Vietnam Vets Receive Silver, Bronze Stars At Fort Riley

Vietnam Vets Receive Silver, Bronze Stars At Fort Riley
An awards ceremony that's been years in the making has reunited current Fort Riley soldiers with those who went before them in combat, long overdue honors.
Mar 11, 2012
Reporter: Lindsey Rogers

FORT RILEY, Kan. (WIBW) -- An awards ceremony that's been years in the making has reunited current Fort Riley soldiers with those who went before them in combat.

After nearly 43 years, several Vietnam veterans were honored for their bravery Friday, decades after achieving success on the battlefield.

Four veterans from 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, finally received their Silver Stars Friday morning on Fort Riley's Custer Hill. One veteran of the 16th Infantry was also awarded a Bronze Star for Valor.

The awards for heroism stem from a battle that took place August 12, 1969 in Quan Loi, South Vietnam. During the battle, soldiers with the Alpha and Bandido Charlie companies of the 16th Infantry Regiment, plus Delta company, 5/7th Cavalry from the 1st Air Cavalry Division to the rubber plantation West of Quan Loi.

Two regiments with the North Vietnamese Army were waiting, dug in with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. The ensuing 11 hour battle was carried out without any supporting air, artillery, or gunship assets allowed. At the end of the day, the Vietnamese soldiers were driven from the field, back to their Cambodian safe haven.
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