Operation BILLINGS
9 June through 25 June 1967
~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~
This Page Last Updated ~ 11 October 2008
If you recognize or participated in any of the events listed page, and would like to contribute additional stories, information, documents, media articles or photographs that you believe might be of historical significance, please contact the History Project Manager at the Email Link provided on the top of this page. |
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Operatrion BILLINGS The first corps-sized American operation of the war as well as the first major combined US-Army of The Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) operation involving formal planning. |
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The Iron Triangle was a 60 square mile area generally bounded by the Saigon and the Thi Thinh Rivers, and the Thanh Dien Forest of Binh Duong Province. The plan had the 25th Infantry Division and the 196th Light Infantry Brigade on the Saigon River to form an anvil. The 1st Infantry Division, the 173 Airborne Brigade , the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment assisted by 720th MP Battalion, plus ARVN units the 1st Airborne Brigade, the 7th and 8th ARVN Regiments from the 5th ARVN Infantry Division and one ranger battalion would then crash through the area from its eastern side, splitting it in two and hammering the enemy against the anvil. |
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The 9th Viet Cong (VC) Division and the VC Military Region IV Headquarters eluded the sweep which claimed 720 known enemy casualties, 576 VC "ralliers," 3,294 tons of rice, 429 small arms and 18 crew served weapons, ammo and sampans. The area was pounded by B-52 bombers for 4 days and air-dropped leaflets advised the civilian population to leave. During this operation the village of Ben Suc was evacuated. |
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25th ID |
196th LIB |
173rd |
1st ID |
18th Bde. |
720th |
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