U.S. ARMY 25th INFANTRY DIVISION IN VIETNAM (1966)

Synopsis

This episode of "The Big Picture", the U.S. Army's long-running TV program, shows the exploits of the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam. It dates to 1968. The film shows military as well as civil work, including nation building programs which it was hoped would stabilize South Vietnamese support against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. At 2:00, the 25th Infantry Division, also known as "Tropic Lightning" is seen being welcomed by South Vietnamese. The unit is shown deploying in Huey helicopters at 2:30, and engaging in combat. At 03:00, the unit's HQ at the famed Schofield Barracks in Hawaii is shown. At 3:10, jungle fighting exercises in Hawaii are shown. At 3:48, deployment in December of 1966 is seen from Hawaii and deployed aboard a ship to Vung Tau, where the 2nd Brigade deployed and were greeted by General William Westmoreland. At 4:50 the unit moves towards the Cu Chi village area. At 5:24, the 3rd Brigade deploys to Pleiku in the central highlands of Vietnam, which would operate as the forward base for the division. This airlift was of the 3rd Brigade, known as Operation Blue Light, was the largest attempted to that time. At 6:30, operations against Viet Cong begin in earnest at Ban Me Thout with a month long sweep of the province. In a frustrating precursor of what was to come during the war, the VC withdrew in front of the division and evaded capture or combat. At 7:40, a battle casualty is shown as a result of small arms fire. At 8:15, food caches and medical…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

28 minutes

Language

English

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage