Vietnam Victoria Cross Tours LLC

24/05/2023

Also on this day Keith Payne earned his VC, Barry Tolkey his DCM, Jerry Dellwo his Silver Star and Snr Col Dinh Xuan La a unit citation for his 9th Battalion 66th NVA Regiment.

24/05/2023

As I write this, exactly 54 yrs ago today about 550km from where I am these two Green Berets lost their lives in service of their country. Both were posthumously awarded the Silver Star. Both were MIA. One remains so. RIP SFC Montez and SFC Hogbin You are NOT forgotten.

02/09/2022

2022 TOUR DATES

We have 6 seats available for a Victoria Cross Vietnam tour. This will take you to the four Vietnam Victoria Cross sites where you will walk in the exact steps of Wheatley, Badcoe, Simpson and Payne.

6 days 5 nights hotels, meals and domestic transfers.
You are responsible for international flights and all participants must have travel insurance.

Price will be $3250 AUD.

Some flexibility with dates exist but the tour will be in the first two weeks of November.

If you would like to secure your spot for this year's tour send us a PM to register your interest.

26/07/2022

UPDATE NO 2

In a huge week we also have tracked down the North Vietnamese Commander of the 9th Battalion 66th NVA Regimment who fought against Keith Payne and the men of the 1st Btn on and around Dak Rode in 1969.

He is 80yrs old and is willing to speak to us. We are very looking forward to meeting Snr Col Dinh.

Stay tuned.

26/07/2022

UPDATE....

You guys have seen the story we posted about SFC Ronnie Hogbin and his heroics in 1969. Well Ronnie was killed in May 69 and was listed as MIA until his remains were recovered in July 69.

For his heroics he was awarded the Silver Star (which we are attempting to get upgraded) but this was not conferred until after his internment and headstone was erected listing the next level bravery award of the Bronze Star with OLC.

It was always our intention to get his headstone corrected as we have both the citation and the orders for the Silver Star. To do this we needed the next of kin and we had terrible luck finding them....until last week when Glenn's phone rang and Ronnie's sister was on the other line.

After some calls, Arlington National Cemetery called today and all the pieces are on place for a corrected headstone.

Don't know the time line for this but we will keep you all informed.

We will never forget what these brave men did for our freedom.

23/06/2022

For many years the Team have been determined to find the family of SFC Ronnie Hogbin in order to have his headstone corrected and possibly attempt an upgrade to a DSC.

This last week family of his tracked us down and contact was made. They had no idea about his heroics and were grateful for the information and fully support the effort on the headstone. Additionally a friend of the team was juat appointed to Snr Leadership role at Arlington National Cemetery. The planets have aligned.

10/06/2022

2022 TOUR DATES - EXPRESSION OF INTEREST.

Two of the team have been in Vietnam the last month and can confirm all COVID restrictions are gone for tour purposes.

We have fielded multiple expressions of interest in a 2022 tour and would like to put this out for response from the masses.

We would be looking at a window of the end of October to end of November. The tour would include all four Australian VC sites as well as various other spots of interest in their immediate areas. These would include sites such as Ben Het Special Forces Camp, Dak To (1 and 2) , Tan Can, CCC in Kontum, Hue and it's sites.

The 6 day, 5 night tour would include all transport in A/C bus, hotels (most include breakfast), transfers, permit and guide fees, tips, domestic travel plus much more. You would be responsible for your airfare, visa, travel insurance (mandatory), personal items etc. We can provide advice on visas/airfares if needed.

The highlight of the trip, will be having former Green Beret and Siver Star recipient SSgt Jerry Dellwo as part of the guide team. Jerry had a front row seat to Keith Payne's actions in 1969 and spent time at Ben Het and Dak Sieng.

The tour cost would be $2,999AUD PP twin share.

Each group size is limited to 8 persons. A 10% non refundable deposit would be required to book a spot. Once we fill the first 8 spots we will open up additional dates.

If you are interested in actually walking the EXACT steps of the four Victoria Cross recipients please reach our via PM and we can add your interest to the list.

We look forward to escorting you on a tour like no other.

25/05/2022

On this day 53yrs ago the sun rose on 668 and three Americans were not within the perimeter.

Here is one of their stories.

The actions of Keith Payne that earned him the Victoria Cross on the 24th May 1969 are etched in history. But as Keith and all those who earn this award say "it was a team effort".

