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News on this date during the Vietnam war

May 17

1966:  ARVN officer shot while shooting at VIP Helicopter

ARVN officer fires on helicopter leaving Hue with Gen Cao. C/S III MAF, and DSA I Corps aboard; helicopter gunner kills officer.

1966:  Operation Dan Chi 228B commenced

ARVN forces conducted a search and destroy operation in Bac Lieu Province on 17 May, the one day operation resulted in friendly losses of six killed and 35 wounded, The enemy sustained losses of 267 killed, five captured, 41 weapons, 15 60-mm. mortar rounds, 350 grenades and a large amount of small arms ammunition was captured.

1966:  Operation Providence commenced

The 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division conducted a search and destroy and route security operation from Tân Uyên District to Phuoc Vinh. Dates: May 17 – 21.

1966:  Operation Birmingham terminated

1st Infantry Division and ARVN 5th Division conducted a multi-brigade search and destroy operations on the eastern flank of War Zone C to open Route 13 from Saigon to the north and engage the Viet Cong 9th Division Tay Ninh Province. Dates Apr 24 – May 17. The Viet Cong suffered heavy losses, but managed to withdraw beyond the Cambodian border. In addition to the large number of Viet Cong casualties, destruction of many base camps and structures, approximately 500 tons of weapons; ordnance; rice, salt and other foods were seized by anti-communist forces and the interdiction of one exit of the Ho Chi Hinh Trail. Results: Enemy 119 KIA, 28 VC Captured, 30 ralliers, 131 weapons, 2,103 tons of rice, 325 tons of salt, 66 base camps, 4 small jungle factories, 2 jungle Hospitals, 6 Aid Stations, 7,050 complete uniforms, 100 pounds of medical supplies, and an odd assortment of munnitions captured. Friendly casualties US 56 KIA, 324 WIA.

1967:  Three 311-foot USCG cutters arrive in S Vietnam

NAVFORV -- Three 311-foot USCG cutters arrived and are serving with MARKET TIME forces. USCG in-country strength is now 800 Cutters armed with one 5 inch gun. forward and one 40mm cannon.

1967:  Marines elements battle in the Con Thien area.

During Operation Prairie 2 kilometers E Con Thien the enemy attacked  the 26th Mar CP with 82mm mortar fire. The fire was returned. Results 18 US WIA. In the vicinity of Con Thien the enemy attacked a 26th Marine element with small arms and mortar fire, the fire was returned and the enemy broke contact a sweep found 8 Enemy KIA. In the vicinity of Con Thien a 9th Marine element engaged an enemy force  resulting in 8 more Enemy KIA.

1967:  Operation Hickory / Beau Charger / Lam Son 54 commenced

3d Marine Division 1st, 2d, 3d Battalions, 9th Marines (Hickory); 2d Battalion, 3d Marines (Hickory); 1st and 3d Battalions, 4th Marines (Hickory); 2d Battalion, 26th Marines (Hickory): 1st Battalion, 3d Marines (Beau Charger); 5th ARVN regiment (Lam Son 54). Conducted an 11-day search-and-destroy operation in Quang Tri Province. LOSSES: Friendly: 119 KIA, 817 WIA; Enemy: 367 KIA, 36 Detainees, 86 Individual weapons and 22 Crew served weapons were captured.

1967:  Operation Dallas commenced

The 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment conducted a road clearing and security operation on Route 16 near Phu Loi. Dates: May 17 – 26. The 1st Inf Div killed 19 VC and captured weapons and ammo during this operation. 

1967:  Operation Diamond Head commenced

The 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division conducted a search and destroy operation in the Michelin Rubber Plantation, Ho Bo Woods and the Trapezoid, Binh Duong and Tay Ninh Provinces. Dates: May 17 – Dec 7. This 204 day operation resulted in 237 Enemy KIA, 499 Detainees, 4 Returnees, 104 Individual weapons and 2 Crew-served weapons captured. Friendly casualties were 80 KIA, 605 WIA.

