If I were fierce and bald and short of breath, I'd live with scarlet majors at the Base, And speed glum heroes up the line to death. – Siegfried Sassoon 'Base Details'

COMMANDING GENERAL (U.S. ARMY, RVN) TITLE: Commanding General, U.S. Military Assistance Command & U.S. Army Vietnam (COMUSMACV) 1964 to 1968 General William C. "Westy" Westmoreland 1968 to 1971 General Creighton W. "Abe" Abrams

FIELD FORCE COMMANDERS (IFF & IIFF) There were only two Field Forces in Viet-Nam and since the battalion was always in the SECOND we will only concider it in detail. [The II FFV was]... Established 15 March 1966, at Bien Hoa – "a corps=level hedquarters reponsible for coordinating the U.S. ground war throughout III Corps. [Source: Carland 'STEMING THE TIDE.' p.165]

CORPS COMMANDERS Corps – pronounced: core. South Vietnam was divided into four military areas know as "Corps" controlled by Corps Commanders; I Corps (northernest), II Corps (central highlands), III Corps (War Zones C & D and Saigon area), and IV Corps (Delta - or southernmost SVN area). Since the battalion operated only in the III CORPS area we will only concider it in any detail.

THE DIVISION(s) The 2/12th Infantry served with two divisions in Vietnam: 1966 to 1 Aug 1967 4th Inantry Divsion (4th ID or 4th Div) 1 Aug 1967 to 1971 25th Infantry Division (25th ID or 25th Div) –––––––––––––––––––––– DIVISION COMMANDERS –––––––––––––––––––––– 4th Infantry Division, "Ivy Division" –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Sept. 1966 Major General Arthur S. Collins, Jr. Jan. 1967 MG William R. PeersΉ 25th Infantry Division, "Tropic Lightning Division" –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1964-1967 Major General Fredrick C. Weyand 1967 MG John C. F. Tillison, III 1967-1968 MG F. K. Mearns 1968-1969 MG Ellis W. "Butch" Williamson 1969-1970 MG Harris W. Hollis ( to 1 Apr 70) 1970-1971 MG Edward Baultz, Jr.² (2 Apr 1970 to _) ASST. DIVISION COMMANDERS [Note: The 25th was so large we had two ADCs in most eras.] –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1965 Brigadier General Edwin H. De Saussure 1969 BG David S. Henderson 19'70 Asst Div Co - A BG Thomas J. Camp Jr. (_ to 7 Apr 70) BG Michael J. Greene (8 Apr 70 to _ ) Asst. Div CO - B BG Greene ( _ to 7 Apr, where he became B above) BG John R. Thurman III (8 Apr 70 to __) –––––––––––––– DIVISION STAFF –––––––––––––– G-2 [yr unkn] Mark R. Johnson, Sr. [Under Major Genral Stubbine and MG Williamson] DIV ARTY [1970] Colonel H. A. Buzzett, Commander –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– "MINI DIVISION" COMMANDER 2nd BRIGADE(PROV)(SEP) 25th INF DIV ² 1970-1971 Colonel Joseph R. Ulatoski, Commanding –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Ή The 2/12th Infantry Regiment left for Viet Nam on September 22, 1966 and arrived in October. At the time, the 2/12th was a unit in the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. On August 1, 1967 the 4th and 25th Divisions 'swapped' their 3rd Brigades and the 2/12th Infantry became a proud member of the 25th Infantry Division. Since the brigade had been working for nearly a year in the 25th Division's Area of Operation (AO) near Saigon and away from 4th Division's headquarers in Plieku, they called themselves "The Bastard Brigade." ² In December 1970 the Division (1st & 3rd Brigades) returned to the divisions home base at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii during Nixon's phased troop withdrawal. On December 2, 1970 the 2nd Brigade, 25th Division became a separate command under the operational control of the Commander of II FIELD FORCE [Second Field Force] – once more, the 2/12th was in a Bastard Brigade. The 2/12th remained in Vietnam and fought untill March 1971 when its colors were returned to Fort Lewis.

