Since late May, the Paratroopers of the 173d Airborne Brigade have been operating in the green and rolling country of the Central Highlands, 250 miles north of their home base at Bien Hoa. Although there have been two brief excursions into the northern part of South Vietnam before, the Brigade has never operated there extensively. Instead, they have searched out the enemy in the III Corps Tactical Zone, especially in War Zones C and D.
    The decision to deploy the 173d northward was a sudden one. The Brigade had just returned to Base Camp after completing Operation Dayton in the May Tow Area, southwest of Xuan Loc, and was preparing to conduct Operation Cincinnati, which had as its purpose the protection of the Bien Hoa-Long Binh complex. Before Cincinnati was begun, however, the Sky Soldiers were alerted for immediate deployment to the II Corps Tactical Zone under the operational control of I Field Force Vietnam.
    The Brigade's reaction was swift. On May 24 within 24 hours of notification, elements were moving by C-130 aircraft from Bien Hoa to Pleiku. The entire airlift required only 21 aircraft making a total of 208 sorties. Within 67 hours, 2,239 personnel and 2,701 tons of supplies and equipment were transferred to the II Corps Tactical Zone. In addition, a small element of the Brigade, consisting mainly of equipment too bulky to be airlifted, deployed from Saigon by ship. After landing at Qui Nhon, these elements came overland to the new Brigade Base Camp which had been established at Catecka, just south of Pleiku.
    The Brigade was placed under the operational control of the 4th Infantry Division upon arrival in the Pleiku area. The Ivy Division's Operation Francis Marion, of which the 173d then became a part, had been in progress for some time. The Sky Soldiers immediately began Search and Destroy maneuvers to the south of Catecka, concentrating primarily on the Ia Drang Valley area, the scene of the 1st Air Cavalry Division's heavy fighting in late 1965 and the 101st Airborne Division's highly publicized engagements in 1966. Despite extensive patrolling in their area of responsibility, the 173d Paratroopers made no significant contact during the operation.
    While Francis Marion was in progress, however, increased enemy activity was being observed in the Dak To area, some 54 miles farther north. A Special Forces/CIDG element had made contact on May 13 with an estimated North Vietnamese Company, and a Mike Force ran into another Company near the same location on June 15. The 173d was therefore called on to deploy a task force consisting of one reinforced Battalion to the Dak To area to conduct operations oriented toward locating and destroying enemy elements. Accordingly, an advance party flew to Dak To on June 16, and the task force prepared to follow.
    That night the Special Forces Camp at Dak To and the 42nd ARVN Regimental headquarters in the nearby town of Tan Canh were both mortared. The Sky Soldiers' advance party, bivouacked near the Special Forces Camp, also received mortar fire.
    The following day, June 17, the task force deployed from Catecka to Dak To by combination of C-130 airlift and motor convoy. The force consisted of one Infantry Battalion, one Cavalry Troop, one Platoon of Armored Personnel Carriers, two Artillery Batteries, and one Engineer Platoon, together with other Support troops.
    While the deployment was in progress, however, the decision was made to increase the size of the task force to two reinforced Battalions. Plans were quickly drawn up calling for additional deployment. The following day, another Battalion moved to Dak To by C-130 and motor convoy. After the Brigade had been at Dak To for several days, the last maneuver Battalion was transferred there from Catecka.