1967:  Operation Union I terminated

The 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and ARVN 1st Ranger Group-(Operation Lien Ket 102) conducted a search and destroy operation in the Que Son Valley, Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces. Dates: Apr 21 – May 17.  On 17 May 1967, Operation UNION I was officially terminated. According to the Combat After-Action Report for Operation UNION I, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines lost 34 Marines or Navy Corpsmen killed in action, and 150 wounded in action as a result of combat operations during Operation UNION I. On the other side of the macabre Vietnam-style scales of warfare, the Marines involved in Operation UNION I accounted for 865 enemy KIA's, including a reported 486 who were NVA regulars of the 2 nd NVA Division. The Marines also captured tons of enemy war-fighting materials. Including all of the units that were involved in the 27-day operation, 110 Marines were killed, 2 were Missing in Action, and 473 were wounded in action. The mission of Operation UNION I was accomplished.

1968:  Operation Nevada Eagle commenced

Operation Nevada Eagle, initiated on 17 May 68 in Thua Thien Province, continued in 1969 as the 101st Abn Div continued to seek and destroy or capture enemy personnel, materiel, and installations within its large AO, with emphasis on rice denial, Interdiction of enemy, movement and offensive sweeps along Route 547 and Song Bo. Upon termination on 28 Feb. The troops had killed 3,299 enemy soldiers, detained 5,292, while friendly losses were 205 K1A , 1822 WIA.

1968:  Operation Jeb Stuart III commenced

The 1st Cav Division conducted continuing rice denial and cordons operations along the border of Quang Tri, in the Ba Long Valley and Thua Thien Provinces with four Infantry Battalions and the 1/9th Air Cav. The 1st and 3d ARVN Regiments participated. Casualties: US - 212 KIA, 1,512 WIA, enemy 2,016 KIA and 251 POWs.

1968:  Operation Carentan II terminated

101st Airborne Division and 3rd Brigade 82nd Airborne Division conducted a search and destroy operation in the lowlands of Quang Tri and Thua Thien Provinces. CARENTAN I terminated on 31 Mar 68, with the launching of Operation CARENTAN II. The new operation was conducted in the same area, northwest from the coastal plains; south from Hue; due west to the A Shau Valley. Operation CARENTAN II proved to be a testing point for the Screaming Eagles. During this operation, the 2d Brigade, 101st ABN Div soldiers heroically attacked and destroyed enemy rear bases and forward headquarters, thus preventing the enemy from attacking the city of Hue. North Vietnamese regulars challenged paratrooper forces almost daily. The normal tactic of hit and run was absent from the enemy's fighting strategy. The Screaming Eagles earned a reputation among the enemy units. Those who wore the Eagle patch on their shoulder were to be avoided. The mission of CARENTAN II was to continue driving hostile forces from the area around Hue, and to begin clearing operations toward the A Shau Valley for a possible future raid into that area. The first major battle occurred on the famous "Street without Joy" on 11 Apr 68. Assisting the 17th Airborne Cav in the "Street" sweep were 2nd Brigade troopers from the 2nd Bn., 501st Abn. Inf. - A, B & D Companies. A sweep of the Phong Dien village after a night cordon and artillery bombardment resulted in 66 enemy dead and 26 weapons captured. Screaming Eagles terminated Operation Carentan II on May 17. The paratrooper forces killed 2,100 NVA, captured 157 prisoners and 581 enemy weapons during the 47 day operation around Hue. Casualties for both operations: U.S. 193 KIA, 1,190 WIA, 11 MIA

1968:  17th Regt, 1st Mar Div and 27th Mar RLT engage enemy SW of Hoi An

During Operation Allen Brook in Quang Nam Province elements of the 17th Regt, 1st Mar Div and 27th Mar RLT engaged an unknown size enemy force 13 miles SW of Hoi An. The enemy engaged with small arms, mortars and RPG rocket fire. The Mariners returned fire and assaulted the enemy positions. The results of the engagement were 28 Enemy KIA; Us casualties were 22 US KIA, 81 WIA

1968:  Medal of Honor Recipient, Robert C. Burke

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company 1, 3d Battalion, 27th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Southern Quang Nam Province Republic of Vietnam, 17 May 1968. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 7 November 1949, Monticello, Ill.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty for service as a machine gunner with Company 1. While on Operation ALLEN BROOK, Company 1 was approaching a dry river bed with a heavily wooded treeline that borders the hamlet of Le Nam (1), when they suddenly came under intense mortar, rocket propelled grenades, automatic weapons and small-arms fire from a large, well concealed enemy force which halted the company's advance and wounded several marines. Realizing that key points of resistance had to be eliminated to allow the units to advance and casualties to be evacuated, Pfc. Burke, without hesitation, seized his machine gun and launched a series of 1-man assaults against the fortified emplacements. As he aggressively maneuvered to the edge of the steep river bank, he delivered accurate suppressive fire upon several enemy bunkers, which enabled his comrades to advance and move the wounded marines to positions of relative safety. As he continued his combative actions, he located an opposing automatic weapons emplacement and poured intense fire into the position, killing 3 North Vietnamese soldiers as they attempted to flee. Pfc. Burke then fearlessly moved from one position to another, quelling the hostile fire until his weapon malfunctioned. Obtaining a casualty's rifle and hand grenades, he advanced further into the midst of the enemy fire in an assault against another pocket of resistance, killing 2 more of the enemy. Observing that a fellow marine had cleared his malfunctioning machine gun he grasped his weapon and moved into a dangerously exposed area and saturated the hostile treeline until he fell mortally wounded. Pfc. Burke's gallant actions upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

1969:  Recon, 3rd Marine Division engage enemy 4 miles W of the Rockpile

In Quang Tri Province at approximately 0930H, a Recon element of the 3rd Marine Division engaged an unknown size NVA force 4 miles W of the Rockpile and about 3 miles S of the DMZ. Small arms and automatic weapons fire was exchanged and the Marines directed artillery and Tac Air onto the enemy location. Contact was lost at an unreported time. There were no Marine casualties. An aerial observer, flying over the area, reported sighting the bodies of 12 enemy soldiers lying in the battle area.

1969:  Air Cav troops, Americal engage enemy 8 miles N Quang Ngai City

During Operation Geneva Park in Quang Ngai Province at approximately 1150H, Air Cav troops from an element of the AMERICAL Division observed 40 enemy soldiers in an area 8 miles N of Quang Ngai City. The troops moved and attacked the enemy with organic weapons. Heavy small arms and automatic weapons fire was exchanged. Fighting continued with helicopter gunships and artillery supporting the ground force until an unreported time when the remaining enemy withdrew. Results of the engagement were: 27 Enemy KIA; US casualties were 4 KIA and13 WIA.

1969:  1st Bde, 1st Cav engage enemy 12 miles N of Tay Ninh City

In Tay Nihn Province at approximately 2115H, an element of the 1st Bde, 1st Cavalry Division (AM) observed and engaged with organic weapons an unknown number of enemy soldiers 12 miles N of Tay Ninh City. Contact was lost almost immediatley. The bodies of 7 enemy soldiers were found in the area and 2 enemy soldiers were captured. 3 107mm rockets being moved by the enemy were captured. There were no US casualties.

1969:  4th Infantry Div Cav Squadron engage enemy 8 miles SW of Kontum

In Kontum Province at approximately 1740H, an aerial observer from an armored Cavalry Squadron of the 4th Infantry Division sighted an estimated NVA company in an area 8 miles SW of Kontum City. An armored cav element, in tanks and armored personel carriers, moved to the area and engaged the enemy force. Heavy small arms and automatic weapons fire was exchanged and the enemy employed RPG rocket-grenade fire. The troops employed organic weapons on their armored vehicles. At one point in the close fighting, some enemy were killed while climbing onto a damaged tank. Contact was lost at about 1805H. Results: 40 NVA soldiers KIA; US casualties were 2 KIA and 5 WIA.

