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 Canal Zone Ideal
Troop Training Site
By R. M. Koster
Copley News Service
FT. KOBBE, Canal Zone, Panama --- The Canal Zone has become an area of intense military training in conventional and jungle warfare.
With its tropical. climate, jungle savannas and rain forests, the zone is an excellent area to train for conditions now confronting U.S. troops in Viet Nam. The U.S. Anny Forces Southern Command is taking advantage of the situation to bring its units up to a high level of combat readiness.
Perhaps the best example of the specialized training being conducted is the 3rd Battalion (Airborne) 508th Infantry stationed at Ft. Kobbe on the west bank of the Panama Canal.
'RED DEVILS' READY
The "Red Devils," whose unit history includes combat jumps at Normandy and in Holland during World War II, and who have earned decorations from France, Holland and Belgium as well as the U.S. Distinguished Unit Citation, have been spending about eight months of the year in the field on specialized training problems.
Proof of the 508th's readiness came in August 1964 when the battalion engaged a force highly trained in guerrilla warfare in mock combat over 55 square miles of jungle at Ft. Sherman on the Atlantic side of the Canal Zone.
The 508th was asked to show that large units could be mobile enough to beat guerrillas at their own game.
The ''Red Devils'' won hands down, establishing high ground strong
points, capturing caches of ammunition and rations, and trapping the
"enemy" forces between two advancing companies and a
company dug in on the coast |
TACTICS USEFUL
Tactics employed by the 508th In this maneuver now are being used with success
in Viet Nam.
Led by Lt. Col. Meredith Murphy, the battalion goes into the field almost every month
for specialized training. In July the 508th went to Rio Hato, a field training area maintained by
U.S. Army Forces Southern Command 70 miles west of the Canal Zone inside the Republic of Panama, for squad training with live ammunition.
"We call the place Oki-Hato," says Maj. Ralph Girdner of Amite. La., executive officer of the battalion. "because in our problems it represents the kind of staging area Okinawa is for Viet Nam. From there we go. into the jungle here in the zone. It's a way of preparing youngˇ troopers psychologically for the transition to Viet Nam
type combat."
JUNGLE LIVING
Training during August stressed jungle
fighting and antjguerrilla operations at the platoon level. In
October the battalion returned to Rio Hato for training in conventional infantry
techniques. This was followed by a return to the jungle to participate as a unit in an exercise emphasizing unconventional operations.
"Our job is to stay ready for any eventuality." says battalion !I Sgt. :Maj. Charles Clapper. an,
Army veteran who saw combat in the South Pacific during' World War II. ''A number of; our men have volunteered for: combat
duty in Viet Nam. With our jungle training we know they're prepared for it."
[San Diego Union, San Diego, CA, Monday, Nov 08, 1965, Page 5] |
