As part of this intensive training, Melzer learned details about the purpose, layout, and security of the Military Base. New. parade field at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza Italy, to help uncase the colors of the most valorous,. They earned the nickname Tien Bing (Chinese: ), literally Sky Soldiers, from the Taiwanese paratroopers. Afghan War veteran Sgt Ryan Pitts, also of the 503rd, received the Medal of Honor later that year. "The defendant believed he could force the U.S. into prolonged armed conflict while causing the deaths of as many soldiers as possible," the Justice Department said in a previous statement. [3][18] After the war, the troop reverted to reserve status and was posted at Birmingham, Alabama from 1947 until 1951. Image Saber Strike 15 - Apaches take Flight. [74] The unit finally reached "initial operating capability" on 14 March 2003, with all units ready for deployment. Assisting the LRS and 5th Group ODA were elements of the 82nd Airborne, Iowa National Guard, and ANA. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility within 18 hours. "[69], From April until August 1971, the unit underwent the process of redeployment to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the first time that the 173rd Airborne Brigade in name had returned to the United States since 1942. It is that most become delirious and almost always cry out for their mothers., Copyright 2010-2023, National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association. He arrived in Italy in October 2019 and subscribed to encrypted online forums in which he downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks on U.S. troops and facilities and jihadist executions of civilians and soldiers, in addition to far-right, neo-Nazi, and other white supremacist propaganda. Neither battalion faced heavy resistance as the NVA had decamped during the night, denying the Americans a chance at some revenge. The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, parachuted into Iraq in the early days of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and saw intense combat in Afghanistan. (67.1 51.8 3.2 cm), Museum purchase funded by the Mundy Family Foundation, courtesy of David and Stephanie Mundy. For the medics in the mix, casualties represented far more than statistics. Melzer, who also goes by the name Etil Reggad, joined the Army in 2018. Thus began the Battle of Dak To.. [citation needed], In July 2012, the 173rd IBCT(A) once again deployed to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Bayonet to relieve the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Task Force Bulldog in the Logar and Wardak Provinces. On May 18, 1967, its D Platoon went on a short patrol and chased a lone NVA scout, who led them into an ambush. Privacy Policy. . Because their heavily armored tanks required so much maintenance, the 173rd incorporated much of 4th ID's area of operation into their own. Step 2 - Use PayPal with the highest . [96] These operations, though successful, would have been more effective if the 4th Infantry Division's four heavy brigades were able to enter Iraq through Turkey as originally planned. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association. Melzer, who also went by the name Etil Reggad, enlisted in the Army in 2018 as part of an insight role to further his goals as part of the terrorist organization, according to the Justice Department. Address: 18458 East Orkney Street, Azusa CA 91702-0219. The 3rd Battalion, 503rd joined the brigade at Tuy Ha Province in September 1967 following the former's activation and training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Those of us fortunate enough to be there will. 74th LRS operated out of FOB Price near the town of Gereshk in the Helmand Province. The online process consists of the following 2 easy and fully-integrated steps: Step 1 - Fill out all of the required information in the membership application; you will be presented with interactive forms based on your profile and circumstances (e.g. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced Friday to 45 years in prison, the maximum, for plotting what prosecutors described as a "murderous ambush" overseas on members of his own troop. Mariah Y. Gonzalez). The 23rd and 26th Mike Force companies (indigenous outfits led by Green Berets) were engaged as well. Melzer and his co-conspirators used the information that he attained to plan what they referred to as a jihadi attack with the objective of causing a mass casualty event victimizing his fellow service members. The paratroopers attempted to continue the advance, but the PAVN, well concealed in interconnected bunkers and trenches, opened fire with small arms and grenades. You slept with corpses. Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade. . Membership. Melzers sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. Private Olive's body absorbed the full, deadly blast of the grenade and he died saving his comrades. These include Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Charlie Norwood,[133][134] Archbishop of Baltimore Edwin Frederick O'Brien,[135] Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert M. Kimmitt,[136] business owner Barney Visser,[137] activists Stan Goff and Ted Sampley,[138] and Sergeant Major of the Army Gene C. Some 15 Army artillery batteries along with tactical air support provided immense firepower. If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please [43], On 22 February 1967, the 173rd conducted Operation Junction City, the only combat parachute jump of the Vietnam War. 88, 93. Conetto, Al, "In the Beginning, there was the Hump,". Pfc. If you served in 173rd Airborne Brigade, Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. [5] The 173rd incurred 1,533 deaths and around 6,000 wounded. [40], The attached helicopter unit became the Casper Aviation