WEBVTT

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In 1963 on the island of Okinawa , the

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United States Army activated a unit

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that would go down in history , the

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173rd Airborne Brigade , trained for

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rapid deployment and airborne

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operations . Just two years later in

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1965 , the 173rd became the

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first major US Army combat unit to

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enter Vietnam , their mission . To

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bring the fight to the enemy in some of

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the toughest terrain of the war , from

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the central highlands to the Mekong

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Delta , the sky soldiers fought in

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February 1967 , they executed the only

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combat parachute jump of the Vietnam

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War , an airborne assault into enemy

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territory . Through more than 6 years

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of continuous combat , the brigade

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earned 14 campaign streamers and 4 unit

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citations , cementing their legacy in

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US Army history . Among them were

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heroes , sky soldiers who displayed

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extraordinary valor , with 13 sky

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soldiers earning the Medal of Honor .

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Though their time in Vietnam ended in

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1972 , the sky soldier's spirit never

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faded . The 173rd Airborne Brigade was

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reactivated in June 2000 . The herd

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trains across Europe , upholding its

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legacy . The sky soldiers are always

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lethal , agile and combat ready .