Task Force Oregon, was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

division-sized unit composed of 3 separate infantry brigades, active in

Quảng Ngãi Quảng Ngãi () is a city in central Vietnam. It serves as the capital city of Quảng Ngãi Province. Quảng Ngãi City borders Tư Nghĩa District to the south and west, Sơn Tịnh District to the northwest and Bình Sơn District to the ...

and Quảng Tín Provinces, South Vietnam from April to September 1967 when it was redesignated the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal).

Purpose and composition

In early April 1967

MACV U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) was a joint-service command of the United States Department of Defense. MACV was created on 8 February 1962, in response to the increase in United States military assistance to South Vietnam. MACV ...

gave instructions to commence the Task Force Oregon plan, which involved the movement of an Army task force to Đức Phổ and

Chu Lai Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Với Khu Kinh T� ...

area to allow the

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). It is th ...

to move north to

Danang Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is o ...

to support the

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...

in northern

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

COMUSMACV U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) was a joint-service command of the United States Department of Defense. MACV was created on 8 February 1962, in response to the increase in United States military assistance to South Vietnam. MACV ...

General

William Westmoreland William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a United States Army general, most notably commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from ...

appointed his chief of staff MG William B. Rosson to command the unit, designated

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

after Rosson's home state. MG Rosson reported directly to

III Marine Amphibious Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...

which controlled I Corps, however he was generally free to manoeuvre his brigades subject to maintaining the defense of

Chu Lai Air Base Chu Lai Air Base was a military airport in Chu Lai, Vietnam, operated by the United States Marine Corps between 1965 and 1970. It was located near Tam Kỳ city, the largest city in Quảng Nam Province. Abandoned after the end of the Vietnam Wa ...

. Task Force Oregon originally comprised the following units: * 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division * 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division *

196th Light Infantry Brigade The 196th Infantry Brigade ("Chargers"), also known as the Charger Brigade was first formed on 24 June 1921 as part of the United States Army Reserve's 98th Division with the responsibility of training soldiers. World War II During World War II, ...

* 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (May–August 1967) On 1 August 1967 the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division was redesignated the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and the 4th Division's original 3rd Brigade, which had been operating with the 25th Infantry Division in III Corps since entering South Vietnam, was simultaneously redesignated the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. As more U.S. Army units arrived in South Vietnam, the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division were released back to their parent divisions and two newly arrived brigades, the 11th Infantry Brigade and the 198th Light Infantry Brigade were assigned to Task Force Oregon. In September 1967 Task Force Oregon was redesignated the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal).

References

{{Authority control Ad hoc units and formations of the United States Army USTF Oregon Military units and formations established in 1967 Military units and formations disestablished in 1967