48 Years Ago Today - Battle of Đắk Tô - ARVN Capture of Hill 1416

Artillery during the Battle of Đắk Tô, November 1967.

            The Battle of Đắk Tô (November 3rd to 22nd, 1967) is considered one of the major engagements of the Vietnam War. The battle involved both US and Republic of Vietnam military forces, and saw several Communist units virtually destroyed. Today, the battle is considered to have been a prelude to the Tet Offensive, which occurred just a few months later. In this post, we would like to highlight the role of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces in the battle, and in particular the seizure of Hill 1416 that served as the climax for the ARVN forces.

Map showing the location of Đắk Tô.

 

Patch of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam 3rd Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment, the unit which encountered the enemy forces on Hill 1416, RVNHS Archive.

 

           Forty-eight years ago, on November 18th, 1967, the 3rd Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment (ARVN) encountered the entrenched North Vietnamese 24th Infantry Regiment on Hill 1416, which was northeast of Tan Canh. The ARVN airborne 3rd and 9th Battalions entered the action to seize the hill along with the 3rd Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment. Together, they managed to capture the hill on November 20th, 1967. The fight was costly, and the Republic of Vietnam forces suffered sixty-six killed taking the hill. The Communist forces suffered several times as many casualties. Along with the capture of Hill 875 by US forces, the enemy was ultimately routed. Both the US and Republic of Vietnam units involved were commended for their gallantry.

Nguyễn Thế Nhã who commanded the 9th Airborne Battalion during the Battle of Đắk Tô, shown here in a 1970 photo from training at Ft. Benning.

 

Company guidon of the 9th Airborne Battalion, 1960s, RVNHS Archive.

 

Thủ Đức Infantry School

Thủ Đức Academy honor guard, 1975.

 

               The Thủ Đức Infantry School was initially established on October 1, 1951, under the State of Vietnam. The school was located in the Thủ Đức district of Saigon, but in 1974 was also located in Long Thành. The mainstay of the school was infantry officer training, but other specialized instruction was also offered. Throughout its twenty-four year history, the academy would produce roughly 40,000 officers for the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces.

 

The ceremonial shooting of an arrow accompanied official class graduations for Republic of Vietnam cadets at different academies, as seen here in this photo from the ceremony for class 10A, 1972, at the Dong De Academy in Nha Trang.

 

           Graduates of the Thủ Đức Infantry School could be found in all branches of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Many high ranking generals were among the school's alumni, and the connections formed between classmates remain strong in the veterans' community today.

 

Thủ Đức Academy cadet visor cap and period photo, circa 1960s-70s, RVNHS Archive.

 

       Cadets at the school wore distinctive insignia. The basic emblem for the school was a sword through a flame surrounded by a wreath. This insignia could be seen on visor caps, berets, and shoulder patches of the academy. As with other Republic of Vietnam military officer schools, trainees were given the rank officer cadet, Sinh Viên Sĩ Quan (SVSQ). A single bar was added to the rank to denote each year's worth of training to completed. Formal khaki and white colored dress uniforms were worn on ceremonial occasions, such as graduation ceremonies, parades, and memorial services at the National Military Cemetery at nearby Bien Hoa.

Thu Duc Academy cadet headgear insignia: Top, visor cap badge - Bottom, beret badge, circa 1960s-70s, RVNHS Archive.

 

Thu Duc Academy cadet beret and period photo of cadet Nguyen Huu Thang, circa 1960s-70s, RVNHS Archive.

 

Thu Duc Academy cadet epaulettes with one bar denoting one-year's training completed with period photo of Tran Van Qui, circa 1960s-70s, RVNHS Archive.

 

Thu Duc Academy alumni honor guard at a veterans' reunion, 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARVN Officer Visor Cap - QLVNCH

Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) junior officer dress visor cap,

1960s, RVNHS Archive.

 

                  This officer's visor cap was recently acquired by RVNHS. The gold eagle device and chinstrap denote it as a cap for junior officer ranks (2nd lieutenant to captain). Officers from major and above would have had gold embroidery on the brim of the visor. Two basic versions of army dress uniforms existed. One was khaki, and the other a darker brown (like this cap). On special occasions, white uniforms also existed, but for the most part officers only wore either khaki or dark brown uniforms.

Instructor at the Thu Duc Academy (Captain) with dress visor, late 1960s, RVNHS Archive.

 

               This particular cap was tailor made in Saigon, and is named to the original owner. Research has determined this individual was promoted to major in 1970, thus making this cap date to the 1960s. Republic of Vietnam military visor caps are much less seldom encountered than berets, and this piece comes as a welcome attention to the RVNHS collection.

 

Republic of Vietnam officer sightseeing at Arlington Cemetery while training in the US, 

 note: junior officer visors, 1960s.

 

 

Vietnamese officers at a graduation ceremony alongside international military observers, note: selection of junior officer visors in wear, February, 1975.



QLVNCH Armor Qualification Badge - Thiết giáp Việt Nam Cộng hòa

Republic of Vietnam armored vehicles on parade, 1960s.

 

                      Like many other armed forces around the world, the Republic of Vietnam military awarded qualification badges for particular areas of specialization. Examples include qualification badges for signals, transportation, ranger, and armor. These qualifications were awarded to personnel who completed training in these specific fields and undertook service in these areas. In this posting, we would like to look at some examples of the armor qualification badge.

