Vietnam War References
Vietnam War Chronology
2
III Corps Tactical Zone
11
Typical U.S. Infantry Division Organization
13
Communist Party Dominance in Enemy Organization 14
Number of US Casualties
15
Comparative US Casualties
16
Key US Leaders
17
Glossary of Military Terms
22
1
Vietnam War Chronology
This chronology is based on the more detailed chronology in Harry Summers Vietnam
War Almanac supplemented by First Division information from J. S. Wheeler The Big
Red One
1959
January
Vietnam war begins—North Vietnam issues resolution
changing its strategy toward South Vietnam from ‘political struggle’ to ‘armed
struggle
4 April
President Eisenhower makes his first commitment to
maintain South Vietnam as a separate national state
8 July
Bien Hoa
First American servicemen killed by Viet Cong attack at
31 December
Approximately 760 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam.
South Vietnamese Armed Forces (SVNAF) total 243,000 personnel
1960
April
North Vietnam imposes universal military service and
begins infiltrating cadres into South Vietnam
31 December
Approximately 900 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam.
SVAF strength still 243,000
1961
9 June
President Ngo Dinh Diem requests U.S. troops for
training the South Vietnamese Army
3 November
General Maxwell Taylor (military advisor to President
Kennedy) reports that prompt U.S. military, economic, and political action can
lead to victory without a U.S. takeover of the war. He recommends sending
8,000 combat troops.
31 December
3,205 U.S. military personnel are now in Vietnam.
SVNAF strength still 243,000
1962
6 February
U.S. Military Assistance Command (MACV) formed.
Major buildup of American advisors and support personnel begins.
October
Cuban Missile Crisis
U.S. Air Force deploys Second Air Division to Vietnam
31 December
11,300 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam. SVNAF
strength still 243,000
2
1963
January
First major defeat of Army of the Republic of Vietnam
(ARVN) by units of the Viet cong at Battle of Ap Bac
1 November
Military coup topples government of South Vietnamese
President Ngo Dinh Diem. Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu assassinated
22 November
U.S. President John F. Kennedy assassinated
31 December
16,300 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam. SVNAF
strength still 243,000
1964
7 February
President Johnson orders the withdrawal of American
dependents from South Vietnam
April
North Vietnam begins infiltration of Regular Army units
(People’s Army of Vietnam—PAVN) into South Vietnam
June
General William Westmoreland replaces General Paul
Harkins as MACV Commander
2 August
U.S. destroyer Maddox reports attack by North
Vietnamese patrol boats in Tonkin Gulf
7 August
U.S. Congress passes Tonkin Gulf Resolution
empowering President Johnson to “take all necessary measures to repel an
armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further
aggression.”
October
China explodes its first atomic bomb
30 October
Viet Cong attack Bien Hoa Air Base, destroying six U.S.
bombers and killing five U.S. servicemen
24 December
Viet Cong terrorists bomb U.S. billets in Saigon; two
U.S. servicemen killed
31 December
23,300 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam. SVNAF
strength increases to 514,000
1965
7 February
South Vietnam
Viet Cong attack American military installations in
February
USAF conducts Operation Flaming Dart, an air reprisal
in the southern panhandle of North Vietnam for attacks on U.S. bases in South
Vietnam
3
2 March
USAF begins Operation Rolling Thunder to strike targets
in North Vietnam and interdict flow of supplies to the south
8-9 March
First U.S. combat troops land in Vietnam: U.S. Third
Marine Regiment deployed from Okinawa to defend Da Nang airfield
6 April
President Johnson authorizes use of U.S. ground combat
forces for offensive operations in South Vietnam
26 April
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara states that
Vietnam war effort costs the U.S. about $1.5 billion a year.
May
U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade deploys from Okinawa for
combat operations in III Corps (the area around Saigon)
June
Australia deploys First Battalion, Royal Australian
Regiment for combat operations in III Corps
Arc Light campaign begun by USAF, using B-52
bombers to strike enemy targets in South Vietnam
July
U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) headquarters formed at
Long Binh near Saigon to support Army operations in Vietnam
Second Brigade, U.S. First Infantry Division deploys
to Vietnam from Fort Riley, Kansas, for combat operations in III Corps
First Brigade, U.S.101st Airborne deploys to Vietnam
from Ft. Cambell, Kentucky for combat operations in III Corps
September
U.S. First Cavalry Division (Airmobile) deploys to
Vietnam from Ft. Benning, Georgia, for operations in the central highlands
15-16 October
40 U.S. cities
Protests against U.S. policy in Vietnam are held in some
October
Vietnam
Remainder of First Infantry Division deploys to
Republic of Korea deploys ROK Capital Division and
Marine Brigade to Vietnam for combat operations in the central highlands
10-18 November
First Infantry Division Conducts Bushmaster I to
begin clearing approaches to Saigon
14-16 November
First major engagement of the war between US forces
and regular North Vietnamese (PAVN) units in the Ia Drang Valley
1-9 December
First Infantry Divisions Conducts Bushmaster II in
Michelin plantation
25 December
President Johnson suspends bombing of North Vietnam
(Rolling Thunder) to induce North Vietnam to negotiate
4
31 December
184,300 US military personnel in Vietnam. 636 US
military personnel KIA. 22,400 Free World military personnel in Vietnam.
