1,790 Sky Soldiers: The Heavy Toll of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam

Photo By Capt. Jennifer French | The 173rd Airborne Brigade's legacy was written in blood long before the mountains of Afghanistan or the sands of Iraq. It was carved into the jungles of Vietnam—where 1,790 Sky Soldiers gave their lives and 8,500 wounded in one of the most grueling and costly chapters of the brigade’s history. From 1965 to 1971, the 173rd Airborne Brigade was the first major U.S. Army combat unit to enter Vietnam, arriving in May 1965 at Bien Hoa Air Base. Over the next six years, the unit fought some of the fiercest battles of the war—including Operation Hump, Operation Junction City, and the infamous Battle of Dak To.  

VIETNAM

05.11.2025

Story by Capt. Jennifer French 

173rd Airborne Brigade

The 173rd Airborne Brigade's legacy was written in blood long before the mountains of Afghanistan or the sands of Iraq. It was carved into the jungles of Vietnam—where 1,790 Sky Soldiers gave their lives and 8,500 wounded in one of the most grueling and costly chapters of the brigade’s history.

From 1965 to 1971, the 173rd Airborne Brigade was the first major U.S. Army combat unit to enter Vietnam, arriving in May 1965 at Bien Hoa Air Base. Over the next six years, the unit fought some of the fiercest battles of the war—including Operation Hump, Operation Junction City, and the infamous Battle of Dak To.

The assault on Hill 875 in November 1967 was one of the Vietnam War’s fiercest battles for the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, suffered 87 killed, 130 wounded and three missing, while the 4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry, recorded 28 killed, 123 wounded and four missing. Combined with noncombat losses, the casualties accounted for roughly one-fifth of the brigade’s total strength. Of the 570 Sky Soldiers who attacked the hill, 340 became casualties. For its actions during the battles around Dak To, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

One of the most notable events was Operation Hump on Nov. 8, 1965, where soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment engaged in an intense firefight with Viet Cong forces. Forty-nine Sky Soldiers were killed that day, and the battle would later be immortalized in the song “8th of November” by country duo Big & Rich.

The brigade was awarded 14 Campaign Ribbons and 4 Unit Citations (2 U.S. – 2 Vietnamese). The unit also earned 13 Medals of Honor during the Vietnam War, more than any other Army brigade-sized unit in the conflict. Among them was Specialist Lawrence Joel, the first living Black American to receive the Medal of Honor since the Spanish-American War, for treating wounded comrades under fire during Operation Hump.

Now headquartered in Vicenza, Italy, and serving as the U.S. Army’s Contingency Response Force in Europe, the brigade continues to honor its Vietnam fallen with annual ceremonies, historical education, and the unbreakable bond of the airborne community.

https://www.d16armor173rd.org/the-names-on-the-wall.html

• Date Taken: 05.11.2025
• Date Posted: 05.11.2025 07:54
• Story ID: 497585
• Location: VN