Decisive Decisions: Ia Drang Valley

Early 1965, rural South Vietnam is under limited Viet Cong control, suppoerted by the Vietnam People's Army (PAVN) regulars from North Vietnam. South Vietnam Troops (ARVN) are being hopelessly outclassed and entire units are being amushed and slaughtered. Supported by American advisors pushing to replace the ARVN units, General Westmoreland feels direct action by U.S. forces is the solution. [[The Dawn 2]]

November 1965, some 395 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel (LTC.) Hal Moore and Command Sergeant Major (CSM.) Basil Plumley, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley a few hundered meters from Chu Pong Mountain. They were immediately surrounded by some 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. A mere three days later, only two and half miles away, their sister battalion was chopped to pieces. You are about to embark into one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War. You are not excepted to survive. [[The Dawn 3]]

You are the commander of 1st Battalion of the recently reinstated 7th Cavarly. 7th Cavarly being the same unit as LTC Custer, who with over 300 of his soldiers were massacred at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. It is on your shoulders that the burden of command has fallen. Analyze the intelligence given to you and make a decisive decision, your soldier's lives and the outcome of the battle to come depends on it. The difference between a unit that survives a fierce battle and one that becomes legendary in defeat is leadership. [[On going actions..]]

You are part of Search and Destory missions of the Pleiku Campaign. You have new orders for action on Nov. 14. [[Operation Order]]

Situation: Enemy: Possible secret enemy base of unknown size in vicinity of Chu Pong Mountain in the Ia Drang Valley. Mission: 1st Battalion, 7th Cavarly will conduct a air assualt(dropped in by helocopters) at LZ X-Ray near the mountain to conduct a search for and destory the enemy. Execution: The battalion (around 400 soldiers) will be air assaulted in by companies (around 100 soldiers each) with the total being 4 companies(A through D). There will be a 30 minute delay between companies dropped do to the limited amount of helicopters having to make the trip back to pick up the next company. The landing zone will be secured by sending out platoons (around 30 soldiers) to conduct reconnaissance of the area. You will be the first to step foot on the ground. [[GARY OWEN!]] (code word for the mission is a GO)

You along with A Company board the first wave of helicopters to LZ X-Ray. In route CSM Plumely leans over and reminders you that back in 1954, 500 French troops were ambushed and massacred in the Ia Drang Valley by the same enemy unit you have been tasked with finding. You and A Company have landed at LZ X-Ray and have set up a scurity perimeter. [[Send out recon platoon patrols]] [[Maintain full security until the next set of trooops arrives in 30 minutes]]

One of your recon patrols has captured an enemy scout. Enemy scout,"There are 2,000 North Vietnamese regulars on the mountain (2-3 hundered meters away) who very much want to kill Americans but not been able to find any until now." You are severly outnumbered by an enemy on their own home terrain. This no longer a Search and Destory mission but one of survival. [[Increase and redirect security and patrols]] [[Request immediate evacuation by helicopter]]

You continue to wait until the next company arrives in over 30 minutes. With out any warning over 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers engulf your mere company of just over 100 troops. All lines of defense are broken simultaneously. The fight becomes a mob of rifle fire and hand to hand combat. You personally shoot off a North Vietnamese soldier who bayonets CSM PLumely. You are shot from the back and then recieve a bayonet to the left side. You fall with the rest of your soldiers. The only 4 that survive are taken captive.

Rifle and machine fire starts to erupt! Enemy contact has been made but is limmited. [[Call back all patrols to fighting postions]] [[Continue patrols until main enemy force is discovered]]

Your request for evacuation is recieved. However due to the limited amount of helicopters and that all available where in route to LZ X-Ray with B Company on them, all helicopters have to turn around to drop B Company back off so their helicopters are empty in order to pick you up. This adds an hour until helicopters will arrive. With this additional time the enemy uses their vast numbers to surround your small company of just over 100 soldiers. With a seems like a human wave crashing down from the mountain, 2,000 Vietnamese came with a thunder of gun fire. A Company holds them off for a few minutes but can not halt the attack. It is all over in a matter of minutes. A calm sweeps the field like a dusk wind. You lay with your soldiers, never to rise again.

