Staying the Course - October 1967 to September 1968, United States Army in Vietnam Combat Operations, Official Comprehensive History of Battles in Southeast Asia Against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese

Staying the Course - October 1967 to September 1968, United States Army in Vietnam Combat Operations, Official Comprehensive History of Battles in Southeast Asia Against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese PDF Author: U S Military
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781723919381
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 506

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Book Description
A comprehensive military history report, Staying the Course describes the twelve-month period when the Viet Cong and their North Vietnamese allies embarked on a new and more aggressive strategy that shook the foundations of the South Vietnamese state and forced the United States to reevaluate its military calculations in Southeast Asia. Hanoi's general offensive-general uprising brought the war to South Vietnam's cities for the first time and disrupted the allied pacification program that was just beginning to take hold in some rural areas formerly controlled by the Communists. For the enemy, however, those achievements came at a staggering cost in manpower and material; more importantly, the Tet offensive failed to cripple the South Vietnamese government or convince the United States to abandon its ally. As the dust settled from the Viet Cong attacks, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered his military commanders to press ahead with their current strategy unchanged apart from some short-term tactical adjustments and a modest increase in the U.S. troop deployment. His decision to stay the course seemed to bear fruit as the allies repaired their losses and then forged new gains throughout the summer and autumn of 1968 despite two more Communist offensives, each one proving to be weaker than the last. Even so, the allied situation at the end of this period appeared to be only marginally better than it had been in late 1967; the peace talks in Paris had stalled, and American public opinion had turned decisively against the war. Contents: Part One * Opening Battles * 1. A Question of Momentum * 2. Opening Moves: Battles North and West of Saigon * 3. Protecting the Heartland * 4. Operations in the Mekong Delta * 5. Across the Central Highlands * 6. Defending the Central Coast * 7. Reinforcing I Corps * 8. The Gathering Storm * Part Two * The General Offensive Begins * 9. Tet Unleashed * 10. Saigon Embattled * 11. Mekong Firestorm * 12. Fighting in the Northern Provinces * 13. Reverberations * 14. The Allies Strike Back * 15. To Khe Sanh and the A Shau * 16. The General Offensive Renewed * 17. Mini-Tet in Saigon * 18. A Summer of Attrition * 19. Thwarting the Third Wave * 20. An Evolving War The vast majority of American men and women who went to Vietnam did so in the uniform of the U.S. Army. They served their country when called, many at great personal cost, against a backdrop of growing uncertainty and unrest at home. This book, the twelfth volume of the U.S. Army's official history of the Vietnam War, is dedicated to them. To many Americans, the war in Vietnam was, and remains, a divisive issue. But nearly fifty years after the end of major U.S. combat operations in Vietnam, well over half the U.S. population is too young to have any direct memory of the conflict. The massive American commitment

Staying the Course - October 1967 to September 1968, United States Army in Vietnam Combat Operations, Official Comprehensive History of Battles in Southeast Asia Against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese

Staying the Course - October 1967 to September 1968, United States Army in Vietnam Combat Operations, Official Comprehensive History of Battles in Southeast Asia Against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese PDF Author: U S Military
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781723919381
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 506

Get Book Here

Book Description
A comprehensive military history report, Staying the Course describes the twelve-month period when the Viet Cong and their North Vietnamese allies embarked on a new and more aggressive strategy that shook the foundations of the South Vietnamese state and forced the United States to reevaluate its military calculations in Southeast Asia. Hanoi's general offensive-general uprising brought the war to South Vietnam's cities for the first time and disrupted the allied pacification program that was just beginning to take hold in some rural areas formerly controlled by the Communists. For the enemy, however, those achievements came at a staggering cost in manpower and material; more importantly, the Tet offensive failed to cripple the South Vietnamese government or convince the United States to abandon its ally. As the dust settled from the Viet Cong attacks, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered his military commanders to press ahead with their current strategy unchanged apart from some short-term tactical adjustments and a modest increase in the U.S. troop deployment. His decision to stay the course seemed to bear fruit as the allies repaired their losses and then forged new gains throughout the summer and autumn of 1968 despite two more Communist offensives, each one proving to be weaker than the last. Even so, the allied situation at the end of this period appeared to be only marginally better than it had been in late 1967; the peace talks in Paris had stalled, and American public opinion had turned decisively against the war. Contents: Part One * Opening Battles * 1. A Question of Momentum * 2. Opening Moves: Battles North and West of Saigon * 3. Protecting the Heartland * 4. Operations in the Mekong Delta * 5. Across the Central Highlands * 6. Defending the Central Coast * 7. Reinforcing I Corps * 8. The Gathering Storm * Part Two * The General Offensive Begins * 9. Tet Unleashed * 10. Saigon Embattled * 11. Mekong Firestorm * 12. Fighting in the Northern Provinces * 13. Reverberations * 14. The Allies Strike Back * 15. To Khe Sanh and the A Shau * 16. The General Offensive Renewed * 17. Mini-Tet in Saigon * 18. A Summer of Attrition * 19. Thwarting the Third Wave * 20. An Evolving War The vast majority of American men and women who went to Vietnam did so in the uniform of the U.S. Army. They served their country when called, many at great personal cost, against a backdrop of growing uncertainty and unrest at home. This book, the twelfth volume of the U.S. Army's official history of the Vietnam War, is dedicated to them. To many Americans, the war in Vietnam was, and remains, a divisive issue. But nearly fifty years after the end of major U.S. combat operations in Vietnam, well over half the U.S. population is too young to have any direct memory of the conflict. The massive American commitment

Combat Operations

Combat Operations PDF Author: Erik B. Villard
Publisher: Department of the Army
ISBN: 9780160942792
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 776

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Book Description
Heavily illustrated with a collection of full color, and black and white photos, including maps scattered throughout this historical text, the story of the US Army timeless engagement in the Vietnam War unfolds. You will learn about popular historical leaders for this wartime era including President Lyndon B. Johnson's role as Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, General William Childs Westmoreland, and popular terms, such as Tet offensive, MACV (Military Assistance Command-Vietnam), Operation Rolling Thunder, use of helicopter assault companies and aircraft fighter bombers, Operation Carentan, Viet Cong Communist peoples, key geographical locations such as Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnamese, North Vietnamese, Southeast Asia, China and Soviet Union's position during this timeframe, Communist troops, U.S. soldiers and infantry battalion troops, search and destroy operations, border control operations, clear and hold operations, and security operations to deter guerilla combat, and more. This volume, produced by the US Army, Center of Military History, is dedicated to the Vietnam War veterans and published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. High school students, community college, and university students learning about Vietnam War, their professors, Vietnam War veterans and their families, and military historians may be most interested in this easy-to-read, authoritative text. Additionally, public and academic libraries should have a copy of this rich historic component about the U.S. military's perspective as a primary source research document in their Vietnam War and historical war collections. Prospective and current ROTC and military science students may also find this document enlightening for research about the military strategic tactics during the Vietnam War. Related products: Vietnam War collection resources Click to find more products produced by the U.S. Army, Center of Military History

Combat Operations

Combat Operations PDF Author: Erik B. Villard
Publisher: Defense Acquisition University Press
ISBN: 9780160942808
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 748

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Book Description
Staying the Course describes the twelve-month period when the Viet Cong and their North Vietnamese allies embarked on a new and more aggressive strategy that shook the foundations of the South Vietnamese state and forced the United States to reevaluate its military calculations in Southeast Asia.--Provided by publisher.

