1st Battalion 50th Division Vietnam 12/7/1967

Actually, it's just 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment (although the "Regiment" wasn't typically used). They were a mechanized infantry battalion that served as a general reserve unit for USARV, and at the time of the fight in question, they were supporting the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Although, to be clear, the 1/50th Infantry (Mechanized), with its armored personnel carriers, was anything BUT airmobile.

What you probably need to do is find the unit roster/morning report for that day, then start searching using one of those "find anyone" websites. The morning reports are held at the National Archives in St. Louis.

Thank you for that everything helps!!!

https://www.ichiban1.org/html/history/1965_1969_american_war/05_counteroffensive_phase3_1967_1968.htm

https://vnwarstories.com/Odyssey/vn.ACompanyOdysseyChronology.html#anchor761483

reports of support for 1/8

0530 – All ambushes and OPs are back to the perimeter with negative findings.

0640 – "B" Company strength: 81 EM, 4 officers, and 5 attached.

0720 - 0747 – First Platoon and CP is combat assaulted from 913914 to 895073.

0728 – "CS has been put in east of LZ @ 895073."

0732 – TOT on ground at 895073.

0745 – "A" 1/50 leaves LZ Low Boy for 895073. They link up with Bravo Company at 0853 hrs.

0756 - 0802 – The Second Platoon is combat assaulted from 913914 to 895073.

0810 - 0815 – Third and Fourth Platoons are combat assaulted from 913914 to 895073.

0915 – Bravo Company calls for Medevac for 3 WIAs.

0925 – At 895072, Bravo Company has received small arms and automatic weapons fire and they have sustained 1 KIA and 2 WIAs while the APCs have taken 1 WIA.

0932 – First Platoon of Bravo Company is pinned down from an enemy in a dug in position. They request a flame thrower or bulldozer.

0946 – 1/50 has lost one APC which hit a mine.

1015 – 1/9 has spotted an enemy antenna at 893091.

1030 – "Partial Summary: The 1 APC with blown track will return to the secure LZ at A Co @ 895073. A Co 1/50th APCs will join A Co & B Co in pulling back slightly from 895072. A maximum of artillery fire will be brought into an area of contact at 895074, a co size element of NVA main force is believed held up in very tight in secure bunkers, after the artillery has ceased, A Co will be carried across the river by APC to flank the area to the east. B Co will continue to sweep the original area of contact. APCs with flame throwers are en route as well as bulldozer and engineers to construct a road and help destroy the bunkers, B Co has 4 NVA KIA & 1 AK-47."

1045 – The Bravo Company FO brought in heavy artillery at 899075. The enemy scattered, but 4 were thought to have been killed.

1052 – The bulldozers have built a road from the Highway to the river at 895073.

1055 – "A & B Cos are both moving east in a flanking movement. Artillery has ceased, flanking area of contact is at 895074."

1100 – Following a 15 minute artillery barrage, "A", "B", and 1/50 made a concerted move forward.

1104 – "A Co reports 1 VC KIA."

1108 – "A Co has 1 more NVA KIA."

1110 – A scout chopper from 1/9 is shot down near the area of contact.

1115 – The Company requests a Medevac for 1 US KIA and 2 US WIA.

1130 – The Engineers at the river are constructing a bridge.

1140 – "A" and "B" Companies are withdrawing to the west. Heavy artillery will be called in.

1145 – "B Co has 2 platoons pinned down in a trench by automatic weapons and grenades, Bde scout team will cover their movement to the west."

1152 – The Company's 2 WIAs are loaded in an APC and driven to a chopper pad. They were Medevaced at 1200 hrs.

1155 – The down ship from 1/9 is at 899079.

1205 – 229th gunships have extracted the downed scout chopper.

1255 – Air strikes have begun on enemy positions.

1345 – CS gas is being put on the target.

1406 – "Artillery TOT is complete, & the elements of A, B & APCs are moving to the east.

1423 – The second bridge over the river near the contact area is completed.

1440 – "A & B Cos have halted on the 90 n-a line at this time to consolidate gains, and clean up area covered and evacuate friendly wounded."

1507 – "One APC hit by rocket. Total damage unknown at this time."

1516 – A second APC has been hit by a rocket.

1610 – "A" Company Medevac completed.

1625 – The dusters are leaving the contact area to secure the bridge. They arrive at 1753 hrs.

1628 – "One of the Bde Scout Team ships had to set down shot in the engine, negative casualties @ 895073. Secured by 1/8 elements on the ground."

1650 – At 895073 the engineers have 1 POW, 2 NVA KIAs and a lot of NVA equipment.

1757 – "B Co requests medevac for 1 EM." It arrives at 1810 hrs.

