COMMANDING GENERAL (U.S. ARMY, RVN)
TITLE: Commanding General, U.S. Military Assistance Command & U.S. Army Vietnam (COMUSMACV)
1964 to 1968
General William C. "Westy" Westmoreland
1968 to 1971
General Creighton W. "Abe" Abrams
FIELD FORCE COMMANDERS (IFF & IIFF)
There were only two Field Forces in Viet-Nam and since the battalion was always in the SECOND we will
only consider it in detail.
[The II FFV was]... Established 15 March 1966, at Bien Hoa - "a corps=level headquarters responsible for
coordinating the U.S. ground war throughout III Corps. [Source: Carland STEMING THE TIDE. p.165]
CORPS COMMANDERS
Corps - pronounced: core.
South Vietnam was divided into four military areas know as "Corps" controlled by Corps Commanders; I
Corps (northernmost), II Corps (central highlands), III Corps (War Zones C & D and Saigon area), and IV
Corps (Delta - or southernmost SVN area). Since the battalion operated only in the III CORPS area we will
only consider it in any detail.
THE DIVISION(s)
The 2-12th Infantry served with two divisions in Vietnam:
1966 to 1 Aug 1967
4th Infantry Division (4th ID or 4th Div)
1 Aug 1967 to 1971
25th Infantry Division (25th ID or 25th Div)
DIVISION COMMANDERS
4th Infantry Division, "Ivy Division"
Sept. 1966 Major General Arthur S. Collins, Jr.
Jan. 1967 MG William R. Peers
25th Infantry Division, "Tropic Lightning Division"
1964-1967 Major General Fredrick C. Weyand
1967 MG John C. F. Tillison, III
Aug 1967-1968 MG F. K. Mearns
Aug 1968-1969 MG Ellis W. "Butch" Williamson
1969-1970 MG Harris W. Hollis (Sept 69 1 Apr 70)
1970-1971 MG Edward Bautz, Jr. (2 Apr 1970 to _)
1971- MG Ben Sternberg
1971-1972- MG Thomas W Mellen
1972-1974- MG Robert N Mackinnon
ASST. DIVISION COMMANDERS
[Note: The 25th was so large we had
two ADCs in most eras.]
1965 - BG Edwin H. De Saussure
1968 - BG Donald D. Dunlop, BG Glen C. Long, Jr., BG Carleton Preer, Jr.
1969 - BG Edwin F. Black, BG David S. Henderson
1970 - BG Michael J Greene
Asst Div Co - A
BG Thomas J. Camp Jr. (_ to 7 Apr 70)
BG Michael J. Greene (8 Apr 70 to _ )
Asst. Div CO - B
BG Greene ( _ to 7 Apr, where he became B above)
BG John R. Thurman III (8 Apr 70 to __)
DIVISION STAFF
G-2 [yr unkn] Mark R. Johnson, Sr. [Under Major Genral Stubbine and MG Williamson]
DIV ARTY [1970] Colonel H. A. Buzzett, Commander
"MINI DIVISION" COMMANDER
2nd BRIGADE(PROV)(SEP) 25th INF DIV
1970-1971 Colonel Joseph R. Ulatoski, Commanding
The 2-12th Infantry Regiment left for Viet Nam on September 22, 1966 and arrived in October. At the time,
the 2-12th was a unit in the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. On August 1, 1967 the 4th and 25th
Divisions swapped their 3rd Brigades and the 2-12th Infantry became a proud member of the 25th
Infantry Division. Since the brigade had been working for nearly a year in the 25th Division s Area of
Operation (AO) near Saigon and away from 4th Division s headquarters in Plieku, they called themselves
"The Bastard Brigade."
In December 1970 the Division (1st & 3rd Brigades) returned to the divisions home base at Schofield
Barracks, Hawaii during Nixons phased troop withdrawal. On December 2, 1970 the 2nd Brigade, 25th
Division became a separate command under the operational control of the Commander of II FIELD FORCE
[Second Field Force] - once more, the 2-12th was in a Bastard Brigade. The 2-12th remained in Vietnam
and fought until March 1971 when its colors were returned to Fort Lewis.
