FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Sky Soldiers ~ November 26, 2012

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC

[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Sky Soldiers
173D Airborne Brigade

All info and photos from this website.

           

BRIGADE HISTORY

 

The 173D Airborne Brigade was activated on the island of Okinawa on March 26, 1963. From its beginning, it proved to be an aggressive and unique unit led by (then) Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson who established realistic training throughout the Pacific Region.

The "TIEN BING," as the Nationalist Chinese paratroopers called the 173d, loosely translated to SKY SOLDIER, made thousands of parachute jumps in a dozen different Pacific area countries. The Brigade was the first Army ground combat Unit sent to the Republic of South Vietnam in May, 1965. The major portion of the brigade landed at Bien Hoa Airfield and found an area that had been battered frequently by enemy raids and shelling attacks.

The 1st and 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment along with the 3rd Battalion of the 319th Artillery.  comprised the foxhole strength of the 173d. They were well supported by their own Support Battalion and Troop E, 17th Cavalry, D Company, 16th Armour.  The First Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, and the 105 Field Battery, 1 RAR AUST Group were later attached to the Brigade during the first year.  In Late August, 1966, the 173d received another Infantry Battalion, the 4th, 503rd which arrived from Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. A 3rd Battalion was formed in early 1967 at Fort Bragg, N.C. and was shipped to Vietnam to join the Brigade on October 2, 1967. 

In the combat operations to follow, the paratroopers made their superb training payoff. They were the first to go into War Zone D to destroy enemy base camps. They introduced the use of small, long range patrols. They fought the battles of the Iron Triangle, conducted the only major combat parachute jump in the Tay Ninh area, and blocked NVA incursions during some of the bloodiest fighting of the war at Dak To during the summer and fall of 1967, culminating in the capture of Hill 875. Elements of the brigade conducted an amphibious assault against NVA and VC forces as part of an operation to clear the rice-growing lowlands along the Bong Song littoral.

The troopers of the 173D Airborne Brigade (Sep) wear their combat badges and decorations with pride. During more than six years of nearly continuous combat, the brigade earned 14 campaign streamers and four unit citations. 13 Medal of Honor winners, over 6,000 Purple Hearts, the only Combat Parachute Assault of the War, and sadly, over 1700 names of Sky Soldiers on THE WALL. The Brigade was deactivated on January 14, 1972 at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

The Brigade was reactivated in 2000 in Vicenza, Italy. No longer a separate Brigade, the 173d became the Southern European Task Force, early intervention element for Europe, Africa and portions of Asia, just as the original unit had the same responsibility in the Pacific prior to deployment to Vietnam. Operation Iraqi Freedom found the Brigade making it's second combat jump. This time into Northwest Iraq to secure the Northern Airfield and area. A year later it was subsequently redeployed to Italy to refit and retrain for deployment to Afghanistan where it is currently engaged in combat operations.

 

RECIPIENTS OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR

SGT Larry S. Pierce 20 September 65	PFC Milton L. Olive 22 October 65	Sp5/SFC Lawrence Joel 8 November 65
Sp4 Alfred Rascon 16 March 66	SGT/CSM Charles B. Morris 29 June 66	SP4 Don L. Michael 8 April 67
PFC John A. Barnes III 12 November 67	MAJ (Chaplain) Charles J. Watters 19 November 67	PFC Carlos J. Lozada 20 November 67
SSG Laszlo Rabel 13 November 68	CPL Terry T. Kawamura 20 March 69	SP4 Michael R. Blanchfield 3 July 69
	SSG Glenn H. English, JR. 7 September 70

 

Click the link for the video, with an introduction by Kris Kristofferson.  This song is the story of a Sky Soldier.

 Big & Rich - 8th of November video

Said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.

He was dropped in the jungle
Where the choppers would rumble
With the smell of napalm in the air.
And the sergeant said, "Look up ahead"

Like a dark, evil cloud
1,200 came down
on him and 29 more.
They fought for their lives
But most of them died
In the 173rd Airborne.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Now he's fifty-eight
And his ponytail's grey
But the battle still plays in his head.
He limps when he walks,
But he's strong when he talks
About the shrapnel they left in his leg.

He puts on a grey suit
Over his Airborne tattoo
And He ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen,
As he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around,
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

The 8th of November
The 8th of November

He said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.
 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

SSgt Rayvon Battle, Jr, USA
38th Engineer Company,
4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division

Amazing Grace

[luvie]

Indeed! I admire them so much and they have been very instrumental in keeping us safe here at home! Lots of very brave heroes!