Platoon, befitting a separate infantry brigade as the only separate aviation platoon deployed in Vietnam. [99] The brigade returned to Italy in March 2006. it would be another war . Melzer also wrote that he was expecting results and was willing to die to further the agenda of the Order of the Nine Angles. These battalions were: the 4th Battalion (Airborne), 319th Field Artillery Regiment, the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne), and the Special Troops Battalion[100] stationed at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany, as well as the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. While he was deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the fall of 2019, Melzer "consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups" such as O9A and the Islamic. [3] With combat experience already earned in other similar mountain regions in 2007 and 2008, the Brigade distinguished itself in combat regularly against the Taliban and fought tenaciously against them, while still promoting and attempting to legitimize the Afghan government. [Y]ou just gotta understand that currently I am risking my literal free life to give you all this, he told members of O9A on an encrypted messaging application. Ethan Phelan Melzer, 24, who also goes by Etil Reggad, pleaded guilty last June to charges of attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information during the days leading up his units mid-2020 deployment. The following day was spent in launching airstrikes and a heavy artillery bombardment against the hilltop, totally denuding it of cover. Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War I, but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War . Lozadas actions garnered him a posthumous Medal of Honor. The participating US units brought substantial air, artillery, engineer, and other support to the combined endeavor from their parent units, and American and Vietnamese commanders generally colocated command posts, shared a common area of operation, and planned and carried out operations together. Seven soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. All rights reserved. remember that day and the jump that followed for the rest of our lives.. Reproduced from VFW Magazine, March 2006 issue, article by Tim Dyhouse. [76] Supported by the 1st Infantry Division and the 10th Special Forces Group, the 4th Infantry Division was to assemble in Turkey and use its heavy mechanized brigades to attack through Tikrit and eventually assist V Corps, which would attack from the south, in surrounding Baghdad. Neither Fox nor the Trump campaign could be immediately reached for comment by Raw Story. When his weapon jammed, an NVA bullet ripped into his head. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. These formations were termed "brigade combat teams". Ethan Melzer, 24, of Kentucky, pleaded guilty last year to attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. The Vietnamese then unleashed B-40 rockets and 57mm recoilless rifle fire on the Americans. And vets of that proud unit feel the sting. The 173rds rifle companies sustained some 90% of the units casualties. The 173d Airborne Brigade was constituted 5 August 1917 as an infantry brigade and organized 25 August 1917 at Camp Pike, Arkansas as an element of the 87th Division. Todays sentence holds Mr. Melzer accountable for an egregious and shameful act of betrayal against his own military unit and his country, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. [88] In the weeks before there had been heavy rain and the mud created problems for those doing the jump. [25] They took their theme song from the television series Rawhide. [citation needed]. He was arrested May 30 at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza. On Nov. 11, A, C and D companies of the 1st Bn., 503rd Inf., engaged the NVA for eight hours at two separate locations south of Ben Het sustaining 21 KIA and 128 WIA. Rick Holmes of C company, 2nd battalion, 503rd infantry, 173rd airborne brigade, sits down on January 3, 1966, in Vietnam. "He is not the unrepentant monster the prosecutors and the Court portrayed him to be," defense attorney Jonathan Marvinny said by email. (U.S. Army photo by Paolo Bovo) By Paolo Bovo, Training Support Activity Europe Vicenza, Italy Jun 25, 2021. Eric Melzer, a 24-year-old from Kentucky, shared location and layout information about a sensitive U.S. military installation to the violent, anti-government, neo-Nazi organization Order of Nine Angles. verso bottom right in pencil "Ambush of 173rd airborne / Iron Triangle 9/1965" in pencil on stamp "2/2k8" Signed in pencil on verso lower right: "Tim Page 8/25" Circular stamp on verso lower right: "chromacolour.com.au * / ARCHIVAL / ILFOCHROME / CLASSIC" Cataloguing data may change with further research. [139], Sixteen soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor for service with the 173rd IBCT(A) and its subordinate units. These brigades had difficulty operating without support from higher headquarters. Lethal Fire: Enemy and Friendly According to the after-action report, GIs sustained 242 KIA and 876 WIA in the battles between Nov. 2 and Dec. 1, 1967. [6] Controlling the oil fields had been a specific operational goal of the Task Force[85] because they were viewed as the most valuable strategic asset in northern Iraq. Prior to its deployment to the highlands, Peers' operations officer, Colonel William J. Livsey, attempted to warn the Airborne officers of the hazards of campaigning in the Central Highlands. 