Southern Cross information
for 26 ENG 23 INF

For date 700102


26 ENG 23 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Tin Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Chu Lai
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Rugged 26th Engineers Observe Anniversary" by SFC Herb Nesmith 198th IO. CHU LAI - The Division's 26th Engr Bn. this month celebrated its second anniversary of service in Vietnam. Battalion commander LTC Donald R. Swygert (Ballentine, S.C.) personally visited each of the companies on Dec. 8 - the anniversary date - to present awards, briefly review the history of the 26th Engr. Bn., and congratulate the Army engineers on their successful and important work with both the Americal and Vietnamese forces in southern I Corps. The mission of the "White Lions" is to provide a special engineer staff and to direct combat engineer support to the Division and its elements. The battalion was first activated in the Panama Canal Zone at Ft. Clayton on Dec. 2, 1954, and was a component of the 23rd Infantry Division. One of its units, C Co. had already been credited with prior service, having taken part in the WWII campaigns of Normandy, northern France, the Rhineland, and Central Europe. The battalion was inactivated April, 10 1967. The 26th Engineers were reactivated in Vietnam on Dec. 8, 1967 with four of its six companies already in-country. Alpha Co. (formerly the 175th Engr Co.) both then and now provides engineer support to the 196th Bde. Bravo Co. came from Ft. Hood, Tex. with the 198th Inf. Bde., and was formerly designated the 555th (Triple Nickel) Engr. Co. Charlie Co. (previously the 6th Engr. Co.) arrived in the Republic with the 11th Inf. Bde. Echo Co. is the former 554th Engr. Co. (Float Bridge) Headquarters Co. was formed from men of the U.S. Army Vietnam Engineer Command (Provisional.) The battalion now enters its third year of service in Vietnam and continues to provide vital support to the Division Photo Caption - BUILDING AN INTERSTATE FREEWAY? Not really. This member of the 26th Engr. Bn., is leveling out a gun position on LZ Siberia for C Btry 3-82nd Arty. Since they are in the field a great deal engineers play a dual role, having to be proficient at being both infantrymen and combat engineers. (Photo By SP5 M. L. Hoskinson. Americal IO) (Note nice view of the valley in the background as a helmetless engineer operates a bulldozer.)

The source for this information was 7001_340.SCR supplied by Les Hines (Southern Cross newspaper from 23rd Inf Div)


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Last updated 12/26/2000

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023