U.S. Army History Vignettes

For Basic Combat Training

1st Edition

March 2018

Table of Contents

White Phase

WWII: Anvil of Victory 

Holtzwihr, France  The Ba le Castle I er 

Korea: Countering Aggression 

Kangdong  

Vietnam: Containing Communism 

Loc Ninh  Bien Hoa 

13 

 

Holtzwihr, France: On a frigid afternoon in January 1945, the 15th Infantry Regiment was attacked by an estimated 250 German infantryman and six tanks, who were determined to capture the Bois da Riedwihr from the Americans.

Hero of the Battle: Second Lieutenant (2LT) Audie Murphy, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On January 26th, 1945, 2LT Murphy’s company was attacked by six tanks and waves of German infantry. He ordered his men to withdraw to positions in the woods while he directed artillery from his command post. As the Germans continued to advance, he mounted a burning tank destroyer and engaged the enemy with machinegun fire. Despite being wounded in the leg and being exposed to enemy fire from three sides, he continued to repel the enemy, inflicting approxi-mately 50 casualties before exhausting his ammunition. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Central Message: Soldiers never accept defeat.

14 

 

Battle of Castle Itter: During World War II, French diplomats that were prisoners of the German Forces were held at Castle Itter in Austria. In May of 1945, with defeat looming for Germany, the German High Command ordered the guards to kill all of the prison-ers. The guards refused. They were able to surrender to an Ameri-can tank company, and the German and American units fought side-by-side to repel a German SS unit that had been sent to finish the job. Ultimately, they were able to defeat the attacking force and save the prisoners. This incident reminds us that acting morally and ethically transcends political, geographical or military differ-ences.

Hero of the Battle: Captain (CPT) John C. Lee; Tank Battalion, 12th Armored Division. CPT Lee led his four tanks and eleven German Soldiers in defense of the castle against 150-200 German SS troops, inflicting massive enemy casualties and forcing their withdrawal. For his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Central Message: Soldiers are experts and professionals.

15 

 

Kangdong: In November of 1950, in Kangdong, Korea, Bravo Company, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment was conducting combat operations when the enemy launched a strong attack in order to capture key terrain.

Hero of the Battle: Corporal (CPL) Joe Baldonado; 1st Battal-ion, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. During the attack, CPL Bal-donado emplaced his weapon in an exposed position and delivered a withering stream of fire on the advancing enemy, causing them to fall back in disorder. The enemy concentrated all their fire on CPL Baldonado’s gun and attempted to knock it out by rushing the posi-tion. Several times, grenades exploded extremely close to CPL Baldonado but failed to interrupt his continuous firing. The enemy made repeated attempts to storm his position but failed each time with high casualties, before a final attack on CPL Baldonado’s posi-tion resulted in his death. CPL Baldonado was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Central Message: Soldiers never accept defeat.

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Loc Ninh: On May 2nd, 1968, 12 American Special Forces Soldiers and 9 South Vietnamese Montagnards (French trained Vietnamese Special Forces) were completely surrounded by a North Vietnam-ese infantry battalion of about 1,000 Soldiers. Hearing their desper-ate radio calls, Staff Sergeant (SSG) Roy Benavidez boarded a helicopter, armed only with a knife, and went to aid his trapped and wounded comrades.

Hero of the Battle: SSG Raul “Roy” Benavidez; Detachment B56, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). During the mission, SSG Benavidez was shot 7 times, received multiple bayonet wounds, and suffered 27 separate shrapnel wounds. Even though he was wounded multiple times, he was able to rally the remaining Soldiers, establish a perimeter, render aid and assist in the evacuation of his wounded comrades, saving eight of them. He even retrieved classi-fied documents while repelling the enemy assaults. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Central Message: Soldiers overcome fear and place the mis-sion first.

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Bien Hoa: On November 8th, 1965, U.S. forces conducting a patrol near Bien Hoa, Vietnam found themselves ambushed by a Viet Cong force that outnumbered them six to one.

Hero of the Battle: Specialist 6th Class (SP6C) Lawrence Joel; 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. After treating the men wounded by the initial burst of gunfire, SP6C Joel bravely moved forward to assist other wounded comrades. Even after being shot in the leg twice, SP6C Joel continued to shout words of encourage-ment to fellow Soldiers, and continued to search for wounded, ex-posing himself to hostile fire. After the 24 hour battle subsided, snipers continued to harass SP6C Joel’s company. Throughout the battle, SP6C Joel never lost sight of his mission as a medic and continued to comfort and treat the wounded until his own evacuation was ordered. For his actions that day, SP6C Joel was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Central Message: Soldiers Never Leave a Fallen Comrade.

Produced by the

United States Army Center for Initial Military Training

In conjunction with the

TRADOC Military History Office

and the

United States Army

Center for Military History