AFTER THE 2-12th LEFT VIET NAM
1972
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JAN 72
The 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Div. is tactically withdrawn from Vietnam. [MYER]
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FEB 72
The 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Div. is tactically withdrawn from Vietnam. [MYER]
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9 APR 72
At 1400 hours, C Battery, 2nd Battalion 94th Field Artillery fired the last American heavy artillery round in Vietnam. Hill 34, RVN (AT989714). [Ntl. Archives]
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26 APR 72
The 101st NVA Regiment left the Ho Bo woods and occupied Trung Lap & Phuoc Hiep. They were driven out by the South Vietnamese Army.
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JUN 72
Trung Lap village is again occupied.
The 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and 196th (Light) Infantry Brigade are tactically withdrawn from Vietnam. [MYER]
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8 JUN 72
Trang Bang is attacked and the Associated Press’ Nick Ut snaps his famous photograph of “the girl in the picture.”
[For the true story go to http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0008/ng2.htm ]
1996 UPDATE: “I am not famous, my photo is. If the photographer had taken it two minutes earlier or two minutes later, there would have been no photo. Millions are hurt in war, they just don’t have their photo taken, so they don’t exist. I must speak for them. Why fight? For what? People who are fighting are just destroying. We live in love and we should live in peace.”
– Kim Phuc [‘ Kim Phuc Visits with VVAW ‘ The Veteran Vol._ No._.]
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11 AUG 72
THE LAST AMERICAN GROUND COMBAT UNIT TO LEAVE VIETNAM, THE 3rd BATTALION, 21st INFANTRY, LEAVES.
Besides the cost in young lives, the Vietnam war cost America treasure – $61 BILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR (in 2006 dollars) ñ 488 billion dollars.
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12 OCT 72
The 101st PAVN – joined by the 271st NVA Regt. & 7th National Liberation Division – invade Trang Bang, Hau Nghia Province.
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28 OCT 72
SAIGON (UPI) …… Communists also lobbed eight 122mm rockets into the old Cu Chi Base camp, formerly occupied by the U.S. 25th Infantry Division – under cover of the barrage aimed at the base, now occupied by the South Vietnamese 25th Division, they invaded three hamlets, within four miles northwest of Cu Chi District Town, military sources said. Cu Chi is 21 miles northwest of Saigon.
It brought to five the number of hamlets near Highway 1 in the Cu Chi area into which the Communists have moved in 36 hours, military sources said.
Government regulars and militiamen were moving in to try to drive the Communists out of the area but Highway 1, the main road between Saigon and Phnom Penh, remained cut between Cu Chi and Trang Bang, 30 miles northwest of Saigon, military sources said.
1973
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27 JAN 73
END OF AMERICAN WAR. “Peace Agreement” initiated and “cease-fire” begins.
The Last Soldier To Die In The ‘Vietnam War’
“According to Arlington National Cemetery, and numerous other sources, he was Army Col. William B. Nolde, a 43-year-old father of five. He was killed Jan. 27, 1973, near An Loc ñ just 11 hours before the U.S. signed the Paris Accords – when an artillery shell exploded nearby.”
[Source: Editor & Publisher (Magazine) ‘ The Last Soldier To Die for A Mistake ‘ by Greg Mitchell]
1974
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12 MAR 74
SAIGON (UPI) – The Saigon military command reported 25 Communists were killed Monday when South Vietnamese forces repelled an attack on a government night camp near Highway 1 about 35 miles northwest of here……
The Saigon command said North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, supported by artillery, stormed the government night camp six miles northeast of Trang Bang district capital.
[NOTE: The “night camp” mentioned was the 2/12th Inf old firebase – Fire Support Base Pershing. – Sarge]
4 SEP 74
General Creighton W. Abrams dies.
1975
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MAR 75
Hua Nghia Province falls.
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30 APR 75
VC flag flies over “Ho Chi Minh City.”
1976
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1 APR to 21 SEP 76
2/12th Infantry relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division, assigned to the 4th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Carson, Colorado. Inactivated 21 September 1976 at Fort Carson, Colorado.
[Source: CMH]
1980’s
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16 JUN 1989
2/12 Activated at Fort Carson, Colorado (4th Div).
[Source: CMH Linage Series]
1990’s
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2 JUL 95
U.S. & Canadian veterans dedicate a memorial in Windsor, Canada to the 113 Canadians who died in Vietnam. It is believed that as many as 40,000 Canadians crossed the boarder to the United States to serve in Vietnam.
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15 SEP 95
2/12th Infantry inactivated at Fort Carson, Colorado, and relieved from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division.
[Source: CMH]
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16 SEP 95
The 2/12th Inf was “Reflagged” at For Carson, CO and became the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.
The 2/12th’s “colors” were placed in storage at the Anniston Army Depot, Collections Depot, Anniston, Alabama under control of the Center of Military History.
