1/52nd Infantry, Vietnam

[Donald E. Smith]

I was lead to believe that the 1/52nd Infantry, deactivated Nov 1971, when the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) stood down. When did they go to Germany? How long was the unit there? I have all the

Unit Daily Staff Journal from Vietnam (1967-1971), plus maps of our areas of operation. Also have the

casualty list of all of the 1/52nd Infantry brothers who died in combat.

Don "SGT Snuffy" Smith

C Co & E Co (Recon Platoon) 1/52nd Inf, 198th LIB, 23rd Inf Div (Americal) 1970-71

SSG (RET)

 

[phone] - Maine

[Todd A. Mercer]

Don,

I'm not sure when 1/52 was reactivated at Bamberg, it had been there quite awhile when I got there in 1986.  It was redesignated to 7th Bn, 6th Infantry in spring, 1988 I believe.

 

I also seem to remember the 52nd Infantry Regiment then being activated at Ft Irwin as the NTC OPFOR, but then that unit redesignating to 11th Cavalry Regiment sometime later.

 

Todd Mercer

[Todd A. Mercer]

Don,

According to Wikipedia, 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry was assigned to 1st Armored Division on 15 September 1972.  (I'm almost certain that 1AD was not in Germany at that time, but don't have that information at hand definitively at the moment.)

 

It was deactivated on 16 November 1987, when the battalion was redesignated 7th Bn, 6th Infantry at Warner Bks, Bamberg, Germany.

 

On 16 January 1988, the regiment was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System, and the 1st battalion was reactivated at Ft. Irwin, CA.

 

On 16 October 1991, 1st Bn, 52nd Infantry was assigned to the 177nd Armored Bde at Ft. Irwin.  On 15 October 1994, the battalion was inactivated and relieved from assignment to the 177nd Armored Bde.

[Donald E. Smith]

Todd: Thanks for the reply, very interesting. Will check out Wikipedia. What started out 32 years was my researching the

1/52nd Infantry firebases & landing zones in Vietnam. It took me 7 years just to get our KIA list completed to include the

six digit grid location they were KIA or where the action of injuries took place. You guys probably don't know the combat

history about the 1/52nd Infantry 1967-71. Somewhere along the line in the Army, I truly forgot the meaning of "Never

Volunteer For Anything". So I volunteered for my first with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) 1968-69, Volunteered for

my second tour with the 1/52nd Infantry 1970-71 and after a month and a half with C Company, volunteered for the Recon Platoon, what was I thinking???? True is I wouldn't change a think if I could. I did 6 months with 1st Cav Div G-3, 6 months

with HHC 3rd Bde, 1st Cav Div Security Platoon Radar Operator AN/PPS-4, went from one landing/firebase to another saw a lot of places. Went back C Company & E Company (Recon Platoon), saw the combat side of war.

I was in Augburg, Germany 1967-68 with the 24th Infantry Division, they went back to Ft. Riley, to close to Leavenworth for me, I went to Vietnam.

Was in Wildflecken, Germany 1985-88, that was a fun assignment. Spent a year & a half E-5 - E-6 Radar Team Leader/Section Leader, wanted to go back to my PMOS 11B30, but my CQ didn't want to lost me out of the company,he had a Anti-tank section leader slot opened, I sounds like fun to me, did the other year & half as TOW. About 6 months in TOW, they sent me to BNOC at Villseck (TOW course), as I was checking out through personnel, the office asked what I was doing in Germany - strange question - come to find out I was married on an unaccompanied tour - 2 years and this is where I made a fatal error in judgement, he asked were would I like to be station and he would get me the assignment, dumbass me tells him - just extend for a years, that way I've done a 3 year tour and it'll be awhile before they send me back. I could of good to Hawaii. Enough for now back to research Vietnam, Oh by the, my maps project went from 1/52

to all units and maps of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Don

[Walter B Williams]

1/52 Inf was activated in Bamberg in Sep 72.. Prior to that it was 2/52 Inf.

[Frank R. Lavallee]

Don:

I was real happy to find your post here this morning and subsequently have a phone conversation with you this evening.

I'm looking forward to receiving the information that I requested and which I've had great difficulty obtaining elsewhere.

My 4 months(Oct 67 - Feb 68) as forward observer for C&E/1st/52nd, followed by 7 months of recovery and rehabilitation, is a part of my life that I'll never forget.

Thank you for all you've done here and made available over the years.

Frank