Battle of Hamburger Hill in the Vietnam War

Battle of Hamburger Hill in the Vietnam War The Battle of Hamburger Hill was fought May 10-20, 1969, during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). In late spring 1969, American and South Vietnamese forces commenced Operation Apache Snow with the intent of driving North Vietnamese troops from the A Shau Valley. As the operation moved forward, heavy fighting developed around Hill 937. This soon became the focus of the battle and additional American forces were committed with the goal of securing the hill. After a grinding, bloody fight, Hill 937 was secured. The fighting on Hill 937 was covered extensively by the press who questioned why the battle was necessary. This public relations problem escalated when the hill was abandoned fifteen days after its capture. Fast Facts: Battle of Hamburger Hill Conflict: Vietnam War (1955-1975)Date: May 10-20, 1969Armies Commanders:United StatesMajor General Melvin Zaisapprox. 1,800 menNorth VietnamMa Vinh Lanapprox. 1,500 menCasualties:United States: 70 killed and 372 woundedNorth Vietnam: Approximately 630 killed Background In 1969, US troops began Operation Apache Snow with the goal of clearing the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) from the A Shau Valley in South Vietnam. Located near the border with Laos, the valley had become an infiltration route into South Vietnam and a haven for PAVN forces. A three-part operation, the second phase commenced on May 10, 1969, as elements of Colonel John Conmeys 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne moved into the valley. Among Conmeys forces were the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Weldon Honeycutt), 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Robert German), and the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry (Lt. Colonel John Bowers). These units were supported by the 9th Marines and the 3rd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, as well as elements of the Army of Vietnam. The A Shau Valley was covered in thick jungle and dominated by Ap Bia Mountain, which had been designated Hill 937. Unconnected to the surrounding ridges, Hill 937 stood alone and, like the surrounding valley, was heavily forested. Moving Out Terming the operation a reconnaissance in force, Conmeys forces began operations with two ARVN battalions cutting the road at the base of the valley while the Marines and 3/5th Cavalry pushed towards the Laotian border. The battalions from the 3rd Brigade were ordered to search and destroy PAVN forces in their own areas of the valley. As his troops were air mobile, Conmey planned to shift units rapidly should one encounter strong resistance. While contact was light on May 10, it intensified the following day when the 3/187th approached the base of Hill 937. Sending two companies to search the north and northwest ridges of the hill, Honeycutt ordered Bravo and Charlie companies to move towards the summit by different routes. Late in the day, Bravo met stiff PAVN resistance and helicopter gunships were brought in for support. These mistook the 3/187ths landing zone for PAVN camp and opened fire killing two and wounding thirty-five. This was the first of several friendly fire incidents during the battle as the thick jungle made identifying targets difficult. Following this incident, the 3/187th retreated into defensive positions for the night. Fighting for the Hill Over the next two days, Honeycutt attempted to push his battalion into positions where they could launch a coordinated assault. This was hampered by difficult terrain and fierce PAVN resistance. As they moved around the hill, they found that the North Vietnamese had constructed an elaborate system of bunkers and trenches. Seeing the focus of the battle shifting to Hill 937, Conmey shifted the 1/506th to the south side of the hill. Bravo Company was airlifted to the area, but the remainder of the battalion traveled by foot and did not arrive in force until May 19. Soldiers inspecting the damage in the surrounding area of Dong Ap Bia during Operation Apache Snow, May 1969. US Army Military History Institute On May 14 and 15, Honeycutt launched attacks against PAVN positions with little success. The next two days saw elements of the 1/506th probing the southern slope. American efforts were frequently hindered by the thick jungle which made air-lifting forces around the hill impractical. As the battle raged, much of the foliage around the summit of the hill was eliminated by napalm and artillery fire which was used to reduce the PAVN bunkers. On May 18, Conmey ordered a coordinated assault with the 3/187th attacking from the north and the 1/506th attacking from the south. Final Assaults Storming forward, Delta Company of the 3/187th almost took the summit but was beaten back with heavy casualties. The 1/506th was able to take the southern crest, Hill 900, but met heavy resistance during the fighting. On May 18, the commander of the 101st Airborne, Major General Melvin Zais, arrived and decided to commit three addition battalions to the battle as well as ordered that the 3/187th, which had suffered 60% casualties, be relieved. Protesting, Honeycutt was able to keep his men in the field for the final assault. US Army Photographer and assistant climbing through the devastated landscape on Dong Ap Bia after the battle. US Army Military History Institute Landing two battalions on the northeast and southeast slopes, Zais and Conmey launched an all-out assault on the hill at 10:00 AM on May 20. Overwhelming the defenders, the 3/187th took the summit around noon and operations began to reduce the remaining PAVN bunkers. By 5:00 PM, Hill 937 had been secured. Aftermath Due to the grinding nature of the fighting on Hill 937, it became known as Hamburger Hill. This also pays homage to a similar fight during the Korean War known as the Battle of Pork Chop Hill. In the fighting, US and ARVN forces suffered 70 killed and 372 wounded. Total PAVN casualties are unknown, but 630 bodies were found on the hill after the battle. Heavily covered by the press, the necessity of the fighting on Hill 937 was questioned by the public and stirred controversy in Washington. This was worsened by the 101sts abandonment of the hill on June 5. As a result of this public and political pressure, General Creighton Abrams altered US strategy in Vietnam from one of maximum pressure to protective reaction in an effort to lower casualties.

