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Battle of Ia Drang Valley Symposium recalls intense Vietnam War fight

Molly Hamilton Apr 27, 2015

It has been nearly 50 years since the men of the 7^th Cavalry leaped out of their helicopters and onto the soil of the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam, but one thing remains clear.  These men are brothers.  They are bound together by their experiences – and for many, it all began with those three days in Landing Zone X-Ray beginning on November 14, 1965.

Seventh Cavalry veterans participated in a symposium on Friday, April 17, 2015 onboard the USS Yorktown to remember the Battle of Ia Drang Valley – the first significant contact between U.S. troops and North Vietnamese forces.  Over the course of the five-day battle, the U.S. proved the effectiveness of airmobile infantry warfare, but one out of four members of the 7^th Cavalry were killed or wounded.  In all, 234 men were killed and more than 250 wounded.  At the time, it was the largest loss of life of U.S. troops since the start of the Vietnam War.

At the symposium, the veterans discussed the battle in detail and compared what really happened to what was portrayed in the 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers.” To watch these veterans together at the symposium was to feel their bond.  On the battlefield, many in the 7^th Cavalry laid down their lives for their brothers and it’s easy to get the sense that the surviving veterans would not hesitate to do the same still today.

Specialist Marin LaTeague shared his memories quite poignantly and well summarized the battle: “As soon as the sun came up, all hell broke loose.  I mean, unbelievable.  The fire power was so tremendous, it seemed impossible for anyone to survive.”  The movie, “We Were Soldiers” focused on the first three days of the battle at Landing Zone X-Ray (LZ-XRay).  In those days, 79 men were killed and 121 wounded.

In addition to the veterans themselves, family members of those who died also attended the symposium, including Mrs. Rebecca Gell.  Her husband, Jack Gell, was one of four South Carolinians and members of the 7^th Cavalry who died at the Battle of Ia Drang.  She took the stage with her daughter and two of the children of Col. Hal Moore – the man who led the 7^th Cavalry in the battle at LZ-XRay.  The Moore children offered public thanks to Mrs. Gell for relinquishing her space in the cemetery where her husband was buried so that Col. Moore’s wife could be buried there when she died last year.  Col. Moore’s daughter shared that it was her father’s hope to be buried there alongside the men of his unit that died at Ia Drang, but only if his wife could be buried there as well.  There were no spaces available, but through Ms. Gell’s kind gesture, Col. Moore’s wishes will be granted.

This selfless act demonstrated by Mrs. Gell is typical of anyone associated with the 1^st of the 7^th Cavalry.  Their spirit is one of selflessness and it was an honor to spend an evening with so many survivors of the Battle of Ia Drang Valley from the 7^th Cavalry.

A recorded version of the symposium is available for viewing at the follow web address: http://livestream.com/patriotspointlive/iadrang

Here are more photos from the symposium on April 17, 2015: