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was dropped to clear the jungle at landing zone EAST. This was followed fifteen minutes later by a similar drop at landing zone CENTER. Shortly after first light, the Forward Air Controllers began directing tactical air strikes on pre-planned targets, shifting to the 3d Army of the Republic of Vietnam Airborne Brigade's objective area during the period from 0700 to 0800.

The 1st Squadron, 9th Air Cavalry began aerial reconnaissance operations early on D-day and by 0740 had established contact. Five North Vietnam Army soldiers and their 2½-ton truck became the first recorded casualties of the operation. At 0800 hours the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry conducted a landing zone reconnaissance which was followed ten minutes later by the combat assault of an Army of the Republic of Vietnam airborne battalion into landing zone EAST. The landing zone was secured and became a fire support base when six 105-mm howitzers and three 155-mm howitzers were inserted shortly thereafter. During this air assault, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment had moved out of their staging area and crossed the line of departure, moving north. In the 3d Brigade area, C Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Mechanized) crossed the Cambodian border at 0945, followed by elements of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment to the east which crossed approximately fifteen minutes later.

The 5th Army of the Republic of Vietnam Airborne battalion in a 42-ship lift supported by 22 Cobra gunships began its combat assault into Objective "B" at 0946 and reached landing zone CENTER by 1005. The 9th Army of the Republic of Vietnam Airborne Battalion completed its combat assault into Objective "A" on the west.

Contact was immediately established with a panicked North Vietnam Army force of approximately 200 men. The Cobras supporting the contact expanded most of their rockets and machine gun ammunition on groups of 10 to 30 North Vietnam Army men fleeing the area in a dozen directions. It wa apparent that tactical surprise had been achieved during the combat assaults as there were no reported instances of .51-caliber ground-to-air firing.

During the afternoon of D-day, two companies of the 2d Battalion, 7th Cavalry made a combat assault into Objective X-RAY in the northern portion of the 3d Brigade area of operation. This movement had been tentatively planned by General Shoemaker and, due to the relatively light resistance throughout the area, he ordered its execution as the final combat assault of D-day.

The enemy reaction to the opening of the Allied Offensive took the form of a confused, milling crowd, ill-prepared to deal with the