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81-547: It was the site of the Battle of Khe Sanh in early-1968, one of the bloodiest engagements of the Vietnam War . Khe Sanh was the location of a US Marine base, so it was often attacked by Viet Cong guerrillas as well as North Vietnamese regulars The district is mountainous and rugged, and is around 20 km to the east of the border with Laos. It is 65 km to the west of the town of Đông Hà . It consists of two towns, Khe Sanh

162-638: A British military officer widely regarded as the worlds foremost expert in counterinsurgency warfare during the Vietnam War, thought that by 1972, the ARVN had developed into one of the best fighting forces in the world, comparing them favorably with the Israeli Defence Forces . Forced to carry the burden left by the Americans, the ARVN started to perform well, though with continued American air support. In 1972,

243-517: A PAVN force of an unknown size north of Hill 861. That action prematurely triggered a PAVN offensive aimed at taking Khe Sanh. The PAVN forces were in the process of gaining elevated terrain before it launched the main attack. The 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 3rd Marine Regiment , under the command of Colonel John P. Lanigan, reinforced KSCB and were given the task of pushing the PAVN off of Hills 861, 881 North, and 881 South. PAVN forces were driven out of

324-454: A PAVN lieutenant from the 325th Division, defected and laid out the plans for an entire series of PAVN attacks. Hills 881 South, 861, and the main base itself would be simultaneously attacked that same evening. At 00:30 on 21 January, Hill 861 was attacked by about 300 PAVN troops, the Marines, however, were prepared. The PAVN infantry, though bracketed by artillery fire, still managed to penetrate

405-642: A continuing desertion problem. Starting in 1969, President Richard Nixon started the process of " Vietnamization ", pulling out American forces and rendering the ARVN capable of fighting an effective war against the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and VC. Slowly, the ARVN began to expand from its counter-insurgency role to become the primary ground defense against the PAVN/VC. From 1969 to 1971, there were about 22,000 ARVN combat deaths per year. Starting in 1968, South Vietnam began calling up every available man for service in

486-526: A defense would be pointless as a threat to infiltration since PAVN troops could easily bypass Khe Sanh, the base was too isolated, and the Marines "had neither the helicopter resources, the troops, nor the logistical bases for such operations." Additionally, Shore argued that the "weather was another critical factor because the poor visibility and low overcasts attendant to the monsoon season made such operations hazardous." Brigadier General Lowell English (assistant commander 3rd Marine Division ) complained that

567-428: A formerly elusive enemy that was moving toward a fixed position promised a victory of unprecedented proportions. In early December 1967, the PAVN appointed Major General Trần Quý Hai as the local commander for the actions around Khe Sanh, with Lê Quang Đạo as his political commissar. In the coming days, a campaign headquarters was established around Sap Lit. Two divisions, the 304th and the 325th , were assigned to

648-824: A hospital in Saigon. The U.S. had provided the ARVN with 793,994 M1 carbines , 220,300 M1 Garands and 520 M1C/M1D rifles, 640,000 M-16 rifles , 34,000 M79 grenade launchers , 40,000 radios, 20,000 quarter-ton trucks, 214 M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks, 77 M577 Command tracks (command version of the M113 APC), 930 M113 (APC/ACAVs), 120 V-100s (wheeled armored cars), and 190 M48 tanks. Operations Enhance and Enhance Plus an American effort in November 1972 managed to transfer 59 more M48A3 Patton tanks, 100 additional M-113A1 ACAVs (Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicles), and over 500 extra aircraft to South Vietnam. Despite such impressive figures,

729-518: A larger strategy." With a view to gain the eventual approval for an advance through Laos to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail, he determined that "it was absolutely essential to hold the base." He gave the order for US Marines to take up positions around Khe Sanh. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam , then began planning for incursion into Laos, and in October, the construction of an airfield at Khe Sanh

810-641: A more modern conventional force using helicopter deployment in combat . During the American intervention in Vietnam, the ARVN was reduced to playing a defensive role with an incomplete modernisation, and transformed again following Vietnamization , it was upgeared, expanded, and reconstructed to fulfill the role of the departing American forces. By 1974, it had become much more effective with foremost counterinsurgency expert and Nixon adviser Robert Thompson noting that Regular Forces were very well-trained and second only to

