 The airfield at Ca Mau in the Delta lands of South Vietnam drops away as the helicopters fly to pick up the Vietnamese Rangers. It is the 14th of September, and this is the beginning of phase three of Operation Dan Chi 261. Troops of the 21st Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, are conducting the operation to wipe out the Viet Cong in the Delta country of the 4th Corps area. The operation has been going on for many weeks. Helicopters of the U.S. 13th Aviation Battalion are providing direct air support, transporting the troops and flying fire team missions. Below is the Nam Chom Forest, some 200 kilometers southwest of Saigon. The Viet Cong are strong here. In the rice fields on the edge of the swamp and forest, the Vietnamese Rangers get off and begin filing into the enemy-held territory. Moments later, a second wave of choppers comes in and more Rangers stream across the fields. In the skies above, Army airmen scrutinize the battle zone and gunners strafe suspected enemy positions. More than once, there is answering ground fire. Over the swampy Ca Mau River, one of the gunships locates a Viet Cong sampan. The vessel and its occupants are obliterated by rocket fire. Finally, the helicopters head home to rearm and refuel. One week later, General William C. Westmoreland comes to the helicopter base at Can Tho. On this occasion, at the battalion's headquarters, 180 kilometers southwest of Saigon, the commanding general of U.S. forces in Vietnam is to present the Ballerius Unit Award to the 13th Aviation Battalion, which is supporting the Vietnamese Rangers in Operation Don Chee. Already the most decorated American aviation battalion in Vietnam, the 13th receives a new streamer for the battalion flag. The citation is awarded for, quote, extraordinary heroism and professional skill in support of the 21st Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, on April 4, 5, and 6, 1965, unquote. The unit's commander, Colonel Jack T. Dempsey, receives the document on behalf of the battalion. Following the presentation, the men of the 13th, the only American Army Combat Unit in the Delta region, hear a personal commendation for their numerous outstanding combat missions performed in support of the Vietnamese 4th Corps Army Rangers. Then, General Westmoreland bids them continued success. Phase 4 of Operation Don Chee 261 gets underway on 24 September, as the Arvin 41st and 42nd Ranger Battalions resume their counterinsurgency campaign in the Delta. At the Kamau Airstrip, the U.S. helicopters are loaded and boarded by the Vietnamese troops. Soon, the friendly forces are airborne toward their objective in the swamps 20 kilometers south of Kamau. Gunships lay down suppressing fire along the perimeter of the basic objective. In the region below, the Viet Cong have established training and staging areas. Reports indicate a concentration of the enemy in this sector. Rangers of the 41st Battalion are delivered to the landing zone and immediately strike out for the presumed enemy positions in the swamps ahead. With armed helicopter support overhead, the Arvin troops advance with confidence. The Rangers of the 41st Battalion sweep into the swamp in two converging forces. Helicopters block the enemy exodus. In a day-long battle, which rages back and forth in the swamps, the Rangers exact a heavy toll in Viet Cong killed and weapons captured. Armed helicopters accounted for still more of the enemy dead. 17 kilometers to the west of Kamau, Rangers of the 42nd Battalion captured 55 members of the famed Viet Cong Yumin-2. We're looking here at a group of 39 of 55 who have just surrendered. Which unit is a member of? He set his unit to belong to Yumin-2, but they were the new recruit to replacement for Yumin-2. I see most of these are new recruits for Yumin-2. The men look quite young. How old is the youngest man? Could he tell me that? 14 years of age. What were the circumstances of the act of recruiting him? He recruited him by captain. How long have they been in the service of the Viet Cong? I see. How long was the training scheduled to be? More than one week? Almost every one of them raised their hand and they asked to be in seven days. These are brand new recruits ranging from 14 years of age. And what is the age of the eldest recruit? Meanwhile, Rangers of the 41st Battalion are picked up and flown back to Kamau. After fighting a pitched battle with the Communist enemy all day long, the Rangers will rest tonight and return to the Delta battlefield tomorrow. Brigadier General Noyan Fan Min The commanding general of the Arvin 21st Division says, quote, This is but part of a continuing operation and we intend to keep the pressure on, unquote. The general also revealed that the number of Viet Cong defecting to the key government each month is on the increase. For this day, there's victory in the Delta. Elements of the 196 Light Infantry Brigade recently arrived in Vietnam prepare to