SVAF strength 514,000
1966
January
First Infantry Division, 173rd Abn Bde, and 3 ARVN
Divisions conduct operation Buckskin to clear Hau Ngha province
4 February
hearings on the war
Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins televised
21-27 February
the Bo Loi Woods
First Infantry Division conducts operation Mastiff in
24 February
Battle of Tan Binh—successful defense of 1st Bde,
First Infantry Division base camp
March
U.S. II field Force Vietnam deploys to Vietnam from Ft.
Hood, Texas, to coordinate Army operations in III Corps and IV Corps
May
U.S. First Aviation Brigade organized in Vietnam to
provide Army aviation support for U.S. forces in throughout Vietnam
1 April
Infantry Division
MG William DePuy assumes command of the First
23 April-16 May
First Infantry Division participates in operation
Birmingham to clear Tay Ninh province and War Zone C
2 June-3 September First Division conducts operations El Paso II/III—search
and destroy in Binh Long province
14 September
Operation Attleboro initiated by U.S. 196th Light
Infantry Brigade in War Zone C (Tay Ninh Province, III Corps). By early
November U.S. First Infantry Division; Third Brigade, Fourth Infantry
Division; 173rd Airborne Brigade and several ARVN battalions are involved
23 September
U.S. military command in Vietnam announces that it is
using defoliants to destroy Communist cover
24 November
Operation Attleboro ends; 1,106 enemy casualties in
largest U.S. operation to date
31 December
385,300 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam; 6,644 U.S.
military KIA to date. 52,500 Free World military personnel in Vietnam.
SVNAF increase to 735,900 personnel with 47,712 SVAF KIA to date
1967
8-26 January
Operation Cedar Falls conducted jointly by U.S. First
th
Infantry Division, 25 Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade and 11th
5
Armored Cavalry Regiment along with ARVN units against Viet Cong
headquarters in the Iron Triangle, III corps; 720 known enemy dead
February
Major General John Hay assumes command of the
First Infantry Division
22 February
Operation Junction City, largest operation in Vietnam to
date, begun by 22 U.S. battalions and four ARVN battalions, including
elements of the U.S. First, Fourth and 25th Infantry Divisions, 196th Light
Infantry Brigade, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and 173rd Airborne Brigade
in Tay Ninh and bordering provinces, III Corps
15 April
San Francisco
100,000 antiwar protesters rally in New York; 20,000 in
11 May
aircraft
Rocket/Mortar attack on Bien Hoa airbase destroys 49
14 May
casualties
Operation Junction City ends; 865 known enemy
17-25 May
clear route 16
First Infantry Division conducts Operation Dallas to
12-26 June
First Infantry Division conducts Operation Billings
east of Song Be River
7 July
Congress’ Joint Economic Committee issues a report
stating that the Vietnam war created “havoc” in the U.S. economy in 1966 and
predicting that the war will cost $4 to $6 billion more in 1967 than the $20.3
billion requested by President Johnson
12-21 August
First Infantry Division conducts Operation Portland
to clear Route 13 from the Saigon River to the Song Be River
1 September
Di An to Lai Khe
First Infantry Division relocates headquarters from
29 Sep-19 Nov
First Infantry Division conducts Operation
Shenandoah II to clear the Long Nguyen secret zone
17 October
Battle of Ong Thanh—LTC Terry Allen, Jr. killed
21 October
demonstrators
“March on the Pentagon” by estimated 50,000 antiwar
31 December
485,600 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam; 16,021 U.S.
KIA to date; 59,300 Free World military personnel in Vietnam; SVAF strength
798,000 with 60,428 KIA to date
6
1968
30 January
Vietnam
Tet offensive by Vietcong and PAVN units throughout
31 January
Attack on U.S. embassy in Saigon repulsed
1-25 February
Vietcong and PAVN massacre 2,800 civilians in Hue.
