Post by Anonymous Vet on Dec 21, 2002 14:17:13 GMT -5
FEBRUARY 27, 1967
175TH ENGINEER COOMPANY
SPANS BRIDGE OVER SOUI BEN
DA RIVER
CU CHI
Members of the 3rd Pit., 175th
Engineer Company, 196th Light
Infantry Brigade, recently erected and
disassembled a 75-foot pontoon bridge
across the Soui Ben Da River.
Shortly after landing near the river
bank in Huey helicopters, the 48 men
began blasting with TNT and sawing
down trees to clear a drop zone. A
Chinook brought the first load of
pontoons 45 minutes later.
Yelling "Lay hold! Heave!" the men
guickly hauled the 650-pound pontoon
halves to the river and connected them
while more Chinooks dropped tracks
and ramps. They completed the bridge
in a few short hours.
Later 63 armored personnel carriers
from the 1st Battalion (Mech), 5th
Infantry, "Bobcats" started across the
bridge.
Brig. Gen. Richard T. Knowles,
commanding general, 196th Brigade,
watched the crossing with satisfaction.
"These engineers seem happy when
they're working," he commented.
The men proved him correct as they
put energy and spirit into disassembling
the bridge and stacking the parts. Maj.
William Cutter, brigade engineer, also
praised the men for their excellent
work.
Chinooks came to evacuate men and
equipment at dusk. The engineers were
too busy praising the helicopter pilots
to bask in the memory of their own
accomplishments.
To them it had been just another day
of much work and little glory. But
those who watched the engineers in
operation testified to their skill and
stamina.
175TH ENGINEER COOMPANY
SPANS BRIDGE OVER SOUI BEN
DA RIVER
CU CHI
Members of the 3rd Pit., 175th
Engineer Company, 196th Light
Infantry Brigade, recently erected and
disassembled a 75-foot pontoon bridge
across the Soui Ben Da River.
Shortly after landing near the river
bank in Huey helicopters, the 48 men
began blasting with TNT and sawing
down trees to clear a drop zone. A
Chinook brought the first load of
pontoons 45 minutes later.
Yelling "Lay hold! Heave!" the men
guickly hauled the 650-pound pontoon
halves to the river and connected them
while more Chinooks dropped tracks
and ramps. They completed the bridge
in a few short hours.
Later 63 armored personnel carriers
from the 1st Battalion (Mech), 5th
Infantry, "Bobcats" started across the
bridge.
Brig. Gen. Richard T. Knowles,
commanding general, 196th Brigade,
watched the crossing with satisfaction.
"These engineers seem happy when
they're working," he commented.
The men proved him correct as they
put energy and spirit into disassembling
the bridge and stacking the parts. Maj.
William Cutter, brigade engineer, also
praised the men for their excellent
work.
Chinooks came to evacuate men and
equipment at dusk. The engineers were
too busy praising the helicopter pilots
to bask in the memory of their own
accomplishments.
To them it had been just another day
of much work and little glory. But
those who watched the engineers in
operation testified to their skill and
stamina.