891-858: A political entity. The sudden and complete destruction of the ARVN shocked the world. Even their opponents were surprised at how quickly South Vietnam collapsed. Five ARVN generals died by suicide during late April to avoid capture by the PAVN/VC and potential reeducation camps. General Le Nguyen Vy died via suicide in Lai Khe shortly after hearing Duong Van Minh surrender from the radio. Both ARVN generals in Can Tho, Le Van Hung and Nguyen Khoa Nam , took his own life after deciding not to prolong resistance against outnumbered PAVN/VC soldiers in Mekong Region. Brigadier General Tran Van Hai took his own life by poison at Dong Tam Base Camp . General Pham Van Phu died by suicide at

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972-487: A result, only a little fuel and ammunition were being sent to South Vietnam. South Vietnamese air and ground vehicles were immobilized by lack of spare parts. Troops went into battle without batteries for their radios, and their medics lacked basic supplies. South Vietnamese rifles and artillery pieces were rationed to three rounds of ammunition per day in the last months of the war. Without enough supplies and ammunition, ARVN forces were quickly thrown into chaos and defeated by

1053-578: The American and Israeli forces in the Free World and with General Creighton Abrams remarking that 70% of units were on par with the United States Army . However, the withdrawal of American forces by Vietnamization meant the armed forces could not effectively fulfill all of the aims of the program and had become completely dependent on U.S. equipment since it was meant to fulfill the departing role of

1134-635: The Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo as well as to raid Buddhist temples, which according to Diệm, were harboring VC guerrillas. The most notorious of these attacks occurred on the night of August 21, 1963, during the Xá Lợi Pagoda raids conducted by the ARVN Special Forces , which caused a death toll estimated to range into the hundreds. In 1963, Diệm was killed in a coup d'état carried out by ARVN officers and encouraged by American officials such as Henry Lodge . In

1215-594: The Civilian Irregular Defense Groups , which were to keep watch on PAVN infiltration along the border and to protect the local population. James Marino wrote that in 1964, General William Westmoreland , the US commander in Vietnam, had determined, "Khe Sanh could serve as a patrol base blocking enemy infiltration from Laos; a base for... operations to harass the enemy in Laos; an airstrip for reconnaissance to survey

1296-566: The North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). The US command in Saigon initially believed that combat operations around KSCB during 1967 were part of a series of minor PAVN offensives in the border regions. That appraisal was later altered when the PAVN was found to be moving major forces into the area. In response, US forces were built up before the PAVN isolated the Marine base. Once

1377-518: The United States Presidential Unit Citation . The ARVN suffered 254,256 recorded deaths between 1960 and 1974, with the highest number of recorded deaths being in 1972, with 39,587 combat deaths, while approximately 58,000 U.S. troops died during the war. United States experience with the ARVN generated a catalog of complaints about its performance, with various officials saying 'it did not pull its weight,' 'content to let

1458-545: The 1954 Geneva agreements , French Indochina ceased to exist and by 1956 all French Union troops had withdrawn from Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia . In 1955, by the order of Prime Minister Diệm , the VNA crushed the armed forces of the Bình Xuyên . On 26 October 1955, the military was reorganized by the administration of President Ngô Đình Diệm who then formally established the Army of

1539-540: The 304th, 320th, 324th and 325th Infantry Divisions, the independent 270th infantry Regiment; five artillery regiments (the 16th, 45th, 84th, 204th, and 675th); three AAA regiments (the 208th, 214th, and 228th); four tank companies; one engineer regiment plus one independent engineer battalion; one signal battalion; and a number of local force units. At positions west of Hill 881 South and north of Co Roc Ridge ( 16°33′40″N 106°37′55″E  /  16.561°N 106.632°E  / 16.561; 106.632 ), across