10-17 February
All-time high weekly rate of U.S. casualties: 543 killed
in action; 2,547 wounded in action
25 February
Battle of Hue ends with recapture of city by U.S./ARVN
forces; 5,113 known enemy casualties
March
Infantry Division
MG Keith Ware assumes command of the First
11 March
Operation Quyet Thang, largest operation to date,
initiated in Saigon area and five surrounding provinces, III Corps, by elements
of U.S. First, Ninth and 25th Divisions and ARVN Fifth and 25th Divisions—a
total of 22 U.S. and 11 ARVN battalions
31 March
President Johnson announces de-escalation of the war,
states he will not run for re-election
8 April
Operation Toan Thang—42 U.S. and 37 ARVN
battalions—sets out to destroy Vietcong and PAVN units in III Corps and
Capital Military District. U.S. First Infantry Division heavily engaged
3 May
President Johnson announces that the U.S. and North
Vietnam have agreed to begin formal peace talks in Paris
13 September
MG Ware, Commanding General U.S. First Infantry
Division, and his command group killed when their helicopter was shot
down. Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier General Orwin Talbott,
takes command.
31 October
of North Vietnam
President Johnson announces complete halt to bombing
5 November
President
Richard Nixon defeats Hubert Humphrey in election for
31 December
536,100 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam; 30,610 U.S.
military KIA to date; 65,600 Free World military forces in Vietnam; SVAF
strength 820,000 with 88,343 KIA to date
1969
22 January
Richard Nixon replaces Lyndon Johnson as President
30 April
U.S. military personnel in Vietnam peak at 543,400
7
15 November
Antiwar demonstrations in Washington, D.C., draw
about 250,000 demonstrators—largest rally to date
16 November
My Lai massacre revealed (the killing of civilians in the
village of My Lai by U.S. soldiers had taken place in March 1968)
1 December
First draft lottery since 1942 is held at Selective Service
System headquarters
31 December
U.S. military personnel in Vietnam decline to 475,200;
40,024 U.S. military KIA to date; Free World military personnel in Vietnam
70,300; SVNAF strength 897,000 with 110,176 KIA to date
1970
January
Infantry Division
Maj. Gen. A. E. Milloy assumes command of the First
20 February
Henry Kissinger begins secret peace talks in Paris
15 April
U.S. First Infantry Division withdraws from Vietnam
29 April
13 major ground operations begin in Cambodia (two of
which involve U.S. ground combat units) to clear North Vietnamese sanctuaries
4 May
Four students killed at Kent State University in Ohio by
National Guardsmen during antiwar protest inspired by the Cambodian
incursions
22 December
U.S. Congress prohibits U.S. combat forces or advisers
in Cambodia and Laos
31 December
U.S. military personnel in Vietnam decline to 334,600
with 44,245 U.S. military KIA to date; Free World military personnel decline
to 67,700; SVAF strength increases to 968,000 with 133,522 SVNAF KIA to
date
1971
8 February
Operation Lam Son 719 begun by ARVN with
operations in Laos supported by U.S. aviation, airlift, and firepower
29 March
Lt. William Calley found guilty of premeditated murder
at My Lai by U.S. Army court martial
6 April
casualties
Operation Lam Son 719 ends; 19,360 known enemy
20 April
Antiwar demonstrators in Washington, D.C., and San
Francisco urge congress to end war in Indochina
2 May
II Field Force Vietnam disestablished
8
August
United Nations
U.S. ends 20-year opposition to China presence in
12 November
President Nixon announces that U.S. ground forces in
Vietnam now in defensive role; offensive operations now undertaken entirely
by South Vietnamese
31 December
U.S. military strength declines to 156,800; U.S. military
KIA 45,626 to date; Free World military personnel decline to 53, 900; SVNAF
strength increases to 1,046,250 with 156,260 KIA to date
1972
21 February
U.S. strategy in Pacific changes dramatically as
President Nixon arrives in Beijing for talks with People’s Republic of China
30 March
North Vietnamese launch Easter Offensive
15 April
four-year lull
USAF resumes bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong after
15-20 April
Hundreds of antiwar demonstrators arrested as the
escalation of the bombing provokes a new wave of protests
8 May
North Vietnamese ports mined by U.S. Navy
29 June
U.S. 196th Infantry Brigade, the last U.S. Army combat
brigade in Vietnam, withdraws
7 November
President Nixon defeats Senator George McGovern and
is re-elected President of the United States
11 November
U.S. logistical base at Long Binh turned over to the
South Vietnamese, ending direct U.S. Army participation in the war
18-29 December
Operation Linebacker II, so-called “Christmas
bombing,” of Hanoi and Haiphong conducted by USAF
31 December
U.S. military strength in Vietnam declines to 24,200 with