    There appeared at this time to be two separate threats to the Dak To area, one from enemy forces to the southwest and one from other elements to the northeast. The 173d, reunified at a new base camp, was ready to commence operations against either or both. Operation Greeley began.
    The Sky Soldiers have not been operating alone. Various units have supported or worked with the Brigade at different times during Operation Greeley. These include the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division, with its supporting Artillery, C Battery, 1st Battalion, 77th Artillery; B Company, 299th Engineers, 937th Engineer Group; A Battery (155mm towed), 1st Battalion, 92nd Artillery; B Battery (105mm self-propelled), 3rd Battalion, 6th Artillery; and C Battery (8-inch and 175mm self propelled), 6th Battalion, 14th Artillery. All three batteries are part of the 52nd Artillery Group.
    Elements of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) have also been operating in conjunction with the Brigade. The 42nd ARVN Regiment, with its headquarters at Tan Canh, and the 1st ARVN Airborne Task Force, consisting of two Airborne Infantry Battalions and a 105mm howitzer battery, have conducted both highway Security and significant Search-and-Destroy operations in the Dak To area.
    There have been several major contacts since the 173d arrived to blunt the enemy thrust against the Special Forces camps in this region. The 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry, initiated operations to the south of Dak To on June 18 and began moving back toward Dak To when, on the morning of June 22, A Company engaged an estimated North Vietnamese Battalion. Initial contact was light; but the situation changed very rapidly and within an hour the Company came under heavy ground attack, including two mass assaults, from the North Vietnamese force. Air Strikes, Gunships, and Artillery fired in support. B Company was Helilifted to a nearby location and attempted to link up with A Company, but they in turn made contact with a large enemy force. C Company, located on the ground southwest of the action also moved to relieve A Company. They received sniper fire from the trees as they moved toward A Company position. The battle raged for seven hours. Although A Company itself suffered heavy casualties, its Paratroopers gave a crippling blow to the North Vietnamese Battalion which engaged them.
    The following week, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry found and hit an estimated North Vietnamese Company after searching out a base camp and supply area. Roughly two weeks later, the 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry made contact in another area with an estimated North Vietnamese Battalion. This engagement was characterized by a heavy volume of machinegun and automatic weapons fire before the enemy withdrew.
    The 173d's attention has turned increasingly northward in its area of operation. Dak Seang Special Forces Camp, situated north of Dak To, and Dak Pek Special Forces Camp, located north of Dak Seang, both received sporadic mortar and recoilless rifle fire for an extended period of time while the Brigade concentrated on eliminating the enemy activity around Dak To. At the time of writing, however, this situation has changed considerably. Elements of the 1st ARVN Airborne Task Force, under the operational control of the 173d Airborne Brigade, engaged an estimated North Vietnamese Battalion near Dak Seang on August 6. The following day, after inflicting heavy casualties, the ARVN troops took the enemy position and found it to contain an elaborate VIP command post. In addition to the ARVN troops, Brigade forces have also moved northward, strengthening the friendly position at Dak Pek.
    The fight to eliminate North Vietnamese activity in the Operation Greeley area continues. The Sky Soldiers, in the manner which has come to be expected of them, have turned in an excellent performance against a new enemy, better trained and better equipped than the Viet Cong forces operating in the III Corps area. Ranging widely over a large area of tough jungle terrain, the Paratroopers have successfully neutralized several separate threats to the relative security of the region. Every indication is that they will continue to do so.

    When the 173d Airborne Brigade left its Bien Hoa Base Camp and deployed to II Corps, it found itself face to face with new terrain, a new enemy and new neighbors.
    Unlike the low, flat paddy fields and jungles of C and D Zones, the Central Highlands is a land of striking beauty. Massive bamboo covered mountains give way to fertile valleys, where local tribesmen tend their hill farms in a manner little different from their ancestors centuries ago.
    The enemy that infests these hills is not the isolated Viet Cong guerilla or main force unit, but well disciplined and well equipped North Vietnamese regulars.
    Although Lowland Vietnamese in increasing numbers have settled in the Highlands, the region is most widely known as the center of Montagnard life in Vietnam.