[Source: CMH]
Executive Order Ends Vietnam Combat Zone
By Master Sgt. Stephen Barrett, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 20, 1996 – Combat and special tax benefits end June 30 for U.S. service members assigned in Vietnam, although imminent danger pay will continue for duty in the Southeast Asian nation.
The change comes following President Clinton’s executive order May 14 declaring Vietnam no longer a combat zone. Clinton’s order repeals the one signed over 30 years ago by President Johnson.
Defense officials in a recent information paper said the combat zone designation remained in effect for service members missing from the conflict.
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15 MAY 1997
The United States establishes its first embassy in Viet Nam since the fall of Saigon in 1975. This time it’s in Hanoi, and former US pilot and Vietnam veteran “Pete” Peterson is the Ambassador.
2000’s:
In the year 2000 Vietnam has a population of 77 million. Life expectancy has risen to 68. The adult literacy rate is 93%. The annul per capita income is $1,700. But only 45% of the population has easy access to safe water. [Source: Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).]
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26 APR 00
Marking the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen visited Hanoi.
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13 JUL 00
The United States and Vietnam sign a “trade deal” normalizing trade relations between the two countries.
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20 NOV 00
President Clinton visits Vietnam. The 1st U.S. President to visit since the war.
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28 JUL 03
Bob Hope died.
“Thanks for the memories Bob!”
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27 OCT 03
Vietnam announces that it plans to launch a communication satellite of its own at the end of 2005. The Vietnamese communication satellite Vinasat will be designed for communication, and radio and TV broadcasting, educational and rescue activity.
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20 NOV 03
The U.S.S. Vandegrift – a missile frigate of the 7th Fleet – becomes the first U.S. Navy warship to visit Viet Nam since the end of the Vietnam War. A “port call” that will (no doubt) become popular in the future. Two days later members of the crew pose and mug for their shipmates cameras at the ‘tunnels of Cu Chi’ tourist trap.
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12 JAN 04
MASTER CARD will sign (on 15Jan04) a deal with Viecombank authorizing the Vietnamese bank to issue a wide range of payment cards and sponsor 11 other commercial banks to be affiliate members of MasterCard. [Source: AsiaPluse Pte. Ltd.]
NOTE: Stay tuned. Automatic tellers, cash dispensing machines and a whole new class of street rip-off thieves to follow.
EXPLODING CELLPHONES
Several Nokia cell phones have spontaneously exploded in Vietnam – causing injuries in some cases – no doubt due to buying from unauthorized dealers. The Finnish phones SE Asia manufacturer Samsung advised consumers to only buy from authorized Samsung dealers and registered outlets. Nokia has blamed faulty batteries from independent electronics manufacturers for similar incidents in the past. [Source: Cape Times (South Africa)]
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13 DEC 04
On December 13th, the first commercial flight from the United States arrived at Tan Son Nhut airport (Saigon) since the communist took over in 1975.
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4 MAY 05
Colonel David “Hack” Hackworth died on this date.
Colonel Hackworth was a HIGHLY DECORATED Korean and Vietnam War veteran who first came to national attention as the author of the best seller ‘About Face’ ñ a “must read.” He spoke out in Vietnam and was forced to retire. He went into exile in Australia and eventually returned. His legacy can be found on the web at http://www.sftt.org Soldiers For The Truth, PO Box 54365, Irving, California 92619-4365.
[“Hand salute, Colonel.” – Sarge]
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11 JUL 2005
Vietnamese and Americans agree to cooperate militarily and share intelligence.
[SARGE SEZ: I guess we will soon be training the NVA at Fort Benning.]
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18 JUL 2005
General William C. “Westy” Westmorland dies of natural causes.
[SARGE SEZ: Maybe he heard about the events of the 11th and decided to finally give it up. Any way, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel today.]
I CAN’T THINK OF A DAMN BETTER WAY TO END THIS TIMELINE THAN THE LAST TWO ENTRIES.
– Sarge Holzhauer
AND THE BEAT GOES ON
The beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de dee, la da de da
Charleston was once the rage, uh huh
History has turned the page, uh huh
The miniskirt’s the current thing, uh huh
Teeny bopper is our newborn king, uh huh
The grocery store’s the super mart, uh huh
Little girls still break their hearts, uh huh.
And men still keep on marching off to war
Electrically they keep a baseball score
Grandmas sit in chairs and reminisce
Boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss
The cars keep going faster all the time
Bums still cry, “Hey buddy, have you got a dime”
And the beat goes on, yes, the beat goes on…
[Words and music by Sonny and Cher.]
Activated 29 September 2005 at Fort Carson, Colorado, as an element of the 2d Infantry Division.
Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment.
Relieved 16 November 2005 from assignment to the 2d Infantry Division and assigned to the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division.