1620-544: The ARVN was dissolved. While some high-ranking officers had fled the country to the United States or elsewhere, thousands of former ARVN officers were sent to re-education camps by the communist government of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam . Five ARVN generals died by suicide to avoid capture. On 8 March 1949, after the Élysée Accords , the State of Vietnam was recognized by France as an independent country ruled by

1701-589: The ARVN with over one thousand aircraft, making the RVNAF the fourth largest air force in the world. These figures are deceptive, however, as the U.S. began to curtail military aid. The same situation happened to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam , since their allies, the Soviet Union, and China has also cut down military support, forcing them to use obsolete T-34 tanks and SU-100 tank destroyers in battle. In

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1782-646: The ARVN, reaching a strength of one million soldiers by 1972. In 1970, they performed well in the Cambodian Incursion and were executing three times as many operations as they had during the American-led war period. However, the ARVN equipment continued to be of lower standards than their American and other allies, even as the U.S. tried to upgrade ARVN technology. The officer corps was still the biggest problem. Leaders were too often inept, being poorly trained, corrupt and lacking morale. Still, Sir Robert Thompson ,

1863-412: The Americans do the fighting and dying,' and 'weak in dedication, direction, and discipline.' The President remained prone to issue instructions directly to field units, cutting across the entire chain of command. Major shortcomings identified by U.S. officers included a general lack of motivation, indicated, for example, by officers having an inclination for rear area jobs rather than combat command, and

1944-554: The DMZ area 10–15 miles (16–24 km) north of Khe Sanh while the 320th Division was within easy reinforcing distance to the northeast. They were supported logistically from the nearby Ho Chi Minh Trail. As a result of this intelligence, KSCB was reinforced on 22 January 1968 by the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. According to the official PAVN history, by December 1967 the North Vietnamese had in place, or within supporting distance:

2025-454: The DMZ; and as an eventual jump-off point for ground operations to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Not all leading Marine officers, however, had the same opinion. Cushman, the new III MAF commander, supported Westmoreland perhaps because he wanted to mend Army/Marine relations after the departure of Walt. Other concerns raised included the assertion that the real danger to I Corps was from a direct threat to Quảng Trị City and other urban areas,

2106-639: The Ho Chi Minh Trail; a western anchor for the defenses south of the DMZ; and an eventual jumping-off point for ground operations to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail ." In November 1964, the Special Forces moved their camp to the Xom Cham Plateau, the future site of Khe Sanh Combat Base. In the winter of 1964, Khe Sanh became the location of a launch site for the highly-classified Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group . The site

2187-499: The Laos and Cambodian borders. President Nixon dispatched bombers in Operation Linebacker to provide air support for the ARVN when it seemed that South Vietnam was about to be lost. In desperation, President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu fired the incompetent General Hoàng Xuân Lãm and replaced him with General Ngô Quang Trưởng . He gave the order that all deserters would be executed and pulled enough forces together in order to prevent

2268-571: The Laotian frontier on Route 9 , the northernmost transverse road in South Vietnam. The badly-deteriorated Route 9 ran from the coastal region through the western highlands and crossed the border into Laos . The origin of the combat base lay in the construction by US Army Special Forces of an airfield in August 1962 outside the village at an old French fort. The camp then became a Special Forces outpost of

2349-471: The PAVN from taking Huế . Finally, with considerable US air and naval support, as well as hard fighting by the ARVN soldiers, the Easter Offensive was halted. ARVN forces counter-attacked and succeeded in driving some of the PAVN out of South Vietnam, though they did retain control of northern Quảng Trị Province near the DMZ. At the end of 1972, Operation Linebacker II helped achieve a negotiated end to

2430-608: The PAVN launched the Easter Offensive , an all-out attack against South Vietnam across the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone and from its sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia. The assault combined infantry wave assaults, artillery and the first massive use of armored forces by the PAVN. Although the T-54 tanks proved vulnerable to LAW rockets, the ARVN took heavy losses. The PAVN forces took Quảng Trị Province and some areas along

2511-431: The PAVN/VC in the hinterlands. Westmoreland won out, however, and the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment (1/3 Marines) was dispatched to occupy the camp and airstrip on 29 September. By late January 1967, the 1/3 returned to Japan and was relieved by Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (1/9 Marines). A single company replaced an entire battalion. On 24 April 1967, a patrol from Bravo Company became engaged with

