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Men of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, fire from old Viet Cong trenches.
nized infantry battalion and eight infantry battalions. In addition, the commander, Maj. Gen. Frederick C. Weyand, insisted on taking the divisional tank battalion.[1]
The 4th Infantry Division, the last Regular Army infantry division available in the United States in 1965 for service in Vietnam, experienced similar turbulence. The Sixth U.S. Army relieved one tank battalion from the division, equipped the other with M48 tanks, reorganized one mechanized infantry battalion as standard infantry, and added two more infantry battalions, giving the division the same maneuver mix (1—1—8) as the 25th Infantry Division. Shortly after the 4th completed its reorganization in November 1965, the division received 6,000 recruits to bring all units up to full strength. From June through August 1966 the 4th also assisted forty-seven nondivisional units in preparing for duty in Vietnam and helped activate the training center at Fort Lewis, Washington. Nevertheless, the "Ivy Division" deployed to Vietnam between August and October 1966.[2]
As the conflict in Vietnam intensified, Westmoreland requested additional infantry for the 173d Airborne Brigade and the 1st Cavalry Division. When the 173d Airborne Brigade arrived in Vietnam, it had only two airborne battalions and was augmented with an Australian battalion, while the 1st Cavalry Division had only eight airmobile infantry battalions, which left one of its brigades short a
- ↑ Starry, Mounted Combat, p. 58; Ltr, TAG to CinC, USARPAC, 26 Jan 66, sub: Reorganization of the 25th Infantry Division, AGAO-O (M) (26 Jan 66) ACSFOR, and Ltr, TAG to CinC, USARPAC, 10 Mar 66, sub: Reorganization of Elements of the 25th Infantry Division, AGSD-C (M) (10 Mar 66) ACSFOR, both 25th Inf Div file: DAMH-HSO; Lir, TAG to CG, U.S. Army. Alaska, 10 Jan 66, sub: Activation of Units, AGAO-O (M) (10 Jan 66), AG Reference files, DAMH-HSO; Hermes, "Vietnam Buildup." ch. 13, pp. 1–13.
- ↑ Ltr, TAG to CG, Sixth U.S, Army, 29 Dee 65, sub: Reorganization of the 4th Infantry Division, AGAO-O (M) (12 Nov 65) DCSPER, 4th Inf Div file, DAMH-HSO; Weinert, Army Buildup, 1966, pp. 122–25; Hermes, "Vietnam Buildup," ch. 13, pp. 27–34.