A part of the team that day was SFC Ronnie Hogbin. Hogbin. A Green Beret Comms Sgt who was called to replace the wounded Australian Arthur Shelton who had been evacuated from 668 the day before. Wearing Shelton's equipment Hogbin advanced on the right flank as part of SFC Montez's 211 Company.

Early in the battle Montez was struck in the face. A wound that would later end his life. With the other platoon commanders helping Montez to the gain aid from SSgt Dellwo, Hogbin and the FO party held the line against the devastating NVA onslaught. At one point in the battle the Btn CO requested that Hogbin move to a safer position and despite being wounded himself Hogbin refused the order as he was in a good position to return fire.

With many of the CIDG soldiers fleeing from the field it was decided by the CO to evacuate the position and exfiltrate down into the valley. This was the only choice as the NVA had cut off all other routes and were closing in from five directions. Once the order came and according to multiple eyewitness accounts, Hogbin told the FO party to move whilst he provided covering fire on a gun. This would be the last time that he would be seen alive.

The FO party and all the advisors left the hill and descended into the valley below. The CO confident that all who could, had left the hill made a final check and radioed in that the 1st Btn was moving easterly off the hill into the valley. Gunships and the first na**lm airstrike were called in. The NVA had cleared the battle area by fire and were seen moving to the north firing from the hip . The airstrikes were to catch as many of them as possible.

As various small groups assembled in an area part way down the hill it was at this point that Keith Payne made a decision that would etch his name in history forever. Knowing that there were still wounded on top of the hill he countermanded the order from the CO for further na**lm strikes and then decided that he would go up the hill alone to search for survivors.

He did not know then, nor did anyone know that Sgt Hogbin had not only survived the NVA clearance but he had survived the gunships and the first na**lm strike also.

Keith would make four trips in all collecting 40 CIDG soldiers before miraculously finding the wounded Montez, his medic Dellwo and 211 medic Paul Auriamma. He would lead them back to the main Allied position eight hours after the first shots were fired.

Ronnie Hogbin now alone and after surviving the airstrikes and enemy ground assault began to make his way back to the relative safety of Hill 688 just a few hundred meters to the north. At some point in the early hours of the 25th May it was reported that a spray of automatic weapons and a single thump of a gr***de was heard just south of the perimeter. It would not be known for nearly 50yrs what caused it.

The allies were evacuated from the hill midday on the 26th May. Leaving behind SFC Montez, SFC Ronnie Hogbin, and 20 CIDG soldiers unaccounted for.

On the 31st July 1969, the Recon Company from 1st Btn IIMSF patrolled into the area of Hill 668. They broke up into four patrols and worked the area. The western patrol came across the body of SFC Hogbin just 195m from the perimeter of 668 and 200m north of where he had laid down covering fire to allow his fellow advisors to escape. Hogbin was missing his entire right hand, half his left hand and had a single GSW to the head. A helicopter was flown in to retrieve his body and it was at this time they would find that all his personal effects, maps and even codes were still on his body. It would seem that Hogbin had made a defiant last stand and used a gr***de to take out his attackers.

SFC Ronnie Hogbin was bured at Arlington National Cemetery in August 1969. In 2019 Jerry Dellwo and I visited his grave for the first time.

Ronnie Hogbin was awarded the Silver Star for his actions that day. (despite his headstone not reflecting this) At the time of the award no one would know the full extent of his actions and in my opinion were worthy of the DSC. At least one of the men that he provided covering fire to that day lived until 2011.

Joining us on the tour, you will visit the site of "Hogbin's Last Stand" to pay our respects to a young man that gave his life so that others may live.

14/12/2021

The last VC tour group to the site of Keith Payne and Ray Simpson VC actions.

Will you be next to join us?

21/11/2021

A few years back, we got to do something not many if anyone has ever done. That is take a VC recipient to where they performed the deeds that earned them the medal.

At 82, he took the terrain on like the warrior he is. Again aided by his Platoon Commander and Company Medic SSgt Jerry Dellwo.

The second picture is of Keith after tackling 668 for the final time. Note the blood on his right ankle. No medals that day but he did a wonderful job back in the jungle.

The final pic is of Jerry and Keith in the saddle between 668 where their base camp was and the location where the ambush took place.

For those who will join us on our future trips you will get to have Jerry as your guide on the KP site. Jerry was the main eyewitness to Keith's heroics that night and was also at BujiMap the month before when KP was awarded the Silver Star.