launch a search and destroy operation on the 17th of September. This is one of the first sweeps to be carried out by the troops of this brigade. Taking place near Tainin, approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Saigon, the operation is aimed at locating and destroying Viet Cong fortifications here in the rubber plantation country of Tainin Province. According to intelligence reports, there are supposed to be a number of VC positions in the surrounding area. Now abandoned, these enemy trenches wind back and forth in the undergrowth for several hundred meters. Tunnel entrances are found every few steps along the way and have to be investigated. The tunnel runners are summoned. These specially trained underground men know all of the tricks to searching enemy tunnels. They reappear in short order. A discarded submachine gun clip and some Viet Cong propaganda literature are oil that remains in the tunnel complex. These items quickly brought out by the tunnel runners. It is the first time these troopers have seen such enemy propaganda material. Unit commanders order the tunnel complex destroyed so the Viet Cong will not be able to use these facilities again in the future. The men take cover and the diggings are blasted. Following the incident of the trenches and tunnels, the infantrymen move on until they reach an open field. Here they are fired upon by snipers. Locating the source of enemy fire, some of the troopers scurry off to flanking positions from which they return the rifleman's fire. The sniping stops. It is discovered that the Viet Cong sniper has been killed. The dead enemy is the first confirmed kill for the 196 here in Vietnam. Then the men move out and the operation goes on. At Tui Hoa, a unit of the 101st Airborne gets ready to escort an artillery convoy along the stretch of Highway 1 to the north known as Route Purple. The convoy of munitions and supplies is headed for Tui An, 45 kilometers away. As soon as they pull out, the men are on constant alert for any sign of trouble. Convoys along this route have been hit every few days by VC ambushes and sniper fire. But this time, the convoy reaches Tui An without incident. And after a short breather, the men of the 101st turn around and head for home, mission accomplished. In another operation, an engineer mind-detecting platoon of the 101st cautiously sweeps the same area. Carefully, a suspected area is dug up, but it turns out to be a false alarm. And the column moves on. This time, however, it's for real. A charge is placed atop the mine, the fuse set, and the area cleared of personnel. The charge is detonated. Further on, as the engineers link up with the convoy of trucks waiting a clearance, snipers open up with automatic weapons. Anti-tank and artillery support from the rear is immediately called in. As quickly as they came, the enemy withdraws under the natural cover of dense foliage. The all-clear is given and the convoy rolls out again. Okay, today we're having our briefing on Operation Sioux City. The operation will be leaving on tomorrow. And I'll start the briefing now. This is Army Specialist, Bob Owens. The United States Army's Special Photographic Detachment Pacific. We're with today the 173rd Airborne Brigade at Benoit Air Base in South Vietnam. The brigade is preparing to launch into Operation Sioux City another probe into Warzone D. Lieutenant Richard Buckles, the third platoon leader of Company D, 16th Armor, is briefing his men on the mission. It's four o'clock in this area. We secure this fire support base, intermediate fire support base, the 319th artillery moves into this area to fire a 20-minute preparation onto position Mohawk, which is this area up here. This will be our final fire support base in Brigade CP. Tomorrow morning, we'll have a commo check at 0500. We'll also have a panel on your track starter gear, the lead track so it'll be able to observe us from the air. And after that, then, we'll be ready to move out. Sergeant Know, at this time, we'd like for you to take charge of the men and move out. At 0530, 26 September, the 16th Armor began transporting troops of Company B, 1st Battalion 503rd Infantry, starting off Operation Sioux City. When the convoy crossed the Sung Dong Nye River, it entered Viet Cong territory in Warzone D. Lieutenant Buckles, what is our approximate position here and what is the mission of the unit? We are now located about 7 or 8 miles inside D Zone in the position of Fox. We are securing the intermediate fire support base with the artillery, which is going to fire a concentration approximately 20 minutes into position Mohawk, which we'll move into after they finish this and set up our permanent fire support base. As it prepares to move out from checkpoint Fox, the convoy comes under sniper fire. This is answered immediately. Afterwards, the APCs turn their big 50s on the heavily mined road ahead, blowing a path through them, and the convoy moves on. 