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2592-622: The Republic of Vietnam The Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ; Vietnamese : Lục quân Việt Nam Cộng hòa ; French : Armée de la république du Viêt Nam ) composed the ground forces of the South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon in April 1975. At the ARVN's peak, an estimated 1 in 9 citizens of South Vietnam were enlisted, composed of Regular Forces and

2673-536: The Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) battalion at Song Be , capital of Phước Long Province. The PAVN fought for several days, took casualties, and fell back. Two days later, the PAVN 273rd Regiment attacked a Special Forces camp near the border town of Loc Ninh , in Bình Long Province . Troops of the US 1st Infantry Division were able to respond quickly. After a ten-day battle, the attackers were pushed back into Cambodia . At least 852 PAVN soldiers were killed during

2754-567: The Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) on 30 December 1955. The air force was established as a separate service known as the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF). Early on, the focus of the army was the guerrilla fighters of the Viet Cong (VC), formed to oppose the Diệm administration. The United States, under President John F. Kennedy sent advisors and a great deal of financial support to aid the ARVN in combating

2835-524: The Tet Offensive. Things remained quiet in the Khe Sanh area through 1966. Even so, Westmoreland insisted for it not only to be occupied by the Marines but also for it to be reinforced. He was vociferously opposed by General Lewis W. Walt , the Marine commander of I Corps, who argued heatedly that the real target of the American effort should be the pacification and protection of the population, not chasing

2916-430: The US 4th Infantry Division , the 173rd Airborne Brigade , and ARVN Airborne elements were killed in action, but three of the four battalions of the 4th Infantry and the entire 173rd were rendered combat-ineffective during the battle. American intelligence analysts were quite baffled by the series of enemy actions. No logic was apparent to them behind the sustained PAVN/VC offensives other than to inflict casualties on

2997-404: The United States was highly critical of the ARVN, it continued to be entirely U.S.-armed and funded. Although the American news media has often portrayed the Vietnam War as a primarily American and North Vietnamese conflict, the ARVN carried the brunt of the fight before and after large-scale American involvement, and participated in many major operations with American troops. ARVN troops pioneered

3078-430: The United States. Unique in serving a dual military-civilian administrative purpose, in direct competition with the Viet Cong , the ARVN had also become a component of political power and suffered from continual issues of political loyalty appointments, corruption in leadership, factional infighting, and occasional open internal conflict. After the fall of Saigon to North Vietnam 's People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN),

3159-533: The VNA quickly became a modern army modeled after the Expeditionary Corps. It included infantry, artillery, signals, armored cavalry, airborne, airforce, navy and a national military academy. By 1953, troopers as well as officers were all Vietnamese, the latter having been trained in Ecoles des Cadres such as Da Lat , including Chief of Staff General Nguyễn Văn Hinh who was a French Union airforce veteran. After

3240-668: The Vietnamese Emperor Bảo Đại , and the Vietnamese National Army (VNA) was soon created. The VNA fought in joint operations with the French Union 's French Far East Expeditionary Corps against the Viet Minh forces led by Ho Chi Minh . The VNA fought in a wide range of campaigns including the Battle of Nà Sản (1952), Operation Atlas (1953) and the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954). Benefiting from French assistance,

3321-606: The Vietnamese were not as well equipped as the American infantrymen they replaced. The 1972 offensive had been driven back only with a massive American bombing campaign against North Vietnam. The Case–Church Amendment had effectively nullified the Paris Peace Accords, and as a result the United States had cut aid to South Vietnam drastically in 1974, just months before the final enemy offensive, allowing North Vietnam to invade South Vietnam without fear of U.S. military action. As

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3402-461: The action, as opposed to 50 American and South Vietnamese. The heaviest action took place near Dak To , in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. The presence of the PAVN 1st Division prompted a 22-day battle there and had some of the most intense close-quarters fighting of the entire conflict. US intelligence estimated between 1,200 and 1,600 PAVN troops were killed, and 362 members of

