Landing Zone Schueller

Landing Zone Schueller
Coordinates 13°58′10″N 108°33′30″E / 13.96944°N 108.55833°E
Type Army Base
Site history
Built 1965
In use 1966-71
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Garrison information
Occupants 1st Cavalry Division
4th Infantry Division

Landing Zone Schueller (also known as LZ Road or FSB Schueller) is a former U.S. Army base west of An Khê District in central Vietnam.

History

The base was first established in 1965 by the 1st Cavalry Division, beside QL-19 and approximately 13km west of An Khê near the Mang Yang Pass.[1] The base was originally named after 1LT James Schueller, from the 2nd Battalion, 17th Artillery who was killed in a C-130 crash at Camp Radcliff on 17 June 1967.[2]

The base was later used by the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.

On 10 April 1968 a People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) force estimated at 250 men attempted to block Route 19 and create an ambush west of Schueller. A booby-trapped artillery round was discovered on the road by MPs and when a bomb-disposal team arrived the ambush was triggered prematurely. A reaction force from the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment at Schueller was called forward and quickly overwhelmed the PAVN ambushers some of whom retreated to a nearby hill where they were assaulted by the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry. The engagement resulted in 1 U.S. and 40 PAVN killed.[3]

On the night of 21 January 1969 the 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry based at Schueller mounted a night ambush along Route 19 4km west of Schueller killing 6 PAVN sappers who had been sabotaging the fuel pipeline beside Route 19.[4]

Other units stationed at Schueller included:

Current use

The base is abandoned and largely turned over to housing and farmland.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–460. ISBN 978-1555716257.
  2. "James Patrick Schueller". The Virtual Wall.
  3. . 4th Infantry Division. 5 May 1968 http://www.rjsmith.com/ivy_leaf_article.html. Retrieved 18 November 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. "After Action Interview Report Ambush at the Dak Po 21-22 January 1969". U.S. Army. Retrieved 18 November 2014.