Patrols make it back to the security perimeter just in time as all your troops begin to be engaged by an attacking enemy. However, a recon platoon from A Company is cut off from the security perimeter and surrounded on "The Knoll". The platoon's Platoon Leader and Platton Sergeant have already been killed. The second air assualt wave with B Company are just now landing in what is now a hot LZ criss cross with gun fire. [[Send B Company to break through to the cut off platoon]] [[Reinforce the flanks(sides) from where the fighting is heaviest presently near Chu Pong Mountain]]

The enemey begins to engage you on all sides. The four patrols that are outside the perimeter are cut off and soon slaughted. Your main force is now only at half strength. The Vietnamese break through your under strength lines of defense and seperate pockets of fighting. Some see the situation and surrender. You seeing the massacre to unfold order all those to lay down their arms. You and what remains of A Company are tied and marched off. None are heard from again.

B Company pushes out to try to reach the cut off platoon. Once they hit the wood line from the LZ they quickly encouter heavy resistance and take causalities. They must now be redirected to.. [[Reinforce the flanks(sides) from where the fighting is heaviest presently near Chu Pong Mountain]]

The cut off platoon is calling in artillery to hold off waves of enemy attacks. The Vietnamese are attempting to overrun the entire landing zone on all sides. The next air assualt wave of C Company are jumping out of the helicopters because the LZ is too hot to land in. [[Reinforce A Company that is an entire platoon down in strength and on the side facing Chu Pong Mountain]] [[Equally disperse the company around the perimeter in case the enemy attacks from all directions]]

C Company arrives to reinforce A Company just in time to meet and halt the enemy's main effort to break through. You now recieve intellgience that there is a creek bed near your perimeter that can be a key strategic position and avenue of enemy approach. [[Maintain present perimeter incase the enemy mases another attack any minute]] [[Redirect the perimeter and have B Company go secure the creek bed]]

As you try to redirect C Company around the perimeter, a main attack is pushing through A Company on "The Ridge". A Company is holding but many Vietnameses are now in the LZ. [[Have C Company eliminate the threat to the LZ and HQ]]

The Vietnamese uses "The Creek Bed" to run into the middle of your perimeter unopposed. You now have 2 companies of Vietnamese in side your lines. You currently only have 3 companiesw total that are still enagaged with enemy outside the perimeter. [[Have your troops face in and take out the enemy within]] [[Have your troops hold their positions]]

B Company seizes the key terrian of "The Creek Bed" just before the enemy begins a assault to capture the know strategic point. B Company holds their ground and is repelling repeated attacks. You spot the enemy begining to mass on a bald hill top overlooking your perimeter. [[Call in close air support to halt the enemy before they can coordinate an attack]] [[Immediately charge the hill with nearest platton which is from A Company and take the hill]]

The close air support naplams the hill and stops the enemy from massing on the exposed bald hill. The next air assault wave of D Company comes in under intense enemy fire. One of the helicopters goes down in the middle of the LZ. [[Send D Company to "The Creek Bed" to ensure that key terrain does not get over run]] [[Send D Company to reinforce C Company on "The Ridge" that is near the exposed hill and took heavy causalties when the enmey was massing]]

The Vietnamese numbers are too much or just one platoon to hold off. The Vietnamese cut through the platoon like a hot knife through butter. The swarm then moves to the rest of A Company which is only down to one platoon. "The Ridge" which faces Chu Pong Mountain falls in a domino effect. You now have no troops between yourself and the enemys main attack from the mountain. The Vietnamese attack siezes the now undefended LZ and move on to hit the rest of your troops from behind that are already engaged from the front. You are killed by a hail of rifle fire before you can lead your troops to a last stand rally.

