50 YEARS AGO?

Welcome to the new home of the entire 6th Battalion 27th Field Artillery Vietnam. The 6/27th Artillery has a long history stretching back to it's original formation as Battery F, 27th Field Artillery on August  2, 1918 as an element of the 9th Division.  The Battalion, however, did not fight in WW I.

The 6/27th Artillery compiled a long and enviable record of achievements during World War II.  "By the end of the war it had spent more than 550 days in firing positions, had fired a total of 380,115 rounds of 105mm ammunition, and had more combat action than any other single unit in the 1st Armored Division.  The Battalion participated in the North African Campaign as well as the Anzio Campaign in Italy.  It was deactivated in December, 1948".

Reactivated in March, 1952  during the Korean War as a part of the 1st Armored Division, it remained at Ft. Hood, Texas and saw no action in that war.  It was again deactivated at Ft. Polk, LA in February, 1957.

The Battalion was once again reactivated on August 23, 1962 at Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas.  After a number of months of training, the unit was reorganized and redesigned the 6th Battalion (8")(SP), 27th Artillery on March 19, 1964 at Ft Chaffee, Arkansas.  It was then that an accelerated training program was begun.  In May, 1964 the Battalion left Ft. Chafee for training in the Arizona desert.  Approximately two and a half months later the 6/27th received orders to move permanently  from Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas to Ft Bliss, Texas.

On July 19, 1965 the Battalion was alerted for eventual movement to Vietnam.  Plans were made and hours of work were completed so that on September 28, 1965 the equipment. along with a contingent of guards from the unit, left the Port of Houston for Vietnam aboard the USS Dick Lykes.  A few days later the en masse movement of personnel was begun.  A smaller group was flown to San Francisco/Oakland, California with the main body of 569 men leaving by train from Ft Bliss, bound for California.

On October 4, 1965 the men of the 6/27th Artillery boarded the U.S. Navy Ship W.S. Gordon and set sail from the Oakland Army Terminal. The ocean journey took  33 days.   On November 2, 1965 the troops of the 6/27th arrived at Vung Tau, Vietnam and disembarked.  Two days later their equipment arrived from the Saigon Docks where it had been unloaded.  This was the beginning of what would be seven years service in Vietnam for hundreds of Cannon Kings.  This site is dedicated to the service of all of the men of the 6/27th Artillery Vietnam.  Contained here is their story - a historical depository of their service to their country in photos and written stories from those men.

We invite you to visit each of the batteries where you will find content submitted by the men who served in Quan Loi, Phouc Vinh, Gia Linh, Song Be, Phu Loi, Bu Dop Loc Ninh and Bien Hoa as well as at many tiny Fire Support Bases across the area of the Fish Hook in Vietnam.