Jerry earned one of his 3 Bronze Stars with Valor for the BujiMap actions and the Silver Star for the actions when Keith earned the VC.

06/11/2021

Keith Payne has finally told his life story in his own words with the new book Keith Payne VC - No One Left Behind.

Having the privilege to take Keith to the site of his heroics was truly memorable.

You can grab a copy at,

https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760984700/

From the battlefields of Korea, Malaya and Vietnam to the struggle for veterans' welfare, Keith Payne has never shied away from a fight. More than 50 years a...

06/11/2021

Finally a book has been written about the legend that is Dasher.

Please go to the website below to get your copy. Watch the podcast episode below.
https://www.berwickmilitarymedals.com.au/store/bl6l8rjqx51fhbmjnke1ddwr20ey4g

Today I speak to George Wheatley, son of Dasher Wheatley VC about my new book, DASHER - The Kevin Wheatley VC Story. George talks about his mum, his dad, and...

19/10/2021

As dawn broke on the morning of the 26th May 1969, the men of the 1st and 5th Battalions IIMSF had been fighting for their lives on a hill known only for its elevation; Hill 668.

For the previous fives days they had fought off an onslaught from the 9th Battalion of the 66th North Vietnamese Army Regimment. Orders had come to evacuate the hill. By midday they would all be gone.

They would leave behind 2 Americans and 50 Montangard as Missing in Action. They had suffered 5 US deaths in addition to over tens of Montangards and
hundreds wounded.

Cpt Chris McClure a US Green Beret had been the Liason Officer to the South Vietnamese Colonel for the operation and had been flown in on the 25th with orders to evacuate the hill.

As the first sunrays crested 668 the NVA opened up with multiple mortar tubes surrounding the hill. In that barrage SSgts Jerry Dellwo and Paul Auriamma were hit by the same mortar. Jerry was bleeding into his lungs and Paul with a dangerous head wound. Cpt McClure put them into a medicvac helicopter doubtful that both would survive.

They both did survive those injuries and are still with us today. Last night for the first time since that morning Jerry and Chris were reunited.

09/10/2021

Michael Maddon's video about Dasher Wheatley including interviews with his son and daughter George and Phyllis, Keith Payne and Jim Low. Michael is the author of "The Victoria Cross: Australia Remembers" and the soon to be released "Dasher".

A deeply moving story. We speak to the legendary, Dasher Wheatley VC's eldest son and daughter, George and Phyllis, hear from one of Dasher's closest friends...

23/05/2021

On 24th May 1969, in Kontum Province, Warrant Officer Payne was Commanding 212th Company of 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion when the battalion was attacked by a North Vietnamese force of superior strength. Under this heavy attack the indigenous soldiers began to fall back. Directly exposing himself to the enemy's fire, Warrant Officer Payne, through his own efforts, temporarily held off the assaults by alternately firing his weapon and running from position to position collecting gr***des and throwing them at the assaulting enemy. While doing this he was wounded in the hand and arms. Despite his outstanding efforts, the indigenous soldiers gave way under the enemy's increased pressure and the Battalion Commander, together with several advisors and a few soldiers, withdrew. Paying no attention to his wounds and under extremely heavy enemy fire, Warrant Officer Payne covered his withdrawal by throwing gr***des and firing his own weapon at the enemy who were attempting to follow up. Still under fire, he then ran across exposed ground to head off his own troops who were withdrawing in disorder. He successfully stopped them and organised the remnants of his and the second company into a temporary defensive perimeter by nightfall.

Having achieved this, Warrant Officer Payne of his own accord and at great personal risk, moved out of the perimeter into the darkness alone in an attempt to find the wounded and other indigenous soldiers. He finally collected forty lost soldiers, some of whom had been wounded and returned with this group to the temporary defensive position he had left, only to find that the remainder of the battalion had moved back. Undeterred by this setback and personally assisting a seriously wounded American advisor he led the group through the enemy to the safety of his battalion base. His sustained and heroic personal efforts, in this action were outstanding and undoubtedly saved the lives of a large number of his indigenous soldiers and several of his fellow advisors.

Warrant Officer Payne's repeated acts of exceptional personal bravery and unselfish conduct in this operation were an inspiration to all Vietnamese, United States and Australian soldiers who served with him. His conspicuous gallantry was in the highest traditions of the Australian Army.

Victoria Cross citation published in The London Gazette, 19th September 1969