SURROUNDED: Leading a Bayonet Charge to Save a Lost Platoon | Battle of Ia Drang | Tony Nadal

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Colonel Tony Nadal was born at Fort Benning, Georgia, and raised in his family’s home in Puerto Rico while his father served there in the Army. After boarding school, prep school, and then West Point, Nadal completed Airborne and Ranger School and was sent to Germany, where he later volunteered for the Special Forces.

After earning his Green Beret in 1963, he was sent to Vietnam to command an A Detachment at Nam Dong in I Corps. He returned to the States, completed the Armored Officer's Career Course, wrangled briefly with the Army over going to Korea, then returned to Fort Benning and joined the 11th Air Assault, which became part of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and deployed to Vietnam as a unit in the early fall of 1965. He describes the brilliant leadership in the 11th Air Assault, which provided the Army with 13 three- and four-star generals. He discusses the battle at LZ X-ray, fighting under the legendary commander Hal Moore - the story told by Moore and Joe Galloway in their famed book, "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young," and subsequent film - and the lost platoon as well as why his unit is still so close today.

The interview was recorded on November 4th, 2022.

Video Credits:
Interviewer - Greg Corombos
Director of Photography - Jon Hambacker
Editor - TJ Cooney

00:00 Intro
00:28 Family Background and West Point
03:15 First Army Assignment
05:38 Joining Special Forces
06:40 First Vietnam Deployment
09:23 Leading up to Battle of Ia Drang
12:40 LZ-Xray
14:26 Battle of Ia Drang Begins
18:22 Earning his men's trust
20:25 Bayonet Charge to Save Lost Platoon
24:37 His soldiers are still close

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