C Btry, 5th Bn 4th Field Artillery, Vietnam | home
Pictures: 1968-1969 | Pictures: 1969-70 | Operations and Photos, 1970-71
Operations and Photos, 1970-71
Charlie Battery, 5th Bn 4 th FA (155 SP) was primarily located at Fire Support Base C-2 with 1-61 Infantry. 5/4 FA was organic artillery to 1st Brigade, 5th Mechanized Infantry, a separate brigade, which took over Leather Neck Square from the 3rd Marine Division. The brigade's primary area of operations was AO Orange in North Eastern Quang Tri Province.
5th Mech Inf Crest
In February 1971 the brigade conducted operation Dewey Canyon II which opened up highway QL9 (little more than a 40 mile all weather dirt road with jungle on each side of it) to the Laotian border. RVN forces then passed through the 1st Bde, 5th Mech into Laos as Lam Son 719. Charlie Battery occupied positions at Vandergrift, Khe Sanh, Check Point Charlie (near Lang Vei, and Dandruff. Operating primarily out of Check Point Charlie, the battery frequently displaced guns to Dandruff which was only about 200 meters from the Laotian Border. Dandruff was named by the battery AXO, 2LT Robert M. (Bob) Dudley one evening as another US artillery unit approximately 400 meters east of Charlie battery was receiving answering fire from NVA artillery in Laos. Bob said words to the effect, "This place should be named Dandruff. This is the flakiest place I have every been! " Charlie Battery fired prep fires from Dandruff in support of the ARVN attack into Laos at the opening of Lam Son 719 and on several other occasions. Charlie Battery had preselected positions between Check Point Charlie and Dandruff which were code named Sierra, Oscar, Alpha, and Lima (LAOS backwards). One hip shoot was conducted with three guns on highway QL9 against a Special Intelligence target believed to be an NVA Regimental HQ in Laos.
Click on map for enlarged image.
Time Magazine Map by V. Puglisi
From FSB C-2 and during Dewey Canyon II, C/5/4 FA fired literally thousands of artillery fire missions in support of U.S. and ARVN forces. It can be said without dispute that Charlie Battery fired more rounds than any other 5/4 FA battery during this period.
A photo of C/5/4 FA near Khe Sanh during operation Dewey Canyon II from Time magazine, February 15, 1971, page 24. In the article, entitled "Indochina: A Cavalryman's Way Out", Operation Dewey Canyon II, the general situation in Vietnam during this time frame, and the search for an end to this tragic conflict are described. For the story behind the Time Magazine photo, click here.
Below are some new links courtesy of the Society of the Fifth Division
The First Brigade, Fifth Infantry Combat After Action Report (CAAR),
has been updated with additional pages for and links to:
Significant Events (of the CAAR) with KIA,
and the Order Of Battle,
Please pass this information on to members and associates.