Lozada stayed behind and poured deadly machine-gun fire on an advancing NVA force, allowing his company to safely withdraw. National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association. Abandoned weapons, helmets, rucksacks, clothing, canteens and empty ration containers littered the battlefield. 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. 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 U.S. soldier wears an Army Airborne patch during military drills in Kazlu Ruda, Lithuania, on March 1, 2022. prosecutors alleged that Melzer intended to spark a jihadist terror attack on his own unit. Nva Kia, Dong Lach, After Unsuccessful Attempt to Free POWs. [78] As the brigade had no heavy or mechanized forces and only a few Humvees and an artillery battery, heavier forces were attached to it in the form of two companies of M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, M1 Abrams tanks, and M2 Bradleys from a task force of 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor, which was attached to the brigade. Jon Simkins is a writer and editor for Military Times, and a USMC veteran. The 173rd Airborne Brigade currently consists of 3,300 soldiers in seven subordinate battalions as well as a headquarters company:. [108] 42 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. Video shows Peters yell at and struggle with the officers who detained her." 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. [106] The brigade repositioned the base three days later. While there, he consumed extensive propaganda from numerous extremist groups, including O9A and ISIS, and routinely downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks and executions, court documents showed. Non-hostile - electrocution. 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 . (U.S. Army video by Sgt. A soldier of D Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, takes a break from the heavy fighting during the battle for Dak To. No reviews. Stanton, Vietnam Order of Battle, pp. They participated in Operation Crimp in 1966, a failed attempt to root out VC forces from the C Chi tunnels. U.S. losses were 20 killed, 154 wounded, and two missing. Under the program, the United States trained three battalions of Ukrainian troops over a six-month period. [49] Charlie Company was ordered to support, but heavy vegetation and difficult terrain made movement extremely difficult. The 173rd participated in various operations with the objective of ensuring security and subduing Taliban insurgents in the mountainous regions along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, near the Hindu Kush. 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? Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right. Four additional battalions were activated or designated at Bamberg and Schweinfurt, Germany. Market data provided by Factset. 4th ID had to relocate their forces from Turkey to Kuwait and were subsequently slowed down in Baghdad. 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. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. On 23 November, 2-503 and 4-503 were ordered to renew their assault while the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry assaulted 875 from the south. Among the first ground combat troops in northern Iraq, Haynes parachuted in this time with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. 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. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images), "Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. General Deane sent his forces 20 kilometres (12mi) west and southwest of Dak To to search for the PAVN 24th Regiment. On Nov. 20, 1967, Pfc. He was hit and killed later, still tending to the wounded. 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. 24. The brigade returned most recently from a deployment stretching from late 2013 to late 2014. Members and associates of O9A have also participated in acts of violence, including murders. Neither battalion faced heavy resistance as the NVA had decamped during the night, denying the Americans a chance at some revenge. [91] By 29 March the entire brigade was in Iraq and ready to conduct offensive operations.[91]. According to survivors, he was on his knees giving last rites to a dying paratrooper when the bombs hit, killing him instantly. The sign had read "American who read this die. The 173rd Airborne Brigade serves as the conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe. [83] The use of the 173rd as a part of a special operations task force was a unique first in U.S. Army history. [94] The entire battle for Kirkuk cost the brigade only nine casualties. A Kentucky man was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. The 173rd Airborne paratroopers trained the Ukrainians on how to better defend themselves against Russian and rebel artillery and rockets. [78] VCorps was not able to surround Baghdad as quickly as it had hoped because of a lack of available forces in the north. He was arrested by the FBI on June 10, 2022 after investigators claimed he gave sensitive military information to the Order of Nine Angles, a British neo-Nazi Satanist group with pro-Jihadi views that encourages extreme violence in an effort to destabilize society and attempts to overthrow what it views as Jewish control of global culture and economics. . [50], In response to the destruction of Alpha Company, MACV ordered additional forces into the area. Melzer traitorously sought to attack the very soldiers he was entrusted to protect.. Name: walter d. {whity} elmore Email: maryaelmore@yhoo.com B1: Submit Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2009 Time: 09:10:34 PM News. After. And about 60 of the dead paratroop-ers29%were killed by friendly fire.. Thus began the Battle of Dak To.. 