3483-426: The allied forces. That was accomplished, but the casualties absorbed by the North Vietnamese seemed to negate any direct gains they might have obtained. The border battles, however, had two significant consequences, which were unappreciated at the time. They fixed the attention of the American command on the border regions, and they drew American and ARVN forces away from the coastal lowlands and cities in preparation for

3564-426: The area around Khe Sanh after suffering 940 casualties. The Marines suffered 155 killed in action and 425 wounded. To prevent PAVN observation of the main base at the airfield and their possible use as firebases, the hills of the surrounding Khe Sanh Valley had to be continuously occupied and defended by separate Marine elements. In the wake of the hill fights, a lull in PAVN activity occurred around Khe Sanh. By

3645-552: The base came under siege, a series of actions were fought over a period of five months. During this time, KSCB and the hilltop outposts around it were subjected to constant PAVN artillery , mortar, and rocket attacks, and several infantry assaults. To support the Marine base, a massive aerial bombardment campaign ( Operation Niagara ) was launched by the USAF. In the first three months, over 114,810 tons of bombs were dropped by US aircraft and over 158,900 artillery rounds were fired in defense of

3726-530: The base was officially closed on 5 July. Marines remained around Hill 689, though, and fighting in the vicinity continued until 11 July until they were finally withdrawn, bringing the battle to a close. In the aftermath, the North Vietnamese proclaimed a victory at Khe Sanh, while US forces claimed that they had withdrawn, as the base was no longer required. Historians have observed that the Battle of Khe Sanh may have distracted American and South Vietnamese attention from

3807-420: The base. The September bombardments ranged from 100 to 150 rounds per day, with a maximum on 25 September of 1,190 rounds. Westmoreland responded by launching Operation Neutralize, an aerial and naval bombardment campaign designed to break the siege. For seven weeks, American aircraft dropped between 35,000 and 40,000 tons of bombs in nearly 4,000 airstrikes. On 27 October, a PAVN regiment attacked an Army of

3888-456: The base. U.S forces lost 1 KC-130, 3 C-123 and 35 helicopters, while 23 aircraft and 123 helicopters were damaged. Throughout the campaign, US forces used the latest technology to locate PAVN forces for targeting. Additionally, the logistical effort required to support the base once it was isolated demanded the implementation of other tactical innovations to keep the Marines supplied. In March 1968, an overland relief expedition (Operation Pegasus)

3969-487: The border in Laos, the PAVN established artillery, rocket, and mortar positions from which to launch attacks by fire on the base and to support its ground operations. The PAVN 130 mm and 152 mm artillery pieces, and 122 mm rockets, had a longer range than the Marine artillery support which consisted of 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers. This range overmatch was used by the PAVN to avoid counter-battery fire . They were assisted in their emplacement efforts by

4050-420: The buildup of Viet Cong (VC) forces in the south before the early 1968 Tet Offensive . Nevertheless, the US commander during the battle, General William Westmoreland , maintained that the true intention of Tet was to distract forces from Khe Sanh. The village of Khe Sanh was the seat of government of Hương Hoa district, an area of Bru Montagnard villages and coffee plantations about 7 miles (11 km) from

4131-460: The cessation of American aid along with the growing disenchantment of the South Vietnamese people and the rampant corruption and incompetence of South Vietnam political leaders and ARVN general staff. Without the necessary funds and facing a collapse in South Vietnamese troop and civilian morale, it was becoming increasingly difficult for the ARVN to achieve a victory against the PAVN. Moreover,

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4212-482: The coast, along Route 9, to Khe Sanh. In 1966, the regular Special Forces troops had moved off the plateau and built a smaller camp down Route 9 at Lang Vei , about half the distance to the Laotian border. During the second half of 1967, the North Vietnamese instigated a series of actions in the border regions of South Vietnam. All of the attacks were conducted by regimental-size PAVN/VC units, but unlike most of

