Armored. Crest: On a wreath of the colors Argent and Vert between two ruined towers Sable, the dexter charged with a fleur-de-lis Or and the sinister with an anchor of the like, a cubit arm in armor, the hand in a gauntlet Proper grasping two lightning flashes fesswise Gules. The 69th Armored Regiment's history began on 15 July 1940 when it was formed and assigned to the 1st Armored Division. The battalion continued to support the 4th Infantry Division along the Highway 19 corridor, from Qui Nhon to c C during the period, where it fought hot actions in and around LZ Schueller, An Khe, Plei Djereng and Plei Me.
Archer ,1/35, US Armored Division Patches..# AR99019, sealed + bonus Shield: Per bend Argent and Vert on the first a panther passant on division line, head to chief sable. [2], LTC James L. Marini took command in December, 1969 and continued operations until the Battalion stood down with the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and returned to the U.S. in mid-1970. Mission was to follow advance of 9th Armored Division and mop up enemy pockets which had been bypassed. The insignia was amended to revise the symbolism of the crest on 29 October 1965. find my friend."
69TH ARMORED DIVISION: Reunite With 2 Other Veterans | VetFriends.com ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 It was temporarily stopped south of the Karbala Gap due to intense sandstorms and a need to wait for logistical support. [2], As part of the 197th Brigade (Separate), 2d Battalion, 69th Armor led the assault of the 24th Infantry Division into Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in February 1991. I really hope some other people can find this service and get in touch with people like I did. In November 1951, it was again reflagged the 89th Tank Battalion and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom 369 AR was featured several times on CNN, ABC News, and the PBS documentary Back to the Front[1] detailing the deployment of Sgt Michael Murphy. LTC William Grant assumed command of 1/69 Armor as the Battalion was given the mission of securing the primary routes of communication on QL 19, between Qui Nhon on the coast and Duc Co on the Cambodian border; and on QL 14 between Dak To in the north to Ban Me Thout in the south. The battalion continued its second half of the deployment north of Ramadi, and executed numerous expeditionary combat operations near Lake Tharthar, Habbaniyah, and the southern region of the Salah ad Din Province. A large group of infantry and some supporting unit officers were called from the 96th Infantry Division training at Camp Adair, Oregon, to supply the cadre (nucleus) for The 69th Infantry Division, which trained at Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A large group of infantry and some supporting unit officers were called from the 96th Infantry . Deployment commenced on 25 January, 1966 with the Battalion laying over in Okinawa to take over 52 new M48A3 tanks and familiarize crews with the new series, AN-GRC 12 radios. Thanks VetFriends, It was a wonderful moment that we will both remember for the rest of our lives, and we owe it to VetFriends. The 69th was originally nicknamed "Boltes Bitching Bivouacking Bastards" or "The Four Bs" because of the troops hatred for the many bivouacs in DeSoto National Forest south of Camp Shelby ordered by its original Division Commander, Charles L. Bolte. [2], LTC Paul S. Williams Jr. took command of 1/69 Armor in March 1967 and continued operations in support of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Bravo Company's 1st Platoon, detailed to provide additional firepower to the SF camp, fought what was to be the only engagement between U.S. and NVA armor on the night of 3 March. Justbeforethe 69th departed the USA for Europe, Major General Emil F. Reinhardt took division command. 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, was originally constituted on 15 July 1940 in the Regular Army as Company C, 69th Armored Regiment, an element of the 1st Armored Division.
69th Infantry Battalion, 16th Armored Division | American Battle 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor served with the 42nd ID, a National Guard Division based in NY. 2-69 AR is currently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia as part of the 2nd Armor Brigade Combat Team ("Spartans . In February 1942 it was reassigned to the 6th Armored Division where it continued to serve until September 1943 when elements of the Regiment were divided and reassigned. In January 2007, 3rd Battalion 69th Armor Regiment deployed with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division to Operation Iraqi Freedom V. The battalion was initially tasked with securing the volatile city of Ramadi, appropriately dubbed by intelligence personnel as the "most dangerous city in the world. E/203 SB was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.
