The Battle of Firebase Ripcord was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Vietnam War, and the
last wide-ranging encounter between the US and the North Vietnamese Army before the war ended.
Even though American involvement in the Vietnam War was generally supported by the public at
first, opposition eventually emerged as President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution in 1964, dramatically increasing the presence of US soldiers in the area.
Unrest hit a high point after the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May of 1969.
Targeting a hill with no real strategic value, many American lives were lost.
The United States Congress had to intervene to reevaluate the US strategy in South Vietnam,
and President Nixon began a withdrawal of American troops.
But the incessant fighting continued with the Battle of Firebase Ripcord,
which took place in a remote region of the A Shau Valley during the summer of 1970.
The objective was to take control of the valley, a key tactical point for the North Vietnamese Army.
American troops were sent to the abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord as a first step to support
the Operation Chicago Peak offensives against enemy supply lines in the area.
However, Vietnamese forces unleashed thousands of troops in a fierce counterattack...
Nixon Backs Out
Tired of fighting war after war in foreign lands,
Americans back home were not happy and turned to anti-war protests to show their discomfort.
Public support for the Vietnam War was diminishing quickly, and the loss of
American lives coupled with a lack of strategic progress was weighing on military planners.
After news of the disastrous Battle of Hamburger Hill reached the media,
President Richard Nixon slowly began pulling troops out of Vietnam in late 1969.
Of the battle, in which the US incurred heavy casualties, one commander stated,
"This is not a war of hills. That hill had no military value whatsoever."
The question of what was of value in Vietnam was now being raised.
Despite the pullback, US Army garrisons remained stationed in
a series of firebases across the country to support their South Vietnamese allies.
They could also launch future operations and defend critical cities from these locations.
One of those bases was the Fire Support Base Ripcord. It would be taken by the 101st Airborne
Division, better known as the Screaming Eagles, as part of the strategy to settle in the area.
Firebase Ripcord
Under General Ben Harrison's command,
Operation Texas Star was launched in early 1970 to rebuild the abandoned Fire Support
Base Ripcord and disrupt the People’s Army of Vietnam’s supply lines in the area.
Northeast of the A Shau Valley,
Firebase Ripcord served as a resources channel on the way from Laos to Vietnam.
The operation would truncate the supply line and remove the PAVN 803rd Regiment from the area.
Ripcord was abandoned during the Tet Offensive in 1968.
Built over four hilltops, its location provided a natural defense against enemy ground attacks.
It was also hard to keep it well-stocked, especially during rainy seasons.
Ammunition, food, and reinforcements could only make their way to the base by helicopters.
On March 13, 1970, paratroopers from the 3rd Brigade, 101st Division,
arrived at Firebase Ripcord.
The landing zones were hit with enemy fire from hidden snipers in the valley.
Huey helicopters quickly charged back and encircled the zone.
Assisted by troops from the 187th and 506th Infantry Regiments,
the men began to renovate the barracks, artillery positions, and communication buildings.
A perimeter to repel NVA counterattacks was also laid out.
North Vietnamese recon units in the valley dispatched messengers to their superiors,
warning of American activity in the hilltops. They quietly analyzed every
move made by their American enemies, and began preparing an offensive.
When the Screaming Eagles at Firebase Ripcord least expected it,
the four hilltops surrounding the area were now occupied by Vietnamese soldiers.
By April, the North Vietnamese Army began mounting small scale-attacks to test Ripcord's defenses.
Equipped with AK47 assault rifles, RPK machine guns, RPG7 grenade launchers to
take down helicopters, and mortars to wreak havoc inside the base,
the Vietnamese took the US troops by surprise.
American forces initially failed to retaliate against the fast-paced guerrilla tactics
employed by the NVA, but eventually located enemy mortar positions and machine-gun nests.
By June, Americans had regained control of the area. Attacks were scarce,
and commanders were more worried about resupplying the base amidst difficult weather conditions.
The Screaming Eagles had no idea that the North Vietnamese silence foreshadowed an
imminent large-scale offensive. According to later Army reports,
as many as 25,000 enemy soldiers had gathered around Firebase Ripcord to fight the Americans.
Kings of the Hill
On July 1, 1970, all hell broke loose around Firebase Ripcord.
Dozens of mortars were used to launch an attack that would last for 23 days.
US Cavalry choppers had difficulty picking up the wounded and bringing reinforcements.
They were constantly threatened by enemy RPGs and recoilless rifle launchers.
Among the American troops was 18-year-old Denny Kirkham, a radio operator fresh out of
high school that arrived to support Ripcord's communications during these critical moments.
In a subsequent interview with the Army, he recalled (QUOTE):
"I was there for several of the attempts of the NVA to come through the wall.
We were surrounded most of the time. It was my first time being under mortar and artillery fire.
I witnessed several of the B-52 strikes. Some were flying so close, I could actually
see the pilot as he flew by and dropped his napalm. As an 18-year-old, it was a trip."
As casualties began to mount, Colonel Benjamin Harrison attempted to control the surrounding
hills to protect the base and reduce enemy resistance. From July 7 to 14, paratroopers
tried to eliminate the North Vietnamese presence with little success, forcing Harrison to withdraw.
Harrison later wrote in his book, “Hell On A Hill Top: America’s Last Major Battle in Vietnam”,
that the enemy was (QUOTE): "Too strong, too determined,
too well-fortified to be dislodged without the cost of American lives becoming too great."
On July 19, as the 120-millimeter mortar fire increased, enemy forces managed to
shoot down a CH 47 helicopter resupplying the base. The aircraft crashed into the
ammunition dump and destroyed six 105-millimeter howitzers.
Soldier Denny Kirkham recalled the event (QUOTE): "A helicopter was shot down right above the ammo
dump. It was like the whole top of the hill was coming off. That hurt us for several days. We had
to depend on other bases around Ripcord to really help cover us until we could be resupplied."
The young radar operator became vital in keeping communication open with air support. They needed
to coordinate fire barrages that provided the restless paratroopers with a few minutes of sleep.
After more than 20 days of continuous attacks, it became clear that the small US garrison would not
hold up for much longer. Losses and wounded soldiers increased with every firefight, and
Ripcord struggled with supplies. Enemy fire also made it almost impossible for choppers to land.
On July 22, Colonel Harrison ordered the surviving troops to (QUOTE):
"get out of Ripcord as soon as possible."
But the only way out was through the air, and a strenuous helicopter rescue mission ensued.
Choppers to the Rescue
According to US Army After Action Reports (QUOTE): "The extraction required 52 lift helicopters,
along with AH-1G Cobras to escort and provide suppressive fire for the extraction."
Hueys initiated the troops’ evacuation covered by Bell AH-1 Cobra attack-helicopters and
uninterrupted artillery strikes for the next eight days. More than 10,000 pounds of bombs and
12,300 artillery rounds were fired to stop the furious advances of the North Vietnamese Army.
In an interview with author Heather Clark, Denny Kirkham said (QUOTE):
"The withdrawals began happening so fast that a specialist and myself were put onto a huey that
had body bags on it that were filled. We were getting off that mountain any way we possibly
could toward the end. I was glad to get off there, but riding off with the KIAs was hard."
The 101st Aviation Group had to land on an intricate zone full of high trees,
thick terrain, and enemy fire from no more than 300 feet away.
More than 30 aircraft were hit by North Vietnamese fire.
One CH-47 Chinook was destroyed, while several Cobras and Hueys were harshly damaged.
During the extraction, Buffalo Bills pro-football player Bob Kalsu, and actor Chuck Norris’s
brother, Weiland Norris, were among dozens of American soldiers who lost their lives, while more
than 700 men were wounded. The North Vietnamese casualties were almost four times higher.
Three Medals of Honor and five Distinguished Service
Crosses were awarded to men that participated in the Ripcord combat.
For years, the government hid what happened at Firebase Ripcord to avoid civilian unrest.
It was until decades later that details of the battle finally emerged.
The FSB Ripcord association for survivors, family,
and friends of those involved in the Battle of Firebase Ripcord was founded
in 1985. War veterans who participated were finally able to tell their story.