THE BRIGADE (s)
At any one time, the 2-12th Inf was assigned or attached one of three brigades in the 25th Div.
During 1968-69 the battalion served with all three brigades.
3rd BRIGADE, 4th DIVISION (13 Oct 1966 - 1 Aug 1967)
[The 2-12th was a 4th Division unit under operational control (OPCON) of the 25th Division.]
3D Bde, 4th Div, COMMANDERS:
12 Oct 66 - 1May67 Colonel Marshall Garth, Commander, 3rd Bde, 4th Div.
1May67 to Dec - Col. Kenneth E. Buell. 3d Bde, 4th Div, BDE STAFF:
14JUL67 TO SEP67 Deputy Bde Commander LTC Raphael D. Tice.
1st BRIGADE, 25th DIVISION - "Lancer Brigade"
1st Bde COMMANDERS:
Apr 66 to 20Dec67 Col. Edwin H. Mark Jr. [Departed on emergency leave and remained in CONUS due to
injury.]
20Dec67 to 31JUL 68 LTC Fremont B. Hodson.
Jul 68 - Dec 68 - LTC W.G. Skelton
Dec 68 - Jan 69 - COL Robert L. Fair from Alexandria, VA.
1969 LTC Jack P. Grisham
Aug 69 to Jan 70 - COL John E Tyler
Jan 1970 to Apr 70 COL Paul J. Mueller Jr
1 Aug 1970 to 31 Oct 1970 - COL William F Graves
2nd BRIGADE, 25th DIVISION - "Fire Brigade" (later "Warrior Brigade")
2d Bde COMMANDERS:
1967
Feb 67 to Jun 67(?) Colonel Marvin "Red" Fuller
1968
1 Apr 68 - 31 Jul 68 - Col Raymond O. Miller
(late)1968 to Mar 1969 Colonel Eugene M. Lynch, Commander, 2nd Bde [2-12th assigned to Bde 23 SEP
68.]
1969
Mar69 to ____ Col. H. S. Long, Jr. Commander [2-12th assigned.]
1970-71
Feb 1970 to Apr 70 COL Ennis C. Whitehead, Jr.
1 AUG 1970 to Mar71 Col. Joseph R. Ulatoski, Commander [Colonel Ulatoski was also the commander of
the 2nd Bde (Separate), 25th Div. - "the Mini-Division" of December 1970 through March 1971.] The
Brigade at this time was operating separately from Division command (a stand alone unit until "April's
stand down in 1971".
2nd BRIGADE STAFF
S-1 [yr unkn] Larry Emmons, S-1 2nd Bde
XO [late 1968] LTC Vincent Oddi, Executive Officer
SIG [late 1968] Major Paul Sposito, Bde Signal
AVN [late 1968] MAJ Charles Addicott, Bde Aviation
S-3 [beginning in late 68] Major Joe Rigby
3rd BRIGADE, 25th DIVISION - "Bronco Brigade"
3rd Bde COMMANDING OFFICERS
1966
Col. Marshall Garth, Commander
1967
Col. Marshall Garth, Commander
May thru Dec - Col. Kenneth E. Buell, Commander
1968
Jan to 3 June 68 - Col. Leonard R. Daems Jr., Commander
3 June thru Dec - Col. Lewis J. Ashley, Commander
1969
Jan 69 to Mar 69 - COL Louis J Sehelter Jr
1970
Feb 1970 to Apr 1970 COL Olin E Smith
AUG 1970 to 6 OCT 1970 - Col. James M. Connell, Commander [Former 25th Div. Chief of Staff.]
7 OCT 1970 - 31 OCT 1970 - COL William R Todd
3rd BRIGADE STAFF
1967
Lieutenant Colonel James F. Greer, Executive Officer (XO) ___ to 11Nov67.