US Army 69th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve patch with a stylized If you have an item that you would like to add to the museum than you can contact us through the form on this website. History [ edit] Members of the 44th Armored Infantry, supported by tanks of the 6th Armored Division, move in to attack German troops surrounding Bastogne. It was subsequently deactivated in late 1991 with the Regimental Colors returning to the 2nd Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia. Contact us | Terms of Use
In March 2007, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor was deployed as part of the Baghdad "surge." The 52 ton M48A3 performed well during this initial two-week fight and the unit set an example for future tactical employment of armor in Vietnam. 69th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division | American Battle Monuments Commission Cemeteries & Memorials Burial Search Education About Us News Data Multimedia Contact Us 69th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division Home 69th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division Legacy ID 19993 Legacy Alias /db-abmc-burial-unit/69th-tank-battalion-6th-armored-division Our prayers and sympathies go out to the Lipsius family. Until VE-day the 69th patrolled and policed its area. A Company had previously decimated this same unit in the streets of Pleiku during TET. 11 April: Patrolled vicinity of Mulhausen. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. find my friend.
[page 210] . Once again it assigned to the 6th Armored Division, where it served until it was stood down in 1956, ending its assignment to the 6th Armored Division.
3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment | Military Wiki | Fandom In 2013, 3rd Battalion was deployed to eastern Afghanistan in Wardak, Nangarhar, & Ghazni Provinces. If you have a tribute, please email it to Webmaster Michael McKibben at. [2], 1/69 Armor played a critical role in the defense of Pleiku, Kontum, Dak To and Hwy 19 during the Jan/Feb. B Company was given the mission of reaction force and route security between k T and the besieged Special Forces border camp of Ben Het. LTC Theodore S. Riggs took command of the Battalion in March, 1968, prior to its displacement to An Khe. The motto translates to Speed and Power.. Contrasting with the old Battalion M48A2 vehicles, the new A3 models still featured the 90mm cannon, a M2HB cupola mounted .50 caliber machinegun and a 7.62mm, M72 coaxial machinegun. Plus, its a place where wives, children, grandchildren and friends to learn about the wartime service of their loved ones in the Unit histories, Company Photos and the post-war bulletins now being placed online in a Google-searchable format.
2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs For its actions A Company was awarded the Valorous Unit Citation. Deployment commenced on 25 January 1966 with the Battalion laying over in Okinawa to take over 52 new M48A3 tanks and familiarize crews with the new series, AN-GRC 12 radios. The 69th Infantry Division was originally scheduled for activation before the end of World War I, but Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, halted this.
69th Armor Regiment | Military Wiki | Fandom [2], LTC (MG Retired) Stan R. Sheridan assumed command of 1/69 Armor in September 1968 as the battalion forward HQ again moved, this time west to the area of Landing Zone Oasis, HQ of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division along QL 19W, conducting numerous reconnaissance-in-force operations north and east of c C and along the Cambodian border. It inactivated there on 16 March 1956. This original assignment did not last for long. [2], A Company completed its mission with the 1st Cavalry in October, 1967 and returned to Camp Enari with Battalion HQ. In a rapid advance to the east, the 69th took Schmidtheim and Dahlem, 7 March. Operations were based in the Chalis Qada area. Earlier, in September, the battalion, along with the other elements of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division became part of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division in a swap of brigades in place. It was a wonderful moment that we will both remember for the rest of our lives, and we owe it to VetFriends. The unit was reassigned on 16 October 1987 to the 24th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Background: The coat of arms was originally approved for the 69th Armored Regiment on 7 September 1942. 1968 TET offensive. [2], A Company was charged with the security of Highway 19 between An Khe and Mang Yang Pass, and on 10 April, routed a regimental size ambush attempt on a convoy by the 95B Regiment killing 45 VC and capturing seven crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were one killed. On 19 March 2003, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor was the tip of the spear, leading the famous "March to Baghdad." We would be glad to add photos of your item to this section. I'm the first to ever contact him. (Click for explanation of photos.) With the establishment of the regimental combat arms system, the formerly fragmented elements of the 2nd Battalion were remade into the 69th Armored Regiment. Free Shipping On All Orders Above $100 Go shop . [2], A Company was committed within two hours of its disembarking from LSTs in Saigon as a reaction force to combat in the Filhol Rubber Plantation west of Saigon. . 3/69 Armor similarly operated with the 24th Division during this massive assault. Soldiers from Task Force 369 deployed in December 2009 in support of OIF VII to northeast Baghdad as the main effort of the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team-Augmented. This operation proved the value of armor in reducing friendly casualties while significantly increasing losses to the enemy. Earlier, in September, the Battalion, along with the other elements of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division became part of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division in a swap of brigades in place. "[citation needed] Additionally, the unit was tasked with forming ties with local Sunni Sheiks, including the martyred Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha. The Division went over to the attack, 27 February, capturing the high ridge east of Prether to facilitate use of the Hellenthal-Hollerath highway. 3/69 Armor has also deployed to Kosovo as part of KFOR and peace keeping operations in the former Yugoslav republics. The Battalion redeployed in May 2008 to Fort Benning, Georgia. The Battalion continued operations west of Pleiku and along the coastal plain during 1969 with both the 4th Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. 6th Armored Division.
