bobdina
07-01-2009, 11:43 PM
July 2 1968 - The Phoenix program is established to crush the secret Viet Cong infrastructure (VCI) in South Vietnam. The VCI, estimated at up to 70,000 Communist guerrillas, has been responsible for a long-standing campaign of terror against Americans, South Vietnamese government officials, village leaders and innocent civilians.
However, the Phoenix program, which is controlled through CORDS under the direction of Robert Komer, generates huge controversy in America concerning numerous alleged assassinations of suspected Viet Cong operatives by South Vietnamese trained by the U.S. The controversy, generated in part through North Vietnamese propaganda, eventually results in Congressional hearings. Testifying in 1971 before Congress, Komer's successor William E. Colby states, "The Phoenix program was not a program of assassination. The Phoenix program was a part of the overall pacification program." Colby admits that 20,587 Viet Cong had been killed "mostly in combat situations...by regular or paramilitary forces."
Army helicopters attacked a fleet of enemy sampans off the coast of South Vietnam Sunday, killing 40 Viet Cong, sinking four sampans and damaging 36.
Almost ten tons of Communist weapons and ammunition was found by U.S. soldiers Wednesday in a group of five abandoned huts 50 miles south of Da Nang.
Troops of the 101st Airborne Div.'s 1st Brigade uncovered the huge cache as they swept through an area where a reconnaissance team had spotted Viet Cong the previous day.
Included in the confiscated munitions were 112 individual weapons, three 60mm mortars, 700 60mm mortar rounds, 685 82mm mortar rounds, 27 122mm rockets, 78 rocket-grenades and about 8,000 small arms rounds.
1966- Second Battalion, 14th Infantry, has reported capturing ten Viet Cong as the “Golden Dragons” moved into the fourth week of Operation “Fort Smith,” near Ap An Binh.
“Fort Smith,” a project of area pacification and civic action as well as search-and*-clear missions, is a joint operation with division forces, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, advisers from Trang Bang and Army, Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), civic action workers.
Enemy contact has remained light throughout the operation, although 2/14th units on civic action and clearing missions have received automatic weapons and machine-gun fire recently.
Advancing troops have found a number of houses abandoned as villagers leave their breakfast rice, hide their valuables and disappear before the Americans have arrived.
Occasionally a house is found where the people have remained. It is in those homes that Vietnamese police, accompanying the battalion, question the inhabitants on enemy movement in the area.
Battalion elements have discovered Claymore and anti-tank mines and have destroyed numerous tunnels, including one more than 1,200 feet long. Also found were several tons of rice, which was destroyed, and 600 coins, which have been turned over to intelligence official
On this date in 1969 an E-2 over 2 years made $179.10 a month E-3 -$216.30 E-4 $268.50 E-5 $ 313.80 E-6 $358.20
However, the Phoenix program, which is controlled through CORDS under the direction of Robert Komer, generates huge controversy in America concerning numerous alleged assassinations of suspected Viet Cong operatives by South Vietnamese trained by the U.S. The controversy, generated in part through North Vietnamese propaganda, eventually results in Congressional hearings. Testifying in 1971 before Congress, Komer's successor William E. Colby states, "The Phoenix program was not a program of assassination. The Phoenix program was a part of the overall pacification program." Colby admits that 20,587 Viet Cong had been killed "mostly in combat situations...by regular or paramilitary forces."
Army helicopters attacked a fleet of enemy sampans off the coast of South Vietnam Sunday, killing 40 Viet Cong, sinking four sampans and damaging 36.
Almost ten tons of Communist weapons and ammunition was found by U.S. soldiers Wednesday in a group of five abandoned huts 50 miles south of Da Nang.
Troops of the 101st Airborne Div.'s 1st Brigade uncovered the huge cache as they swept through an area where a reconnaissance team had spotted Viet Cong the previous day.
Included in the confiscated munitions were 112 individual weapons, three 60mm mortars, 700 60mm mortar rounds, 685 82mm mortar rounds, 27 122mm rockets, 78 rocket-grenades and about 8,000 small arms rounds.
1966- Second Battalion, 14th Infantry, has reported capturing ten Viet Cong as the “Golden Dragons” moved into the fourth week of Operation “Fort Smith,” near Ap An Binh.
“Fort Smith,” a project of area pacification and civic action as well as search-and*-clear missions, is a joint operation with division forces, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, advisers from Trang Bang and Army, Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), civic action workers.
Enemy contact has remained light throughout the operation, although 2/14th units on civic action and clearing missions have received automatic weapons and machine-gun fire recently.
Advancing troops have found a number of houses abandoned as villagers leave their breakfast rice, hide their valuables and disappear before the Americans have arrived.
Occasionally a house is found where the people have remained. It is in those homes that Vietnamese police, accompanying the battalion, question the inhabitants on enemy movement in the area.
Battalion elements have discovered Claymore and anti-tank mines and have destroyed numerous tunnels, including one more than 1,200 feet long. Also found were several tons of rice, which was destroyed, and 600 coins, which have been turned over to intelligence official
On this date in 1969 an E-2 over 2 years made $179.10 a month E-3 -$216.30 E-4 $268.50 E-5 $ 313.80 E-6 $358.20