What Is a Point Guard Basketball’s Team Leader

What Is a Point Guard Basketball’s Team Leader SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Love watching Steph Curry hit three-pointers? Or seeing Lindsay Whalen dribble down the court? What exactly do these point guards do? What is a point guard in basketball, even? Well, every basketball team’s starting lineup is made up of five players (each team puts 5 people on the court): a center, small forward, power forward, shooting guard, and a point guard. Each of these players has unique skills that make them an asset on the court. What is a point guard’s specialty? A point guard’s expertise is typically ball handling and passing. What Is a Point Guard? Point guards in basketball are expected to be great at dribbling the ball and great at passing, so that they can create opportunities for their team to score. However, they need to be so much more than that. They’re team leaders; they’re the person the team turns to to lead them on offense. They need to have positive attitudes because they’re the person their teammates turn to for support; they need to keep morale high. The chart below shows the five players positioned on offense, so you can see how the point guard fits in with the rest of the team. The point guard is typically one of the shorter players on the team (simply because this position doesn’t require height like some of the others). However, point guards are also usually the fastest players on the team because they control their team’s offense. Point Guard Offensive Responsibilities What exactly does the point guard need to do on offense in basketball? You have to master these six key responsibilities to be a top point guard. #1: Bringing Up the Ball The point guard (labeled number 1 above) is traditionally responsible for bringing up the ball from the other side of the court. This means after the other team scores, the point guard dribbles the ball (bounces the ball back and forth on the ground) back to your side of the court. The point guard then usually stands near the top of the key (the point shown in the diagram above) and figures out what play to make. #2: Controlling the Pace Because point guards bring up the ball, they end up setting the pace for the offense. If they bring up the ball slowly, walking while dribbling, they’ll slow down the offense. This can be good if the team needs a breather or if the other team’s offense is moving very fast, it helps reset the pace of the game. If they bring up the ball quickly, running while dribbling, they’ll speed up their offense. They might do this to try to catch the other team off guard. #3: Calling Plays After bringing up the ball, they may also call for the team to run a specific play. They may literally call it out loud by shouting something â€Å"James 45,† or they might make some sort of hand motion to signal for a play (such as putting their fist in the air). Think of them as the team organizer, like the quarterback in football. They start with the ball and then try to organize the team to get the ball to the basket. #4: Passing As I said, the point guard is an expert passer in basketball. As a point guard, you need to be good at passing the ball because once you dribble the ball to your side of the court, you’ll need to pass the ball to your fellow teammates to create opportunities to score. You’ll never see a point guard who can’t pass well. It’s arguably their most crucial skill. #5: Outside Shooting The point guard needs to be able to make shots from far away from the basket. While some players, such as the center and forwards, play close to the basket, the point guard generally stays around the 3-point line or just inside, so they need to be able to shoot from farther away. #6: Driving to the Basket While you’ll primarily see point guards pass or shoot from the outside, you’ll sometimes see top point guards dribble past the defense down to the basket to shoot layups (a shot from right next to the basket). A great point guard has the skills to fake out the defensive players, get around them, and score. Point Guard Defensive Responsibilities The best point guards won’t just be strong on offensive but on defense as well. The point guard’s role on defense will depend on what kind of defense the team plays. In basketball, there are two main types of defense: man-to-man and zone. You’ll more typically see man-to-man play in the NBA (or some sort of hybrid of the two). In man-to-man defense, each player is assigned another player on the other team to guard. They are responsible for guarding that player the entire game. In that scenario, the point guard will likely be matched with the other team’s point guard. They’ll try to stop the other team’s point guard from shooting or dribbling closer to the basket. In zone defense, each player is assigned an area of the court to guard, and they need to make sure to guard any opposing team player in their zone. In that case, the point guard typically guards the top of the key. They make sure no one is able to shoot a basket from the top of the key. Summary: What Does a Point Guard Do in Basketball? A point guard is one of the 5 positions on a basketball team. Point guards are the team organizers like quarterbacks in basketball. On offense, they need to be great at dribbling, to bring the ball to their side of the court. They need to be great passers, so they can give the balls to their teammates to create scoring opportunities. They need to be great at shooting from around the 3-point line. The best point guards will also be able to sneak around defense players and make layups. On defense, point guards are responsible for making sure the opposing team players don’t get shots off near the top of the key.