The U.S. Tenth Army invaded Okinawa in the Ryukyus Islands, which the Japanese considered home territory. The U.S. Tenth Army, commanded by LT Gen Simon B. Buckner Jr., included the Army XXIV Corps and Marine III Amphibious Corps.
The campaign began on 26 Mar 1945 when the 77th Inf Division landed on the small Kerama Islands near Okinawa, after which the U.S. established forward bases to support the next phase of the campaign.
Operation ICEBERG, the amphibious assault on Okinawa itself, took place on 1 April when with the Army's 7th and 96th Inf DVNs, and the 1st and 6th Marine DVNs landed on Okinawa. The 27th ID followed ashore on 9 April.
The battle lasted into late-June, and was particularly bitter since the Japanese considered it part of their home territory. American troops suffered heavy casualties on land and at sea when the Kamikazes, sank some 25 American ships and damaged 165 others.
In June and July, the Allies conducted increasingly intensive air attack and naval bombardment. Gen Buckner was among the nearly 35,000 American casualties on Okinawa. After he was killed he was succeeded by Maj Gen Roy S. Geiger, USMC, and later by GenJoseph W. Stilwell, USA.
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MUSEUM MONDAY - The US Army BG Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum, Ft. Campbell, KY- a
Artifact Spotlight.
The Pratt exhibits and collection recall the battles and exploits of these historic units from WWII to the present. Our spotlight artifact is the CG-4 Waco glider of WWII fame.
The CG-4 Waco was the 3rd most produced aircraft of WWII. Though 13,500 were produced, only a handful remain. It was towed behind a C-47 into a Landing Zone secured behind enemy lines the night before by lightly armed and supplied parachutist. #USArmy#TRADOC#ArmyMuseums
It could carry a 13-man glider infantry squad, or because its nose which could be opened, it could carry either a jeep, an anti-tank gun, a small howitzer, mortars, heavy machine guns, or 2,200 lbs. of supplies or ammunition. #WWII#WWIIGliders#FortCampbell#AirAssault
M72 LIGHT ANTI-TANK WEAPON (LAW) - END OF THE VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION
The standard anti-tank weapon during the Vietnam War, the M72 LAW continued the legacy of WWII’s “bazooka,” providing frontline troops with compact, lightweight high explosive firepower.
Developed during the late-1950’s as a cheap anti-armor weapon, the M72 was a 2.6 inch single-use HEAT warhead launcher. Just over two feet long and weighing 5.5 pounds with a range of about 660 feet, the M72 was a great improvement over its WWII-era predecessor.
U.S. Army soldiers found the M72 to be the perfect anti-armor and anti-emplacement weapon for the dense jungles of Vietnam; its collapsed carrying state was waterproof, and its low weight ensured it did little to burden soldiers in the Southeast Asian heat and humidity.
U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND, VIETNAM (MACV) - END OF THE VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION –
The main command instrument for U.S. forces in Vietnam, MACV presided over U.S. combat involvement in the conflict and became synonymous with the U.S. war effort.
MACV was formed in FEB 1962 to complement the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG). In the ensuing years combat troop activity escalated to the point that MACV absorbed MAAG in 1964, becoming the chief U.S. command in Vietnam. #Armyhistory#USArmy#TRADOC#VietnamWar
MACV was in principal control over all U.S. forces in Vietnam, under the leadership of a U.S. Army General. MACV’s commanders were Paul D. Harkins (1962 – 1964), William C. Westmoreland (1964 – 1968), Creighton Abrams (1968 – 1972), and Frederick C. Weyand (1972 – 1973).
RADIOMEN AND BATTLEFIELD COMMUNICATIONS - END OF VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION #VietnamWar
One of the most enduring images of the Vietnam War is that of the radioman on patrol, his back-mounted radio providing vital communications in the Vietnamese jungle. @USArmy
During the Vietnam War, the back-mounted AN/PRC-25 “Prick 25” (succeeded by the AN/PRC-77) was an essential piece of battlefield tactical communications equipment. With a range of 3–5 miles, the PRC-25 allowed units to communicate with each other and with rear elements. @TRADOC
The role of combat radioman was one of the riskiest in Vietnam. Its 10-foot antenna made radiomen prime targets, and the role famously (if perhaps doubtful) earned a reputation for having an average firefight survival time of just 5 seconds. #Armyhistory#USArmy#TRADOC
CREATION OF AIRMOBILE DOCTRINE - END OF THE VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION
One of the most iconic legacies of the Vietnam War was the U.S. Army’s adoption of new airmobile operation techniques, applying cutting-edge helicopter technology to the modern battlefield.
The idea for airmobile warfare emerged from experimentation with helicopters during the Korean War. After the end of the conflict in Korea, doctrine was developed to combine the speed of motorized infantry units with the all-terrain mobility of helicopter technology. #ArmyHistory
The 11th ABD was reactivated in 1963 as the 11th Air Assault Division (Test), with the purpose of testing these new developments in airmobile doctrine. The first combat airmobile unit was the 1st CD (Airmobile), which arrived in Vietnam in September 1965. #USArmy#TRADOC
UH-1 IROQUOIS “HUEY” HELICOPTER - END OF THE VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION
The Vietnam War’s most iconic helicopter, the UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” was a ubiquitous transport and gunship which came to represent the conflict in the public’s imagination.
First introduced in the 1950s, the U.S. Army soon adopted the UH-1 helicopter for use in a variety of roles. Its original designation was "HU" for "helicopter, utility" (hence the sobriquet "HUey"), which was later changed to "UH" for "utility helicopter."
The UH-1 and its variants were the backbone of the Army’s new airmobile doctrine and performed a variety of roles. These included close air support gunships, assault aircraft for infantrymen, basic transport functions, and "air ambulances" for medical evacuation. @TRADOC