May 5 - July 31 1969 –“OPERATION MONTGOMERY RENDEZVOUS”– Route 547 and the A Shau Valley, Thua Thien Province, I Corps - OPCON to 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. OPCON to the 3rd/5th Cavalry was C 2/34 Armor (tanks) and ARVN Cavalry forces –
The Squadron was given the assignment to provide security for Engineer units constructing Route 547 into the a Shau Valley.
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Additional
information found while plowing through the several pounds of paper held in my
file cabinet consisting of Combat After Action Reports, magazine articles etc.
today, June 19, 2005 gave new insight to this monumental and historical event
known as:
Operation Montgomery Rendezvous
On June 8, 1969 Operation Montgomery Rendezvous began as 3rd Brigade troops air assaulted into the highlands east of the A Shau Valley and began the final stage of the valley's conquest. While the infantry swept the surrounding hills and mountains, Flying Cranes and Chinooks began airlifting in equipment and supplies for the 326th Engr. Bn. (Ambl.) and its largest operation of the Vietnam conflict; the construction of a 1,500 runway on the valley floor. In just 54 working hours the pioneer airstrip was carved into the rugged earth near the old Ta Bat airstrip and the first C-7A Caribou, twin engine transport landed in a cloud of dust.
The 27th Engr. Bn., 18th Engr. Bde., meanwhile, completed the final link of a twisting highway, Route 547, leading from Camp Eagle to the A Shau Valley. On June 20, eighty armored personnel carriers of the 3rd. Squadron, 5th Cav. and the 1st ARVN 3rd Squadron 7th Cav. roared down the newly completed road and became the first armor to roam the lush floor of the A Shau. Later, heavy armor of the 3rd 5th Cav. and 2Bn, 34th Armor entered the valley, eventually climbing up to the top of Dong Ap Bia itself. (sic, Hamburger Hill). (The scaling of Dong Ap Bia also consisted of APCs from the listed units and there are plenty of pictures to prove it.)
Enemy resistance was light and largely confined to futile attacks on Fire Bases Currahee and Berchtesgaden. Although fighting was fierce in these mortar and sapper assaults, the NVA were driven off with the combined loss of 86 communists killed.
When Montgomery Rendezvous ended, August 14, Screaming Eagles had progressed far along the road toward taming the A Shau. The new airstrip and road offered troops in the valley double assurance of logistical support while the roar of tanks and armored personnel carriers drove the NVA into hiding. On the Operation's last day enemy opposition had been virtually eliminated. In all, 393 enemy had been killed and 174 individual and 47 crew served weapons captured.