In the early morning hours of Friday, November 5, 1965 the 173D Airborne Brigade began conducting Operation HUMP. They entered War Zone “D” in the Republic of Vietnam. The operation lasted from November 5 - 9 1965.

On the 8th of November 1965, beneath the thick triple canopies of the jungle, the Battle for Hill 65 began. Twelve-hundred Vietcong overran a unit of 30 Americans. As is the nature of courage other units went to their aid, towards the sound of the fire fight, and the fight was on. Forty-eight Americans lost their lives on that hill that day.

8th of November 1965 - Video

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Greater Love hath no man than to lay down his life for his brother.

8th of November
Lyrics
by: Big & Rich

Said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.

He was dropped in the jungle
Where the choppers would rumble
With the smell of napalm in the air.
And the sergeant said, “Look up ahead”

Like a dark, evil cloud
1,200 came down
on him and 29 more.
They fought for their lives
But most of them died
In the 173rd Airborne.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Now he’s fifty-eight
And his ponytail’s grey
But the battle still plays in his head.
He limps when he walks,
But he’s strong when he talks
About the shrapnel they left in his leg.

He puts on a grey suit
Over his Airborne tattoo
And He ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen,
As he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around,
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

The 8th of November
The 8th of November

He said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.

More of the story of these American Heroes.

First hand account of the battle.

Southern Sass on Crime wrote about this in November 2006. It’s a great post - go read it ….

I don’t know that I’ve ever dealt with the feelings I have about my own generation. I do know people in my age range, that are currently holding their breath, as am I, until this current *war* is over. We don’t want to see our Military ever go through what this ungrateful nation put them through during and after Viet Nam. Even the flower power, anti-war crowd from then, does not want this to happen.

Again thanks to Lubbock Marine Families

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