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. [79][80][81], The 173rd Airborne Brigade was made part of Task Force Viking, a special operations task force that contained elements of the 10th Mountain Division[82] and the 10th Special Forces Group. Carlos Lozada, after receiving orders to retreat back up the hill, provided covering fire, at times walking backward up the hill spraying M-60 machine-gun fire into the brush on either side of the trail. This work, B-Roll Package: Squad Ambush with Cypriot Troops, by SGT Mariah Gonzalez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. Under the direction of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 1/50th formed this special collection of hand picked volunteers. If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please Far too often, the part played by Ivy Division GIs at Dak To is glossed over. Email: wambicook@aol.com Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Supporting the Veterans, Soldiers and Friends of the 4th Infantry Division Since 1919. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! I wouldve died successfully . A paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade's Sky Soldiers, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, in Vicenza, Italy, in 2019 through 2020 plotted an ambush on his unit, "to result in the deaths of as many of his fellow service members as possible. Prosecutors said Eric Melzer, 24, of Kentucky, gave information about the location and layout of a U.S. military installation overseas to the anti-government group Order of Nine Angles. 12/24/2003. A year later, he allegedly joined O9A, which expresses admiration for Nazis, such as Adolf Hitler, and Islamic jihadists, the Justice Department said. It is a merciless land of steep limestone ridges, some of them exceeding 4,000 feet, wrote Robert Barr Smith in, Vietnam magazine. While stationed abroad, Melzer consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups, including O9A and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, which is also known as ISIS. The 2-503rd conducted combat operations in Zabul Province. It was the audio portion of film shot on Hill 724 in Vietnam where a pitched battle followed a highly successful Vietnam ambush in November 1967. Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. [20] The 173rd Brigade was selected to become a separate brigade and a special airborne task force, which could deploy rapidly and act independently. Artillery from A Bty., 3rd Bn., 319th Artillery Regt., and air strikes started ravaging the hilltop. The success of the program varied greatly from unit to unit, but the programs of the 173rd and Task Force South were generally regarded as effective. 74th LRS operated out of FOB Price near the town of Gereshk in the Helmand Province. The following year, he deployed to Italy with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. These brigades had difficulty operating without support from higher headquarters. He had been quietly discharged from the Ohio National Guard last year after his arrest, Military.com reported. The attached Assault Helicopter Company, the 335th AHC, the "Cowboys", deployed with the brigade all over Vietnam into mid-1968 and comprised the Airmobile capability along with the Caspers. [101], In 2006, the brigade was notified for a second tour of duty in Iraq from 2007 to 2008, but its deployment plan was changed to Afghanistan in February 2007 when the Pentagon announced that it would relieve the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division along with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. We treated around 1,200 wounded during the period of the battle, said William J. Shaffer, who served as the executive officer of B Co., 4th Medical Bn. She's scheduled for sentencing April 10," reported Janet Oravetz. The next day, American forces advanced to Kirkuk during Operation Option North, hoping to control oil fields and military airfields in and around the city. . [5] The 173rd incurred 1,533 deaths and around 6,000 wounded. it would be another war . Mariah Y. Gonzalez). One of these was the 101st Airborne Division, which had also been redeployed to Fort Campbell. [3][15], During World War II, brigades were eliminated from divisions. Privacy Policy | For corrections contact corrections@rawstory.com, for support contact support@rawstory.com. The platoon was surrounded and wiped out with 22 killed and one missing. The 173rds 2nd Bn., 503rd Inf., led the assault. (the Red Warriors), participated in the final