Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for 71 AHC
3/21 INF 23 INF
For date 680117
71 AHC was a US Army unit
3/21 INF 23 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Tin Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Tam Ky
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Arms Cache Found."
Chu Lai (IO) -Elements of Americal Div.'s 196th Inf. Brigade uncovered one of the largest weapons and ammunition caches ever found in I Corps area recently, 17 miles west of Tam Ky. A/3/21st Inf., captured 140 weapons and destroyed tons of enemy ammunition in the brigade's largest discovery since it has been in Vietnam. The weapons found by the battalion, which is commanded by LTC Allen R. Champlin, of Fayetteville, N.C., increased the total number of weapons captured by the "Chargers" to 253 in Operation Wheeler/Wallowa. This discovery came as a result of information from a former 2nd North Vietnamese Army Div. noncom who turned himself in, using a safe conduct pass he picked up after a leaflet drop by the brigade's armed propaganda team, NH. Freeman, of Asheville, NC. CPT Paul N. Yurchak, of Pittston, PA, commander of A Co., received word of the soldier's knowledge and alerted his men that the cache was in their area of operation. The former enemy, along with an interpreter and 2LT George A Kidney of Loomis, Calif., first platoon leader, boarded a helicopter to make an aerial reconnaissance of the area. After he spotted terrain familiar to him, they made an air assault into the area with an 18-man force. The force spotted two VC 50 meters away fleeing from them. They were killed. The soldier led the unit to a village a short distance away and discovered 15 weapons piled in a heap in thick underbrush. The weapons apparently were being used as a parts stockpile. Leaving four men to guard the weapons, the search party pushed on. Within a short distance the element came upon two huts. Weapons were discovered in one hut, an ammunition stockpile in the other. The captured weapons were taken by 71st AHC helicopters to the battalion's base camp. Some of the weapons included: 60 rifles; five shotguns; 20 light machine guns; five heavy machine guns; 25 sub-machine guns; two 57 mm recoilless rifles; eight 60 mm mortars; three 81mm mortars; four pistols; two M-79 grenade launchers; two M-60 machine guns; one 50 caliber machine gun; and three light anti-tank weapons. More than 72 boxes of ammunition were destroyed by the company.
The source for this information was 6801pss.avn supplied by Les Hines
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Last updated
02/21/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023