First Calvary Air Division: Battle Analysis

Improved Essays
“It was truly a surprise when I found out I was assigned to the First Calvary Air Division upon arriving in Camron Bay, Vietnam. A surprise and the most prestigious honor” said Frank Pangborn as he sat formally in his seat sporting a tie, shoulder sleeve and wallet that had the First Calvary insignia imprinted. As a Vietnam War veteran, this division is one that brings great pride to not only Pangborn but to each and every soldier that dedicated a period of their life to serving this country. The First Calvary Division was established in 1921 and has had a tremendous influence in World War 2, the Korean War, Vietnam and in more recent years, the Middle East Wars in the 1990s, Iraq and Afghanistan. Their most notable success was during the Vietnam War but their impact over the …show more content…
This included the biggest battle, known as the Tet Offensive, which was initiated by the North Vietnamese Army who hoped to take over the Hue. The First Cavalry Division partook in this defensive assault as they tried to decrease the amount of enemy troops that infiltrated this Southern Vietnamese city. After this attack, the First Cavalry focused their attention on LZ Stud which was the epicenter for Operation Pegasus. This was the second biggest battle of the Vietnam War. The Air Cavalry’s mission was to lift the siege Khe Sahn which they managed to do successfully after dropping 75,000 tons of bombs on the North Vietnamese. After Operation Pegasus, the Air Cavalry moved west and initiated Operation Delaware where the First Division Cavalry managed to seize Signal Hill. Although the battle was not as successful and led to many lost lives, this was a big accomplishment because it demonstrated the success of the Air Cavalry and their ability to conquer a 4,879-foot mountain that is littered with dense, unforgiving forests. Of all the divisions, the Air Cavalry lost the most soldiers: approximately 5,500

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Sfc Bell Case Study

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages

    SFC Bell has had a long and distinguished career as an MP which began as a recruit at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1994 and ended up at the 223rd Regiment (RTI) at Camp San Luis Obispo, CA. During his many years as an MP, SFC Bell has worked as an Military Working Dog Handler at the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, and he led a platoon of soldiers at the 330th MP Co. in Ontario, CA.SFC Bell has distinguished himself with every position he has held. While assigned as an MP to Ft. Benning, Georgia, SFC Bell was chosen to attend the Air Assault School at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky where he earned his Air Assault Badge.…

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is important to realize the key to victory at Tarawa was the individual Marine. It was discipline, fighting ability, courage, and leadership that came into play more than ever before in World War II. The resilience of the Marine was confirmed in the middle of the impending doom. The very name, Tarawa, can be said to arouse the feelings of heroism and the great sacrifices that occurred against incredible odds and the pride that comes with being a…

    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During and after each battle Canada’s reputation had changed significantly. Canada was seen as a mature country that could take care of itself and fight its own battles, because of its major contributions to the war. The Battle of Vimy Ridge greatly altered Canada’s national reputation because of the many achievement their military had accomplished. Before this battle other country viewed the Canadian military as a group that were incapable of winning a battle, planned and executed by themselves. Canada’s military was apart of Britain’s military, which signified hat they were below the British, and not mature enough enough to handle having their own army.…

    • 243 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    It put the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, led by Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt against the Spanish Army. Due to his diligence and excellent written accounts of the battle, it continues to be reenacted by groups, made into movies, and studied to this day. The training and supplies they received while in training by LTC Roosevelt and Colonel (COL) Leonard Wood was so substantial that the Rough Riders participation into action was contrary to other volunteer companies. The Americans definitely outgunned due to the advanced weapons the Spanish were employing.…

    • 1973 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Fsb Mary Ann's Failure

    • 1768 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In 1971, as US involvement in the Vietnam War wound down, the Soldiers on a small fire support base (FSB) named Mary Ann had to fight for their lives during one of the Vietcong’s most audacious attacks. Analyzed below are specific aspects of mission command and their utilization by the leaders of the 1-46th Infantry Battalion. There were success and failures by leaders at all echelons. The United States’ slight victory in the defense of FSB Mary Ann was the result of tenacious fighting on behalf of the US Soldiers. However, the US commanders’ failures to understand, visualize, assess, and lead allowed such a daring attack to occur.…

    • 1768 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    D-Day Battle Analysis