4293-512: The communist threat, the army was expanded to 192,000 with four corps, nine divisions, one airborne brigade, one SF group, three separate regiments, one territorial regiment, 86 ranger companies, and 19 separate battalions, as well as support units in 1963, and a force strength of 355,135 in 1970. Meanwhile, the supporting militia forces grew from a combined initial size of 116,000 in 1956, declined to 86,000 in 1959, and then were pushed up to 218,687 RF & 179,015 PF in 1970. The effect of expanding

4374-616: The complete disintegration of the South Vietnamese government. Withdrawing ARVN forces found the roads choked with refugees making troop movement almost impossible. North Vietnamese forces took advantage of the growing instability, and with the abandoned equipment of the routing ARVN, they mounted heavy attacks on all fronts. With collapse all but inevitable, many ARVN generals abandoned their troops to fend for themselves and ARVN soldiers deserted en masse . The 18th Division held out at Xuân Lộc from 9 to 21 April before being forced to withdraw. President Thiệu resigned his office on 21 April and left

4455-466: The confusion that followed, General Dương Văn Minh took control, but he was only the first in a succession of ARVN generals to assume the presidency of South Vietnam. During these years, the United States began taking more control of the war against the VC and the role of the ARVN became less and less significant. They were also plagued by continuing problems of severe corruption amongst the officer corps. Although

4536-405: The continuing bad weather of the winter monsoon. During the rainy night of 2 January 1968, six men dressed in black uniforms were seen outside the defensive wire of the main base by members of a listening post. After failing to respond to a challenge, they were fired upon and five were killed outright while the sixth, although wounded, escaped. This event prompted Cushman to reinforce Lownds with

4617-460: The country. At Bien Hoa, ARVN soldiers made a strong resistance against PAVN forces, however, ARVN defenses at Cu Chi and Hoc Mon start to collapse under the overwhelming PAVN attacks. In the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc Island, many of ARVN soldiers were aggressive and intact to prevent VC taking over any provincial capitals. Less than a month after Huế, Saigon fell and South Vietnam ceased to exist as

4698-433: The defense of Khe Sanh or to abandon the base. Westmoreland regarded the choice as quite simple. In his memoirs, he listed the reasons for a continued effort: Khe Sanh could serve as a patrol base for blocking enemy infiltration from Laos along Route 9; as a base for SOG operations to harass the enemy in Laos; as an airstrip for reconnaissance planes surveying the Ho Chi Minh Trail; as the western anchor for defenses south of

4779-523: The defense of the isolated outpost was ludicrous: "When you're at Khe Sanh, you're not really anywhere. You could lose it and you really haven't lost a damn thing." As far as Westmoreland was concerned, however, all that he needed to know was that the PAVN had massed large numbers of troops for a set-piece battle. Making the prospect even more enticing was that the base was in an unpopulated area in which American firepower could be fully employed without civilian casualties. The opportunity to engage and destroy

4860-517: The district seat, and Lao Bảo. It has 20 communes. These include Xy, A Túc, A Dơi, A Xing, Thanh, Thuận, Pa Tầng, Hướng Lộc. Other districts are designated as New Economic Zones, located on National Road 9. There are five of these, Tân Hợp, Tân Liên, Tân Lập, Tân Long and Tân Thành. Six communes lie on where the Ho Chi Minh trail once branched into the area near the DMZ. These are Hướng Tân, Hướng Linh, Hướng Phùng, Hướng Sơn, Hướng Việt and Hướng Lập. To

4941-454: The dump were thrown into the air and detonated on impact within the base. Soon after, another shell hit a cache of tear gas , which saturated the entire area. The fighting and shelling on 21 January resulted in 14 marines killed and 43 wounded. Hours after the bombardment ceased, the base was still in danger. At around 10:00, the fire ignited a large quantity of explosives, rocking the base with another series of detonations. Army of

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5022-458: The end of May, Marine forces were again drawn down from two battalions to one, the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines . Lieutenant General Robert E. Cushman Jr. relieved Walt as commander of III MAF in June. On 14 August, Colonel David E. Lownds took over as commander of the 26th Marine Regiment . Sporadic actions were taken in the vicinity during the late summer and early fall, the most serious of which

