A Brief History of the 11th Light Infantry Brigade
- Jim Broumley
- Jan 23
- 4 min read
History of the 11th Light Infantry Brigade
The 11th Infantry Brigade has a varied but significant history. They are best known for their service as a light infantry brigade in the Vietnam War, serving as part of the 23rd Infantry Division, the Americal.
The 11th Light Infantry Brigade patch is an oblong shield, arched at top and bottom. It has a white border, and there is a vertical white arrow between two inwardly curved white arrows. The upper area between the curved arrows is red and the rest of the patch is blue, the color of infantry. According to the institute of heraldry, “the sweeping prongs simulate the elements of the unit in attack and in resembling a trident also allude to amphibious assault.”
The 11th Infantry Brigade was originally constituted for World War One as part of the 6th
Division in 1917. As part of that division, the brigade served in France for a year, from July of 1918 to July 1919. The Brigade was inactivated in the United States in 1921. The 11th Infantry Brigade’s lineage continues through World War Two, but those units were mainly involved in training, and the brigade was not organized as a deployable unit during the war.
In response to increased operational demands in Southeast Asia, the 11th Infantry Brigade was reconstituted as part of the U.S. Army’s expansion on April 15, 1966, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Subordinate units were subsequently reactivated, including the 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry on the same date, and the 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry, on November 1, 1966. They would be joined by the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry, and the 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment. Initially, these activations served to create a strategic reserve for the Asia-Pacific region, taking over the roll previously filled by the 25th Infantry Division, after the Tropic Lightning was deployed to Vietnam.
Beginning in early 1967, the brigade engaged in rigorous training centered on jungle warfare tactics, with an emphasis on mobility, ambush strategies, and small unit patrols to replicate the conditions and enemy they would encounter in Vietnam. The brigade’s light infantry configuration, designed for airmobile operations and rapid deployment, facilitated its prompt mobilization under an emergency overseas movement order in response to increasing North Vietnamese offensives.
The 11th Light Infantry Brigade was deployed to South Vietnam in December 1967. Upon arrival in Quang Ngai Province, the brigade was added to the 23rd Infantry Division, known as the Americal Division. We made a video on the Americal in Vietnam. The Americal Division had been activated in September 1967, utilizing personnel from Task Force Oregon—a collection of brigade-sized units that had been operating within the I Corps tactical zone in collaboration with the 1st Marine Division since the previous April. As it became evident that Task Force Oregon would be required for prolonged operations, the Task Force headquarters was formally organized as the Americal Division.
The 11th Infantry Brigade launched combat missions against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army forces entrenched in the area, aiming to disrupt their supply routes and bases through search-and-destroy tactics. During Operation Champaign in June 1968, the brigade carried out sweeps mainly targeting Viet Cong insurgents, resulting in multiple small-unit contacts and more than 100 reported enemy casualties throughout the operation.
During Operation Champaign Grove in September 1968, the 11th Infantry Brigade engaged with elements of the NVA 3rd Division, resulting in 378 confirmed enemy casualties and 41 U.S. fatalities. This operation showcased the brigade’s effective tactics in maneuvering and utilizing fire support within dense jungle terrain. The brigade also achieved notable results in Operation Norfolk Victory and related missions, raising their total count to over 3,000 enemy combatants killed by 1971. They captured thousands of rifles and explosives critical to insurgent operations in Quang Ngai. These actions temporarily weakened enemy forces in the region, allowing pacification programs to proceed, though guerrilla activity remained ongoing.
The My Lai Massacre took place on March 16, 1968. Charlie Company, 1st Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment, one of the companies of the 11th Light Infantry Brigade, with 2nd Lieutenant William Calley serving as a platoon leader, was responsible for the murder of between 300 to 500 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, all of whom were noncombatants. Lieutenant Calley and his company commander, Captain Ernest Medina, were prosecuted by court martial for the offenses at My Lai. While 26 U.S. soldiers were initially charged with criminal offenses for their actions at My Lai, only Lieutenant Calley was convicted. He served three years of an original life sentence, all while on house arrest. When the incident became public knowledge in 1969, it prompted widespread outrage around the world. The massacre also increased domestic opposition to the US involvement in the Vietnam War.
As responsibility for combat operations was increasingly taken over by the South Vietnamese Army, the 198th and 11th Infantry Brigades were withdrawn from Vietnam in November 1971, leading to the inactivation of the Americal Division. The 11th Light Infantry Brigade subsequently returned to Fort Lewis, Washington, where it was formally deactivated on November 30, 1971. In recognition of its service in Vietnam, the entire 11th Infantry Brigade received the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for 1969 and 1970, while the Headquarters and Headquarters Company was honored with the award for 1968–1969 and 1971. Moreover, the 11th Infantry Brigade was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for its exemplary performance in Quang Ngai Province from December 27, 1967, to January 7, 1970, acknowledging its extraordinary heroism in the face of superior enemy forces.
The 11th Infantry Brigade’s motto was "Semper Primus, Always First." The veterans who wore the shoulder patch of the 11th Infantry Brigade served with pride, courage, and professionalism, defeating the enemy in each encounter. They were first when their country called.
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