Battle of the My Chanh Line May 1972
Research and info from Radcliffe video interview at the VHPA Reunion 2014 - Powell
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
In May 1972, the primary U.S. Army units in Vietnam were Air Cavalry units supporting South Vietnamese forces as part of the Vietnamization policy. By this time, the U.S. troop presence had been significantly reduced, with most combat units having already withdrawn.
The NVA took Quang Tri City on 1 May 1972, but the rest of. May 1972 was a bad month for the NVA. It had suffered more than 2,900 soldiers killed, 1,080 weapons captured, and 64 armored vehicles destroyed or captured. The Communists had failed to capture Hue; The My Chanh Line had held and it was a good month for the Vietnamese Marines.
PAVN (People's Army of Vietnam) formally known at the North Vietnamese Army, began new attacks 25 May. As US Military air observers and FACs uncovered road and trail networks or spotted troop movements and vehicles, they would report them to the Marine defenders along the Mỹ Chánh Line. As trails, supply points, and troop sightings were plotted and connected, a pattern soon developed showing lines of communication mainly from the Ba Long Valley towards Camp Evans.
US Marine helicopters began inserting ARVN Marines from Navy ships offshore.
The US Marine Corps gave well deserved credit to the Air Force Forward Air Controllers, but there is no evidence that they ever noted F Troop, 4th Cav for their invaluable air reconnaissance. F Troop was the only Cav Unit operating in that area.
On 28 May 1972, CPT Ron Radcliffe was a major factor of the successful, very large battle, that day. He was wounded twice and his LOH was shot full of holes. He was awarded the Silver Star.