09/05/2026
PRIVATE ARCY AND THE 173 rd
AIRBORNE BRIGADE
Private Arcy Joined the U.S. Army in 1963 and he wanted to be a Paratrooper like his dad.His dad made two combat jumps during World War 2 and Private Arcy wanted to follow in his dads footsteps, After basic and jump training he was now a true Paratrooper. He was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade In May of 1965. He and the rest of the 173rd were transported to South Vietnam, they were one of the first major ground combat units to deploy to Vietnam.
The 173rd Was Known as "Westmorelands Fire Brigade” The 173rd Airborne Brigade Served more than six years of continuous combat before being sent home in 1972.
(In his Words) “We arrived at Bien Hoa, after getting settled we started daily patrolling around Saigon, after a while we went to an area called Iron triangle. For me my first few months were not too bad, In November we really stepped in It. We were ambushed, one of our guys was awarded the Medal of Honor I heard. I did my first tour and started my second when we were told we were going to make a combat jump and it ended up being the first since the Korean War and the only one during the Vietnam War, We were dropped Into the Tay Ninh Province.”
“There Was over 800 Paratroopers dropped, we jumped and landed In rice paddies, It was an early morning jump, after landing we were not sure what to expect but there was no main fire very little fire. We grabbed our equipment and set out to block the enemy's escape routes, that was our Job. A long road that had a cross road is where myself and squad was put. Also that same year we looked and found the enemy at Dak To, this Was a very brutal close up combat. Dak To Is in the Central Highlands It was here we were given the Presidential Unit Citation. It was also here that I was wounded, I was hit three times by machine gun fire. I was hit in the left shoulder, right arm and as I was running for cover I took a round in my right leg. A friend of mine ran to me checked on me and yelled for the Medic. I Was patched up then carried to a spot where a chopper could get the wounded and lift off. I must have passed out because the next thing I remembered I was waking up In a hospital bed with a beautiful Army Nurse standing over me, her name was Mary.”
“Three hospitals and three months, I was finally released. I got on a plane, I was lucky we landed at Lowry Air Force Base So we didn’t have to put up with all the protesters that a lot of the other Military Personnel did, maybe because most of us were wounded, I don’t Know but heard bad stories of what was being done. I didn’t understand, we Just did what we were told. “
“We Vietnam Veterans Were the only Vets that came home to nothing and such horrible reception, things being thrown at us, spitting on us, and In some cases worse. That hurt for me and many others, who went to do our duty and were wounded and 58,000 others were killed. And to come home to that, that hurt. Some places tried making up for It, but much too late for some. I was not about to let people know I was a Vietnam Vet until the Mid 1990’s. I look back on my time in the Army and we had some fun, I saw things and places I wouldn’t have otherwise and there were other things that no human on earth should ever see. I can say now that I am proud of my time in the Army and I am sure my dad is just as proud. He made two jumps in Europe during World War 2. I only made one, but that was one more than all the other Paratroopers that were jump trained. “
The 173nd Airborne Brigade earned 14 Campaign Streamers and 13 Medals of Honor and another name given to them was Tien Bien "SKy Soldiers and the "The Herd'.
City of Brighton, Colorado Government Brighton History Detective U.S. Army