7 September, it's moving in week for the main body of nearly 4,000 troops of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, arriving at Benoit airfield. C-130s have flown them from their debarcation port of Bung Tau, and now these men of the Black Horse Regiment will be transported by bus to their temporary base camp at nearby Longbin. At the base camp, the new arrivals join the 400 man advance party and move into their tent city. Refreshments are the first order of the day, served refreshingly by a young lady from the Red Cross. Another welcoming touch is provided by the Red Cross as the young lady collects messages to be sent via Mars to relatives back home. Now the new arrivals get to work. Under the protection of armed security guards, a detail fills sandbags for area fortifications. Others emplace the sandbags around newly built bunkers. A converted oil truck provides the essential water supply for the camp. Chow is a welcome break in the work routine, compliments of the mass sergeant. The new arrivals are kept on their toes by alert drills. The men climb aboard their personnel carrier. The gunner stands ready and alert, and the APC pulls out. Then on 24 September, the men of the 11th Armored Cavalry are visited by General William Westmoreland for an official welcome. Colonel Cobb is one of the leaders and men of the Black Horse Regiment. This is the first time that the 11th Cavalry has been in Southeast Asia since 1901. 65 years ago, your regiment was in the Philippines involved in the Philippine insurrection. In 1916, you're involved in the war with Mexico, chasing Pancho Villa. World War II, 11th Cavalry, served with distinction, having spawned three organizations that fought during that war. It's now my great pleasure to welcome the famous Black Horse Regiment, the 11th Armored Cavalry to Southeast Asia, here in Vietnam. I'm Boa Chien, not far from Cameron Bay, is the site of Camp B-51. This is one of the many Special Forces camps set up to train Vietnamese for the civilian irregular defense forces. The classes are taught by Vietnamese regulars, but men of the 5th Special Forces are always on hand to evaluate the instruction. The student soldiers begin by learning the operation of weapons and equipment they may be using in defense of their homes. Here, they practice assembling the HT-1 radio. Weapon retraining at the school puts heavy stress on the hand grenade. At the nearby range, the men get plenty of experience in the technique of hurling a grenade for maximum distance and accuracy. They find it a potent weapon and quickly learn to take cover after cutting loose. At the rifle range, they prepare with a variety of light weapons, such as the BAR, under the watchful eye of Special Forces advisors. The men come from all parts of Vietnam and will return to their villages when the four-week course is completed. Hand-to-hand combat techniques are an essential part of the training. The men are not only taught to fight, but also how to fall without injury or loss of control. These men were chosen for training and ready leaders in their villages and will be better able to pass on their knowledge to others. In the last phase of training, the students begin field exercises. The purpose of this river crossing is to teach them how to keep their weapons and clothes secure in their ponchos. Starting to look like veterans, the men learn to camouflage themselves for a simulated ambush against aggressor forces. When these Vietnamese return to their villages, the VC may be in for a surprise. On 15 September, the initial elements of the First Philippine Civic Action Battalion arrive at Tainin Airfield, 130 kilometers northwest of Saigon. A Vietnamese army band strikes up a welcome as the men march from their C-130s to a nearby reception area. On hand for the occasion is General William C. Westmoreland, accompanied by city and province officials who will work with the unit. The 2,000-man battalion will be concerned exclusively with civic action projects throughout Tainin province. A crowd of girls waits to shower the troops with garlands of flowers in a traditional Vietnamese welcome. Battalion commander General Gontentios Tobkas is among the first to be honored. After the ceremonies, the garlanded troops move out to board a fleet of waiting trucks and begin their assignments. On 28 September, as pastoral Nuremberg passes below, a train, crowded with German and American troops, is on its way to a NATO sports fest. In this realistic exercise, a plane plummets into it, exploding the engine in the first two cars. A Buns Van watchman puts in the alarm, and operation SIMCAL 66 begins. Dr. Andreas Erschlechter, Lord Mayor of Nuremberg, explains this day-long mass casualty exercise is intended to demonstrate the joint efforts of the Germans and the Americans in any emergency. The burning and the wreckage and the screams of the wounded make this simulated disaster frighteningly realistic. The