4th INFANTRY DIVISION VIETNAM WAR OPERATION GASTON PLEIKU & CAMP INARI 52714

This color film about the activities of the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam (with some history footage) was a US Army Signal Corp Pictorial Service’s documentary television program that aired from 1951 to 1964. Soldiers move through tall grasses and wade through streams in the Vietnam jungle near the Cambodian border. Troops jump off helicopters. A helicopter carries artillery from a winch. Ground troops spread out as they cross an open area (:20-1:18). The “ivy” patch for the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam is shown (1:19). 4th Division WWI footage shows artillery firing and ground troops sprinting while avoiding shelling. WWII footage shows soldiers on foot and tanks moving through snow at the Battle of the Bulge. Landing Craft Assaults approach the shores of Utah Beach. Soldiers in a jeep pass a building in Roetgen and crowds cheer them (1:20-2:53). Soldiers arrive at the shore in Qingyuan and are welcomed by Vietnamese wearing conical hats. General William C. Westmoreland supervises as the troops board busses for the base camp near Pleiku. A drawn map shows the area (2:54-4:00). 4th Division helicopters patrol the Central Highlands. A soldier watching out the open door checks his rifle (4:01-4:19). The headquarters division base sign and ground area is shown at Dragon Mountain, renamed Camp Inari. The monument to fallen soldiers is shown (4:20-4:32). Tanks pulling trucks move through muddy terrain. A soldier digs outside a tent. Trees are felled to make a clearing. Soldiers hammer beams at the construction of quarters. Fortifications of large logs are shown. Metal runways are constructed. A bulldozer moves dirt. The base camp a year later is shown from above (4:33-5:56). The hut homes of the Mountain Yards (Montagnard Dega Degar) tribes are shown. A woman weaves a blanket. Huts and their contents are moved on Army trucks and unloaded in a secure location. Wells are available and children play on a makeshift swing set (5:57-7:10). Foot soldiers move cautiously through the jungle. They scramble to take cover during a sudden clash. Soldiers stand on a tank and fire. Soldiers examine abandoned NVA holds (7:12-8:17). Bombs are dropped and tanks fired to flush out enemy troops. Soldiers move through burnt out areas. Large artillery is loaded and fired (8:18-9:24). Operation Sam Houston: a bulldozer clears a road. Troops cautiously move through tall plants. A bare-chested soldier chops down a tree with a machete (9:25-10:11). A supply helicopter sprays debris against the soldier guiding it in and the camera. Supplies are unloaded. A chopper drops off soldiers on a hill. Light observation helicopters are backed by Bell UH-1 Huey gunships, shown firing into the trees below. Troops cross streams. A grenade is launched into an NVA bunker (10:11-11:46). Operation Cedar Falls: the 3rd Brigade moves on the Saigon River (DPQ2563 is shown). Rice from abandoned NVA posts is loaded onto Army trucks and a Chinook helicopter (11:47-12:45). Operation Gaston, a Viet Cong complex is explored. Soldiers fire artillery; soldiers watch with guns behind fortifications. Soldiers clear an area (12:46-14:15).

The 4th Infantry Division is a division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado. It is composed of a Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, three brigade combat teams (1st Stryker BCT, 2nd Infantry BCT, and 3rd Armored BCT), a Combat Aviation Brigade, the 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, and a Division Artillery.

The 4th Infantry Division's official nickname, "Ivy", is a play on words of the Roman numeral IV or 4. Ivy leaves symbolize tenacity and fidelity which is the basis of the division's motto: "Steadfast and Loyal". The second nickname, "Iron Horse", has been adopted to underscore the speed and power of the division and its soldiers. The 4th Infantry Division deployed from Fort Lewis to Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam on 25 September 1966 and served more than four years, returning to Fort Carson, Colorado on 8 December 1970.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com