 

Republic of Vietnam armor qualification badge, metal, RVNHS Archive.

 

Republic of Vietnam armor personnel with qualification badges, 1969, RVNHS Archive.

 

                    Qualification badges were worn on the right side of the chest above the pocket. They could take the form of either metal, embroidered, or cloth or silk woven insignia. The qualification badges demonstrated proficiency in a specialized area, and the recipients wore these badges with great pride. The armor qualification badge design also doubly served as the emblem for the armor branch.

Republic of Vietnam armor qualification badge, silk woven, RVNHS Archive.

 

Republic of Vietnam armor personnel,

note the silk woven qualification badge on the soldier at far left, 1967.

60 Years Ago - One Million Northern Refugees Arrive in the Republic of Vietnam

Northern refugees traveling from Haiphong to Saigon, 1954.

 

      Following the Geneva Conference in 1954, Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel between the Republic of Vietnam and the Communist north. The conference stipulated that the population of Vietnam would have freedom of movement across the 17th parallel for a period of three hundred days to allow citizens to choose under which government they would like to live. However, shortly after the results of the conference were made official it became clear that the principal movement would be a massive exodus from the north to the south as roughly a million northerners (the vast majority civilians) choose to become refugees rather than live under the Communist government. In contrast, there was no comparable movement of civilians from the south to the north.

Ngo Dinh Diem visiting a northern refugee resettlement camp, May, 1956.

      Most traveled south by ship where the northern refugees were resettled by the Republic of Vietnam. Sixty years ago today, on October 31st, 1955, it was announced nearly a million had arrived in the south. In time, many of them would come to form a central nucleus in the military and government of the country. The experience of lost homes in the north, and having to build new lives in the south as refugees was not far from their memories. However, just twenty years later many would be forced to relive the same experience on a greater scale after 1975.

Northern refugees onboard the HMS Warrior, 1954.

  

The Refused Handshake 1973

The Refused Handshake, a Vietnamese ranger and North Vietnamese colonel, Saigon, 1973.

                The "peace talks" of 1972-73 were fraught with unease by many in the Republic of Vietnam who were weary of the true intentions of their Communist foes. Among the many facets of the talks was the establishment of the International Commission for Control and Supervision (ICCS). The commission was established on January 27, 1973, and its aim was to supervise the implementation of the cease-fire agreements. However, its task proved ultimately unattainable. Between January and July of 1973 there were an estimated 18,000 separate violations of the peace talks agreements.
          On February 5, 1973, roughly a week after the creation of the ICCS, a meeting was held between the ICCS and the Joint Military Commission in Saigon. The meeting included military representatives of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). The entrance to where the meeting was taking place was filled with reporters from around the world. Despite the peace agreements, the Communist forces in Vietnam were already openly violating them, but were keen to try and convince the world's press otherwise. As he passed through the entrance, a North Vietnamese colonel eyed a potential photo opportunity to downplay the ongoing aggression of his government by shaking the hand of a Republic of Vietnam ranger on guard duty.

The awkward scene, a Vietnamese ranger and North Vietnamese colonel, Saigon, 1973.

            However, the ranger made no response other than a tense glare. Recognizing the failure of his gesture, the North Vietnamese officer changed tactics by awkwardly patting the ranger on the back and giving a few quick remarks, which elicited a humorless grin from the ranger.

Vietnamese Ranger Berets - Biệt Ðộng Quân QVLNCH

Vietnamese ranger with beret, RVNHS Archive, 1966.

 

            The Republic of Vietnam Rangers ( Biệt Ðộng Quân ) were a backbone of the republic's armed forces. Ranger units served throughout the country, and fought in most of the republic's military operations. Over the course of nearly twenty years, thousands of individuals would serve in the ranger force and don the ranger's maroon beret.

Vietnamese ranger beret with bullion badge, RVNHS Archive.

 

Vietnamese ranger in beret, 1960s.

 

 

Vietnamese ranger beret with metal badge, RVNHS Archive.

 

             As with other branches of the Republic of Vietnam military, ranger berets were produced by a wide array of tailors in different cities across the republic. Different manufacturers had their own idiosyncrasies, but some general elements were in common. Berets were shades of brown-maroon colors, and the badges could either be bullion, metal, or handsewn. Most period photos show berets with bullion flashes.

 

Examples of different styles of Vietnamese ranger beret badges, RVNHS Archive.

 

          Officers' berets were often of better quality, but many enlisted personnel also wore finer quality berets. Thus, the same beret could be worn by either officer or enlisted members. Rank was sometimes added to the berets near the area surrounding the badge. This typically would be a regular metal rank pinned onto the beret, but instances of embroidered rank insignia can also be encountered in period photographs.

 

Vietnamese rangers in discussion with an American advisor. Note the clasp-style rank normally worn on the chest, being worn by the Vietnamese ranger officer third from left

below his beret badge, mid-1960s, RVNHS Archive.

 

A general's rank Vietnamese ranger beret, RVNHS Archive.

             

Vietnamese rangers in berets with family at the Saigon Zoo, 1970s, RVNHS Archive.

 

Vietnamese ranger veterans at an event in San Jose, California, 2013.