The Battle of An Ninh: A Fierce Encounter During Operation Gibraltar

The Battle of An Ninh occurred from September 18–19, 1965, involving the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the U.S. Army’s 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, along with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Rangers. This clash was part of Operation Gibraltar, which aimed to secure the area around the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division base at An Khe, South Vietnam.

At around 7:00 AM on September 18, after initial airstrikes, the first wave of helicopters delivered 224 soldiers from the 2/502nd Infantry and a company of ARVN Rangers to a landing zone near An Ninh, approximately 18 miles east of An Khe. Unbeknownst to them, they had landed in the heart of an NVA training camp. When the second wave of helicopters attempted to land, they faced heavy enemy fire and were forced to retreat without deploying the troops. The American forces on the ground soon found themselves in a precarious position due to a lack of artillery support. Air support was delayed because a contaminated fuel supply at Bien Hoa Air Base grounded the aircraft. It was only after 9:00 AM that the first F-100 fighter-bombers arrived to assist. By the end of the day, 50 close-air support missions had been flown, striking targets as close as 100 yards from the U.S. lines, resulting in two friendly fire casualties.

Despite continuous efforts to reinforce the besieged troops and evacuate the wounded under enemy fire, 26 helicopters were needed for these operations. In the afternoon, a U.S./ARVN relief force was deployed to a nearby landing zone. However, nightfall prevented them from regrouping and advancing to the battle site. By the time they reached the area, the NVA had already withdrawn.

U.S. casualties totaled seventeen dead and twenty-four wounded. The fallen included SP4 Frank Boynton, SSG George E. Burchett, 1LT Patrick A. Deck Jr., MAJ Herbert J. Dexter, SSG Johnnie W. Faircloth, 2LT Edward H. Fox, PFC Ernest K. Gerhardt, PFC Leroy Hicks, SP4 Joe L. Meek, SP4 Ernest L. Miller, CPT Robert E. Rawls, PFC Paul E. Rytter, SSG Duane C. Schell, SSG Roynald E. Taylor, SSG Larry L. Truesdale, PFC Jerry D. Underwood, and PFC Johnnie P. Winfrey. A post-battle assessment reported between 226 and 257 NVA dead, mostly resulting from air bombardment.