45,926 U.S. military personnel KIA to date; Free World military forces decline
to 35,500; SVNAF strength increases to 1,048,000 with 195,847 KIA to date
1973
27 January
Peace pact signed in Paris by U.S., South Vietnamese,
Viet Cong, and North Vietnamese
End of the U.S. military draft announced
29 March
Withdrawal of all American troops from South Vietnam
and release of 590 U.S. war prisoners held by the communists completed
9
31 December
Size of U.S. military contingent in Vietnam limited to
50; U.S. military KIA 46,163; no Free World military forces remain; SVNAF
forces estimated strength 1,110,000 with 223,748 KIA to date
1974
9 August
Richard Nixon resigns as President; Vice President
Gerald Ford becomes President of the United States
20 August
to $700 million
U.S. Congress cuts aid to South Vietnam from $1 billion
16 September
President Ford signs a proclamation offering clemency to
Vietnam war-era draft evaders and military deserters
1975
8 January
North Vietnamese Politburo orders major offensive to
“liberate” South Vietnam by cross-border invasion
19 March
Quang Tri province falls to North Vietnamese attack
26 March
City of Hue falls to North Vietnamese attack
1 April
Cities of Qui Nhon, Tuy Hoa and Nha Trang are
abandoned by the South Vietnamese, yielding the entire northern half of the
country to the North Vietnamese
14 April
U.S. airlift of homeless children to the U.S. from South
Vietnam ends after a total of about 14,000 children are evacuated
29 April
North Vietnamese attack on Saigon begins
29-30 April
U.S. Navy evacuates all U.S. personnel and selected
South Vietnamese from Vietnam
30 April
North Vietnamese capture Saigon
Vietnam war ends
10
III CORPS TACTICAL ZONE
With headquarters at Bien Hoa, South Vietnam's III Corps was responsible for
the approaches to and the defense of Saigon, the republic's capital. Major
assigned units included the South Vietnamese Army's Fifth, 18th (formerly the
10th) and 25th Divisions.
The North Vietnamese Army (NV A) saw Saigon as the ultimate objective of
its conquest. Using the Ho Chi Minh Trail to establish base areas in Cambodia to
the west, as well as in the Iron Triangle and War Zones C and D to the north, the
NVA plan was to keep Saigon under a state of siege so that South Vietnamese
forces could not be diverted to meet attacks elsewhere in South Vietnam.
Recognizing the strategic importance of III Corps, in March 1966, the U. S.
Army’s II Field Force Vietnam was deployed to the area to provide combat
assistance to III Corps and to control U.S. combat operations. It established
headquarters at Bien Hoa, constructed major logistical facilities at nearby Long
Binh and expanded port facilities at Saigon. The jet-capable airfield at Bien Hoa
was the home base for the U.S. Air Force's Third Tactical Fighter Wing and
extensive Air Force operations were based at Tan Son Nhut in the suburbs of
Saigon.
To guard the approaches to Saigon, the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade was
deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base in May 1965, followed by the U.S. First Infantry
Division in October 1965, the 25th Infantry Division in March 1966, the 11th
Armored Cavalry Regiment in September 1966, and the Ninth Infantry Division
and 199th Light Infantry Brigade in December 1966.
Major U.S. combat operations were conducted in III Corps, especially in the
long-time Viet Cong base areas in Hau Ngia Province, in the Iron Triangle and in
War Zones C and D. During the Tet Offensive of 1968, Viet Cong and North
Vietnamese Army (NVA) attempts to capture Saigon were repulsed, and in
March 1970 the U.S.-South Vietnamese "incursion" into Cambodia was
launched from III Corps.
In October 1967 the 173rd Airborne Brigade was deployed to II Corps. In May
1969, however, the First Cavalry Division (Airmobile) deployed from II Corps to
III Corps. As the U.S. draw-down
began, the initial unit to depart was the Ninth Infantry Division, which departed
Vietnam in August 1969. It was followed by the First Infantry Division in April
1970, the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in October 1970 and the 25th Infantry
Division, minus its Second Brigade, in December 1970. In March 1971 the 11th
Armored Cavalry Division, minus its Second Squadron, was withdrawn from
Vietnam followed by the Second Brigade, 25th Infantry Division and the First
Cavalry Division (Airmobile), minus its Third Brigade, in April 1971. In April
1972 the Second Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was withdrawn
from Vietnam, and the last major U.S. ground combat unit in Vietnam, the Third
Brigade, First Cavalry Division (Airmobile) was withdrawn in June 1972.
Meanwhile, II Field Force Vietnam had been disbanded on May 2, 1971.
With the majority of American units withdrawn, the North Vietnamese
launched their Eastertide Offensive in March 1972, striking at Quang Tri in I
Corps, