Subscribe to our HistoryNet Now! I asked my commander for guidance, for a task and purpose, but he did not respond. a We will bring them in, execute a physical challenge that represents the sacrifices they made, wrap our arms around them, and welcome them home, said Bowling. Honeycutt ordered Charlie Company to the aid of Delta, but a sudden blinding rainstorm halted the attack and the Rakkasans again reluctantly withdrew back down the mountain. Graveside service for Dr. Weldon Glen Huneycutt, 92, of Berthoud, Colorado, will be conducted at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 19, 2021 in Rosehill Cemetery. What was that like? I get the chance to remember the Share yesterday to connect today & preserve tomorrow, Copyright 1999-2023 AncientFaces, Inc. All Rights Reserved, ADVERTISEMENT Ten brutal days of miserable fighting on a jungle-shrouded mountain in the spring of 1969 left scores of American dead and hundreds wounded and fueled a raging outcry from the American body politic that irretrievably altered the course of U.S. military policy in Vietnam. facebook. As dusk arrived on May 14, the survivors of the days fight assumed night defensive positions. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Where was Weldon born and where did he live? There was a problem getting your location. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Conmy agreed and Honeycutt had it inserted into a landing zone east of Dong Ap Bia. Region. After being demoralized, Charlie Company reconsolidated and was tasked to secure the battalion command post for the next three days. There is a problem with your email/password. Shortly after the costly assault on Hamburger Hill in mid-1969,the GI underground newspaper in Vietnam, "G.I. These memories would stay buried deep in Baylors memory for the rest of his life, and as he grew older, his curiosity for the top of Hamburger Hill grew. 0 cemeteries found in Pineville, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, USA. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. We have set your language to When Trautmann told his men of the upcoming mission, they were apprehensive to say the least. Ill say to myself, Ok, thats what it is, and Ill go numb. We didnt take any contact the first few days of the battle, said Trautmann, the platoon leader for 1st Platoon, Charlie Company in an interview with the West Point Center for Oral History. He took his battalion into battle at Hamburger Hill, one of the bloodiest engagements of the Vietnam War. Soon, plans were announced to reduce U.S. troop strength. And we did, we made it to the top of the hill together.. Eight men picked themselves up and followed the lieutenant, two of whom were Baylor and his best friend, Crutts. The 2-501 and 1-506 were to look for the enemy in their assigned operating areas and block enemy escape routes into Laos. Justin Wright | A dozen Rakkasans were killed and more than 80 were wounded in the days fighting. Cobra gunships and aerial rocket artillery were called in. Region. Conmys brigade consisted of the 2nd Battalion, 501st Airborne (2-501); 1st Battalion, 506th Airborne (1-506); and the 3rd Battalion, 187th Airborne (3-187). HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. From May 10 to May 20 1969, the men of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment would assault up a massive hill in the A Shau Valley of Vietnam known as Dong Ap Bia or the Crouching Beast. Then, Lt. Col. Weldon Honeycutt would command these brave Soldiers through the most trying times of their lives. Hartsell Funeral Home - Concord article Battle for Hamburger Hill During Vietnam War originally published in the June 1999 issue of Vietnam magazine. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? ROSEBORO Oscar Elmon Honeycutt, 89, of 40 Peyton Daniels Road, passed away Monday, July 31, 2017 at Betsy Johnson Hospital. 2022 TUSOCSAA. Show your support Send Flowers Weldon had 3 siblings: Juanita Honeycutt and 2 other siblings. Not wanting to give the enemy a chance to reinforce and strengthen his position on the mountain, Honeycutt decided he could not wait for his sister battalion to arrive. The valleys formidable terrain was dominated at its northern end by what local Montagnard tribesmen called the mountain of the crouching beast, Dong Ap Bia. Experiences, organizations, & how he spent his time. The A Shau sheltered enemy Base Area 611 and had long provided a major infiltration corridor for Communist forces from the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos to the coastal cities of northern I Corps Tactical Zone. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. An article in The New York Times declared the public is certainly entitled to raise questions about the current aggressive posture of the United States military in South Vietnam. The June 27, 1969, issue of Life magazine ran the photos of 241 servicemen killed in Vietnam the previous week, including five who had died in the assault on Hill 937. that occurred during Weldon's lifetime. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. After attending the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, he returned to Vietnam. By this time, both Honeycutt and Conmy realized that the North Vietnamese, who usually fought hard for a while before quitting the battlefield, were going to stand and fight on Dong Ap Bia. This account has been disabled. Weldon Honeycutt. Suggested donation : St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Funeral arrangement under the care ofCrosier - Pearson Cleburne Funeral Home. Second, to significantly enhance the relationships between currently serving and previous generations of Iron Rakkasans, Army veterans, and community leaders. A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m., Friday, Aug., 4, at Old. I spent many times in his office, with him getting me ready for a golf tournament. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. In the Senate on May 20, Edward Kennedy of New York angrily denounced the attack on Ap Bia, charging that it was both senseless and irresponsible to continue to send our young men to their deaths to capture hills and positions that have no relation to this conflict. He proclaimed it madnesssymptomatic of a mentality and a policy that requires immediate attention. Sorry! When I reached Charlie Companys position, 2nd and 3rd Platoons were both pinned down, said Trautmann. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. The steep slopes of Dong Ap Bia were cloaked by a heavy undergrowth of sawtooth elephant grass, thick stands of bamboo, and double-and-triple canopy jungle. Retired Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell. Weldon loved old cars, motorcycles, woodworking and traveling. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Designed by HNR Tech Maintained by MEC Systems, Inc. Pathfinder Detachment Commander/Platoon Leader, 187th Airborne Regiment Combat Team, Korea. USA. Conmy agreed and Honeycutt had it inserted into a landing zone east of Dong Ap Bia. Melvin H Honeycutt Obituary. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. Weldon Glen Huneycutt please visit our. While a tactical success in keeping the North Vietnamese off balance in I Corps, the battle for Hamburger Hill resulted in a public outcry against the seemingly meaningless nature of the struggle, which resulted in such a bloody expenditure of lives only to have U.S. forces abandon the battlefield shortly after the fighting was over. On May 17, with the 1-506 having made little progress, the two-battalion attack up the hill was again postponed. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. During the entire operation, Colonel Honeycutt was constantly leading his battalion and inspiring his men through his personal courage and fearless actions, resulting in over five hundred North. There was only light contact throughout the first day. Weldon Honeycutt was married to. As time passed, the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment was tasked with clearing the A Shau Valley, particularly hill 937, or Dong Ap Bia. On May 10, 1969, the battalion was dropped on the landing zone at the base of the hill. Knowing that his troops were heavily outnumbered, Honeycutt pleaded with Conmy to tell the 1-506 to get their asses in gear!. But Was He Drugged Into Confessing? Im proud of myself for being able to hike up that mountain at 76, said Baylor. The personnel officer quickly replied that he was airborne now and to lace his boots tight. Crutts saved my life, said Baylor. Please try again later. Welcome to AncientFaces, a com "Thank you for helping me find my family & friends again so many years after I lost them. This new enemy presence posed a significant threat to Hue, Quang Tri and the other major I Corps cities and towns. Liberty Christian Church Cemetery. See What AncientFaces Does to discover more about the community. General Zais arrived on the scene around this time and considered calling off the attack because of the heavy casualties and intense media attention but, backed by General Stilwell and General Creighton Abrams, MACV commander, he decided to continue the attack. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Pathfinder Detachment Commander/Platoon Leader, 187th Airborne Regiment Combat Team, Korea; Company . Dr. Weldon Glen Huneycutt passed away May 12, 2021 in Loveland, Colorado. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Texas Department of State Health Services. Try again later. The U.S. forces had learned some from captured documents and equipment and the occasional prisoner, but the enemy was heavily camouflaged and conducted most major movements at night under radio silence and thus had not been detected. When we share what we know, together we discover more. Meanwhile, on the south side of the ridge at Hill 900, a large enemy force in bunkers had the 1-506 pinned down. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. The first, to build the most lethal platoons in the 101st Airborne Division who are ready to deploy, fight, and win in the most austere environments at any time. Try again later. These guys had obviously been through something; you could tell by their faces, they were hard, Baylor recalls. Please enter your email address or username below. Though Honeycutt had a long and distinguished record as a combat commander in both Vietnam and Korea, he underestimated Ap Bia Mountain and the NVA facing him. Media reaction was likewise sharp. In a war that some would rather forget, and memories that are most times too hard to face, how do we honor such men who were called to make the ultimate sacrifice? Source(s): cemeteries found in Kemp, Kaufman County, Texas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. They began stockpiling supplies, passing out new protective gas masks and bringing up concussion grenades for use against the dug-in NVA troops in the bunkers and trench lines. Melvin was born in Charleston, South Carolina on September 26, 1929. Honeycutt, whose Bravo Company was being held in 3rd Brigade reserve at Firebase Blaze, called Colonel Conmy and requested release of his company. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Learn more about managing a memorial . The next day, nine veterans and 11 Soldiers boarded an aircraft and flew to Da Nang Airport, for a five-day journey recounting the steps they took exactly 50 years earlier. He ordered Bravo to continue to attack up the main ridge while Charlie launched another attack up a small finger 150 meters south of Bravo. North America. And while I was hiking, I said a little prayer. Memorials. What is Weldon's ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? Honeycutt again balked, saying his battalion was not going to sit on the side of the mountain to get our asses shot off waiting on the other units. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Try again later. This section is to introduce Weldon Honeycutt with highlights of his life and how he is remembered. By then he was already gone, and while Baylor was holding Crutts, kneeling low, a round penetrated his side and Baylor went down. He discusses leadership, and explains many of the techniques he employed over the years. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. While they waited for the arrival of the 1-506, Honeycutt directed his troops to prepare for the next assault up the mountain. Make sure that the file is a photo. His first duty assignment was as Platoon Leader, 31st Infantry Division, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Please reset your password. Add Weldon's family friends, and his friends from childhood through adulthood. Dr. Weldon Glen Huneycutt passed away May 12, 2021 in Loveland, Colorado. During this operation, the Marines discovered that the North Vietnamese Army had constructed major roads in the area, and intelligence revealed that some 1,000 trucks were moving supplies into area base camps. Accordingly, he ordered the 1-506 north from its area of operations to assist Honeycutt by attacking cross-country to strike the NVA facing the 3-187 from the rear. He thought I was rough and tough or something, that I was going to protect him, said Baylor. Weldon Shelton Honeycutt was born on month day 1925. Search above to list available cemeteries. There was never enough to eat, and partly because of this he joined the Army in 1946. The public outcry against the seemingly senseless bloodshed at Hamburger Hill appears to have had an impact on deliberations in the Nixon administration about the way ahead in the war. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. The operation began on May 10 with a 74-minute prep of 30 potential landing zones in the A Shau by artillery, Cobra attack helicopters and close air support. Refresh the page for new events. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Epsom. He is preceded in death by his three siblings, Arvel Huneycutt, Reba Young and Jeannie Winnett; brother-in-law, Nolte Crosier. He succeeded in securing the thill after a 6 10-day long battle but he made numerous blunders that cost the lives of numerous soldiers. Starting at 0800, he hit the area with every available fighter-bomber, followed by a 60-minute artillery prep. Weve updated the security on the site. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. This was a very good question. James Baylor, 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, poses for a photo on a hill in Vietnam. Linda and Steve my heart goes out to you. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Please try again later. It was preceded by Operation Massachusetts Striker and would be followed by Operation Montgomery Rendezvous, each targeted against a different area of the A Shau. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. That is exactly what Lt. Col. Martin Bowling facilitated during his command of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, Iron Rakkasans. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? 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