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

Spc Joseph A Richardson, USA
1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

Amazing Grace

[PROCON]

Evening Ma!

Sheesh, on my way home from my sister's place to my home in Oregon my truck broke down, think it's a clutch, BIL rescued me after I had it towed to a mechanic, spending night with sister, hope to get it fixed soon :-(

[PROCON]

Hiya beachie!

Truck broke down on my way home :-(

Hanging out with sister and BIL til it's fixed, Grrrrr...

[Kathy in Alaska]

On no, Pro......thankful that BIL could rescue you. Then you are still in Washington?

Hope you can get it fixed tomorrow and get home by Monday night. Be careful!! ((HUGS))

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Mayor, and thanks for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

[PROCON]

Yeah, still in Washington, having an extended visit with my sister and BIL, (their all in bed, LOL)

Things will work out OK, just a snag :-)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thankfully a relatively benign snag....no one hurt, and you had a rescuer, and a place to stay.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for this morning's thread. Star.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning/afternoon/evening/night Troops, wherever you are.

Thank you for doing your part to help keep all of us free and safe.

Thanks, unique, for the pastries.

Coffee is always on........

How about a cupcake?

Cookies?

Veggies?

Sandwich?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...you and Bo have a great Monday.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning Pro ((HUGS))

WOW. Sorry to hear about your truck troubles. I saw your ping first thing this morning and was like WHAT? How come Pro is here before me. Anyhoo, hope it's nothing serious. It's a big pile of goose poop to have it happen in time for the holidays. How long before fixed?

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning to our

Military, our Allies, and their families.

Thank you, Star, for preparing the Canteen for today’s activities.

SGT Larry S. Pierce ~ 20 September 65
PFC Milton L. Olive ~ 22 October 65
Sp5/SFC Lawrence Joel ~ 8 November 65
Sp4 Alfred Rascon ~ 16 March 66
SGT/CSM Charles B. Morris ~ 29 June 66
SP4 Don L. Michael ~ 8 April 67
PFC John A. Barnes III ~ 12 November 67
MAJ (Chaplain) Charles J. Watters ~ 19 November 67
PFC Carlos J. Lozada ~ 20 November 67
SSG Laszlo Rabel ~ 13 November 68
CPL Terry T. Kawamura ~ 20 March 69
SP4 Michael R. Blanchfield ~ 3 July 69
  SSG Glenn H. English, JR. ~ 7 September 70

for their service and sacrifice.

DC Metroland weather report

~ Today...Some clouds this morning
will give way to generally sunny skies
for the afternoon. High 54F.
Winds light and variable.

~ Tonight... Partly cloudy this evening
followed by mostly cloudy skies and
a few showers after midnight.
Low 39F. Winds light and variable.
Chance of rain 40%.

Looks like we'll have a wintery mix show up on Tuesday.
Some of our northern neighbors, who really don't need it,
might get more than us, unfortunately.

Ok, I'm back in the office and
even though I was only off 4 days
I was not ready to come back yet.
Hopefully, today won't be a demanding day
so that I can get reports that are normally done
on Friday done today.

I trust everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving?
Except maybe publius who was all by himself(?)
but none-the-less cooked something to eat!
and stayed in FR.

But please stay right where you are.
Chat up the military or a family member.
No need to fret...you know I'll be back!

The FR Canteen is

Come in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

SEE THE ABOVE HEROES LIST

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[E.G.C.]

Monday Morning Coffee Bump.

((HUGS))Good morning, Beach. How's it going?

[beachn4fun]

Good morning EG ((HUGS))

Got the old “time out” warning already this morning. UGH!

How was your Thanksgiving?

[E.G.C.]

It went real well. Enjoyed the Thanksgiving supper my sister from the city sent down last week.

I went to Wal-Mart and got me a brand new vaccum cleaner. (The old one wasn't picking up as much dirt as it has been) and a new wallet.(The zipper on my old one broke.)

[beachn4fun]

Did you go to Walmart on Black Friday?

[luvie]

Umpfh! Good mornin', Early Birds!
Can't get that other eye open!
Another pretty day here...how boring!
All of you expecting snow...stay warm!
And enjoy the time when you get off and go home!
Be careful on those slick roads!
((((hugs))))