The Fighting 69th Infantry Division We raced volkswagens on our time off and we'd go to the range and shoot all day. This operation proved the value of Armor in reducing the number of friendly casualties while significantly increasing losses to the enemy.
69th Infantry Division - Order of Battle of the United States Army 69th Field Artillery Battalion, 6th Armored Division The 777th Tank Battalion - 69th Infantry Division The unit and its component line companies were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Award, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm and the Vietnam Civic Action Award First Class.[2]. Nearly 200 of the enemy were killed during this two day action with no U.S. Each battalion had its own insignia. The Regimental HQ and 1st Battalion remained with the 6th Armored Division as the 69th Tank Battalion, while the 3rd Battalion was re-designated as 708th Amphibian Tank Battalion and was a participant in several critical amphibious campaigns and distinguished itself during the bloody fighting on Okinawa earning the battalion the Navy Presidential Unit Citation. Following the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean peninsula, the 708th Tank Battalion was subsequently restructured and re-designated the 89th Medium Tank Battalion. Did you proudly serve in 69TH ARMORED DIVISION? The 1st Battalion was alerted to begin preparations for deployment to South Vietnam in December 1965. 3-69 AR was the first conventional US unit to enter Iraq in 2003, and among the first units to serve four tours in Iraq. The bulk of the battalion was moved in May 1966 to Qui Nhon via LST, then overland along the infamous QL (Highway) 19 to join B Company at Camp Enari near Pleiku, the home of the 4th Infantry Division. With the left over elements of the 69th and the 89th Tank Battalions, the 69th Armored Regiment was re-designated the 69th Armor, a parent regiment under the Regimental Combat Arms system. With the left over elements of the 69th and the 89th Tank Battalions, the 69th Armored Regiment was re-designated the 69th Armor, a parent regiment under the Regimental Combat Arms system. Many document need the free Adobe Reader to view. LTC William Grant assumed command of 1/69 Armor as the Battalion was given the mission of securing the primary routes of communicationon QL 19, between Qui Nhon on the coast and Duc Co on the Cambodian border; and on QL 14 between Dak To in the north to Ban Me Thout in the south. ". It activated on 5 September 1950 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Bulletins thru the years - training, combat, reunion & photos of buddies and you. The Battalion displaced its forward headquarters in March, from Hwy 14S to Camp Radcliff in An Khe, under the operational control of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and was again involved in fighting along the coastal plain near Bong Son. They suffered three casualties that year.[4]. The Battalion served under Multi-National Division Baghdad on the Karada Peninsula as well as the Al Muthana and Al Jedidah regions of Eastern Baghdad. In July, 1994, a monument was erected and dedicated to the tank Soldiers of the 69th Armor Regiment, from all battalions, in Armor Memorial Park at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Silver scroll inscribed VITESSE ET PUISSANCE in Black letters. Company A was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division until October 1967. The 69th Tank Battalion, as part of the 6th Armored Division, was included in various European campaigns including Normandy, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. C/2-69 AR, along with additional attachments, remained in Chalis Qada to serve with the Iraqi Army in that area. In 2002 the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor deployed with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division to Operation Desert Spring in preparation for future combat operations in a six-month training mission. The 6th Armored Division ("Super Sixth") was an armored division of the United States Army during World War II. Sign up to receive our newsletter regarding Veterans, Reunions, Military, Veteran Benefits, Military Pictures, Jokes, Military History,
Find your friends and loved ones * * *, Sadly, Anne and Sherry Lipsius, wife and daughter, notified us on September 6, 2015 that our intrepid Webmaster, Joe Lipsius, passed away peacefully that morning. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Archer ,1/35, US Armored Division Patches..# AR99019, sealed .+ bonus set at the best online prices at eBay! The 69th Armored Regiment was constituted on 15 July, 1940 in the Regular Army and initially assigned to the lst Armored Division. These routes were notorious for ambush actions dating back to the First Indochina War of the 1950s. Shield: The shield is in the green and white of the Armored Force. All Rights Reserved. The battalion was based primarily at FOB Brassfield-Mora,[3] Patrol Base Uvanni,[4] and Patrol Base Olsen. Both Battalions have had subsequent deployments to the Kuwait desert in support of Coalition forces. It reactivated on 15 February 1942 at Fort Knox, KY, ( the 69th Armored Regiment was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division and assigned to the 6th Armored Division). The 4th Battalion was reactivated in 1972 at 1st Brigade HHC 8th Infantry Division at Robert E. Lee Barracks in Mainz Gonsenheim Germany. In six days after hitting France the 9th Armored was in Luxembourg near the German frontier. 