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Summary - November 1971
By decree, President Nixon declared that American forces may participate only in "defensive" operations, and cannot participate in "search and destroy" operations. Aggressive defensive operations continue in the operations area around FSB Mace. Though the company enjoyed a nice break at Vung Tau, the rest of the month was spent patrolling and performing base defense.
November 2
At 1000 hours, while operating in the field out of FSB Mace, one of the company's platoons was CA'd to an area to secure a Light Observation Helicopter (known to most of us as a Loach) that had been shot down. The operation is quiet, and the Loach was extracted at 1205 hours. (Source: 2/5 Cav S-3 Daily Journal dtd 2 Nov 71)
November 3 - 6
At 0835 hours on 3 November, Charlie Company was extracted from the field and taken to Vung Tau, the R&R facility of the 3rd Brigade (Separate) of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), for three days of stand down and relaxing!
At 1330 hours on 6 November, the company flew by Chinook from Vung Tau back to FSB Mace, where they took over base defense. (Sources: 2/5 Cav S-3 Daily Journal dtd 3 Nov 71 and 6 Nov 71)
November 4
SP4 Martin Vasquez was killed in an incident while the company was at Vung Tau. (Source: DA Form 1 Morning Report dtd 5 November 71)
November 7
The company is split up to provide security at FSB Mace, FSB Wishart, and 1st Platoon at Nui Chua Chan for a short period. (Source: 2/5 Cav S-3 Daily Journal dtd 7 Nov 71)
November 12
In a public speech, President Nixon announced further withdrawals of US troops from Vietnam. He also stated that from henceforth, Americans troops would participate only in "defensive operations" and the ARVN would undertake all offensive operations.
In effect, President Nixon's speech made public what C 2/5 Cav (and other units) had been doing for some time: protecting the American bases in the Long Binh/Bien Hoa/Saigon area so that further withdrawals could proceed safely.
November 13 - 15
The company operated in the field, with 1st Platoon providing security for Nui Chua Chan. Quoting from the Battalion Daily Staff Journal:
1520 hours: C Co @ YT533405 found 2500 lbs. of rice. Rice was in GI sandbags in bags of 25 lbs. There were 100 bags on a 4'X5' wooden pallet covered with a piece of plastic. This was located 20 meters to the E of a NS logging road. there were 05 trails in the area 8"-12" wide. Neg. recent use.
The following day, the company captured two boys and one old man in the vicinity of the cache, and an interrogator from the MACV compound at Dinh Quan was flown out to talk to them. In the meantime, another cache was found, this one with four large bags of slat covered by a poncho.
On November 15th, still in the same area, another bunker complex was found by the company. Though old, it contained some weapons, including an American M-72 Light Anti-tank Weapon (LAW).
November 18
The company, minus 1st Platoon remaining at Nui Chua Chan, does an uneventful CA, except for one man loosing a finger getting off the bird. (Webmaster Note: While the S3 Journal notes the injury, there is no record in the Morning Report in the following days.) (Source: 2/5 Cav S-3 Daily Journal dtd 18 Nov 71)
November 21
1st Platoon rejoins the company in the field. At noon, another large cache is found, this time they found a 55 gallon drum of corn and some medical supplies. (Source: 2/5 Cav S-3 Daily Journal dtd 21 Nov 71)
November 22
C 2/5 Cav found an enemy training site consisting of five bunkers, two latrines four hootches, and a spider hole or two. Material on the site indicated enemy soldiers were being trained in shooting down helicopters. (Source: 2/5 Cav S-3 Daily Journal dtd 22 Nov 71)
November 23
After being "logged" (meaning being resupplied by helicopter), the company found a large cache inside a 40 bunker complex. In it were found fifteen 60mm mortar rounds, twenty B-40 rocket rounds, ten 81mm mortar rounds, and four Chinese Communist hand grenades. (Source: 2/5 Cav S-3 Daily Journal dtd 23 Nov 71)
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1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972
January
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March
1971 April 1971
May 1971
June 1971 July 1971
August 1971 September
1971 October 1971
December
1971
Updated July 23, 2007