Combat at Close Quarters

Combat at Close Quarters PDF Author: Edward J. Marolda
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN: 9780945274735
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 86

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Book Description
This work describes riverine combat during the Vietnam War, emphasizing the operations of the U.S. Navy’s River Patrol Force, which conducted Operation Game Warden; the U.S. Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force, the formation that General William Westmoreland said “saved the Mekong Delta” during the Tet Offensive of 1968; and the Vietnam Navy. An important section details the SEALORDS combined campaign, a determined effort by U.S. Navy, South Vietnamese Navy, and allied ground forces to cut enemy supply lines from Cambodia and disrupt operations at base areas deep in the delta. The author also covers details on the combat vessels, helicopters, weapons, and equipment employed in the Mekong Delta as well as the Vietnamese combatants (on both sides) and American troops who fought to secure Vietnam’s waterways. Special features focus on the ubiquitous river patrol boats (PBRs) and the Swift boats (PCFs), river warfare training, Vice Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., the Black Ponies aircraft squadron, and Navy SEALs. This publication may be of interest to history scholars, veterans, students in advanced placement history classes, and military enthusiasts given the continuing impact of riverine warfare on U.S. naval and military operations in the 21st century. Special Publicity Tie-In: Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War (Commemoration dates: 28 May 2012 - 11 November 2025). This is the fifth book in the series, "The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War." TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction The First Indochina War The Vietnam Navy River Force and American Advisors The U.S. Navy and the Rivers of Vietnam SEALORDS The End of the Line for U.S. and Vietnamese River Forces Sidebars: The PBR Riverine Warfare Training Battle Fleet of the Mekong Delta High Drama in the Delta Vice Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. Black Ponies The Swift Boat Warriors with Green Faces Suggested Reading

Combat Operations

Combat Operations PDF Author: George L. MacGarrigle
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Languages : en
Pages : 516

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Book Description
Combat Operations: Taking the Offensive chronicles the onset of offensive operations by the U.S. Army after eighteen months of building up a credible force on the ground in South Vietnam and taking the first steps toward bringing the war to the enemy. The compelling story by George L. MacGarrigle begins in October 1966, when General William C. Westmoreland believed that he had the arms and men to take the initiative from the enemy and that significant progress would be made on all fronts over the next twelve months. Aware of American intentions, North Vietnam undertook a prolonged war of attrition and stepped up the infiltration of its own troops into the South. While the insurgency in the South remained the cornerstone of Communist strategy, it was increasingly overshadowed by main-force military operations. These circumstances, according to MacGarrigle, set the stage for intensified combat. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong units retained the advantage, fighting only when it suited their purposes and retreating with impunity into inviolate sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia. With Westmoreland feeling hamstrung by political constraints on his ability to wage war in the vast hostile areas along the border, 1967 ended with a growing uncertainty in the struggle to secure the countryside. Relying on official American and enemy primary sources, MacGarrigle has crafted a well-balanced account of this year of intense combat. His volume is a tribute to those who sacrificed so much in a long and irresolute conflict, and Soldiers engaged in military operations that place great demands on their initiative, skill, and devotion will find its thought-provoking lessons worthy of reflection.

Turning point 1967-1968

Turning point 1967-1968 PDF Author: Adrian George Traas
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN: 9780160935022
Category : Government publications z United States
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description


Public Affairs

Public Affairs PDF Author: William M. Hammond
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN: 9780160016738
Category : Armed Forces and mass media
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
United States Army in Vietnam. CMH Pub. 91-13. Draws upon previously unavailable Army and Defense Department records to interpret the part the press played during the Vietnam War. Discusses the roles of the following in the creation of information policy: Military Assistance Command's Office of Information in Saigon; White House; State Department; Defense Department; and the United States Embassy in Saigon.