1st Platoon, B Company earned a special Presidential Unit Citation in August, 1966 for their actions at LZ 27 Victor, a small Korean enclave in the triple canopy jungles of the Ia Drang-Chu Pong mountain area, where nine months earlier, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) fought savage battles with infiltrating North Vietnamese units. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 2023 Copyright VetFriends.com. We will be posting a tribute and the family's eulogy. Individual soldiers received the Congressional Medal of Honor, several Distinguished Service Crosses, numerous Silver Stars, countless Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts for their extraordinary heroism in combat with the enemy. It landed in Le Havre, France, 24 January 1945, and moved to Belgium to relieve the 99th Division, 12 February, and hold defensive positions in the Siegfried Line. The unit, along with many others, was deactivated in 1946 following the end of the Second World War. $10.95 + $3.95 shipping. Because of this Act, the men of The 69th Infantry Division entered the Army, by draft or voluntary enlistment. The 2017 Annual Reunion will be in Virginia Beach, VA at the North Beach Holiday Inn Sept. 21-24, 2017. It was reassigned to the 6th Armor Division in February, 1942, where it remained until September of 1943 when elements of the Regiment were broken up and reassigned. Co. & 69th Inf. Click here to read about Joe's: EARLY LIFE | MILITARY CAREER
Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 69th Armored Regiment on 7 September 1942. The Regimental HQ and 1st Battalion remained with the 6th Armored Division as the 69th Tank Battalion, while the 3rd Battalion was re-designated as 708th Amphibian Tank Battalion and was a participant in several critical amphibious campaigns and distinguished itself during the bloody fighting on Okinawa earning the battalion the Navy Presidential Unit Citation. [2], A Company was committed within two hours of its disembarking from LSTs in Saigon, as a reaction force to combat in the Filhol Rubber Plantation west of Saigon. Are you looking for someone who is or was in 69TH ARMORED DIVISION? Up until five weeks ago, Joe was still emailing about website business. A Company was charged with the security of Hwy 19E between An Khe and Mang Jiang Pass, and on 10 April, routed a regimental size ambush attempt on a convoy which effectively destroyed the NVA 95B battalion as a fighting force. The former Company C, 69th Tank Battalion, was reconstituted on 21 August 1950 in the Regular Army as Company C, 69th Medium Tank Battalion, an element of the 6th Armored Division. The 6th Armored Division ("Super Sixth" [1]) was an armored division of the United States Army during World War II. The 69th Armored Regiment's history began on 15 July 1940 when it was formed and assigned to the 1st Armored Division. The 6th Armored Division was created February 15, 1942 at Fort Knox, As President Franklin D. Roosevelt watched, a blindfolded Secretary of War Henry C. Stimpson selected the first number in the draft lottery, drawing from a huge container filled with numbers assigned to registered young Americans aged 21 to 36. The former Company C, 69th Tank Battalion, was reconstituted on 21 August 1950 in the Regular Army as Company C, 69th Medium Tank Battalion, an element of the 6th Armored Division. A Company was committed within two hours of its disembarking from LSTs in Saigon, as a reaction force to combat in the Filhol Rubber Plantation west of Saigon.
16th Armored Division (United States) - Wikipedia Some 16,500,000 were registered by October 1940, and the first group of conscripts, called selectees, was called in the next month. The 2nd Battalion at Fort Benning, and the 3rd Battalion assigned to Fort Stewart, Georgia, were organic to the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized). Welcome to the 6th Armored Division virtual museum. Moreover, it now boasted a V12 Continental Diesel engine which more than doubled the tank's combat range and significantly reduced the hazard of fire. The 69th Armor Regiment was constituted on 15 July, 1940, at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in the Regular Army and initially assigned to the 1st Armor Division. Redisignated as the 69th Medium Tank Battalion in August, 1950 and reactivated in Korea. The 69th Tank Battalion participated in most of the major ETO actions and campaigns with the 6th Armor Division includingNormandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. 69th ARMORED REGIMENT Constituted 15 July 1940 in the Regular Army as Company B, 69th Armored Regiment, an element of the 1st Armored Division Activated 31 July 1940 at Fort Knox,.
