Gallery 18 - Grimaldo's Pictures

Gallery 17 has pictures taken by Bryan "Frenchy" Lagimoniere at LZ Betty in 1969-1970. Before Frenchy arrived, another trooper was assigned to a sister unit belonging to the 101st Airborne. Grimaldo Urlich-Vivar, served in the Commo Platoon of HHC, 3rd Bn., 506th Infantry from November 1968 to November 1969. After Vietnam, he stayed in the Army and retired after serving 24 years. He has provided some of his pictures, which are shown below, of LZ Betty before and after the Tet Offensive of 1969.

During the 1969 Tet Offensive, LZ Betty's perimeter was attacked and penetrated at numerous places. None of the attackers escaped and they all died inside the LZ. Co. E, 3/506th had the 81 mm and 4.2 in. mortar platoons. They were destroyed when the Viet Cong overran their positions on the Echo Company perimeter. The enemy tried to penetrate other positions on Urlich's platoon side of the perimeter, but they were repelled. During the battle, the Co. D commander, Capt. Wrazen was killed, 1 man from Co. A and another from Co. D. The 7/17th Cav also lost 2 men.

Unrelated to Tet, another incident which stood out in 1969 involved a civilian airplane which crashed at LZ Betty. Pictures of that accident are also shown below.

Surveying the mess

West perimeter guard tower
overlooking motor pool

Entrance to battalion motor
pool at West perimeter

Vietnamese employee on
her way to work at Bn HQ

Girls hired to clean the
living quarters

Another couple of local
Vietnamese workers at camp

Two workers pose near
the 3/506th compound

Sighting the weapon after
the daily cleaning

On guard duty with M-60
.30 caliber machine-gun

Waiting in front of hooch
to go out on patrol

Still waiting. You know,
"Hurry up and wait!"

Exhausted after all that
waiting?

Civilian airplane crashed at
LZ Betty in early 1969

Aircraft destroyed 3
unoccupied hooches

Fortunately, nobody was
hurt in the accident

The year before, a similar attack had been launched at LZ Betty during the Tet Offensive. According to the History of 3/506th found on Randy White's web site: (http://www.lcompanyranger.com/3506history.htm)

"In early January 1968, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) consolidated its widely scattered elements in I Corps Tactical Zone (I CTZ). This consolidation pulled the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Cavalry (Gen. Custer’s old outfit) out of II CTZ and left the four southern provinces of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Tuyen Duc, and Lam Dong without US Forces. General Westmoreland, Commander of the US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, decided to create a separate Airborne-Airmobile Battalion Task Force, under the operational control of Lieutenant General William R Peers, First Field Force Vietnam (I FFV). The 3-506 was chosen to become the nucleus of this unit to be called Task Force 3/506. On January 17 the Battalion was relocated to replace the 2/7th Air Cavalry at LZ Betty on the South China Sea near the city of Phan Thiet. The task force would have the responsibility for airmobile deployment into the four southern provinces of II CTZ.

"On January 17, 1968, the 3-506 relocated to their new base camp, LZ Betty near Phan Thiet. The Shock Force (Recon and Anti-Tank Platoon) was sent to provide security at a near by Fire Support Base, FSB Judy. FSB Judy had a battery of 155mm towed artillery and a 40mm Duster platoon that were IFFV assets.

"1LT (Michael) Pearson was promoted to Captain and a change of command was planned for the Shock Force. In addition to the new command, a structural change was planned that will begin to convert the Shock Force, a battalion reconnaissance platoon and sometimes 4th rifle platoon, into a long range reconnaissance asset for the battalion and add support for the intelligence requirement for IFFV in AO MCLAIN. But within a few days these plans would be put on hold. On January 28, the day before the official cease-fire date in observance of the Tet Lunar New Year, the Shock Force ambushed a 40-man Viet Cong patrol northwest of Phan Thiet. Nine VC were killed and numerous blood trails were found. Three members of Shock Force were wounded. Unknown to anyone at the time, this enemy, along with several other undetected enemy units, were converging on Phan Thiet to begin the Tet Offensive.

"On January 30, the Tet Communist Offensive begins. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Viet Cong launched a countrywide surprise attack against the US and South Vietnamese forces. They begin with over 100 major attacks that included 36 of the 44 provincial capitals. Phan Thiet was not only a strategic provincial capital, it was a cultural center located on the coast and it had also been the home of Ho Chi Minh when he taught school.

"In the early morning hours of January 31, the Viet Cong 482nd Local Force and the Viet Cong 840th Main Force Battalions attacked the city of Phan Thiet, LZ Betty and outlying Fire Support Bases and ARVN posts. The offensive continued until February 23. Over that 24-day period, rifle companies from the 3-506 counter attacked and assaulted in some of the heaviest fighting in South Vietnam. The Shock Force served as a quick reaction force and was sent into Phan Thiet to reinforce the Province Chief’s Headquarters and provide personal protection for the Province Chief. At approximately 03:00 on February 18, the Viet Cong 482nd launched an attack against an ARVN compound just north of Phan Thiet. At the same time the companies from the Viet Cong 480th, 430th and 899th launched attacks from the southwest. The 840 Main Force Viet Cong Battalion overran an ARVN outpost and took over the prison, freeing 500 prisoners. This is approximately 200 meters from the Province Chiefs Headquarters. The enemy’s objective was the Province Chief’s compound and they attacked aggressively. The Shock Force was able to hold the Province Headquarters and killed or repelled the enemy.

"At the end of the Tet Offensive in the Phan Thiet area, the enemy losses are put at 1,256 KIA and 48 POWs. Friendly losses are 91 KIA and 569 WIA. Civilian casualties are reported at 36 KIA and 664 WIA. Additionally, 13,500 civilians are made homeless."

Pictures by permission.
© Grimaldo Urlich-Vivar, All Rights Reserved, 2004-2009.
E-mail: 19currahee68(at)tampabay.rr(dot)com

Text and Link of History of 3/506 by permission.
©Chris "Kip" Rolland, All Rights Reserved, 2004-2009. (text)
©Randy White, All Rights Reserved, 2004-2009. (web link)

	Grimaldo Urlich-Vivar, 1968
Commo hooch at LZ Betty	Tranquillity before the chaos	Urlich on the radio
Co. E's mortar pits before the Tet Offensive attack	Co. E's area after the attack	More destruction

PREVIOUS	HOME	NEXT
	JOURNAL

GALLERY 18 MORE PICTURES

GALLERY 18
MORE PICTURES