    While estimates of their numbers have reached one million, the Montagnard population of South Vietnam is generally regarded as being about 700,000. These Highlanders are dispersed among over thirty separate tribes, with different languages and varying customs. When the 173d deployed to Catecka in Pleiku Province last May, it operated in an area peopled by the Jarai, one of the larger and more advanced of the mountain tribes. Sedang, Halang and Rengao predominate in the villages near Dak To.
    The tribesmen are generally taller, darker of skin, and have straighter, broader features than the Lowland Vietnamese. As anyone who has dealt with them will agree, the Montagnards are a proud, honest and courageous people, who possess a simple charm that is very appealing to the westerner. Fiercely loyal friends, they can be formidable enemies.
    Dressed in scanty clothing, the Highlanders work their small hill farms with homemade tools and primitive techniques. Lacking interest in large scale agriculture and cash crops, most Montagnards produce just enough to support themselves and their families. While upland dry rice is the staple crop- harvested at the close of the monsoon, in October or November small truck farms produce pineapples, bananas, maize and yams.
    While the Vietnamese control most commerce and industry in the Central Highlands, the Montagnards are skilled in making small handicrafts. These items are produced almost totally for their own consumption, the Highlanders having little interest or desire in selling their wares. A soldier who has spent any amount of time in the Highlands is familiar with the high level of craftsmanship found in Montagnard bracelets, crossbows, knives, baskets and bamboo mats.

    Major Walter Ryan, the MACV adviser for the Dak To subsector, describes the typical Montagnard village as "a small scale democracy." The village chief is elected by the adult inhabitants of the village. He may be assisted in his duties by a council. In addition, the strong family ties of the Montagnards is a cohesive factor, governing many of their day to day relationships.
    Weddings, deaths and births are occasions for festivals among many Montagnard villagers. A water buffalo may be slaughtered, and rice wine sipped through straws from bowls and gourds.
    Although Protestant missions have been working in the Highlands, most of the Montagnards profess the Catholic religion. According to Father Leon DuJon, a French missionary who has worked in Kontum Province for over twenty years, "the Highland tribes are very receptive to Catholicism."
    Over the years, there has been mutual antagonism between the Highlanders and the Lowland Vietnamese. While the prejudices of the past are not easily erased, the Government of Vietnam has made a concerted effort to heal past grievances and bridge the gap between the two cultures. Among the steps that have already been taken are the placing of tribesmen in higher positions of leadership in the government and armed forces, the establishment of more and better schools for Montagnard children, and the creation of a Commission for Montagnard Affairs.

    Brigadier General John R Deane Jr, former Commander of the 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate), has been reassigned to the office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development in Washington D.C.
    General Deane arrived in Vietnam February 5 1966, and assumed duties as Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff, I Field Force. In July of that year, General Deane was assigned as Assistant Division Commander, 1st Infantry Division. During Operation Attleboro, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, this nation's second highest medal for gallantry.
    On December 28 1966, General Deane assumed command of the 173d Airborne Brigade. Since that time, he has led the Sky Soldiers on combat operations in the Iron Triangle, War Zones C and D, and the Central Highlands. General Deane jumped into combat, leading the first American Parachute Assault in Vietnam during Operation Junction City near the Cambodian border.
    General Deane's dynamic leadership has inspired everyone who has served under his command. Associated Press correspondent John Nance has referred to him as the "Trooper's General." The Sky Soldiers are familiar with the radio code name "Uncle Jack," and have seen the "Trooper's General" in action.

    Brigadier General L.H. Schweiter came to the 173d Airborne Brigade with a great deal of combat experience. General Schweiter served with the 101st Airborne Division in World War II, and X Corps and the 7th Infantry Division in the Korean War.
    During World War II, General Schweiter made Combat Jumps behind enemy lines into Normandy and Holland. In the European Theatre of Operations, he served with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 101st's Intelligence (G-2) section.
    In Korea, General Schweiter participated in the amphibious landings at the Inchon and Wonson and the subsequent withdrawal from the Hamhung-Hungnam perimeter in North Korea. He later commanded the 32d Infantry Regiment of the 7th Division in Combat.
    General Schweiter commanded the Provisional Reconnaissance Troop Sky Cavalry, the first Air Cavalry unit in the U.S. Army. He also commanded the 2nd Airborne Battle Group, 504th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division. In 1961, General Schweiter became the first commander of the Fifth Special Forces Group (Airborne).
    General Schweiter came to the 173d from an assignment as Assistant Division Commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
    Brigadier General Schweiter's decorations include the Combat Infantryman's Badge with Star, Silver Star, Bronze Star with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Master Parachutist Badge.