assault on Hill 875. Anne Wilkes Tucker Photography Study Center, Ambush Alley, 25th Division, Recon Cavalry, Ambushed Convoy Sent to Relieve Duc Co SF Camp. Specifically, they sought to destroy Special Forces camps at Ben Het, about five miles east of the Cambodian border, and at Dak To, some 10 miles east of Ben Het. The following day was spent in launching airstrikes and a heavy artillery bombardment against the hilltop, totally denuding it of cover. The DUI was also inscribed "Sky Soldiers" as homage to the nickname that the Taiwanese soldiers had given them. . Given the province and its three major districts saw a massive influx of both foreign and domestic fighters due to the relatively calm winter prior to the brigade's arrival, its company-sized and platoon-sized elements found themselves in combat against anti-Coalition forces almost daily from the start of March 2010 until its relief. Hebert's patrol was caught in a midnight ambush as it crossed what has become known the "Bridge of Death." [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. [24] Immediately after its transformation, the brigade began intensive training in both Germany and Italy to prepare itself for future deployments. The brigade returned to its home station in Europe in November 2010. He said Melzer's fellow paratroopers in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team were left feeling angry as . The artist, Queensland, Australia; purchased by MFAH, 2010. 88, 93. The 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sky Soldiers) is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapid forces to the United States European, Africa and Central Commands areas of responsibilities. All rights reserved. According to the latest filing in the case citing Murdoch's sworn deposition, the Fox boss admitted that he provided a preview of the ads to Kushner before they became public. [71] These inactivations, along with subsequent reorganization of U.S. Army divisions, saw several divisional brigades stationed in bases that were far from the division's headquarters and support units. Div., charging up the south slope. Capt. Melzer also shared the intelligence with someone claiming to be a member of al Qaida, and promised to leak more information, including photos and U.S. radio channel frequencies, upon arrival in-country. At its peak of its deployment in Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) comprised over 7,000 soldiers. Neither Fox nor the Trump campaign could be immediately reached for comment by Raw Story. Melzer betrayed his fellow soldiers and his country, FBI Counter Terrorism Assistant Director Robert R. Wells said following the sentencing. In May 2020, Melzer was informed his unit would be deploying to another overseas location to guard a sensitive U.S. military base. But Murphy says that during the actions around Dak To, 376 Americans were killed and 1,441 wounded. In 2019, he deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, prosecutors said. Deadly Prelude The Battle of Dak To was actually a series of intense clashes culminating in the decisive battle for Hill 875. Unknown to the Americans, they had walked into a carefully prepared ambush by the 2nd Battalion of the 174th PAVN Regiment. A and D companies of 1st Bn., 12th Inf. One paratrooper said of the enemy: They fight like theyre all John Waynes, three clips and making every bullet count., A Merciless Land Combat was brutal, close and fought in the unforgiving terrain of the Central Highlands. Every Objective was Taken Throughout the day, U.S. airstrikes and artillery continued to pound the top of the hill, as the NVA lobbed mortars at the U.S. perimeter. Gold Star, Active Duty, etc.). [70] However, with the ending of conscription following America's disengagement from Vietnam, many of the Army's formations had to be rebuilt for the volunteer force. Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Attempting for Murder Fellow Service Members in Deadly Ambush. [15] The maneuver battalions of the Vietnam era 173rd trace their lineage to the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, which successfully assaulted the fortress island of Corregidor in the Philippines by parachute and waterborne operations, thereby earning the nickname "The Rock". Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade. After the brigade finally left South Vietnam in 1971, the greater portion of the province reverted to VC control. Melzer was listed Friday as an inmate at Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn in New York, according to the Bureau of Prisons. He learned details about the deployment, mission and location, and then passed the information to members of his terrorist group. Cataloguing data may change with further research. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. To further the attack plan, Melzer and his co-conspirators passed these messages to a purported member of al Qaeda. Junger later wrote a highly acclaimed book, War, and, with Hetherington, produced the award-winning documentary, Restrepo, about the deployment. He acknowledged that would likely be killed if he carried out the attack, writing, who gives a f--- [. On Nov. 7- 8, A and D companies of the 3rd Bn., 8th Inf., fought NVA units east of Hill 830, losing 21 KIA and 81 WIA in close combat. 