"The Creek Bed" is in limited enagagement with the Vietnamese. C Company begins to be overwhelmed by a attack on "The Ridge". [[Send D Company to reinforce C Company on "The Ridge" that is near the exposed hill and took heavy causalties when the enmey was massing]]

D Company supports C Company just as an overwhelming enemy assault is thrown at them. The fighting is intense and close but D and C Company hold the line. The LZ however, has become too contested and hot to land any more helicopters of soldiers, supplies or mediac the wounded. [[Divert the men guarding the HQ and killing infiltrators of the perimeter to blow small trees up to expand and free up the LZ]] [[Maintian all men in security positions, the integrity of the perimeter is already in jeopardy]]

With the new LZ made, helicopters can come in with much needed ammo and water along with evacuatating the wounded but no more reinforcements are coming. However with the new LZ, General Westmoreland and Division HQ back at base camp want you and only you on the next helicopter out to brief you on the situation. [[Obey a direct orders from higher]] [[Disobey a direct order from higher and stay with your soldiers]]

With no way for much need ammo and water to get your troops the situation becomes dire. General Westmoreland demands a the LZ be reopened by any means neccesary. [[Divert the men guarding the HQ and killing infiltrators of the perimeter to blow small trees up to expand and free up the LZ]]

You load onto the next supply helicopter. As you lift off you a swarm of Vietnamese coming down the mountain towards "The Ridge" that is triple the amount of troops you have, let alone the amount defendind "The Ridge". Without your leadership and confusion of who is the supreme commander on the ground, the Vietnamese take "The Ridge" and the rest of the position fall within an hour. You are labeled back home as a coward that left their troops to be killed but saved yourself.

The cut off platoon is sustaining heavy causilities, low on ammo and not sure if they can hold off the enemy much longer. The fighting by the closes company (B Company at "The Creek Bed") to the cut off platoon is more calm than the rest of the perimeter. [[Send B Company at "The Creek Bed" to break through to the cut off platoon before it is too late]] [[Have the cut off platoon continue to hold their position]] [[Have the cut off platoon try to make their way to inside the security perimeter]]

B Company sustains immediate multiple causalities once leaving the defensive positions of "The Creek Bed" and are forced to abandon the rescue attempt. Darkness nows fall and the cut off platoon is now asking when they will be rescued and that it needs to be soon. [[Tell the the cut off platoon that there will be no rescue attempt until dawn due to high enemy troop levels in the area and the high possibility of friendly fire in the dark]] [[Make another push to the cut off platoon before there is no one left to rescue]]

The cut off platoon is enaged all night by a determine Vietnamese enemy but by a mircale holds on. [[The Sun Still Rises]]

The cut off platoon trues to make their way to inside the perimeter. However they are carrying their wounded and dead which causes them to be slow and not able to return rifle fire. They walk right into the Vietnamese lines and are cut down. None survive. [[The Sun Still Rises]]

The cut off platoon continues to hold on and makes it to dawn. With dawn comes a calm in the fighting. The rescue attempt is halted before it can begin because.. [[The Sun Still Rises]]

The night attack is chaotic, B Company looks for the cut off platoon but only find Vietnamese and take more causalties trying to reach the cut off platoon. The effort is noble but futile. You tell the cut off platoon they will have to wait until morning. [[The Sun Still Rises]]

The sun rises in a unusual calm, almost peaceful. The silience breaks with massive attack at the "The Creek Bed". The massive attack of over whelming numbers seems to be all along the entire perimeter and are too close to your lines that you can no longer call in artillery to slow the enemy's attack without hitting your own soldiers. [[Have your soldiers fall back into a smaller and tighter perimeter surrounding your HQ to reestablish perimeter security and integrity]] [[Call in "Broken Arrow" having all air support in the country to come to your aid with danger close targeting near your soldiers with high risk of friendly fire]]

The fall back to a smaller perimeter becomes chaos. The Vietnamese chase after your troops as they abandon their original defensive positions. They are shot as they run for their lives. The small perimeter which was suppose to strengthen the defense become a dense unmanageable "Last Stand". The Vietnamese circle your small perimeter finding weak point then pounces on them. The defense becomes full of holes and slashes of communication. CSM Plumley has to grab and stab a Vietnamese soldier off of you but is bayoneted as he does so. You are shot in the knee but survive to be a prisoner of war due to your high rank. The enemy in a frenzy kill most who try to surrender.

