Southern Cross information
for 198 BDE 23 INF
1/6 INF 23 INF
For date 700605
198 BDE 23 INF was a US Army unit
1/6 INF 23 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Ngai Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Van Thien
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Engineers and 198th team up to build new village" story and photos by SP4 J.B. Majerus AMERICAL IO
CHU LAI - About seven miles northeast of Quang Ngai City, near Van Thien Village, a roaring Rome plow slices through the tangled growth of trees and brush. A few hundred yards away, Vietnamese civilians stare in awe at the two massive D-7 bulldozers of the 26th Engineer Battalion as the snorting monsters rip through the brush and trees and push them into tangled heavy smelling piles. A village official grins with glee as a tall hardwood is toppled without disturbing the composure of the salvaged bricks stacked at its base. The tree fell exactly as he requested. The work of clearing the land for defense and farming continues as the bellowing behemoths battle the tough roots and rocks. A little further west, a jumble of bamboo framework and concertina wire bears the promise of safety and shelter for the several thousand Vietnamese. Scurrying figures run the maze of trails and paths carrying impossible loads of bricks sticks and logs. A wizened little women motions for an engineer lieutenant to lift one end of a log as big and heavy as she is. She searches for the center of balance and hoisting the log onto her thin shoulder moves quietly down the path in a fast, sure-footed shuffle. A young boy cautiously edges into the perimeter of the American position on the edge of the village. He seeks "doc". The 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Company medic examines, carefully cashes and then treats a large sore of [?] on the youngster's head. A quick smile and the youngster is gone. Another lad, older than the first, walks confidently to the perimeter and with a jaunty, "Hey honcho!? announces that he wishes to trade food for an enemy round he has found. Later in the morning a group of Quang Ngai Province Civilian Irregular Defense Group soldiers and elements of the 198th Infantry Brigade's 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, move carefully into the woodline east of the village. They seek the enemy, the lurking threat. The "New Life" village of Van Thien grows wall by wall adding one family at a time. The people are returning to their land. The security provided by the soldiers enables them to work their fields and rebuild their homes relatively free from harassment and intimidation. Van Thien will soon shelter about 3,000 people. I may grow to a population of 6,000 when more of the displaced farmers return to their fields. Although most of the building is done with the abundant bamboo, some materials, such as tin, sandbags, wire and steel posts have been supplied by the Americans. The local Popular Forces troops are trained and assisted by the Americal elements that are providing security for the village. Sometime in the future they will be able to defend their village and themselves.
Photo Captions:
1) A medic from the 198th Infantry Brigade, PFC Jerry Maxwell, Waukesha, Wisc., treats the sore on the head of a Vietnamese child. His unit is helping to defend the Van Thien village.
2) The big blade of a D-7 bulldozer pushes brush and trees before it as the dozer heads for the larger tree. The dozer was involved in a land clearing operation around the village. It was supplied by Headquarters Platoon, Bravo Company of the 26th Engineer Battalion.
3) A Vietnamese women salvages bricks from the ruins of an old farm house near the village. Later she will use the bricks to build herself and family a new farm house.
4) Members of the Quang Ngai province Civilian Irregular Group confer with infantrymen from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry. The men were organizing a joint patrol in defense of Van Thien which is located north of Quang Ngai.
5) A Vietnamese father and son work peacefully in their field. The farmers have been able to work without harassment from the enemy because the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry is providing security for the area.
6) A soldier from the 4.2 mortar platoon of Company E humps a load of supplies to the platoon's position next to the village.
The source for this information was 7006_320_scr supplied by Les Hines 12/14/2000
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Last updated
12/25/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023