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. After the new units were integrated into the brigade, the preponderance of the forces within the brigade were stationed in Germany, apart from the brigade headquarters in Italy. The 173rd Support Battalion and the 173rd Combat Support Company provided logistical support from Kandahar, while sending individual soldiers to assist at other forward operating bases. [67]:396400, The unit then served in An Kh until mid-1969, seeing little in the way of heavy fighting. [3][27][28][29][30][31] Williamson boldly predicted on arrival that his men would defeat the Viet Cong (VC) quickly and that they "would be back in Okinawa by Christmas". [5], After Vietnam, the Army retained the 173rd Airborne Brigade as a quick deploying contingency brigade. The centerpiece of the battle was the 110-hour fight for Hill 875. These contacts prompted division commander Major General William R. Peers to request reinforcement and, as a result, on 17 June, two battalions of Brigadier General John R. Deane's 173rd Airborne Brigade were moved into the Dak To area to begin sweeping the jungle-covered mountains in Operation Greeley. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployable forces to the United States European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility. (U.S. Army Photo by Visual Information Specialist Davide Dalla Massara) Read more. [3][15] Commanders during the war included:[17], On 24 June 1921, the unit was reconstituted as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 173rd Infantry Brigade,[15] and was assigned to the Organized Reserve Corps and the 87th Division at Shreveport, Louisiana. Gen. John W. Barnes officially ended the unit's pair-off program and replaced it with Operation Washington Green, an intensive area security effort with territorial and paramilitary forces in Bnh nh Province. Assistant U.S. Only two weeks before the brigade was to return to Europe, a platoon of 45 soldiers from the brigade stationed in the Dara-I-Pech district was attacked by a large force of insurgents during the Battle of Wanat. All rights reserved. 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. "Grand Junction Police approached Peters in a bagel shop in Feb. 8, 2022, to execute a warrant related to her iPad, on which she is suspected of improperly recording a court hearing for her deputy clerk," said the report. Silver Falcon 23 is a bilateral exercise between the United States and Cyprus and is designed to enhance interoperability between both nations militaries to ensure they are prepared for any contingency, particularly those involving crisis response and non-combatant evacuation operations. 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. [99] The brigade returned to Italy in March 2006. He was awarded the Medal of Honor nearly 60 years after he was nominated. . If the allegations are true in the Dominion filing, "this is precisely what Murdoch provided to the Trump campaign," he said. By unlawfully disclosing his unit's location, strength, and armaments to other O9A members and jihadists in furtherance of this ambush, Melzer traitorously sought to attack the very soldiers . NAME AND TYPE OF OPERATION: Unnamed ambush patrol on Route 19, RVN. This photo provided by the Justice Department seized from an iCloud account belonging to former Army Pvt. [43], On 22 February 1967, the 173rd conducted Operation Junction City, the only combat parachute jump of the Vietnam War. Harold B. Birch, battalion commander at the time, recalled that about 14 Red Warriors were wounded in the attack, some by a misdirected American helicopter gunship.. [97] The Turkish forces were eventually released. All separate brigades had been inactivated in the 1990s as part of the U.S. Army's drawdown following the end of the Cold War. Its "glorification of violence and mysticism has found a renewed international audience," he said. While retrieving more ammo, Barnes saw a grenade tossed among a group of severely wounded soldiers. A former soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to plot with a hate group to attack his unit. A class of prime youth shredded in seconds. The next day, Pfc. She then had another arrest warrant issued against her after allegedly violating the terms of a protective order by contacting her former Mesa County office to demand a recount of that election. The rifle companies suffered 51% losses in just one month, Murphy wrote. He has deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 172nd Stryker Brigade and 173rd Airborne Brigade. [5], In mid-1968 at the instigation of II Corps commander General L Mng Lan, I Field Force, Vietnam commander General William R. Peers paired with the Brigade with the ARVN 22nd Division in Bnh nh Province in what was almost a replica of Operation Fairfax. Piano Sign Up, {{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}, Neo-Nazi soldier who planned to ambush army unit jailed for attempted murder, Critics call for FEC investigation of Rupert Murdoch leak of Biden ads to Jared Kushner, Election denier Tina Peters found guilty and could be going to jail, violating the terms of a protective order, Trans kids could be legally kidnapped by parents under proposed Florida law: report. The dust-offs started coming within 30 minutes. [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. [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. The 3rd Brigade went off jump status on 1 April 1974, the same date on which the Airmobile Badge (Air Assault Badge as of 4 October 1974) was introduced. There is something gut-wrenching about severely wounded men that I will never forget, recalled Earle Jackson, a 173rd medic who served on Hill 875. 