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"Sky Soldiers"
 (Updated 12-29-08)
The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (BCT) is a
parachute infantry brigade of the United States Army that is home based in
Vicenza, Italy. The "Sky Soldiers" are the United States European Command's
conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe. As of June 2006, the
173rd Airborne Brigade was reorganized as part of the Army's modularization
process. Since that time, subordinate units of the 173rd BCT consist of 1/503rd
Infantry, 2/503rd Infantry (Airborne), 1/91st Cavalry (Airborne), 4/319th Field
Artillery, the 173rd Support Battalion (Airborne), and the 173rd Special Troops
Battalion.
The Sky Soldiers can trace their lineage back to the
forming of the 173rd Infantry, 87th Division in 1917. The Brigade went to
France with the 87th Division, but was not involved in any major combat action.
The Brigade was demobilized at Camp Dix, New Jersey in January of 1919. Between
wars, the 173rd went through a series of reorganizations and re-designations.
By the start of World War II, brigades were eliminated from divisions.
Therefore in February of 1942, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd
Infantry Brigade was assigned to the 87th Division as the 87th Reconnaissance
Troop. The 87th Division was part of Patton's Third Army and the 87th saw
extensive combat in Europe including the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing
of the Rhine River. The future Sky Soldiers were deactivated again in 1945, at
Fort Benning, Georgia. Additionally, two maneuver battalions of the Brigade
trace their history with the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment which
participated in the taking of Corregidor in the Philippines.
The 173rd ABN BDE earned several nicknames during
their training for their noteworthy service during the Vietnam War. The 173rd
Airborne Brigade (Separate) was activated into the regular army on the island
of Okinawa on March 26, 1963. The Brigade was to serve as the quick reaction
force for the Pacific Command. Since this unique and aggressive unit was to be
ready to insert into Southeast Asian countries as a crisis revealed itself, the
unit was known as the "Fire Brigade." Their first commander, Brigadier General
Ellis W. Williamson established realistic training throughout the region.
Nationalist Chinese (Taiwan) paratroopers gave the 173rd Airborne their
nickname of Tien Bing or "Sky Soldiers" due to the number of training jumps
conducted on their island.
Our thanks to John "Dutch" Holland, a Vietnam Veteran
with Bravo Company, 1/503rd for his recollection of how the 173rd Airborne got
the nickname of The Herd:
"The term Herd used with pride by veterans of
the 173rd Airborne Brigade. This nickname was coined by Colonel 'Rawhide'
Boland of the 1/503rd. Colonel Boland while on leave heard, liked and bought a
copy of Frankie Laine's old song Rawhide from the TV series of the same name.
The colonel on returning to camp played the song over the PA system during all
battalion formations. We as paratroopers had to run to and from all these
formations, and with the roads being unpaved kicked, up quit a cloud of dust.
One of his staff remarked that we looked like a herd of cattle and you can
guess the rest. Colonel Boland was given the name Rawhide and the battalion was
referred to as the Herd. The rest of the brigade adopted the name once in Nam
and no one is sure when or how that began. Colonel Boland is still alive and
kickin' at 88 years of age and still signs his name as 'Rawhide Boland.'"
The 173rd Airborne Brigade was the first Army unit
sent to the Republic of South Vietnam. In May of 1965 the majority of the
Brigade landed at Bien Hoa Airfield. They found the area frequently battered by
enemy raids and shelling attacks. The Sky Soldiers were the first to go into
War Zone D to destroy enemy base camps and relieve pressure on the Vietnamese
capitol. The 173rd was the first to introduce the use of long range
reconnaissance patrols. The Brigade was assigned to II Field Force, Vietnam for
their entire service. They fought in the Iron Triangle, a Viet Cong stronghold
north of Saigon. In November of 1965 the 173rd took art in Operation Hump,
north of Bien Hoa on the outskirts of Saigon. In 1966 they participated in
Operation Crimp to root out enemy forces from the Tunnels at Cu Chi.
The 1st and 2nd Battalions, 503rd Infantry were the
first Army combat units from the 173rd sent to the Republic of South Vietnam,
accompanied by the 3rd Battalion, 319th Artillery. They were supported by the
173rd Support Battalion, 173rd Engineers, E Trp/17th Cavalry and D Co/16th
Armor. The First Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and the 161st Field
Battery of the Royal New Zealand Army were later attached to the Brigade during
the first year.
In late August of 1966 the 4th Battalion, 503rd
Infantry from Fort Campbell, Kentucky joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade in
Vietnam. The 3/503rd joined the Brigade at Tuy Hoa in September of 1967. Also
joining the Brigade was Company N, 75th Rangers. At its peak strength in
Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) had nearly 3,000 soldiers
assigned.
On February 22, 1967, the 173rd Airborne Brigade took
part in Operation Junction City, conducting the only combat parachute jump of
the Vietnam War. During some of the toughest fighting of the war, the Sky
Soldiers blocked North Vietnamese Army incursions at Dak To during the summer
and fall of 1967. This period culminated in the capture of Hill 875. Elements
of the brigade conducted an amphibious assault against NVA and VC forces as
part of an operation to clear the rice-growing lowlands along the Bong Song
littoral.
The Battle of Dak To took a heavy toll on the Brigade
and hence they were transferred to the An Khe and Bong Son areas. They saw
little action during 1968 while the Brigade was rebuilt. The unit stayed in An
Khe until mid-1969. In May of 1969 the Brigade conducted Operation Darby Punch
II, which was the Sky Soldiers fiftieth operation in country.
From April 1969 until its withdrawal from Vietnam in
1971, the 173rd Airborne Brigade served in Binh Dinh Province. They
participated in four additional operations: Washington Greene, Greene
Lightning, Greene Storm, and Green Sure. From April to August, 1971 the Sky
Soldiers redeployed back to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The unit was deactivated
on January 14, 1972.
The Vietnam Veterans of the 173rd Airborne Brigade are
deservedly proud of their service with the Sky Soldiers. During just over six
years of combat, the 173rd earned 14 campaign streamers and 4 unit citations.
The Brigade soldiers were awarded 13 Medals of Honor, 46 Distinguished Service
Crosses, 1736 Silver Stars and over 6,000 Purple Hearts. Sadly, 1736 of the Sky
Soldiers died in Vietnam.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade was reactivated on June 12,
2000 on Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy as the European Command's only
conventional airborne strategic response force. On March 26, 2003 the 173rd
made the largest combat jump since World War II when the Sky Soldiers landed in
the Bashur Drop Zone to open the northern front in support of the invasion of
Iraq. The jump forced Iraqi defenses to commit forces to the area making it
safer for swift progress to Baghdad by other U.S. forces. In March of 2004 the
Sky Soldiers returned from combat operations in Iraq.
After doing their part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the
173rd Airborne Brigade began its second deployment in three years in the spring
of 2005. This time the Sky Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terror. The Brigade returned
to Italy in March of 2006.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade was re-designated the 173rd
Airborne Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) on October 11, 2006. This was a significant
change as the "Combat Team" designation signifies the ability for the Brigade
to deploy its forces and sustain itself with its newly integrated support
teams. While most of the Brigade remains in Vicenza, Italy, three battalions
have been organized in Bamberg, Germany and another in Schweinfurt, Germany
until additional facilities are constructed in Vicenza.
In the spring of 2007 the 173rd ABCT again deployed to
Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as Task Force Bayonet.
This is their first deployment as a fully transformed brigade combat team. The
173rd Airborne BCT officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th
Mountain Division on June 6, 2007. They have participated in various operations
with the objective of ensuring security and subduing insurgents in the
mountainous regions along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan.
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