Post by Anonymous Vet on Dec 21, 2002 14:12:29 GMT -5
MAY 22, 1967
65TH ENGINEERS TAKE ON BOI
LOI WOODS
CU CHI-
For more than 20 years the 115
square kilometers of dense tropical
undergrowth of the Boi Loi Woods has
provided the Viet Minh and now the
Viet Cong with a sanctuary for guerilla
and terrorist operations, as well as
major supply route between northern
and southern provinces.
This forest area, 56 km northwest of
Saigon, is the focal point of II Field
Force's multi-division Operation
"Manhattan." Denying the Viet Cong
use of their stronghold is the military
objective of the 25th Infantry
Division,'s 65th Combat Engineer
Battalion, assisted by the 588th
Engineer Battalion. By clearing portions
of the Boi Loi, the Engineers are
denying the enemy one of their greatest
weapons - concealment, and giving
U.S. armor access to the entire area.
The men are initially clearing 2500
acres of intertwined shrubs, vines and
trees. Secondly, they are upgrading
trails and primitive roads to single lane
military standard roads for use by
supply convoys and armor units.
By far the most difficult phase of the
mission, according to MAJ Leslie
Savage, battalion operations officer, is
the "hacking away" of the impregnable
undergrowth and cutting down of the
trees. At present the unit is using 15
Catapillar D-7 bulldozers equipped with
knife-edged Rome plows which were
introduced in Vietnam last fall. These
48,000 pound tractors have been
clearing 50 acres a day in undergrowth
so dense that helicopters are used to
direct ground operations by
air-to-ground communications.
The upgrading of trails and roads
have required extensive work because
of the high water table which was
aggravated by the annual monsoon
rains. Laterite fill, the red porous clay
found in abundance in Vietnam, is used
as a surfacing material because of its
natural quality to harden when dry.
Savage stressed the point that both
phases of the mission had to be
accomplished with a minimum of delay
to give security forces continual
forward movement on their sweep
and destroy operation.
The clearing operation has uncovered
several large food caches to include
eight and one-half tons of rice and some
2700 pounds of peanuts.
65TH ENGINEERS TAKE ON BOI
LOI WOODS
CU CHI-
For more than 20 years the 115
square kilometers of dense tropical
undergrowth of the Boi Loi Woods has
provided the Viet Minh and now the
Viet Cong with a sanctuary for guerilla
and terrorist operations, as well as
major supply route between northern
and southern provinces.
This forest area, 56 km northwest of
Saigon, is the focal point of II Field
Force's multi-division Operation
"Manhattan." Denying the Viet Cong
use of their stronghold is the military
objective of the 25th Infantry
Division,'s 65th Combat Engineer
Battalion, assisted by the 588th
Engineer Battalion. By clearing portions
of the Boi Loi, the Engineers are
denying the enemy one of their greatest
weapons - concealment, and giving
U.S. armor access to the entire area.
The men are initially clearing 2500
acres of intertwined shrubs, vines and
trees. Secondly, they are upgrading
trails and primitive roads to single lane
military standard roads for use by
supply convoys and armor units.
By far the most difficult phase of the
mission, according to MAJ Leslie
Savage, battalion operations officer, is
the "hacking away" of the impregnable
undergrowth and cutting down of the
trees. At present the unit is using 15
Catapillar D-7 bulldozers equipped with
knife-edged Rome plows which were
introduced in Vietnam last fall. These
48,000 pound tractors have been
clearing 50 acres a day in undergrowth
so dense that helicopters are used to
direct ground operations by
air-to-ground communications.
The upgrading of trails and roads
have required extensive work because
of the high water table which was
aggravated by the annual monsoon
rains. Laterite fill, the red porous clay
found in abundance in Vietnam, is used
as a surfacing material because of its
natural quality to harden when dry.
Savage stressed the point that both
phases of the mission had to be
accomplished with a minimum of delay
to give security forces continual
forward movement on their sweep
and destroy operation.
The clearing operation has uncovered
several large food caches to include
eight and one-half tons of rice and some
2700 pounds of peanuts.