9th Armored Division (United States) - Wikipedia The bumper number reads "B31", as in Bravo Company, 3rd Platoon, 1 track (platoon leader's tank). We will try to record some of the many outstanding feats of our Division and to recognize the thousands who trained in the 69th but were sent out as replacements to other units, including reinforcements to the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Bravo Company's 1st Platoon, detailed to provide additional firepower to the SF camp, fought what was to be the only engagement between U.S. and NVA armor on the night of 3 and 4 March. Air Force Units Army Units Coast Guard Units Marine Corps Units Navy Units . These routes were notorious for ambush actions dating back to the French Indochina War of the 1950s. Joe was 97 years old. The battalion also participated in Intrinsic Action in Kuwait and Kosovo Force Operation support in Kosovo. Because the 15th was known as the Wolf Pack, it h. For its actions and the extraordinary heroism of its soldiers, A Company was awarded the Valorous Unit Citation. 69TH ARMORED DIVISION. Also during this period, a provisional detachment of tanks taken from each line company, was detailed to support elements of the 101st Airborne Division and the 44th ARVN Regiment in the Phan Thiet-Song Mao area. Contrasting with the old Battalion M48A2 vehicles, the new A3 models still featured the 90mm cannon, a M2HB cupola mounted .50 caliber machinegun and a 7.62mm, M72 coaxial machinegun. Tanks from 1st Platoon, A Company, 369 AR entered the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP)shortly after midnight on 4 April and 369 AR captured (BIAP)later that day, after limited resistance from elements of the Hammurabi Division of the Republican Guard.
69th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division | American Battle Monuments 6th Armored Division (United States) | Military Wiki | Fandom Tactical strategy Combat Mission Black Sea features 369 AR BN in one of its campaigns. Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. The 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment (369 AR) is a United States Army combined arms battalion and part of the 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It participated in the Battle for Jalibah Airfield. As part of the 197th Infantry Brigade (Separate), 2d Battalion, 69th Armor led the assault of the 24th Infantry Division into Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in February 1991. In January 2005, the Battalion again deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Joe's certainly was a life well lived. In October 2009, the Battalion deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for a fourth time, operating as an Advise and Assist Battalion in Babil and Karbala Provinces building the economic capacity and governance capabilities of local Iraqi government. Part of the 2nd Battalion was redesignated the 109th Amphibious Tank Battalion and also participated in key amphibious operations in the PTO distinguishing itself at Saipan and Tinian and was also awarded the Navy Presidential Unit Citation. An element of the former organization was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for service in Europe. Occupation duties were given to the Division until it left for home and inactivation 7 September. He said we were like brothers and then all of a sudden, we lost all contact. In this section you can see items that are related to the 6th Armored Division. Also during this period, a provisional detachment of tanks taken from each line company, was detailed to support elements of the 101st Airborne Division and the 44th ARVN Regiment in the Phan Thiet-Song Mao area. It inactivated on 8 March 1946 at Camp Kilmer, NJ. Obviously surprised by the presence of the U.S. tanks, the enemy fled the field after the B Company M48s destroyed several of the assaulting PT 76b tanks and BTR50 fighting vehicles. I called the number ans wow he was blown away when he found out who I was. A Company had previously decimated this same unit in the streets of Pleiku during TET. LTC James L. Marini took command in December, 1969 and continued operations until the Battalion stood down with the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and returned to the U.S. in mid 1970. the 1st Battalion 69th Armor distinguished itself in fierce combat in all areas of its operations during over four years of deployment in the Republic of Vietnam. The panther is symbolic of the tremendous power and striking ability of the Regiment. The 89th Medium Tank Battalion returned to Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division where it remained until deactivation in 1957. [2], LTC (MG Retired) Stan R. Sheridan assumed command of 1/69 Armor in September, 1968 as the Battalion forward HQ again moved, this time west to the area of the Oasis, HQ of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division along QL 19W, conducting numerous reconnaissance-in-force operations north and east of Duc Co and along the Cambodian border. We wonder about the rest that served with us in the artillery unit we served in. By January 1943 or earlier, the widening WWII and its troop demands brought these plans out again. The 2nd Battalion at Fort Benning, and the 3rd Battalion assigned to Fort Stewart, Georgia, were organic to the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized). I had a great time and intend to go again next year. The 69th Division landed in Le Havre, France, on January 24, 1945, and advanced through France and Belgium into Germany. Obviously surprised by the presence of the U.S. tanks, the enemy fled the field after the B Company M48s destroyed several of the assaulting PT 76b tanks and BTR50 fighting vehicles. 3d Battalion, 69th Armor similarly operated with the 24th Division during war. In February 1942 it was reassigned to the 6th Armored Division where it continued to serve until September 1943 when elements of the Regiment were divided and reassigned. The 1st Battalion was alerted to begin preparations for deployment to the Republic of Vietnam in December 1965.