1969:  2nd Bde, US 9th Inf engage enemy 5 miles S of Ben Tre

During Operation Speedy Express in Kien Hoa Province at approximately 1945H, an element of the 2nd Bde, US 9th Inf Div, supported by helicopter gunships from an Air Cav element of the Division, engaged an unknown numbar of enemy 5 miles S of Ben Tre. Sporadic contact was made as the troops swept the area during the next 2 hours. Contact was lost at about 2210H. Results: 14 Enemy KIA and 6 enemy sampans were destroyed. There were no US casualties.

1970:   Operations continue in Cambodia

A force of 10,000 South Vietnamese troops, supported by 200 U.S. advisers, aircraft and logistical elements, attack into what was known as the "Parrot's Beak," the area of Cambodia that projects into South Vietnam above the Mekong Delta. The South Vietnamese reached the town of Takeo in a 20-mile thrust. This action was part of the ongoing operation ordered by President Richard Nixon in April. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces launched a limited "incursion" into Cambodia that included 13 major ground operations to clear North Vietnamese sanctuaries 20 miles inside the Cambodian border in both the "Parrot's Beak" and the densely vegetated "Fishhook" area (across the border from South Vietnam, 70 miles from Saigon). Some 50,000 South Vietnamese soldiers and 30,000 U.S. troops were involved, making it the largest operation of the war since Operation Junction City in 1967.

In the United States, news of the incursion set off a wave of antiwar demonstrations, including one at Kent State University that resulted in the killing of four students by Army National Guard troops. Another protest at Jackson State in Mississippi resulted in the shooting of two students when police opened fire on a women's dormitory. The incursion also angered many in Congress who felt that Nixon was illegally widening the scope of the war; this resulted in a series of congressional resolutions and legislative initiatives that would severely limit the executive power of the president.

1970:  ARVN kill 69 communists near Takeo City, Cambodia

On May 17th Sixty-nine Communists were slain when an unknown-size enemy force was engaged by a multi-battalion ARVN force southwest of Takeo City, Cambodia. There were no ARVN casualties reported in this Operation CUU LONG II action.

1970:  US advisors enter Laos briefly with ARVN

SECDEF announces US advisors have entered Laos briefly with ARVN troops but US troops are prohibited from large scale operations in Laos.

1970:  4th Infantry Division back in RVN

All elements of the, 4th Infantry Division (Mech) Task Force which had been operating in the Se San River area of Cambodia are now relocated back in RVN.

1970:  MSF battalion attacked 4 kilometers north of Dak Seang

An MSF battalion receives heavy ground fire and mortars 4 kilometers north of Dak Seang, Kontun Province. Fire is returned with organic weapons and supported by artillery. Results of the engagement are 33 Enemy KIA; There were no friendly casualties.

1971:  Stringent new checking systems begin at Saigon area post exchanges

Stringent new checking systems begin at Saigon area post exchanges with MPs scrutinizing identification and ration cards of all persons entering the exchanges. Major purchases are also recorded. Exchange sales drop an average of about $11, 000 a day.

1971:  Stepped-up GVN drive against smuggling

Approximately 130 policemen, customs officers, and other officials at Tan Son Nhut Airport are shifted to other jobs as part of a stepped-up GVN drive against smuggling.

1972:   South Vietnamese reinforcements near An Loc

Preceded by five B-52 strikes, which reportedly killed 300 North Vietnamese to the south, South Vietnamese forces arrive by helicopter to within two miles of An Loc in continuing efforts to relieve this besieged city. It had been surrounded by three North Vietnamese divisions since early April. The North Vietnamese had been holding An Loc under siege for almost three months while they made repeated attempts to take the city. The defenders suffered heavy casualties, including 2,300 dead or missing, but with the aid of U.S. advisors and American airpower, they managed to hold An Loc against vastly superior odds until the siege was finally lifted on June 18.

POW/MIA's Reported missing on this date during the Vietnam war.

Since the end of American involvement in Southeast Asia, over 10,000 reports relating to Americans have been received. Nearly 1000 of these reports are first-hand, eyewitness reports. Many concern American prisoners who were not released at the end of the war. Collectively, they present a compelling case that Americans are still held against their will by an enemy many of us have forgotten.

May 17

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