Attack on Plei Me SF camp information
for A-217 SF DET

From date 651019 to 651020


A-217 SF DET was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Pleiku Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Plei Me
Description: The Ia Drang Valley campaign begins when the 33rd NVA Regt attacked the SF camp at Plei Me about 25 miles southwest of Pleiku. This was Phase I of the NVA Field Front (a division level command) battle plan called the Tay Nguyen Campaign. The goal was not to sieze terrain, only to destroy Allied forces. The NVA put Plei Me under siege with the 33rd NVA Regt and laid an ambush with the 32nd NVA Regt to the ARVN relief units. The A-217 SF Det had a large combat patrol sweeping an area nine miles from the camp but still had a good security force of two CIDG companies in the camp. At 2200H the NVA overran the southern outpost and a fierce mortar and recoilless rifle barrage ripped through the camp.

The source for this information was Rand, We Were Soldier Once, Green beret P:133+, Pleiku P:76


Additional information is available on CD-ROM.

Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org


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Last updated 12/20/2000

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023