SOUTH VIETNAM: UNITED STATES AND SOUTH VIETNAMESE TROOPS OPERATE JOINTLY NORTHWEST OF SAIGON AS FURTHER AMERICAN WITHDRAWALS ARE PLANNED

Record ID: 337166

  • Title: SOUTH VIETNAM: UNITED STATES AND SOUTH VIETNAMESE TROOPS OPERATE JOINTLY NORTHWEST OF SAIGON AS FURTHER AMERICAN WITHDRAWALS ARE PLANNED
  • Date: 8th January 1970
  • Summary: 1. LV VILLAGE 0.06 2. SCU SIGNS 0.11 3. MV CANNON AND MORTAR BEING FIRED 0.19 4. LV SHELLS EXPLODE 0.24 5. MV TROOPS IN JUNGLE 0.27 6. SV MACHINE GUN FIRED FROM TRUCK 0.34 7. MV TRUCK PASSES DEAD BODIES IN F/G. 0.37 8. SV BODIES 0.40 9. MV TROOPS LOADING GUNS 0.43 10. SV ARMY DOCTOR EXAMINES VILLAGERS
  • Embargoed: 23rd January 1970 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SOUTH VIETNAM
  • Country: Vietnam
  • Reuters ID: LVAD86F7O8X6KHHZBLKNGZ1036GJ
  • Story Text: TROOPS OF THE FIRST U.S. INFANTRY DIVISION -- KNOWN POPULARLY AS "THE BIG RED ONE" -- HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR HEADQUARTERS AT LAI KHE, ABOUT 40 MILES (64 KMS) NORTHWEST OF SAIGON. BECAUSE IT IS BELIEVED THAT TROOPS OF THIS DIVISION WILL BE AMONG THE NEXT GROUP OF AMERICAN UNITS TO BE WITH DAWN ON PRESIDENT NIXON'S ORDERS, THE LAI KHE BASE HAS BECOME THE SCENE OF INTEGRATED OPERATIONS WITH THE ARVN -- THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY.

    THE PROCESS OF INTEGRATION IS WHAT THE AMERICANS CALL THE GRADUAL "VIETNAMISATION" OF THE WAR -- HANDING OVER MORE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE VIETNAMESE THEMSELVES.

    THE FIRST DIVISION HAS ESTABLISHED A FIRE SUPPORT BASE AT KIEN AND IT IS FULLY INTEGRATED WITH ARVN MORTAR AND HOWITZER BATTERIES FIRING BESIDE THE AMERICANS' 155MM. CANNONS.

    MILITARY OPERATIONS ARE BECOMING JOINT AFFAIRS, THOUGH THE AMERICANS AND ARVN PATROL SEPARATELY MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE PROBLEM. EARLIER THIS WEEK, IN AN INTEGRATED OPERATION, TROOPS AND ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS MOVED INTO THE JUNGLE SEARCHING FOR VIET CONG. U.S. AIRCRAFT FIRST HIT THE SUSPECTED POSITIONS AND THEN THE SOLDIERS MOVED IN. THE BODIES OF THREE NORTH VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS WERE FOUND AND SEVERAL WEAPONS WERE CAPTURED.

    OTHER WORK IS DONE TOGETHER AS WELL. FOR EXAMPLE, AMERICAN ARMY DOCTOR DONALD FAMCHER NOW MAKES HIS ROUNDS OF THE VILLAGES WITH AN ARVN DOCTOR, LIEUTENANT HUYEN. TROOPS OF BOTH COUNTRIES ALSO PROTECT THE RICE SUPPLIES ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION ABOUT WEAPONS.

    KIEN IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED AS THE FIRST INTEGRATED BASE. PRESIDENT THIEU OF SOUTH VIETNAM VISITED ON CHRISTMAS DAY FOLLOWED A WEEK LATER BY AMERICAN VICE-PRESIDENT AGNEW. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE BASE IS TO BE TAKEN OVER BY THE 5TH ARVN DIVISION.
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