Today in History 05/20/18

Paratroopers rush to help a wounded comrade after being evacuated off Dong Ap Bia, aka, Hamburger Hill, a North Vietnamese-held hill on the western edge of the A Shau Valley, May 19, 1969 (© Hugh Van Es/AP)(1969) Bloody Battle of ‘Hamburger Hill’ ends in South Vietnam
Ten days of fierce fighting win US Airborne forces the scarred and decimated Hill 937 on Ap Bia Mountain. Hundreds were wounded or killed, almost 20,000 artillery rounds were fired, and 500 tons of ordinance dropped to secure what battle-weary GIs call ‘Hamburger Hill.’
The Battle of Hamburger Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War that was fought by U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam forces against People’s Army of Vietnam forces from 10 to 20 May 1969 during Operation Apache Snow. Although the heavily fortified Hill 937 was of little strategic value, U.S. command ordered its capture by a frontal assault, only to abandon it soon thereafter. The action caused a controversy both in the American military and public.
Start date: May 10, 1969
End date: May 20, 1969

101st Airborne Division Soldiers are loaded on to a UH-1 during Operation Apache Snow , May 1969
Wounded Soldiers are loaded on to a UH-1 medevac helicopter
wiki/Battle_of_Hamburger_Hill
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(1969) Bloody Battle of ‘Hamburger Hill’ ends in South Vietnam.
Also on this day,
1570 | World’s first atlas
1932 | Earhart begins solo Atlantic flight
1993 | “Cheers” series finale

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