    Sergeant Roger Schipellite, a former student of English Literature at Amherst College, Mass, was named the Sky Soldier of the Month for June.
    The Sergeant traded in his school books for an M-16 and Jump Wings, and for the last 10 months has been serving as a Squad Leader with the 17th Cavalry Aeroscouts.
    Hailing from Boston, the 21 year old Paratrooper could not see spending three years in the Army behind a desk, so he went Airborne.
    Receiving $50 and a free R & R, the Sergeant spent the time and money enjoying the sights of Manila.

    Specialist 4 Dwayne A Toland, Yuba City Ca, was selected as the 173d Airborne Brigade's Sky Soldier of the Month for July.
    Specialist Toland, of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry, was chosen for his outstanding knowledge of military duties and responsibilities. In addition to a plaque, Specialist Toland received a cash prize of $50, a one week trip to Hawaii, and a day with Brigadier General John R Deane Jr.
    Before entering the Army, the Specialist was graduated from Yuba City Union High School and later attended Yuba Junior College.

    Sergeant Chester A McDonald, Omaha Neb, was discharged from the Army in June 1965 after serving 10 months in the Dominican Republic. Two months later, the 22 year old Sergeant enlisted again to come to Vietnam.
    Since his arrival, Sergeant McDonald has spent 15 months as an assistant Team Leader with the Long Range Reconnaisance Patrol (LRRP).
    Airborne qualified during his first enlistment, McDonald says he loves the monthly jump pay, and being a member of an LRRP team gives him a chance to use his best qualities.
    Sergeant McDonald spent his free R&R cooling off on the beaches of Vung Tau.

    Bravo Company moved slowly along the ridgeline. About 100 meters out the long column dragged to a halt. Second Platoon, in the lead, had reached a ravine, and the going became a little bit tougher and a lot slower.
    Up front, the Point element pushed its way through the heavy bamboo. The buck Sergeant, checking his compass, directed his Point Man up the opposite ridge. The young PFC, M-16 in one hand and machete in the other, hacked through the thick undergrowth.
    Bravo Six, the Company Commander, confirmed his location and called in to Battalion. The terrain had not looked this rough on the map, he thought. "Doc," the Company Medic, took off his heavy aid kit, and sat on a convenient log. The Company Radio-Telephone Operator unslung his radio and pulled up alongside the aidman. All was quiet.
    Fifty meters back, the Weapons Platoon came to a stop. Mortarmen grounded their 81 mm mortar tubes, bipods, baseplates, and ammunition and breathed a sigh of relief. It was nearly impossible to carry an 81 in the jungle but they did it.
    In the rear, first Platoon slipped off the trail for a quick break. One time, just one time, maybe they'd have a chance to half-relax and finish a smoke. Some other day, the young Rifleman grunted as the word came down to move out. There was no hurry. The dense jungle terrain made sure of that.
    The column pushed on, 150 Paratroopers laden with the heavy gear of the foot soldier. The Infantryman leaned forward, easing the load of his rucksack. The weight of the combat equipment... weapon, ammunition, three days' C-rations, four canteens of water rode heavily on his back.
    The middle of the column had reached the base of the ravine. Each man moved slowly down one side and up the other. Second Platoon, well up the opposite ridge and moving very slowly now, reported finding a small trail running east and west. They were going to check it out 50 meters in each direction.