THE BRIGADE (s) At any one time, the 2/12th Inf was assigned or attached one of three brigades in the 25th Div.. During our tour we served with all three brigades. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3rd BRIGADE, 4th DIVISION (1966–1 Aug 1967) [The 2/12th was a 4th Division unit under operational control (OPCON) of the 25th Division.] ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3D Bde, 4th Div, COMMANDERS: ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ____ to 1May67 Colonel Marshall Garth, Commander, 3rd Bde, 4th Div. 1May67 to ____ Col. Kenneth E. Buell. 3d Bde, 4th Div, BDE STAFF: –––––––––––––––––––––––– 14JUL67 TO_____ Deputy Bde Commander LTC Raphael D. Tice. ––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1st BRIGADE, 25th DIVISION "Lancer Brigade" ––––––––––––––––––––––––– [The 2/12th was assigned to the 1st Bde from early '68 to mid '68. War Zone C, Tet. During Tet, certain companies at Hoc Mon were attached to the Capital Military Command.] _______________________ 1st Bde COMMANDERS: ––––––––––––––________ ____ to 20Dec67 Col. Edwin H. Mark Jr. [Departed on emergency leasve and remainedin CONUS due to injury.] 20Dec67 to _____ LTC Fremont B. Hodson. 1969 LTC Jack P. Grisham (early)1970 Col. Paul J. Mueller –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2nd BRIGADE, 25th DIVISION "Fire Brigade" (later "Warrior Brigade" –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2d Bde COMMANDERS: –––––––––––––– 1968 (late)1968 to Feb1969 Colonel Eugene M. Lynch, Commander, 2nd Bde [2/12th assigned to Bde in late '69.] 1969 Mar69 to ____ Col. H. S. Long, Jr. Commander [2/12th assigned.] 1970–71 (early)1970 Col. Ennis C. Whitehead, Jr. 2Dec70 to Mar71 Col. Joseph R. Ulatoski, Commander [Colonel Ulatoski was also the commander of the 2nd Bde (Separate), 25th Div. – "the Mini–Division" of December 1970 through March 1971.] 2nd BRIGADE STAFF –––––––––––––––––– S-1 [yr unkn] Larry Emmons, S-1 2nd Bde XO [late 1968] LTC Vincent Oddi, Executive Officer SIG [late 1968] Major Paul Sposito, Bde Signal AVN [late 1968] MAJ Charles Addicott, Bde Aviation S-3 [beginning in late '68] Major Joe Rigby ––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3rd BRIGADE, 25th DIVISION ––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3d Bde COMMANDING OFFICERS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1967 Colonel Marshall Garth, Commander, 3rd Bde Col. Kenneth E. Buell, Commander 1968 Col. Lewis J. Ashley, Commander 1969 ____ to (early) 1970 Col. Olin E. Smith, Commander 1970 Col. James M. Connell, Commander [Former 25th Div. Chief of Staff.] 3rd BRIGADE STAFF ––––––––––––––––– 1967 Lieutenant Colonel James F. Greer, Executive Officer (XO) ___ to 11Nov67. Lt.Col, John G. Papageorge, 3d Bde S-3. 3d Bde XO 11Nov67 to ____. [Replaced LTC Greer.] Captain "Chris" Stone [S-3 shop at time of Soui Tre.]

THE BATTALION(s) – THE REGIMENT There were five battalions of the 12th Infantry Regiment that served in Viet-Nam. We will only consider, in any detail, our 2nd BATTALION, 12th INFANTRY REGIMENT. 1/12th Inf (Red Warriors), 4th Division ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2/12th Inf (White Warriors), 4th & 25th Divisions COMMANDING OFFICERS & HHC (KEY PERSONNEL) CHRONOLOGY – go to http://community.webtv.net/bhbim2/HHC HHC ROSTER – go to http://community.webtv.net/bhbim2/ROSTER –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3/12th Inf (Braves), 4th Division 4/12th Inf (Redcatchers), 199th Light Infantry Brigade 5/12th Inf, 199th LIB

THE COMPANY 2/12th Inf ROSTER – go to http://community.webtv.net/bhbim2/ROSTER/ This ROSTER link includes Headquarters and all companies, plus attached supporting personnel.