Close air support drops ordance all the over the edges of the perimeter halting the enemy and killing many of them. However, a napalm drop comes in too close and burns 5 of your soldiers alive. The enemy however breaks all attacks. [[Call the helicopters to evacuate all your soldiers in the perimeter while the enemy is in dissarray]] [[Make a push to reach the cut off platoon]]

The A and B Company are picked up with ease. But as C Company begins to board the first helicopter out and D Company still on the ground, like a dark evil cloud 1,200 Vietnamese come down. It is hell all around. About half of C Company is able to escape on helicopters before the LZ is swarming with enemy shooting troops as they board the next helicopter. When the last shot is fired there are few men left standing, you are not one of them.

With the enemy in disarray B Company finally reaches the cut off platoon and escorts them back to inside the perimeter. As Dusk settles on the second day of the battle, General Westmoreland and Bridage HQ are requesting again for you individually to leave on the next helicopter out. [[Obey a direct orders from higher, and don't disobey twice in 24 hours]] [[Disobey a direct order from higher and stay with your soldiers until battle ends no matter the outcome]]

Through the night you have your soldiers re-arm and re-group. You have a gut feeling that come dawn the enemy will attack once more with every they have at full strength and you will no longer be able to survive the overwhelming numbers against you. [[Be conservative and don't push your operational limits, listen to higher and hold your lines until the helicopters can come and phrase all your soldiers out one company at a time, just like how they came in and then march reinforcements in once everyone is out]] [[Be unpredictable and use violence of action. Fix bayonets and assualt Chu Pong Mountain where the enemy is headquarted and from where they will make their attempt to overrun you once more]]

After a long hard fight your troops are getting out. A, B, and C Companies are withdrawn in phases by helicopter. You stand alone with only D Company left on the ground. This is predictable move is what the Vietnamese general has been waiting for. With only one of your companies still left on ground ( around 100 soldiers), the calm that had been all morning is shattered by the roar of over 700 Vietnamese raining down from Chu Pong Mountain. [[Tell your soldiers to prepare to defend themselves]]

The enemy is not expecting you to attack and are caught completely off guard and unprepared. With using the helicopters as close air support, your soldiers have siezed the momentum, break through the enemy's lines and force the enemy to withdraw from their own base camp. CSM Plumley leans over and says that if you were wondering how LTC Custer felt knowing he lead his men into a massacre then to ask the Vietnamese general you just defeated. [[The Dawn ]]

The infiltrators are taken out but A Company is still barely holding onto to "The Ridge". [[Reinforce A Company that is an entire platoon down in strength and on the side facing Chu Pong Mountain]]

Your troops face in to take out the enemy inside the perimeter. The enemy uses this to surround and press your troops in from the outside as the enemy also attacks from within. Your troops are now in a ring with one ring of enemy within and one ring of enemy outside. One by one sections in your ring break. The Vietnamese divide and destory your battalion one break at a time. It is slow but in the end the Vietnamese carry the bugle of victory. All your troops who are not massacred are taken captured. You fall by bayonet to the back trying a last ditch effort to redirect defensives.

Your troops continue to face out and fight the enemy that is still outside the perimeter. The enemy uses this to to press and surround your troops from within along with the Vietnamese your enaged with outside the perimeter. Your troops are now in a ring with one ring of Vietnamese within it and one ring of Vietnamese outside of it. One by one sections in your ring break. The Vietnamese divide and destory your battalion one break at a time. It is slow but in the end the Vietnamese carry the battle streamer of victory. All your troops who are not massacred are taken captured. You are killed by at first one bayonet to your right side followed by a rifle shot to the neck while trying to lead a last ditch effort to re-group in order to make a break through to retreat.

You and you alone get on the next supply helicopter out. At dawn a attack like never seen is launched at your troops. With you not there to lead them. First the "The Ridge" falls then other positions. The finale "Last Stand" is at the "The Creek Bed". They hold on longer than anyone could have predicted given the circumstances. Their guns eventually fall silent. You become the lone survivor of the battle, some even suggest that you were a coward that ran and abandoned your soldiers. This haunts you for the rest of your life.

The fight is loud. The sounds of rifle fire, explosions and screams fill the air like a thick smoke.The fighting becomes hand to hand in many cases. Your soldiers fight valiently. You fall next to the men you lead. CSM Plumley with about 7 other soldiers escape into the jungle after you fall. They tell the tale of "The 2nd Last Stand of the 7th Cavalry". The Vietnamese general gets the massacre of American troops he soo much desired. [[The Dawn ]]