5103-928: The final evacuation: At least 11 marines killed, wounded unknown During aerial resupply: 1 KC-130 , 3 C-123 [REDACTED] ARVN losses: 229 killed, 436 wounded (not including CIDG, RF/PF and SOG losses) CIDG losses: 1,000 – 1,500 killed or missing, at least 250 captured (in Lang Vei), wounded unknown [REDACTED] Kingdom of Laos: Unknown. Total (21 January – 9 July): Unknown (1,602 bodies were counted, US official public estimated 10,000–15,000 KIA, but MACV 's secret report estimated 5,550 killed as of 31 March 1968) American intervention 1965 1966 1967 Tet Offensive and aftermath Vietnamization 1969–1971 1972 Post- Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974) Spring 1975 Air operations Naval operations Lists of allied operations The Battle of Khe Sanh (21 January – 9 July 1968)

5184-417: The insurgents. A major campaign, developed by Ngô Đình Nhu and later resurrected under another name was the " Strategic Hamlet Program " which was regarded as unsuccessful by Western media because it was "inhumane" to move villagers from the countryside to fortified villages. ARVN leaders and Diệm were criticized by the foreign press when the troops were used to crush armed anti-government religious groups like

5265-473: The more voluntary Regional Forces and the Popular Force militias. It is estimated to have suffered 1,394,000 casualties (killed and wounded) during the Vietnam War . The ARVN began as a post-colonial army that was trained by and closely affiliated with the United States and had engaged in conflict since its inception. Several changes occurred throughout its lifetime, initially from a 'blocking-force' to

5346-413: The operation: the 325th was given responsibility for the area around the north, while the 304th was given responsibility for the southern sector. In attempting to determine PAVN intentions Marine intelligence confirmed that, within a period of just over a week, the 325th Division had moved into the vicinity of the base and two more divisions were within supporting distance. The 324th Division was located in

5427-413: The perimeter of the defenses and were only driven back after severe close-quarters combat. The main base was then subjected to an intense mortar and rocket barrage. Hundreds of mortar rounds and 122-mm rockets slammed into the base, leveling most of the above-ground structures. One of the first enemy shells set off an explosion in the main ammunition dump. Many of the artillery and mortar rounds stored in

5508-414: The previous usual hit-and-run tactics, they were sustained and bloody affairs. In early October, the PAVN had intensified battalion-sized ground probes and sustained artillery fire against Con Thien , a hilltop stronghold in the center of the Marines' defensive line south of the DMZ, in northern Quảng Trị Province. Mortar rounds, artillery shells, and 122 mm rockets fell randomly but incessantly upon

5589-521: The rest of the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines . This marked the first time that all three battalions of the 26th Marine Regiment had operated together in combat since the Battle of Iwo Jima during the Second World War. To cover a defilade near the Rao Quan River , four companies from 2/26 were immediately sent out to occupy Hill 558, with another manning Hill 861A. On 20 January, La Thanh Ton,

5670-1042: The southeast of the district is the commune Húc. 16°45′00″N 106°40′01″E  /  16.750°N 106.667°E  / 16.750; 106.667 This article about a location in Quảng Trị Province , Vietnam is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Battle of Khe Sanh Both sides claim victory: ~45,000 in total ~6,000 Marines at the Combat Base of Khe Sanh Operation Pegasus: ~20,000 (1st Air Cavalry and Marine units) ~40,000 in total, in which: [REDACTED] U.S. losses: At Khe Sanh: 274 killed 2,541 wounded (not including ARVN Ranger, RF/PF, Forward Operation Base 3 – US Army and Royal Laotian Army losses) Operation Scotland I and Operation Pegasus: 730 killed 2,642 wounded, 7 missing Operation Scotland II (15 April 1968 – July 1968): 485 killed 2,396 wounded USAF: 5 ~ 20 killed, wounded unknown Operation Charlie for

5751-463: The summer of 1974, Nixon resigned under the pressure of the Watergate scandal and was succeeded by Gerald Ford . With the war growing incredibly unpopular at home, combined with a severe economic recession and mounting budget deficits, Congress cut funding to South Vietnam for the upcoming fiscal year from 1 billion to 700 million dollars. Historians have attributed the fall of Saigon in 1975 to

5832-476: The use of the M113 armored personnel carrier as an infantry fighting vehicle by fighting mounted rather than as a "battle taxi" as originally designed, and the armored cavalry (ACAV) modifications were adopted based on ARVN experience. One notable ARVN unit equipped with M113s, the 3d Armored Cavalry Squadron , used the new tactic so proficiently and with such extraordinary heroism against hostile forces that they earned

5913-510: The war between the U.S. and the Hanoi government. By March 1973, in accordance with the Paris Peace Accords the United States had completely pulled its troops out of Vietnam. The ARVN was left to fight alone, but with all the weapons and technologies that their allies left behind. With massive technological support they had roughly four times as many heavy weapons as their enemies. The U.S. left

5994-539: The well-supplied PAVN, no longer having to worry about U.S. bombing. The victorious Communists sent over 250,000 ARVN soldiers to prison camps. Prisoners were incarcerated for periods ranging from weeks to 18 years. The communists called these prison camps " reeducation camps ". The Americans and South Vietnamese had laid large minefields during the war, and former ARVN soldiers were made to clear them. Thousands died from sickness and starvation and were buried in unmarked graves. The South Vietnamese national military cemetery

6075-416: The withdrawal of U.S. aid encouraged North Vietnam to begin a new military offensive against South Vietnam. This resolve was strengthened when the new American administration did not think itself bound to this promise Nixon made to Thieu of a "severe retaliation" if Hanoi broke the 1973 Paris Peace Accords. The fall of Huế to PAVN forces on 26 March 1975 began an organized rout of the ARVN that culminated in

6156-516: Was completed. The plateau camp was permanently manned by the US Marines in 1967, when they established an outpost next to the airstrip. This base was to serve as the western anchor of Marine Corps forces, which had tactical responsibility for the five northernmost provinces of South Vietnam known as I Corps . The Marines' defensive system stretched below the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) from

6237-679: Was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province , Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War . The main US forces defending Khe Sanh Combat Base (KSCB) were two regiments of the United States Marine Corps supported by elements from the United States Army and the United States Air Force (USAF), as well as a small number of Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops. These were pitted against two to three divisional-size elements of

6318-449: Was first established near the village and later moved to the French fort. From there, reconnaissance teams were launched into Laos to explore and gather intelligence on the PAVN logistical system known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail, also known as "Truong Son Strategic Supply Route" to the North Vietnamese soldiers. Marino stated that "by 1966, Westmoreland had begun to consider Khe Sanh as part of

6399-530: Was launched by a combined Marine–Army/ARVN task force that eventually broke through to the Marines at Khe Sanh. American commanders considered the defense of Khe Sanh a success, but shortly after the siege was lifted, the decision was made to dismantle the base rather than risk similar battles in the future. On 19 June 1968, the evacuation and destruction of KSCB began. Amid heavy shelling, the Marines attempted to salvage what they could before destroying what remained as they were evacuated. Minor attacks continued before

6480-414: Was the ambush of a supply convoy on Route 9. That proved to be the last overland attempt at resupply for Khe Sanh until the following March. In December and early January, numerous sightings of PAVN troops and activities were made in the Khe Sanh area, but the sector remained relatively quiet. A decision then had to be made by the American high command to commit more of the limited manpower in I Corps to

6561-803: Was vandalized and abandoned, and a mass grave of ARVN soldiers was made nearby. The charity "The Returning Casualty" in the early 2000s attempted to excavate and identify remains from some camp graves and restore the cemetery. Reporter Morley Safer who returned in 1989 and saw the poverty of a former soldier described the ARVN as "that wretched army that was damned by the victors, abandoned by its allies, and royally and continuously screwed by its commanders". The 1956 army structure of four conventional infantry divisions (8,100 each) and six light divisions (5,800 each) were reorganised according to American advice as seven full infantry divisions (10,450 each) and three corps headquarters by September 1959. The three armed services together numbered around 137,000 in 1960. In face of

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