The Original Geronimo Battalion, 4/503 Airborne PIR

Original Geronimo Battalion.
In early 1966, the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne
Brigade, Ft Campbell, KY, was ordered to Vietnam. The famous nickname of the 1/501st
was "Geronimo" and we even had a wooden Indian mascot, cigar-store vintage, at Battalion
HQ.   Under command of LTC “Iron Mike” Healy, we deployed to Vietnam as the 4th
Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry, to join the 173d Airborne Brigade in country. Though
we changed crests and shoulder patches, we still called ourselves, “The Geronimo
Battalion.”

June 6, 1966.
On June 6th, 1966, (WW II 'D' Day) 820 troopers of the newly-constituted 4/503d departed
Ft Campbell enroute to Vietnam. The advance party flew to Vietnam on a C-124. The main
body flew by C-130s to Oakland, CA, where they embarked on the SS John Pope, a WW II
troop ship. Three future Medal of Honor recipients were on that ship:   Don Michael, Glenn
English and Lazlo Rabel. Don Michael’s MOH was for actions in April 1967 and the others
in later tours. After 18 long days at sea, the Pope landed at Vung Tau and the troops went
to the sprawling Bien Hoa Air Base complex north of Saigon.

Combat Missions.
During its 12 months in Vietnam, the original 4th Battalion participated in numerous
missions throughout I, II and III Corps. involving air assaults, blocking, search and destroy
and reinforcement Our AO ranged from Bien Hoa to the DMZ. On one of its first missions,
a 4/503d MEDEVAC was captured on camera and became the best-known photos of the
Vietnam conflict - The Agony of War.

The ultimate sacrifice.
In the 12 months that the original troopers were in country, 52 of our
buddies died. Another 15 were KIA on later tours. At each 4/503d reunion, the names of
those KIA are read by their surviving comrades. The wounds of war have caused the
premature deaths of many of our fellow troopers. And, PTSD and Agent Orange have
changed the lives of scores of once-healthy young men.

The Geronimo Battalion today.
One third of the original battalion were teenagers, 18 and 19-year-olds who quickly became
men under fire. Today, most of us are grand-parents, yet our memories of being in one of
the finest fighting units ever assembled remain vivid. Anyone who served with the 4/503d
between June 6, 1966 and May 30, 1967 is a member of the original battalion. We are in
touch with 360 brothers in 46 states and 3 overseas countries who served with the 4/503d
in that year.

Annual Reunion.
Each summer, the Original Geronimo Battalion gets together for one day, usually during the
annual 173d Brigade Association reunion.

For more news of our unit, contact Jack Tarr,    Jack Tarr

Welcome to the
Original 4/503rd
Geronimo Battalion
June 1966 - June 1967
Website

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