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. LRS provided the 173rd Brigade command group with key recon and intel of the province, and held control of Helmand with a 5th Special Forces Group ODA element. The next morning, Nov. 20, 4th Bn., 503rd Inf., set out to relieve the 2nd Battalion paratroopers. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. 99 U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade conduct an ambush on Cypriot troops during a force-on-force squad-level blank. MICHAEL LEVENSON. A former Army paratrooper was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday for plotting with a violent extremist group to ambush and kill members of his own Italy-based unit, federal law enforcement officials said. The brigade was dispersed throughout the east of the country, with units operating in Kunar, Paktika, and Laghman Provinces. Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division. [91] Over the next 96 hours, the wing landed in the remaining 1,200 soldiers of the brigade as well as their vehicles. BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- A 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Soldier received a Silver Star for valor in a ceremony here July 12. The operation was a success, and the battered VC division fled. | Article | The United States Army", "US Sending Around 600 Paratroopers to Ukraine to Train Troops", 173rd Airborne Brigade Association Website, 173rd Airborne Brigade Lineage and Honors Certificate, Vanity Fair article from Spring '08 focusing on 2503 in Afghanistan, "Into The Valley of Death", New York Times article from Spring '08 focusing on 2503 in Afghanistan, "Battle Company Is Out There", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=173rd_Airborne_Brigade&oldid=1141762434, 19171919; 19211945; 19471951; 19631972; 2000present, European and African area quick response force, BG Otho B. Rosenbaum, July 15, 1918 - July 26, 1918, COL John O'Shea, July 27, 1918 - July 28, 1918, BG Otho B. Rosenbaum, July 29, 1918 - September 19, 1918, COL John Shea, September 20, 1918 - December 2, 1918, COL John Shea, December 4, 1918 - December 20, 1918, BG Marcus D. Cronin, December 21, 1918 - January 9, 1919, COL John Shea, January 10, 1919 - January 19, 1919, BG Marcus D. Cronin, January 20, 1919 - February 8, 1919, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 17:39. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. [34] The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment[35] and the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery[36] were attached to the brigade for one year in 1965. [66] The company commander, Captain Robert Helmick, was awarded the DSC. [105] Though the platoon was able to drive the insurgents back with air support, the fight resulted in 9 soldiers killed and 16 wounded; the deadliest attack on troops in the country since 2005. His first duty assignment was with Alpha Company, 3d. | "WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 11 November, 2012 - 3 February, 2013. ALSO IN THE NEWS: Americans belief in God hit an all-time low about 6 months ago here's why. Seventeen soldiers from the brigade died during this deployment. U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade and Cypriot troops train on the M4A1, Tavor x95, MG3, Negev 7.62, and RPG-7V in Larnaca . 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. Dawn on Tuesday, Nov. 21, revealed a scene on Hill 875 no survivor of that battle could ever forget, Edward F. Murphy wrote in Dak To: Americas Sky Soldiers in South Vietnams Central Highlands. "[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. Soon, U.S. air strikes and artillery fire were being called in, but they had little effect on the battle because of the dense foliage on the hillside. By clicking below to download MFAH collection images, you agree that you have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions of MFAH Website Use: "Melzer allegedly attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his own unit by unlawfully revealing its location, strength, and armaments to a neo-Nazi, anarchist, white supremacist group, then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, Audrey Strauss, said in a statement at the time. [102] The 173rd IBCT(A) officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[102]. "[119][120][121] He was charged in June 2020 with conspiring and attempting to murder military service members, and providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.