1800 – "From 1/8 S-3: Enemy is the 7th NVA Btn. A Co has 44 [enemy] KIAs, B Co has 45 KIAs, A Co has 4 AK 47s, 2 carbines, 1 SKS ..., 1 B-40 rocket launcher, B Co has 2 carbines, and found parts for one recoilless rifle. There is a lot of NVA equipment in the area."

1821 – "Request medevac for A Co [actually, C Co] hit by ARA with 4 WIAs. Completed at 1915 hrs.

1822 – Enemy KIA count: Bde Scout Team, 6; ARA, 7; APCs, 10.

1905 – An ARA ship has received fire from 880075.

1957 – Locations: "A" Company is at 895073, "B" Company is at 895072.

2043 – Strength: A, 94; B, 87; C, 116; D, 114; HHC, 127.

2400 – "A Co had 50 NVA KIAs, 1 NVA POW, 7 individual weapons, 19 US WIAs & 2 US KIAs. B Co had 55 NVA KIAs, 2 individual weapons, 7 US WIAs, 1 US KIA. 1/50th had a total of 15 US WIAs, 1 US KIA."

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These are all extracts from the Daily Staff Journals from A Company 1/8th Cavalry, apparently copied from the Vietnam Center and Archives at Texas Tech University. Unfortunately, they didn't link directly to the Journals, just to the Archives' Home Page, and their search engine can be painful to use. But if you haven't searched there, I'd recommend it.

https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/

All of their holdings are donated by veterans, or researchers, or others interested in the Vietnam War. So in this case, it's likely that someone went to the Archives and copied the daily journals. If they did that, they may have also contributed morning reports, or rosters they had in their possessions, or membership rosters from a veterans association. So it's definitely worth a look.

I find their search engine works best if you search first for, in this instance, "8th Cavalry," then search within those results for "1st Battalion;" if you search for "1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry," you'll get anything that mentions 1st battalion, 8th battalion, or, worst yet, 1st cavalry.

And do the same thing for "50th Infantry," followed by "1st Battalion."

If it gives you finding aids, look at those first, as you'll save a lot of time. If you find one that says an individual donated materials covering the time period and the unit you want, look at their material; if it doesn't, don't waste your time. It's a whole lot easier than opening documents at random.

All the Medevac missions would--almost guaranteed--have been flown by the division's organic air ambulance support, the air ambulance platoon assigned to Headquarters and Support Company, 15th Medical Battalion (Airmobile). I've been through their records, and you won't find anything of use there. And they were Medevac, not Dustoff--the Cav flew with door gunners, Dustoff flew unarmed and unafraid.

BulletBouchard 

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

The semi-annual rosters (i.e., April and October) for 1960-74 for Army units are attached to the morning reports of the respective units. All rosters for the period are not available and usually list only enlisted personnel. Paper copies may be obtained from microfilm by writing to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO  63138-1002.  Research and reproduction fees are charged for this service.  Please complete a GSA Standard Form 180 to request this information. The rosters will provide names of soldiers serving in A Company, 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment during the Battle of Dai Dong (December 1967).

The National Archives does not have the present addresses (or current mailing addresses) of former service personnel or their survivors on file.  Please review Locating Veterans and Service Members, Locate Military Members, Units, and Facilities and Finding Living People in the United States for information and/or resources to assist you with locating the person you seek.

The Federal agency most likely to have such addresses is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA can forward a message from you to the veteran, providing the veteran has filed a claim with VA, and they have an address on record. To forward a message, please write your message and place it in an unsealed, stamped envelope. Also include a note to the VA explaining who it is you are trying to reach and add as much identifying information as you have. Place all of this in another envelope addressed to the nearest Veterans Affairs Regional Office (you can find the address at https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp). If the veteran is in their records, your message to the veteran will be sealed and the envelope addressed to the address they have on file for the veteran. Please note that the veteran may not have informed the VA of a change of address, so they cannot guarantee receipt of your message. If the veteran receives your note, it is then up to the veteran to contact you. 

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

Sincerely,

Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)

RR2RR 24-58447-LR

Try reaching out to the 1/50’s website https://www.ichiban1.org/html/history.htm 

My great uncle was killed in the battle of Tam Quan while serving with the 1/50th. A local journalist took a lot of pictures and letters from my grandma (his sister) and never returned them. The guys that still run the website have been phenomenal. I reached out asking if anyone knew my uncle and if they could provide any pictures of him to replace the ones that were lost. They got in contact with me almost immediately and were able to get about half a dozen pictures of my great uncle so I could give them to my grandmother. If anyone would have an eyewitness account or know someone who might it would be them. On their website is a contact page that has email addresses from those still in contact. Hope this helps! 

Thank you so much!