Army Reporter information
for 173 ABN

For date 651211

173 ABN was a US Army unit
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

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Last updated 10/29/1999

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023

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 PHUOC TUY PROVINCE, VIETNAM, 1967-02. CAPTURED VIET CONG JUST A FEW MILES EAST OF THE 1ST ... | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)

                                         Vo Xu, Vietnam. 1965. Lieutenant Colonel I. R. W. Brumfield, Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, ... | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)           

VO XU, BINH TUY PROVINCE, SOUTH VIETNAM. 1965-11-24. AN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER OF 1ST BATTALION, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT (1RAR), COVERING VIETNAMESE WOMEN AND CHILDREN DURING THE CORDON AND SEARCH OF THE VILLAGE OF VO XU. THIS SEARCH WAS PART OF THE MUCH LARGER `OPERATION RICE BOWL' CONDUCTED BY ALLIED TROOPS IN BINH TUY PROVINCE JUST BEFORE THE RICE HARVEST IN AN ATTEMPT TO DENY THE VIET CONG ACCESS TO RICE AND SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL VILLAGERS. THE VIETNAMESE WOMAN ON THE RIGHT IS PROBABLY TRYING TO DISTRACT THE SOLDIER. (FRAME ENLARGEMENT FROM AWM FILM NO. 10091) (CAMERAMAN SERGEANT M. SHANNON)

        

Vo Xu. Members of an Anti-Tank Platoon, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), Corporal Ken W. Forden (second left) of Perth, WA, looks on while Private James Jarrett of Revesby, NSW, searches the clothing of one of a number of captured Viet Cong. The Viet Cong prisoner, his arms tied behind his back, was captured during a search and destroy operation in the village. In the centre (partly obscured) is an interpreter who is a member of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

      

                      

                                Vo Xu, Vietnam. 1965. Lieutenant Colonel I. R. W. Brumfield, Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), says goodbye to bare-chested Lieutenant Lunny, a member of the battalion, prior to the Colonel's return to Australia.