Nuremberg City Fire Department arrives on the scene. Clad in their asbestos suits, they spray the area with carbon dioxide. As soon as the call is received, reporting the time, place, and type of incident, medical personnel, ambulances, and every available piece of emergency equipment is rushed to the scene by city hospitals of Nuremberg and Perth by the U.S. Army's 20th Station Hospital and the Bavarian Red Cross. The massive job of treating the more than 150 casualties begins. Everything that can be done is done for the injured before they are evacuated to these rear areas which, at this very moment, are setting up to receive them. Father John Mellon of Brooklyn, New York offers comfort wherever he can. This bus ambulance of the U.S. Army's 549th Medical Company can carry as many as 26 patients. In addition to its distinguished military history, the 549th has participated in many civic affairs. All told, over 100 vehicles are involved in Operation SimCal 66. Anyone, anytime, anywhere, this is the motto of the 421st Air Ambulance Company, which provided coverage by flying in supplies and equipment and evacuating 24 of the most critically injured. Within 90 minutes after it was sounded into being, Operation SimCal 66 is completed, showing to the world that both nations stand side-by-side and ready 24 hours a day to extend themselves in the event of an actual mass casualty. Coptu, France. This quiet town, like others throughout France, is destined to know an even greater quiet as a direct result of France's new foreign policy. U.S. installations are being closed. At the Coptu Ammunition Depot, a handful of Americans remain to load ammunition from storage e-glues onto trucks for transfer to installations elsewhere. Despite the heavy investment that has gone into them, these buildings may never be completed. The last truck convoy moves out, leaving Coptu Depot to history. At Braconne, the story is the same. Warehouses are emptied of their supplies. At the commissary, equipment is dismantled and removed. Heavier material, such as tank transmissions or jeeps, are loaded onto flat cars. The loaded trains head east. At the Jeumon Depot, a similar story. Even permanent fixtures are taken from the buildings. And at Rachefort, boats and assorted craft belonging to the United States are being moved to ports outside of France. Croix-Chapot was the site of an army hospital. Patients and personnel have all departed. At Boussac, once a bustling depot, all it remains are a few POL tanks. A lone guard and his dog replaces hundreds of French employees. For the people of France, the American soldier has gone. President Lyndon B. Johnson arrives at Fort Campbell, Kentucky to present military awards for heroism to Vietnam veterans. The president, accompanied by Mrs. Johnson and their daughter Lucy, is greeted at the airfield. Major General Ben Sternberg, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, is host to the president. A 21-gun salute for the commander-in-chief. The president troops the line of the 101st Airborne along with Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson and General Sternberg. In a ceremony attended by thousands of visitors, including many notables, the president presents the awards for heroism. The president then witnesses a demonstration by the men of the 101st. The show includes a demonstration of airborne firepower as part of an air assault under simulated battle conditions. The helicopter's ability to carry sling loads is clearly demonstrated. Mr. Johnson reflects his keen interest as he inspects weapons and uniforms captured from the Viet Cong. The highlight of the day is the president's speech to the assembled prong. I speak to you now as the commander-in-chief of the best military force our nation has ever placed on the field of battle. 300,000 young Americans. Better trained, better equipped, better supported than any who have borne our colors of the past are now engaged in combat in faraway Vietnam. Great fighting units have been writing military history out there as they did a generation ago in Europe and the Pacific. The 1st Infantry Division, the big red one, the 1st Air Cavalry, the 25th Infantry Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 101st Airborne Division never have the people of this country had more justification for pride nor more reason to be grateful than they have today because of men like you. So, I honored and respected men of the 101st. We have come here today to salute you. May we prove worthy of the honor that you and your comrades in arms are bringing to this great land of ours. God will protect you. Thank you very much. Later, the President and his family visit with the disabled veterans of the fighting in Vietnam. LBJ enjoys his piece of cake as he chats with soldiers and other dignitaries. With the festivities at an end, President Johnson and his party return to the airfield for Fort Campbell, a memorable occasion.