Wheeler wallawa
Encyclopedia
Operation Wheeler/Wallowa was an operation during the Vietnam War
. It was an offensive on the part of the Americans
, of which the My Lai Massacre
by a platoon led by Lt William Calley
was part.
Operation Wheeler was characterized by battalion size combat assaults of the high ground west of Tam Ky in Quang Nam province
. These combat assaults were followed by search and destroy operations to find and destroy enemy forces, base camps, and fortifications. On 11 Sep 1967, the operation was launched under the control of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
Operation Wallowa involved intensive surveillance of the Hiep Duc
-Que Son Valley
. Small units were combat assaulted into the area to find the enemy prior to the insertion of ready reaction forces. On 4 Oct 1967, the operation was begun under the control of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Ambl).
On 11 November 1967 both Operations Wheeler and Wallowa were merged to facilitate coordination and control. Seven US Army infantry battalions were participating in the action.
On 12 Feb 68, after participating in Task Force Miracle (the defense of Da Nang
during the Tet Offensive), the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry returned south and conducted combat operations under the control of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. On 27 Feb 68, the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division tactical area of operations passed to the 196th Infantry Brigade, and the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry came under their operational control. The 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division moved out of the Americal Division
area and deployed in the II Corps Tactical Zone further to the south.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. It was an offensive on the part of the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, of which the My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...
by a platoon led by Lt William Calley
William Calley
William Laws Calley is a convicted American war criminal and a former U.S. Army officer found guilty of murder for his role in the My Lai Massacre on March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War.-Early life:...
was part.
Operation Wheeler was characterized by battalion size combat assaults of the high ground west of Tam Ky in Quang Nam province
Quang Nam Province
Quảng Nam is a province on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bordered by Thua Thien-Huế province to the north, the nation of Laos to the west, Kon Tum Province to the southwest, Quảng Ngãi Province to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east, and the city of Da Nang to the...
. These combat assaults were followed by search and destroy operations to find and destroy enemy forces, base camps, and fortifications. On 11 Sep 1967, the operation was launched under the control of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
Operation Wallowa involved intensive surveillance of the Hiep Duc
Hiep Duc
Hiệp Đức is a district of Quang Nam province in the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 40,281. The district covers an area of 492 km². The district capital lies at Tan An.-References:...
-Que Son Valley
Que Son Valley
is a district in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, it was the site of heavy fighting, including Operation Union I & II. From 1962 to 1967, the southern side of the valley was Quang Tin province....
. Small units were combat assaulted into the area to find the enemy prior to the insertion of ready reaction forces. On 4 Oct 1967, the operation was begun under the control of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Ambl).
On 11 November 1967 both Operations Wheeler and Wallowa were merged to facilitate coordination and control. Seven US Army infantry battalions were participating in the action.
On 12 Feb 68, after participating in Task Force Miracle (the defense of Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
during the Tet Offensive), the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry returned south and conducted combat operations under the control of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. On 27 Feb 68, the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division tactical area of operations passed to the 196th Infantry Brigade, and the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry came under their operational control. The 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division moved out of the Americal Division
Americal Division
The 23rd Infantry Division, more commonly known as the Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent three individual regiments to defend New Caledonia...
area and deployed in the II Corps Tactical Zone further to the south.