Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord
Part of the Vietnam War
Date July 1, 1970 - July 23, 1970
Location A Shau Valley, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam
Result Tactical but costly North Vietnamese victory
Combatants

Democratic Republic of Vietnam

United States
Commanders
Vo Nguyen Giap
Chu Phong Doi		 Andre Lucas†
Ben Harrison
Strength
9 battalions 1 battalion
Casualties
2400+ KIA 250~ KIA, 1,000+ WIA
Vietnam War
Ap Bac – Binh Gia –Pleiku – Song Be – Dong Xoai – Gang Toi – Ia Drang – Hastings – A Shau – Duc  Co –Long Tan – Attleboro – Cedar Falls – Tra Binh Dong – Junction City – Hill 881 – Ong Thanh – Dak To – 1st Tet – Khe Sanh – 1st Saigon – Hue – Lang Vei – Lima Site 85 – Kham Duc – Dewey Canyon  – 2nd Tet – Hamburger Hill – Binh Ba – Cambodia – Snuol – FSB Ripcord – Lam Son 719 – Ban Dong –FSB Mary Ann – Easter '72 – 1st Quang Tri –Loc Ninh – An Loc – Kontum – 2nd Quang Tri  –Phuoc Long – Ho Chi Minh – Buon Me Thuot – Xuan Loc – Truong Sa –2nd Saigon – Rolling Thunder – Barrell Roll – Pony Express – Steel Tiger – Tiger Hound – Tailwind – Commando Hunt – Linebacker I – Linebacker II – Chenla I – Chenla II – SS Mayagüez
Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord was a 23 day battle between the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and the North Vietnamese Army from July 1, 1970 until July 23, 1970. It was the last major confrontation between United States ground forces and North Vietnam of the Vietnam War.

Contents

[edit] Background

In early 1970, the Vietnam War was quickly reaching its end. On March 12, 1970, as the United States began to withdraw from the conflict, the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division began rebuilding an abandoned Marine firebase which relied on a helicopter lifeline to get supplies in and the personnel out. The firebase was to be used for a planned offensive by the 101st to destroy NVA supply bases in the mountains overlooking the A Shau Valley. Located on the eastern edge of the A Shau Valley, and taking place at the same time as the Cambodian Incursion, the operation was considered covert. The participants were bound to secrecy for fifteen years, so little was known about the battle until 1985, when the FSB Ripcord Association was founded. Three Medals of Honor and five Distinguished Service Crosses were earned during the operations. As the 101st Airborne Division planned the attack on the NVA supply bases, the North Vietnamese Army was secretly observing their activities. After weeks of reconnaissance by the NVA, on the morning of July 1, 1970 the North Vietnamese Army launched a surprise mortar attack on the firebase. During the 23 day battle, 250 U.S. servicemen were killed in action including Colonel Andre Lucas, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and First Lt. Bob Kalsu, the only recently active pro athlete to be killed during the Vietnam War. Fighting from four hilltops, surrounded, and outnumbered nearly ten to one, U.S. forces virtually destroyed eight of nine NVA battalions before an aerial withdrawal under heavy mortar, anti-aircraft, and small arms fire. NVA losses at Ripcord delayed the ability of North Vietnam to overrun South Vietnam for at least one year.

After the U.S. Army withdrew from the firebase, USAF B-52 heavy bombers were sent in to carpet bomb the area.

[edit] Units involved

[edit] United States

[edit] North Vietnam

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message.
This article has been tagged since November 2006.

[edit] References

[edit] Books

  • "Ripcord: Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970" by Keith W. Nolan, Presidio Press, 2000, ISBN 0-89141-642-0
  • "Hell On A Hill Top: America's Last Major Battle In Vietnam" by Major General Benjamin L. Harrison, iUniverse Press (available from Ripcord Association)
  • "The Price of Exit", by Tom Marshall, Ballentine Books, 1998. ISBN 0-8041-1715-2

[edit] Articles

[edit] Video

  • "Siege at Firebase Ripcord", War Stories with Oliver North, Fox News Productions, product # FOX25004600

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../b/a/t/Battle_of_Fire_Support_Base_Ripcord_369a.html"