| The
199th Infantry Brigade (Sepa- |
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at Chu Lai. In
June Army Engineers |
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| rate) (Light)
was ordered formed at |
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|
started
construction on the huge faci- |
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| Ft. Benning,
Ga., suddenly but not |
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lities at Cam
Ranh Bay needed to |
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| unexpectyedly,
with destination un- |
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|
support the
projected logistical in- |
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| known. The
Brigade's first command- |
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crease
neccessary for more troops. |
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| er, Colonel
George D. Rehkopf, got |
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|
In
July the Marines landed 8,000 |
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| orders April
8, 1966 to form the |
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more men at Da
Nang and Qui Nhon; |
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| Brigade and,
from the first educated |
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|
the 2nd
Brigade, 1st Infantry Divi- |
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| guesses to
jungle and swamp field |
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sion, and the
1st Logistical Command |
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| training at
Camp Shelby, Miss., the |
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|
landed at Cam
Ranh Bay, Vung Tau |
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| concensus was
"Vietnam." |
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|
and Qui Nhon.
Later that month, the |
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| The
previous year had seen the |
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|
1st Brigade of
the 101st Airborne |
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| greatest
debarkation for a foreign |
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Division came
in-country and U.S. |
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| country by the
U.S. armed forces |
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military
strength here became 30,000. |
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| since the
Korean War's early days in |
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|
The first
elements of the 1st Air |
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| 1950 and 1951.
January 1 U. S. |
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|
Cavalry
Division came here in Sep- |
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| strength was
23,000 in RVN. Follow- |
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tember, the
3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry |
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| ing a Viet
Cong attack on the Ameri- |
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|
Division
arrived in December, and |
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| can compound
at Pleiku and nearby |
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what with
other combat and support |
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| Camp Holloway
Feb. 7, 1965 Presi- |
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elements
arrivees, our strength by |
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| dent Johnson
ordered the first air |
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|
years's end
was 181,000, including all |
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| strike against
North Vietnam. The fol- |
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|
services. |
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| lowing day he
ordered withdrawal of |
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|
Despite
the increase of about 800 |
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| all U.S.
dependents and the decks be- |
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|
percent in
total strength in less than |
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| gun to clear. |
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|
a year, the
final total for 1965 would |
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| Among
other build-up highlights |
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|
still increase
by nearly 200 percent in |
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| of 1966 were:
First elements of the |
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|
the coming two
years to bring figures |
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| 173rd Airborne
Brigade landed in |
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to above the
500,000 level deemed ad- |
| early May, as
did Marines and Sea- |
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|
visable by
military and civilian com- |
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| bees to begin
building their big base |
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manders. |
|
