Southern Cross information
for 23 INF DIV
11 BDE 23 INF
196 BDE 23 INF
198 BDE 23 INF
For date 711126
23 INF DIV was a US Army unit
11 BDE 23 INF was a US Army unit
196 BDE 23 INF was a US Army unit
198 BDE 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 "Final division standdown scheduled at Ft. Lewis" by MSG Bill Pickett.
This is the last issue of the "Southern Cross" newspaper, however, a Charger newspaper will be published by the 10th Public Information Detachment of the 196th Infantry Brigade beginning Dec. 1971.
CHU LAI (Special) - The actual standdown of the 23d Infantry Division will not be accomplished until the last days of this month when the division command group will accompany the colors to Ft. Lewis, Wash., for the official deactivation of the unit and the retirement of the colors. That action will bring to a close an enormous redeployment task which began in earnest with the announcement of the standdown of the 3d Battalion, 18th Artillery and the 71st Assault Helicopter Company on Sept. 8. Planning for the entire operation began much earlier under the supervision of the Keystone Operations Center, whose personnel were responsible for the coordination and scheduling of all standdown activities. A personnel out-processing center was established adjacent to the Chu Lai Airfield, and this operation, although deterred one day when Typhoon Hester leveled the center, averaged 200 persons per day through its doors, destined for reassignment in-country or return to CONUS for further assignment or ETS. Also in September, units of the 23d Medical Battalion, and maintenance and engineer companies began standdown, many utilizing the facilities of the Division Combat Center or the former 27th Surgical Hospital area through which most of the division members would pass during their standdown period. These locations were provided [to] exchange and club facilities to serve Americal soldiers during their standdown. On Sept. 17, H Troop, 17th Cavalry began its standdown, and during October most maneuver elements of the division also began their standdown operations. It was during this period that Task Force Americal began to take shape under the command of COL Robert J. Malloy, former DISCOM commander. Mission of Task Force Americal (TFA) was to prevent the enemy from establishing bases from which to rocket Chu Lai Combat Base and to keep the enemy from massing troops for attack. Major units standing down during October included 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry and 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry on Oct. 5, and 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry and the 123d Assault Support Helicopter Company [Note this must be an error. 132nd Assault Support Helicopter Company (Hercules) may have been the correct unit.] Oct 7. The 11th Brigade and its 1st Battalion, 52d Infantry began standdown on Oct. 10. Two aviation battalions, the 14th Combat Aviation Battalion and 123d Aviation Battalion, went into standdown on Oct. 14. Between Oct. 15 and 18, the 4th Battalion, 3d Infantry; 174th Assault Helicopter Company and 23d Medical Battalion, minus, commenced standdown. Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 198th Infantry Brigade began standdown Oct. 19, followed on Oct. 22 by 23d Administrative Company and on Oct. 23 by the 16th Combat Aviation Group. Between Oct. 24 and 30, those units of Division Artillery which had not begun standdown were returned to rear areas to begin processing and on Oct 30, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery of Division Artillery closed out its mission as it received standdown instructions. The 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry - which had been replaced in the mountains west of Chu Lai by the 3d Battalion, 21st infantry maneuver element to commence standdown. When it was ordered to the rear on the last day of October. Division support units, including the 23d Supply and Transportation Battalion, 26th Engineer Battalion, 723d Maintenance Battalion and Division Support Command began standdown during the first week in November. Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company was the final unit to conduct standdown activities, and as the colors are escorted to CONUS last this month, only the 196th Infantry Brigade, under the command of BG Joseph C. McDonough, remains.
The source for this information was 7111_445_scr supplied by Les Hines 01/05/2000
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Last updated
12/18/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023