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages

    June 6th of 1944, better known as D-Day, was not the first time the Allies had planned a major large scale invasion against Nazi Germany. The British were considering the possibility of a major Allied invasion across the English Channel in 1942 as well as later on in 1943. However, none of these operations were ever carried out, specifically due to the fact that the Germans were almost always aware of the Allies’ plans. This was not the case during D-Day, though, because the Germans did not know exactly where the Allies would strike. As a result, Adolf Hitler ordered Erwin Rommel to finish the Atlantic Wall, a 2,400-mile fortification of bunkers, landmines, and beach/water obstacles (Levine 43).…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Americans and South Vietnamese were completely caught off guard by the organized 80,000 Viet Cong soldiers attacking due to the focus of guerrilla warfare instead of conventional attacks. The leaders of the North Vietnamese Liberation force hoped it would be a stunning victory and cause the war to abruptly end. They had hoped that if the attack was not as successful as it was intended to be that the U.S. would restrict the bombing raids on the North. The Viet Cong attacked cities throughout South Vietnam such as Hue, Saigon, Kon Tum, Can Tho, and Ben Tre. The city of Hue was one of the hardest hit cities during the Tet Offensive.…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Battle Of Vimy Ridge

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages

    This essay discusses Canada’s military actions in aiding the British and allies win the first world war, and how those actions helped gain Canada recognition as a separate power rather then just a nation under the British empire which overall helped them become more autonomous as a nation. Canada and the First World War World war one is a tragic part of Canada’s history and the bloodiest conflict Canada has even known. Out of the 630,000 soldiers who enlisted, most of whom were volunteers, 172,000 were wounded and more than 60,000 killed in the line of duty. Canadian soldiers fought in the war for the entire four year duration of the conflict. It was the British Empire that first declared war on Germany and its allies on August 4, 1914…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As the story begins, a Confederate spy, named Harrison, brings news to Longstreet and Lee. They're totally taken by shock, since Jeb Stuart has left them in the dark. Lee's troops, mostly a division led by a general named Harry Heth, accidentally get into a fight with Union cavalry close to the town of Gettysburg. The leader of that cavalry, John Buford, decides to try to hold the Confederates off and buy time for the reinforcement that would be sent In the meantime, over the Maryland border, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain is waking up.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Battle Of Vimy Ridge

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Pages

    1) How Weather affected the rate of death in each battle. You can’t control or defeat weather like you can defeat the enemy in the war. You just have to factor it into your calculations to best prepare yourself and your nation to be successful in battle. In a lot of the major battles weather either hindered or helped our soldiers and led us to our outcome in each battle. These outcomes led us to the statistics of death.…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When we look at Native American conflicts with the United States we often see references to Sitting Bull and the Battle of Little Bighorn with Custer’s last stand but there is a battle that was more devastating and more impacting to the U.S. government that history seems to have forgotten. That battle is the Battle of Wabash that happened in the early stages of our country in the year of 1791. This battle would be a crucial point in our young countries history and the way we would have to overcome the issue of the Indian wars that would continue for another 100 years.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jaber al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-sabah had taken a stand in order to defend his country ,Kuwait, from the wrath of Saddam Hussein. On August 2, 1990 the country of Kuwait was invaded by Iran causing the start of the Gulf War. A massive attack was led by the dictator of Iran ,Saddam Hussein. The raid killed thousands and led to the destruction of over 700 thriving Kuwaiti oil refineries. Saddam’s actions had later constructed the beginning of the gulf war, an international conflict that had recrudescence during the the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The coverage of the Tet Offensive in America sparked more and intense protests. In the year of 1968, 15 000 American soldiers were killed and 100 cities were targeted in South Vietnam in the Tet Offensive. The biggest fight was in the city of Hue. One of the places targeted in these attacks was the American Embassy in South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive was a big strategic success.…

    • 2489 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Battle of Gettysburg is perhaps the most famous battle ever to be fought on American soil. The three-day long struggle, which saw intense fighting that pitted friend against friend and brother against brother, holds a special place in the American psyche. In the span of three days in July of 1863 the entire tone of the American Civil changed from certain confederate victory, to an impending federal rout. What happened over this time span that caused the sudden shift in momentum during the civil war?…

    • 1612 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The first major battle between the soldiers of the United States Army and the troops from the People’s Army of Vietnam was the Battle of Ia Drang. This particular battle, held between November 14 and November 18, 1965, was especially significant because it included a wide arrow of strategic guerrilla warfare tactics all the way to using air support to an advantage. The 4-day battle deepened the United States’ involvement with South Vietnam against the North Vietnamese forces. North Vietnam showed that they were ready to fight the United States and demonstrated the ability to adapt to the tactics used by their adversaries. However, in the Battle of Ia Drang, the American force proved to have superior tactics over the Vietnamese using air mobility, artillery fire, and air support which led to an overall U.S. victory in the Vietnam War.…

    • 1006 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays