Army Reporter information
for D/3/4 CAV 25 INF

For date 680120


D/3/4 CAV 25 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Hau Nghia Province, III Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Cu Chi
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Choppers Break Up Possible VC Attack" dated 20 Jan 1968. Courage and a pair of sharp eyes are credited with breaking up a possible attack on the Cu Chi base camp of the 25th Inf Div 25 miles northwest of Saigon. When the smoke cleared from the ensuing action, D/3/4th Cav counted five enemy dead and captured a mortar. Discarded bloody clothing and web gear led squadron officers to believe enemy losses were higher. The initial sighting of the enemy's position was made by WO Jeffrey Halliday, aircraft commander, while he and a second helicopter were flying a late afternoon perimeter patrol. Halliday reporting on the encoutner, said he was informed by squadron operation that a team was not available to apprehend and question the men who up to that time were only suspects. Rather than wait, Halliday's crew volunteered to do the checking while the second aircraft orbited overhead. As Halliday hovered over the area, SP5 Thomas Lange, crew chief, grabbed his M16 and jumped to the ground. According to Halliday, as the crew chief moved toward one of the hidden suspects, the man jumped up and threw a grenade, which exploded. The aircraft commander swung the chopper around and sprayed the area with mini-gun fire, then dropped down and picked up Lange who was also firing. The second gunship remained overhead, firing rockets and machine guns into the enemy's position. A short time later an Aero Rifle Platoon arrived and swept through the area, finding the five bodies and bloody clothing. When asked why he volunteered to jump out to check the suspects, Lange's only reply was, "Why not?"
Comments: WO Halliday, Jeffrey; AC; ; SP5 Lange, Thomas; CE; ;

The source for this information was 6801AR.AVN supplied by Les Hines


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023