Society of the 9th Infantry Division
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9th Infantry Division Units In Vietnam:

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The 9^th Infantry Division and its Component Units 
Courtesy of COL Karl Lowe (Ret)

February 1966 to October 1971

The division was activated 1 Feb 1966 at Ft. Riley, KS.  Its advance party deployed to Vietnam in October 1966 and the remaining elements deployed from December 1966 through January 1967. The division’s 2nd Brigade was the Army component of the Mobile Riverine Force. Division headquarters was at Bearcat Base, east of Saigon, from December 1966 through July 1968 and at Dong Tam Base, south of Saigon near the border of the Vietnamese III and IV Corps Tactical Zones, from August 1968 to August 1969. The 9th Infantry Division departed Vietnam in August 1969, leaving its 3rd Brigade behind under the operational control of the 25th Infantry Division until Oct 1970, when the 3d Brigade also departed. The following are units of the division and their dates of service in Vietnam:

Division and Brigade-level Headquarters          Dates of Service           Call Sign

·         HHC, 9th Infantry Division                                  Dec 1966 - Aug 1969       Reliable

·         HHC, 1st Brigade                                               Jan 1967 - Aug 1969         Rimrock(’68); Recondo

·         HHC, 2nd Brigade                                              Jan 1967 - Jul 1969           Raider

·         HHC, 3rd Brigade                                               Dec 1966 - Oct 1970        Relentless

·         HHB, Division Artillery                                       Dec 1966 - Aug 1969        Ramrod

·         HHC, Support Command                                    Dec 1966 - Aug 1969         N/A

Subordinate Battalions             Dates of Service            Call Sign

·         1^st Battalion 16^th Infantry                                   Sep 1968 - Oct 1968          N/A

·         6th Battalion 31st Infantry                                  Apr 1968 - Oct 1970          Rebel

·         2d Battalion 39th Infantry                                   Jan 1967 - Aug 1969          Runner

·         3d Battalion 39th Infantry                                   Jan 1967 - Aug 1969          Ranger

·         4th Battalion 39th Infantry                                  Jan 1967 - Jul 1969            Racer

·         2d Battalion 47th Infantry (Mechanized)              Jan 1967 - Oct 1970          Rip(’68); Razor

·         3d Battalion 47th Infantry (Riverine)                   Jan 1967 - Jul 1969            Roar

·         4th Battalion 47th Infantry (Riverine)                  Jan 1967 - Jul 1969            Rattle

·         2d Battalion 60th Infantry                                   Dec 1966 - Oct 1970         Rigid

·         3d Battalion 60th Infantry (Riverine)                   Dec 1966 - Jul 1969           Rocky

·         5th Battalion 60th Infantry (Mechanized)             Dec 1966 - Oct 1970         Rapid

·         3d Squadron 5^th Cavalry                                     Feb 1967 - Nov 1971         N/A

·         2d Battalion 4^th Field Artillery (105mm)               Jan 1967 - Oct 1970          Rawhide

·         1^st Battalion 11^th Field Artillery (105mm)            Jan 1967 - Aug 1969          Roper

·         3d Battalion 34^th Field Artillery (105mm)             Dec 1966 - Jul 1969          Radiant

·         6^th Battalion 77^th Field Artillery (105mm)            Jul 1968 - Jun 1969            N/A

·         1^st Battalion 84^th Field Artillery (155mm/8”)        Feb 1967 - Aug 1969         Rugged

·         9^th Aviation Battalion                                         Jan 1967 - Aug 1969          N/A

·         15^th Engineer Battalion                                       Oct 1966 - Aug 1969         Ripsaw

·         9^th Signal Battalion                                             Dec 1966 - Aug 1969        Reliable 110

·         9^th Medical Battalion                                          Jan 1967 - Aug 1969          N/A

·         9^th Supply and Transport Battalion                       Dec 1966 - Aug 1969        N/A

·         99^th Support Battalion                                         Oct 1969 - Oct 1970          N/A

·         709^th Maintenance Battalion                               Jan 1967 - Aug 1969          N/A

Separate Companies                 Dates of Service            Call Sign

·         E Company 50^th Infantry                                   Dec 1967 - Feb 1969        N/A

·         E Company 75^th Infantry (Ranger)                     Feb 1969 - Oct 1970         N/A

·         H Battery 29^th Field Artillery (Searchlight)         Mar 1967 - Mar 1972        N/A

·         571^st Engineer Company                                   Oct 1969 - Oct 1970          N/A

·         9^th Military Police Company                              Dec 1966 - Sep 1969         N/A

·         9^th Administration Company                              Dec 1966 - Aug 1969         N/A

·         9^th Replacement Company                                Jan 1967 - Aug 1969          N/A

·         335^th Army Security Agency Company              Jan 1966 - Apr 1971          N/A

·         1097^th Boat Company                                        Feb 1967 - Aug 1969        N/A

Notes:

·         Because the 1^st Infantry Division’s area of operations was more conducive to armored operations, the 5^th Battalion 60^th Infantry (Mechanized) was swapped for the 1^st Battalion 16^th Infantry in September 1968.   Because the 16^th Infantry had served with the 1^st Division since 1917 and the 60^th Infantry had served with the 9^th Division since 1940, the battalions exchanged designations in October 1968, restoring both designations to their parent divisions. 

·         3d Squadron 5^th Cavalry included 3 mechanized cavalry troops mounted on M113 Armored Personnel Carriers and an air cavalry troop with a mix of helicopter gunships, scout helicopters, and utility helicopters.  Because the Mekong River Delta where the 9^th Division operated was not well suited to armored operations, the squadron operated away from the 9^th Division for most of its time in Vietnam, ending its tour of duty near the “demilitarized zone” separating North and South Vietnam. 

·         E Company 50^th Infantry (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) was reorganized as E Company 75^th Infantry (Ranger) in February 1969.  

·         99^th Support Battalion, formed to support the 3d Brigade when the division departed Vietnam, included Medical, Administration, Supply and Transport, and Maintenance Companies formed with personnel and equipment drawn from the departing Division Support Command.

·         571^st Engineer Company was formed to support the 3d Brigade when the division departed Vietnam in August 1969.  Most of its personnel and equipment were drawn from the departing 15^th Engineer Battalion.

·         According to Army TAGCEN files, the division suffered 2583 killed in action in Vietnam, some not included in the unit totals above.  The heaviest losses occurred in Long An (755), Dinh Thuong (646), and Kien Hoa (331) Provinces.  27 were killed in Cambodia in 1970.  Losses by year are:

o        1966      1

o        1967      646

o        1968      1219

o        1969      611

o        1970      97       (3d Brigade)

o        1971      3       (3d Squadron 5^th Cavalry)

9th Infantry Division Order of Battle - 1969
Courtesy of Robert Fisher (Back in the Delta -1969)

This chart shows additional units that were working with or were temporarily assigned to the 9th ID during 1969

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