The Battle for "Charlie" took place in 1972 during the Vietnam War
after most American troops had been withdrawn. A battalion of South
Vietnamese paratroopers made a stand reminiscent of the Spartans at
Thermopylae in 480 BC. The heroic ARVN troops fought with a single
American advisor-Major John J. Duffy, who directed critical
American air support and the breakout. Thousands of North
Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops invaded the South with overwhelming
ground combat strength, supported by long-range artillery and
tanks. They were part of a force ordered to conquer the South by
cutting it in half. In the Central Highlands, the 11th Airborne
Battalion was flown to a mountain pass designated "Charlie" and
ordered to block the large NVA force at all costs. Two weeks of
vicious close-range fighting ended with both sides suffering
horrific casualties. The greatly outnumbered ARVN paratroopers
fought until 90% of their comrades were dead or disabled. The enemy
death toll exceeded 1,000 and caused a two-week delay in the
invasion timetable. This setback in their strategy caused the
overall invasion to fail and forced an NVA withdrawal. Victory was
won at great cost. Only 37 of the 471 paratroopers escaped the
encirclement. Major Duffy was wounded several times while
controlling critical air support throughout the battle. Because he
had the only ground-air radio, he was targeted by the NVA as he
planned and led a daring escape through enemy lines and ambushes.
Under fire at the jungle landing zone, he was the last man to board
the rescue chopper after assisting and confirming all troops were
safely aboard. Major Duffy received the Distinguished Service Cross
for valor and for saving the lives of the survivors. The story is
told with poems, eyewitness accounts, and transcripts of a
tape-recording by eyewitness (evacuation helicopter co-pilot).
General
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