LTC Harold G. Harold Sch The Battle At LZ X-Ray

Thesis On 14 November, 1965, LTC Harold G. Moore led the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) (hereby referred to as 1/7) into the Central Highlands of Vietnam, specifically the Ia Drang Valley, in order to find and kill the enemy. His unit became decisively engaged in a fight for their lives that lasted until 0900 17 November, 1965. The battle ground, known as LZ X-Ray, was the stage for a fight that changed the war in Vietnam. LTC Moore utilized the principles of mission command to successfully air assault into LZ X-Ray, engage the enemy, and on order, retrograde out of the battleground. LTC Moore built cohesive teams through mutual trust, provided a clear commander’s intent, exercised disciplined initiative, and accepted prudent risk leading up to and through the successful Battle at LZ X-Ray.
Historical Introduction
Kennedy saw a need for changes to the way the United States fought wars. The military had been training hard to prepare for World War III on the plains of Europe, when President Kennedy decided that new and special tactics were required to fight smaller, dirtier wars on the world’s frontiers. This change in thinking spurred the generation of the U.S. Special Forces and their expertise in guerrilla and counter-guerrilla warfare. It also spearheaded the idea that helicopters could be used to insert, resupply, and extract troops farther and deeper on the fields of battle. This idea became reality on 14 November 1965 in Vietnam. The strategic, operational, and tactical effects that this battle generated have echoed through