Turning Point

Turning Point PDF Author: Adrian Traas
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781097346073
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
During October 1967, the United States appeared to be making slow but steady gains against the Viet Cong insurgents and their North Vietnamese allies who were attempting to destroy the South Vietnamese government. Army General William C. Westmoreland, the chief of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), expected to get even better results in the coming year as more U.S. combat units joined his command, raising its maximum authorized strength to 525,000 personnel. MACV advisers continued to modernize the South Vietnamese armed forces and the effort to expand government authority in the countryside appeared to be gaining traction. The enemy was suffering enormous casualties and many of his troops were afflicted by malnutrition and disease. Hammered from the air by B-52 bombers and disrupted by allied ground sweeps, the Viet Cong base areas in South Vietnam were no longer the safe havens they once had been. Despite these gains, however, MACV's mission was far from complete. The enemy was disciplined and resourceful, sustained by a constant flow of arms and men from North Vietnam down the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos and guided by a party that was ruthlessly committed to national reunification on its own terms (see Map 1). Knowing that the American people were unwilling to support a costly and protracted war, which already had cost the lives of more than 15,000 Americans, Westmoreland keenly felt the need to accelerate his progress in 1968 "on all fronts-political, military, economic, and psychological."

Vietnam Studies

Vietnam Studies PDF Author: Col Francis J. Kelly
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781944961947
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
As long ago as 1957, U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were in the Republic of Vietnam. going about their business of training, advising, and assisting members of the Vietnamese Army. Despite the old Army witticism about never volunteering for anything, the Special Forces soldier is. in fan, a double volunteer, having first volunteered for airborne training and then again for Special Forces training. From a very meager beginning but sustained by a strong motivation and confidence in his mission, the Special Forces soldier has marched through the Vietnam struggle in superb fashion. In 1957 some fifty-eight Vietnamese soldiers were given military training by Special Forces troops. Ten years later the Special Forces were advising and assisting over 40,000 paramilitary troops, along with another 40,000 Regional Forces and Popular Forces soldiers. This monograph traces the development and notes the progress, problems. successes, and failures of a unique program undertaken by the U.S. Army for the first lime in its history. It is hoped that all the significant lessons learned have been recorded and the many pitfalls of such a program uncovered. I am responsible for the conclusions reached, yet my thought processes could not escape the influence of the many outstanding officers and men in the Special Forces who joined in the struggle. Particularly, I must lake note of the contributions of the Special Forces noncommissioned officers, without question the most competent soldiers in the world. With the withdrawal of the Special Forces from Vietnam in 1971, the Army could honestly lay claim to a new dimension in ground warfare-the organized employment of a paramilitary force in sustained combat against a determined enemy. I know I speak for my predecessors and successors in claiming that the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was the finest collection of professional soldiers ever assembled by the U.S. Army, anywhere, anytime. Francis John Kelly Colonel, Armor 1972

Combat Operations: Stemming the Tide, May 1965 to October 1966 (Paperback)

Combat Operations: Stemming the Tide, May 1965 to October 1966 (Paperback) PDF Author: John M. Carland
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN: 9780160873102
Category : Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
Combat Operations: Stemming the Tide describes a critical chapter in the Vietnam conflict, the first eighteen months of combat by the U.S. Army's ground forces. Relying on official American and enemy primary sources, John M. Carland focuses on initial deployments and early combat and takes care to present a well-balanced picture by discussing not only the successes but also the difficulties endemic to the entire effort. This fine work presents the war in all of its detail: the enemy's strategy and tactics, General William C. Westmoreland's search and destroy operations, the helicopters and airmobile warfare, the immense firepower American forces could call upon to counter Communist control of the battlefield, the out-of-country enemy sanctuaries, and the allied efforts to win the allegiance of the South Vietnamese people to the nation's anti-Communist government. Carland's volume demonstrates that U.S. forces succeeded in achieving their initial goals, but unexpected manpower shortages made Westmoreland realize that the transition from stemming the tide to taking the offensive would take longer. Bruising battles with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese in the Saigon area and in the Central Highlands had halted their drive to conquest in 1965 and, with major base development activities afoot, a series of high-tempo spoiling operations in 1966 kept them off balance until more U.S. fighting units arrived in the fall. Carland credits the improvements in communications and intelligence, the helicopter's capacity to extend the battlefield, and the availability of enormous firepower as the potent ingredients in Westmoreland's optimism for victory, yet realizes that the ultimate issue of how effective the U.S. Army would be and what it would accomplish during the next phase was very much a question mark.