56,244 10 months ago (NSFW) Russian Soldier Grenades Ukrainian Trench and Bunker . The author visited Afghanistan's Korengal Valley five times in 2007 and 2008 as a reporter embedded with part of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade as it attempted to thwart the Taliban in . The 4th Battalion launched an unsuccessful attack at around 3 p.m., and pulled back to defensive positions after dark. Name: walter d. {whity} elmore Email: maryaelmore@yhoo.com B1: Submit Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2009 Time: 09:10:34 PM News. [W]ho gives a f---? he wrote. arrested for plotting to attack Baltimores energy grid. Accessed 26 November 2015. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to provide a Europe-based neo-Nazi, Satanist, and pro-jihadist group by giving it classified information to attack his unit, federal prosecutors said Friday. At 08:28 on 11 November, after leaving their overnight laager and following a PAVN communications wire, the force was ambushed by the 8th and 9th Battalions of the PAVN 66th Regiment and had to fight for its life. [18], In the late 1990s, Army leaders including General Eric Shinseki began shifting the Army force toward brigade centered operations. The brigade was the first major United States Army ground formation deployed in Vietnam, serving there from 1965 to 1971 and losing 1,533 soldiers. [82], On 26 March 2003, 954 soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted a combat jump from C-17 aircraft onto Bashur Airfield in Northern Iraq[3][86] under the command of Colonel Mayville. Training also included securing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure and treating and evacuating casualties. 2023 Stars and Stripes. While there, he consumed extremists propaganda from O9A and the Islamic State. Division doctors at Dak To kept busy, too, often getting by on only three or four hours of sleep a night. [26], The brigade arrived in South Vietnam on 7 May 1965, the first major ground combat unit of the United States Army to serve in the country. Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division. A gavel rests on the judges bench in the courtroom of the 39th Air Base Wing legal office at Nov. 14, 2019, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Kirkuk. from around the world. Casper platoon was part of the HHC 173rd Airborne Brigade and its members wore the brigade patch. [126], The 173rd's service, particularly in Vietnam, has been featured several times in popular culture. [113], In March 2015, a 173rd Airborne battalion of around 600 American paratroopers headed to Ukraine to train Ukrainian national guard troops. no news. [20] The brigade was also the only separate brigade to receive its own tank company,[21] in the form of Company D, 16th Armor. In 2019, he deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, prosecutors said. But the GIs had fulfilled their objective. The complaint also argues that the Trump campaign broke the law by not disclosing the contribution. Washington Green proved to be the final American campaign in Bnh nh Province, and its greatest achievement may have been in training an impressive number of territorial and paramilitary forces. mfah.org/terms. [66] The company commander, Captain Robert Helmick, was awarded the DSC. [89] The paratroopers secured the airfield, allowing the C-17s to land and bring in the heavy armor and the 163rd Armor contingents. [55], Following an attack on the k T Base,[56] and actions on hill 882 by the 1-503rd that saw 7 men dead and 34 wounded,[57] 330 men of 2-503 moved in to assault Hill 875. I wouldve died successfully . In approximately October 2019, MELZER deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. One of the few combat operations that brigade conducted during this time was an amphibious assault against PAVN/VC forces as part of an operation to clear the rice-growing lowlands along the Bong Son littoral. The centerpiece of the battle was the 110-hour fight for Hill 875. Ambush of 173rd Airborne, South Vietnam Tim Page/Corbis Expand Favorite Artist Tim Page British, 1944-2022 Titles Ambush of 173rd Airborne, South Vietnam Date 1965, printed 2004 Place Vietnam Medium Silver dye bleach print Dimensions Image: 18 3/8 12 3/8 in. ", In messages to O9A, Melzer wrote, [y]ou just gotta understand that currently I am risking my literal free life to give you all this" -- in regards to the sensitive information he was sharing. A former counterintelligence officer gave a statement under oath that "he saw interrogators punch and kick prisoners, beat them with sticks, administer electrical shocks and urinate on them. Yashinski, Michael E. SGT. The sign had read. 4th ID had to relocate their forces from Turkey to Kuwait and were subsequently slowed down in Baghdad. The brigade returned to Europe and home station after once again proving itself in combat throughout the eastern mountains of Afghanistan. cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark. Melzer also acknowledged in his messages that he deleted some of the communications regarding the planning of the attack because the plot amounted to treason. US Army soldier gets 45 years for neo-Nazi plot to ambush his own paratrooper unit . just looking for anyone from Aco 3/503 173rd abn{sep}Iwas with this unit from12/3/67through 68 saw combat 12/27/67 bad stuff. A second base was opened in Vicenza called Del Din and is the current headquarters of the 173rd. On Veterans Day, Task Force Black (170 men of the 1st Bn., 503rd Inf.) So heavy, in fact, that the NVAs 32nd, 66th and 174th regiments were unable to participate in the 1968 Tet Offensive. [102] The 173rd IBCT(A) officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[102]. After the end of major combat operations in mid-2003, the 173rd Airborne Brigade did not engage in any major battles, though it was regularly involved in skirmishes with Iraqi insurgents. The NVA poured thousands of troops into an area where the borders of Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam meet. Before that she was a reporter for Killeen Daily Herald and a freelance journalist for publications including The Alcalde, Texas Highways and the Austin American-Statesman. In November 2017, 2-503rd Infantry Regiment (The Rock) traveled in US Air Force C-130s to Belgrade, Serbia to conduct training with the Serbian Airborne Forces where they conducted two combined jumps at drop zones near Belgrade. ", By He used his membership in the military to pursue an appalling goal: the brutal murder of his fellow U.S. service members in a carefully plotted ambush. [121], In May 2021, as part of the NATO training exercise Swift Response 2021, soldiers of the brigade were simulating seizing and securing the decommissioned Cheshnegirovo airfield in Bulgaria. Former Pvt. While retrieving more ammo, Barnes saw a grenade tossed among a group of severely wounded soldiers. