized strength.