The 25th Infantry Division, Tropic Lightning In response to a MACV request, the division deployed 4,000 3rd Brigade infantrymen and 9,000 tons of equipment from Hawaii in 25 days to the Northwest sector of South Vietnam to firmly establish a fortified enclave from which the division could operate. Operation Blue Light was the largest and longest airlift of personnel and cargo into a combat zone in military history before Operation Desert Shield. The Brigade deployed its first soldiers from Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, to the central highlands at Pleiku. These men arrived in Vietnam 24 December 1965. By mid-January, the deployment operation was complete - giving combat planners in Vietnam a favorable balance of power. The division was heavily engaged from April 1966 until 1972 throughout the area of operations in Southeast Asia. During this period, Tropic Lightning soldiers fought in some of the toughest battles of the war.At 1150 hours on 14 June, Companies A and B, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, with the support of the 116th Assault Helicopter Company conducted a combat assault in the Filhol Rubber Plantation and engaged an element of the C18AA Company of the 268th VC/NVA Regiment. Initial contact was made by an infantryman who killed an enemy soldier with small arms fire. The gunships accounted for 15 enemy KIA. One prisoner-of-war was captured and nine small arms destroyed. A reconnaissance after the firefight produced another NVA prisoner-of-war and a small quantity of arms and ammunition.In the 2nd Brigade area at 2200 hours on the night of 22 June, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, mine, Popeye and Kimbrough's platoon was one of the three platoon-sized night combat patrols in an area south of Trung Lap where scattered enemy activity had been experienced the night before. As soon as the 3rd Platoon established its position, we were informed by an observation post that Viet Cong were mining Highway 7A nearby. A reconnaissance element, my "B" Team was ordered to investigate the report and engaged the Viet Cong with M-79 fire. The enemy returned fire with M-79 grenades and RPG's and we the reconnaissance element withdrew. Helicopter gunships were requested to place fire on the suspected enemy positions and the enemy pulled back near a village where they began engaging the 3rd Platoon with 60mm mortar fire, killing one U.S. Soldier and wounding six. The 3rd Platoon was reinforced by the other two combat patrols and Company B (2-14 Inf). While Company B, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry, established a blocking position. The enemy was engaged with artillery, M-72 light anti-tank weapons, helicopter and AC-47 gunships and, at 0200 hours, a sweep of the contact site uncovered 30 enemy KIA, 17 small arms and a 60mm mortar. One of the first rules of combat is to never repeat anything too often or the enemy will pick up on it. We broke that rule at Patton II and it cost us dearly. For more than two weeks we set up night ambushes west of Patton. Each night the platoon left the wire at dark. We crossed the dry fields and split up into three squad-sized units. Going in different directions, the three squads proceeded to their assigned ambush positions. But each night, we were ending up in the same three places.One squad crossed the road and went towards the village of Bau Dieu. They stopped just short of the hootches and farmyards. A second squad moved into the open fields on the south side of the road and took up positions covering the road. Tonight it was our turn to walk the distance - we were headed for the village. Though it was only a kilometer, four-fifths of a mile, it was a long walk in the dark. For two hours we moved as quietly as we could past silent hootches. When we finally reached our assigned ambush position, we put out claymores and arranged our ammo. A guard schedule was set up, and the rest of the men lay down to sleep.Things started to happen almost immediately.