Abbott, David Francis, SP 5

Fallen

Photo In Uniform

Service Details

Last Rank
Specialist 5

Last Service Branch
Transportation Corps

Last Primary MOS
67N20-UH-1 Helicopter Repairer

Last MOS Group
Transportation Corps (Enlisted)

Primary Unit
1967-1969, 67N20, HHC, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division

Service Years
1967 - 1969

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

Virginia

Year of Birth
1948

This Military Service Page was created/owned by SGT Phillip Hanners (GA) to remember Abbott, David Francis, SP 5.

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Casualty Info

Home Town Newport News, VA	Last Address Newport News, VA

Casualty Date Nov 02, 1969
Cause Hostile, Died	Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Tay Ninh (Vietnam)	Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Greenlawn Memorial Park - Newport News, Virginia	Wall/Plot Coordinates 16W 016

Official Badges

Unofficial Badges

Military Association Memberships


	2013, Vietnam Veterans Memorial [Verified] - Assoc. Page
	2018, The National Gold Star Family Registry

Photo Album (More...)

photo		Current Photo	Service Photo
Service Photo

Vietnam War/Tet Counteroffensive Campaign (1968)
From Month/Year January / 1968	To Month/Year April / 1968
Description This campaign was from 30 January to 1 April 1968. On 29 January 1968 the Allies began the Tet-lunar new year expecting the usual 36-hour peaceful holiday truce. Because of the threat of a large-scale attack and communist buildup around Khe Sanh, the cease fire order was issued in all areas over which the Allies were responsible with the exception of the I CTZ, south of the Demilitarized Zone. Determined enemy assaults began in the northern and Central provinces before daylight on 30 January and in Saigon and the Mekong Delta regions that night. Some 84,000 VC and North Vietnamese attacked or fired upon 36 of 44 provincial capitals, 5 of 6 autonomous cities, 64 of 242 district capitals and 50 hamlets. In addition, the enemy raided a number of military installations including almost every airfield. The actual fighting lasted three days; however Saigon and Hue were under more intense and sustained attack. The attack in Saigon began with a sapper assault against the U.S. Embassy. Other assaults were directed against the Presidential Palace, the compound of the Vietnamese Joint General Staff, and nearby Ton San Nhut air base. At Hue, eight enemy battalions infiltrated the city and fought the three U.S. Marine Corps, three U.S. Army and eleven South Vietnamese battalions defending it. The fight to expel the enemy lasted a month. American and South Vietnamese units lost over 500 killed, while VC and North Vietnamese battle deaths may have been somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000. Heavy fighting also occurred in two remote regions: around the Special Forces camp at Dak To in the central highlands and around the U.S. Marines Corps base at Khe Sanh. In both areas, the allies defeated attempts to dislodge them. Finally, with the arrival of more U.S. Army troops under the new XXIV Corps headquarters to reinforce the marines in the northern province, Khe Sanh was abandoned. Tet proved a major military defeat for the communists. It had failed to spawn either an uprising or appreciable support among the South Vietnamese. On the other hand, the U.S. public became discouraged and support for the war was seriously eroded. U.S. strength in South Vietnam totaled more than 500,000 by early 1968. In addition, there were 61,000 other allied troops and 600,000 South Vietnamese. The Tet Offensive also dealt a visibly severe setback to the pacification program, as a result of the intense fighting needed to root out VC elements that clung to fortified positions inside the towns. For example, in the densely populated delta there had been approximately 14,000 refugees in January; after Tet some 170,000 were homeless. The requirement to assist these persons seriously inhibited national recovery efforts.

My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year January / 1968	To Month/Year April / 1968

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020

Personal Memories

Units Participated in Operation
1st Cavalry Division
29th Civil Affairs Company, I Corps
1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment
630th Military Police Company
18th Military Police Brigade
16th Military Police Group
545th Military Police Company
300th Military Police Company
212th Military Police Company
66th Military Police Company
272nd Military Police Company
716th Military Police Battalion
23rd Military Police Company
504th Military Police Battalion
218th Military Police Company
194th Military Police Company
1st Military Police Company, 1st Infantry Division
615th Military Police Company
148th Military Police Detachment, 759th Military Police Battalion
720th Military Police Battalion
95th Military Police Battalion
127th Military Police Company
527th Military Police Company
154th Transportation Company
552nd Military Police Company
23rd Military Police Company
4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment