LZ Center

LZ Center was one of the many fire support bases maintained by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade during the Vietnam War. Although LZ Center was labeled a Landing Zone, in reality it was a fire support base. Its 105 artillery as well as 81mm and 4.2" mortars provided fast and accurate fire missions in support of the infantrymen who patrolled the mountains and valleys of their area of operations. The crews that manned these guns were some of the best the U.S. Army had to offer.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• LZ
• Center
• 196th
• firesupport
• 3/21
• Vietnam
• Nam
• combat
• war

[POZ48]

It doesn't seem that LZ Center was that far from Tam Ky. The next LZ to the est of Center would have been LZ West.. That was Hill 455. That might have been about 30 kilometers west of Tam Ky. LOL! My map reading skills aren't what they used to be.

[cloudy4ever]

where exactly was LZ Center?

[POZ48]

@cloudy4ever LZ Center was west of the city of Tam Ky. It would be marked as Hill 348 on a map.

[namdogtag]

Yep, you are right....I remember those summer months in 1969 were busy with activity....maybe my mind is going with precise dates, but I certainly remember Aug 12th....But I sure felt bad for our brothers that was on East when that happened.....I really enjoyed your video....I have a handful of photos I took with my "Kodak Instamatic" camera back then of LZ West....If there is a site I can share them, let me know....I have seen photos online of LZ West era 1971, but it seems rearranged a little.

[POZ48]

@namdogtag I don't know any sites for LZ West. The 82nd Artillery has a website with pics of Center.

The 196th has a Facebook page where guys post photos and comments.

My book's opening chapter takes place on LZ Center when Delta 4/31 was on bunker guard. There were 2 KIA and 24 WIA that night in May, 1969.

[namdogtag]

POZ48

I remember when LZ East got over ran....I was on LZ West then we were preparing for the worst....I was on the bunker line on LZ West on the morning of Ausust 12th '69 when the NVA surrounded our hill and tried to do wipe us out....they were detected coming up the hill around our perimeter at 2am in the morning...We had four guys in our bunker including me pulling guard on 2 hour shifts each...All hell broke loose...thank goodness for air support of "Spooky" that early morning...

[POZ48]

@namdogtag That was June 11th when LZ East was overrun. I had just gotten back from the hospital and was on LZ Center at the time waiting to go back to the bush. Patrick Walker has a website with pics of LZ East after it was hit that night.

[theDeitz]

Another great video and back ground music. We must never forget the blood, sweet and tears we left over there.

[WolfieRed1]

great video from 1/20 vet. LZ Liz.

[cloudy4ever]

I was on an LZ about 30 miles or so west of Tam Ky in the middle of nowhere...summer of '68 with the 39th Combat Engineers...got medevac out in Sept. with malaria...lost 8 KIA and 15 wounded in 1 day...I'm thinking LZ Center must have been close by...

[POZ48]

@namdogtag I was on LZ Center in August, 1969 also. At that time, I was with 81mm on the west end of the Hill. August, '69 was a bad time "Million Dollar Hill". Glad to hear you got your dog tags back.

[namdogtag]

Nice video of LZ Center.....lost my dog tags during action at the base of LZ West in August 69 ... I was an RTO attached to D/4/31 then ... My Prick 25 was almost lost but recovered to provide commo....the same day we had lost contact with one of our guys, and until the next day he was found alive yelling at us running up this path....One of my dog tags was found in Vietnam by a group of returning Vets from New Hamshire in 2007 and returned to me by our brothers...It represents alot of memories.