This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Larry E. Caldwell
to remember
Marine MGen Richard Thomas Trundy.
If you knew or served with this Marine and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Home Town Yale
Date of Passing Feb 04, 2002
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Other Comments:
Source for the Assignment Listings: Official USMC Biography and some pages from his OQR obtained by Mike Fishbaugh. And a special thanks to Mike for his assistance on this profile.
I have little experience with Officer details, especially general officer's so if you spot an error on my part please LMK.
If you can clarify any of the Assignment dates, provide specific MOS's to his Assignments, provide ribbons or badges, or other details please feel free to send me a note with the specifics. I'll add those if they make sense.
Description Operation Apache Snow (May 10 – June 7, 1969) was a joint U.S. and South Vietnamese military operation during the Vietnam War in the A Shau Valley. The A Shau Valley was an important corridor for the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), moving supplies into South Vietnam and used as staging area for attacks. Previous sweeps of the valley in Operation Delaware and Operation Dewey Canyon had not been able to keep the NVA from operating in the valley.
Apache Snow was planned as an operation involving ten battalions. The initial assault force consisted of troops from the 187th, 501st, and 506th Infantry Regiments of the 101st Airborne Division and the 1st ARVN Division. The plan was to block escape routes into Laos and assault enemy formations and strongholds. The operation began on May 10, 1969.
The main objective became Hill 937, the resulting battle became known to the soldiers as "Hamburger Hill", an up to date reference to the bloody fighting during the Korean War at a place called "Porkchop Hill". After ten days of fighting, which involved 11 infantry assaults up hill 937 primarily by the 3rd battalion, 187th infantry, (causing heavy U.S. losses), US forces managed to capture the hill. A few weeks later the hill was quietly abandoned by U.S. forces.
Operation Apache Snow continued until June 7, with U.S. troops making limilted contact with the enemy. It failed to deny access to the valley to North Vietnamese forces. The valley continued to be used as staging area for attacks in northern South Vietnam. The month‑long operation accounted for 675 enemy killed, three prisoners, 241 individual and 40 crew‑served weapons captured, and more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition discovered.