    Suddenly the sound of an automatic weapon broke the silence. The Recon element was under fire from the western portion of the footpath. M-16 bursts answered the crack of an AK-47 almost immediately. The second Platoon Leader maneuvered his men toward the contact as rapidly as possible in the thick terrain. Machinegun and M-79 grenade launcher fire added to the response.
    Then, all at once, it was quiet. Second Platoon called in that the enemy was breaking to the west, and that it would pursue. Bravo Six rogered, and moved the main body towards the point of contact. But the enemy had decided not to stand and fight, and was long gone by now. A search of the area revealed only footprints and a blood trail. Luckily, Bravo company had emerged without a casualty.
    After checking with Battalion. Bravo Six gave the order to move-out again. Third Platoon came forward and took over the point. Second Platoon dropped back as rear security. Bravo's objective was the next peak along the ridgeline, a long 1000 meters off.
    Gradually the column took shape again and gained momentum. Adrenalin still pumping, each man pushed forward. Once more the search for the enemy continued. According to intelligence the Company was on the trail of the remnants of a large force. If the sniper meant anything, Bravo was on the right track. It was going to be a long day. Four hours later, Bravo company reached its objective. The last 1000 meters had been rough but uneventful. "Charlie" had been there, but was no longer home.
    The Company Commander selected his command post and briefed his Platoon Leaders on the Company perimeter. Artillery rounds crashed into the hills as the forward observer adjusted the evening's defensive concentrations. Squad Leaders organized their sectors and the men began to dig in for the night.
    Observation posts and an Ambush Patrol moved out from the Company positions into the outlying brush. Dusk fell over the area and the high pitch of insects pierced the jungle silence.
    It had been a long day for Bravo Company ...... it would be a long night.

    The Line Company Medic is a Special Breed of Soldier. He must be as physically strong and courageous as the Infantryman. Where the Foot Soldier goes, so must the Medic in case of trouble. Where there are wounded he must move fast. There is never much time... a life might be saved or lost depending on what he does.
    The Aidman attends to the job of patching up the wounded in a businesslike manner, rarely displaying emotion. A year in Vietnam makes him act on instinct. Gone is the uncertainty that followed him during his first month on line. Time and experience have taught him his capabilities as well as his limitations. He learns the hard way that nothing can be done for the unlucky.
    Treating combat wounds makes up only a fraction of the Medic's job. More often he spends his time treating the everyday cuts and scratches of the 30 to 40 men in his Platoon. In the morning, the Aidman holds sickcall to give out malaria pills and treat the many minor aches and pains of jungle life.
    A good Medic is respected by the Infantrymen for his life saving skills as well as his courage. When moving through the jungles all Infantrymen knows where the Platoon aidman is. The Medic's safety is a prime consideration for the Rifleman, because he realizes the value of a good Medic.

    Ten weeks of training at Ft Sam Houston Texas, prepare the Medic for his tour in Vietnam. Since most newly arrived Aidmen in Vietnam are assigned to Line Companies the student is given thorough instruction in Combat Medic techniques. Working on practice dummies, the new Medic learns how to apply dressings to single and multiple wounds, and to splint fractures and broken bones. He also learns when and how to use a tourniquet and treat for shock. A good Medic must be able to recognize illnesses and the steps necessary to prevent their spread and recurrence. Malaria, heat stroke and fatigue are just a few of the problems the Aidman encounters from day to day.
    The equipment a Medic carries in his aid kit is as important to his work as the training he receives. Twenty different size dressings, blood substitute, splints, and plasma are some of the essentials carried in the aid kit. In severe cases, morphine syrettes are used to ease the pain of combat wounds.
    Many of the heroic actions performed by Medics in Vietnam are taken for granted. Most Medics tend to play down their actions as "just doing a job like anyone else." A 173d Airborne Brigade Medic who was presented the Medal of Honor has set the standard for all aidmen. Specialist 6 Larry Joel of the 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry, was credited with saving the lives of at least 12 Paratroopers during an all day battle. Although wounded twice himself and unable to walk, Joel crawled through heavy fire to aid the wounded. To hear Joel tell it, it was just another day.

The Medic's main job in combat is to keep men alive. Under fire, he moves to the wounded man and gives first aid. As soon as possible, the casualty is taken to a landing zone, or prepared for litter extraction by hoist.
    A "Dustoff" is called in, and under the supervision of the Company Senior Aid Man, the wounded are extracted by Medical Evacuation helicopters. Within minutes of being hit, the wounded is on his way to the main aid station and complete medical attention. The Combat Medic's job is complete... he may have a chance for a moment of satisfaction.
    A Medic's life is not an easy one. He must exhibit a never ending amount of patience and endurance. He must look out for himself, and the welfare and survival of his Platoon.