Lt.Col, John G. Papageorge, 3d Bde S-3. 3d Bde XO 11Nov67 to ____. [Replaced LTC Greer.]
Captain "Chris" Stone [S-3 shop at time of Soui Tre.]
1968
Jun 68 to Sep 68 LTC Dan J Mizell, Deputy Brigade Commander
THE BATTALION(s) - THE REGIMENT
There were five battalions of the 12th Infantry Regiment that served in Viet-Nam. We will only consider, in
any detail, our 2nd BATTALION, 12th INFANTRY REGIMENT.
1-12th Inf (Red Warriors), 4th Division
2-12th Inf (White Warriors), 4th & 25th Divisions
3-12th Inf (Braves), 4th Division
4-12th Inf (Redcatchers), 199th Light Infantry Brigade
5-12th Inf, (Warriors), 199th LIB
COMMANDS AND COMMANDERS
Command Structure
Chain of Command [top to bottom]
President
Secretary of Defense
(then Sec. of the Army under Sec. of Def.)
Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff
(Army Chief of Staff under Chairman.)
CINCPAC (Commander in Chief, Pacific - traditionally a Navy Admiral) [pronounced: sink pack])
Commander, MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam). [Pronounced: mac vee.]
Commanding Officer, U.S. Army, Republic of Vietnam (USARV). Theoretically under the MACV
Commander,
but in actuality they were one in the same person.
Corps Commanding Officers; I Corps [pronounced: eye core], II Corps [two core], III Corps [three core],
and IV Corps [four core].
We were in III Corps (Three Corps) in the
IIFF (Second Field Force) - the southern part of Vietnam around Saigon.]
CORPS composition: Headquarters//Two or more Divisions//Corps Artillery//Support Command
Corps Commander (& Senior NCO): Lieutenant General (Command Sergeant Major)
U.S. ARMY, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
FIRST FIELD FORCE (IFF)
Headquarters
4th Infantry Division
173rd Airborne Brigade
I Field Force Artillery
SECOND FIELD FORCE (IIFF)
Headquarters
1st Infantry Division
25th Infantry Division
199th Light Infantry Brigade
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
II Field Force Artillery
XXIV CORPS
Headquarters
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)
Americal Division
1st Brigade, 5th Infantry
3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
XXIV Corps Artillery
[NOTE: Units within the various Corps and Field Forces sometimes moved around and
were subject to becoming OPCON to other commands.]
UNIT COMPOSITION
DIVISION
(12,500 to 25,000 personnel)
Division composition: Headquarters
three or more Brigades
DIV artillery [DIVARTY]
Div. support & communication [DISCOM]
Division commander: Major General
Highest Non-commissioned Officer: Command Sergeant Major(CSM)
BRIGADE (DIVARTY, DISCOM, REGIMENT)
(1,500 + personnel)
Brigade composition:
Headquarters
3-5 Battalions (or Squadrons in the Cavalry)
Brigade commander: Colonel
Highest noncom: CSM
BATTALION
[In the Cavalry - Squadron. i.e.; 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry & 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry.]
(500 +/- men)
Battalion composition:
Headquarters
2-6 Companies [Batteries in the Artillery & Troops in the Calvary]
Battalion commander: LTC - Lieutenant Colonel
Highest noncom: Sergeant Major
COMPANY
[BATTERY in the artillery and TROOP in the cavalry.]
(145 men)
Company composition: Headquarters//2 or more Platoons.
Company commander: Captain
Highest noncommissioned officer: First Sergeant ("Top")
PLATOON
(45 men)
Platoon composition:
Two or more Squads of 7-13 soldiers each.
Platoon Leader: Lieutenant
Highest noncom: Platoon Sergeant
SQUAD
Squad Leader -usually a Sergeant but sometimes a Specialist Fourth Class (Spc4).
G.I
Updated: 6/18/2015