Fort Carson Soldiers and Vietnam Veterans Remember Battle of Suoi Tre

Fort Carson soldiers join Vietnam vets to remember those who fought battle 48 years ago 
The Gazette
By Stephen Hobbs
Published: March 22, 2015

Veterans of the battle of Suoi Tre have had remembrance ceremonies in places such as Florida, Louisiana and California over the years. But for 68-year-old Carl Besson, a former sergeant and member of the 2nd Battalion of the 77th Field Artillery Regiment, Saturday's memorial observance at Fort Carson topped them all.

"This is the most touching and moving ceremony I've ever attended," said Besson, who traveled from California. "We do this every year but not at this level." 

The March 21, 1967, Vietnam War battle was described Saturday as a rally and resurgence by American forces after an early-morning enemy attack.

Speakers recounted details of the battle, read the names of the service members who died and stood solemnly as a 21-cannon salute reverberated on the grounds.

Bob Choquette, a veteran of the artillery regiment, rang a bell each time the name of a fallen soldier was read. Three of his fellow gun crew members were killed in the battle, and Choquette might have died if it weren't for the help of fellow infantry unit soldiers, he said.

"It was a tough situation there and we more or less kind of ran out of ammo and everything," said Choquette, who was visiting from Rhode Island.

"Five more minutes, we wouldn't be here. None of us."

read more here

CMH Pub 91-4 Combat Operations: Taking the Offensive, October 1966 to October 1967 by George L. MacGarrigle.

"Combat Operations: Taking the Offensive chronicles the onset of offensive operations by the U.S. Army after eighteen months of building up a credible force on the ground in South Vietnam and taking the first steps toward bringing the war to the enemy. The compelling story by George L. MacGarrigle begins in October 1966, when General William C. Westmoreland believed that he had the arms and men to take the initiative from the enemy and that significant progress would be made on all fronts over the next twelve months.

Aware of American intentions, North Vietnam undertook a prolonged war of attrition and stepped up the infiltration of its own troops into the South. While the insurgency in the South remained the cornerstone of Communist strategy, it was increasingly overshadowed by main-force military operations.

These circumstances, according to MacGarrigle, set the stage for intensified combat. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong units retained the advantage, fighting only when it suited their purposes and retreating with impunity into inviolate sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia. With Westmoreland feeling hamstrung by political constraints on his ability to wage war in the vast hostile areas along the border, 1967 ended with a growing uncertainty in the struggle to secure the countryside.

Relying on official American and enemy primary sources, MacGarrigle has crafted a well-balanced account of this year of intense combat. His volume is a tribute to those who sacrificed so much in a long and irresolute conflict, and soldiers engaged in military operations that place great demands on their initiative, skill, and devotion will find its thought-provoking lessons worthy of reflection."

If you want to see some great pictures and hear some music of the time, this is really good.

Viet Nam 1966 1967
Aug 6, 2014
Tankers in Vietnam. One of the few tank units in Vietnam the 2nd Battalion 34th Armor with M-48A3 tanks arrived in Vietnam on 12 Sept. 1966. Was in many Operations and supported many units while deployed and received the Presidential Unit Citation. These pictures were by me Ralph Arvizu during Operation Junction City in the Iron Triangle.