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. [5] During its service, the brigade was involved in what later became known as the "Hood Event", arresting Turkish special forces soldiers, believing them to be plotting attacks against local civilian officials in northern Iraq. Task Force Gun Devil included Headquarters and Service Battery, 3-319th (including two provisional maneuver platoons); Company D, 2504th; Company B, 1508th; Company A, 1-325th; a military police platoon (4th PLT 13th MP Co.); a rotating Romanian mechanized infantry battalion; a Canadian dismounted infantry company (3rd Bn Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry); and an Afghan National Army company advised by French special forces. Melzer, who held the rank of private while in the Army, was a member of the Order of Nine Angles, a Neo-Nazi and Satanic organization which has praised both Adolf Hitler and al-Qaeda. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. The U.S. camps represented a major roadblock at the southern end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Have You Heard of the 173rd - YouTube 0:00 / 3:45 Have You Heard of the 173rd Greg Johnson 53 subscribers 453 46K views 14 years ago Have you heard of the 173rd Airborne Brigade? A search of the battlefield revealed only 15 dead North Vietnamese. The next morning the three companies of 4-503 were chosen to set out and relieve the men on Hill 875. Todays sentence took that opportunity from him.". The 1st and 2nd Battalions saw extensive action in eastern Logar and Wardak. For example, Melzer subscribed to encrypted online forums where he downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks on U.S. troops and facilities and jihadist executions of civilians and soldiers, in addition to far-right, neo-Nazi, and other white supremacist propaganda. [141][142], Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta received the Medal of Honor for heroic actions as a rifle team leader in Company B, 2503 INF (Airborne) when his squad was caught in a near-ambush the night of 25 October 2007 during Operation Rock Avalanche in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. The Brigade deployed to France in 1918 as part of the Division, but did participate in any named campaigns. . At 06:58 the following morning, Alpha Company began moving alone up a ridge finger and triggered an ambush by the 6th Battalion of the 24th PAVN Regiment. [68], After widely publicized reports by battalion commander Lt. Col. Anthony Herbert, investigators confirmed that military interrogators of the 173rd Airborne Brigade "repeatedly beat prisoners, tortured them with electric shocks and forced water down their throats". Melzer and his alleged co-conspirators used this information to plan what they referred to as a "jihadi attack" with the objective of causing a "mass casualty" event victimizing his fellow service members. Melzer betrayed his fellow soldiers and his country, FBI Counter Terrorism Assistant Director Robert R. Wells said following the sentencing. [54] Task Force Blue drew the job of going to the relief of the beleaguered task force; however, Task Force Blue ran into resistance and was pinned down by enemy fire on all sides. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday after he plotted to ambush his unit and illegally shared classified information with a violent transnational extremist organization, of which he was a member. This dynamic was intended to last only until additional facilities were constructed at the Dal Molin, now Del Din, airbase near Caserma Ederle at Vicenza. Jesus, they were all over the place, one paratrooper recalled. [97] The Turkish forces were eventually released. On 1 December 1951, the troop was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division. [3][4] The remaining units of the 173rd were inactivated. Americans serving their country overseas should never have to fear a terrorist attack from within their own ranks, and todays sentence holds him accountable for his deadly plan to attack the brave men and women of the armed forces who protect our nation.. [61], The battle of Hill 875 had cost 2-503 87 killed, 130 wounded, and three missing. The 173rd Airborne Brigade fielded the 1st, 2nd and 4th battalions of the 503rd Inf. In approximately early May 2020, the Army informed Melzer that he would be reassigned to a unit scheduled for a further foreign deployment, where the unit would be guarding an isolated and sensitive military installation (the Military Base). Justin Hebert was killed on Aug. 1. 2/503rd 2014-2015 In May 2020, Melzer joined a unit set to deploy to Turkey, according to the Justice Department. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. Europe, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility. III, No. [73], In 2002, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (2-503rd) activated, providing a second infantry battalion. Ethan Phelan Melzer, a 24-year-old from Louisville, Ky., pleaded guilty in June in a federal courtroom in New York to charges of attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information, according to the Justice Department.

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