http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39626542519c.htm#19
...As 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (CUSTER's) Headquarters S-1 Personnel Clerk at IA DRANG, I was one of those there who carried the Real American Heroes from Helicopters that were flown into us at Artillery's LZ Falcon fresh from LZ X-Ray in the Valley of Death that was IA DRANG in that November week of 1965...for transfer to Pleiku Airstrip bound Helicopters. Soon the casualties became so heavy that we just started flying them there direct. As a consequence there was time to witness this 2nd Battle of the Little Big Horn by experiencing the stench of over 1,100 dead Invading North Vietnamese Communist Army Regulars baking in over 100 degeee days which burnt our throats, constant firing of our close support Artillery Batteries for days, following the Battle on our Battalion and Brigade Net Radios, and helping the casualties. After a Battle that brought one Congressional Medal of Honor Winner, with many more left not so acknowledged, my duty was the typing of then Lt. Col. HAROLD G. MOORE's many Letters to the hundreds of family members of those Hero Soldiers KIA and WIA of our U.S. 7th Cavalry at IA DRANG. In the end that Operation was also expanded to anyone that could type at Battalion and Brigade Headquarters...for weeks after we returned to our Base Camp at An Khe. It was during this time that then Defense Secretary ROBERT S. McNAMARA took a short 15 minute After-Action briefing from HAL MOORE on our Victory at IA DRANG after which the man simply said "Thanks" to the Colonel and then left on a D.C. bound plane for home where he began writing his -Memo to the President- that said that the Vietnam War was not winnable! ...IA DRANG = THE DEFINING MOMENT OF THE VIETNAM WAR IN MANY, MANY WAYS...it appears...?
19 Posted on 07/04/2000 20:15:24 PDT by ALOHA RONNIE
>>>>>It was during this time that then Defense Secretary ROBERT S. McNAMARA took a short 15 minute After-Action briefing from HAL MOORE on our Victory at IA DRANG after which the man simply said "Thanks" to the Colonel and then left on a D.C. bound plane for home where he began writing his -Memo to the President- that said that the Vietnam War was not winnable! ...IA DRANG = THE DEFINING MOMENT OF THE VIETNAM WAR IN MANY, MANY WAYS...it appears...?
I'm confused by this? I don't follow the lead up to the defining moment that McNamara wrote this After-Action report. Can you explain?