Battle of Thunder Road information
for 1 INF DIV
1/4 CAV
C/1/7 ARTY 1 INF
From date 690812 to 690906
1 INF DIV was a US Army unit
1/4 CAV was a US Army unit
C/1/7 ARTY 1 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
South Vietnam
Location, Thunder Road
Description: Thunder Road was the name given to QL 13 from Saigon west to Quan Loi by the 11th ACR who used the callsign Thunder. Several 1st Inf Div units, especially the 1/4th Cav, 2/34th Arm, 2/2nd (Mech) Inf, and the 1st Eng, as well as 11th ACR Sqdns often OPCONed to the 1st Inf Div, spent a lot of time traveling this road and defending FSBs along it to protect convoys that traveled it. The enemy ambushed this road regularily. There were many "battle of Thunder Roads". The 1st Inf Div history records their battle when the 3rd Bde moved the 2/2nd (Mech) Inf from the Iron Triangle onto outposts along the road. C Co was on FSB Thunder III when the enemy struck of resupply convoy near it. Several 1st Inf Div unit responded and killed 73 NVA in two hours. Within a ten-day period, the enemy attacked the road three times and lost 110 men. On Sep 5, they attacked FSB Thunder III and the next day another convey; 1st Inf Div elements claimed another 78 NVA killed for a total of 188 for the period.
The following from Tim Long: <
The ground attack on September 5th 1969 was at Thunder III. I was at this battle with C Battery 1/7th Artillery 1st ID. It began at midnight and broke off shortly before sunup. There were over twenty sappers KIA inside the perimeter that morning. There was one US KIA.
I submitted an article to VIETNAM MAGAZINE in reference to this battle and it was in the October 2006 edition.
Tim Long, C Battery 1/7 Artillery 1st ID, Vietnam Jan.69-Jan. 70
The source for this information was Turner 1st Inf P:28 & 52
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
01/30/2022
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023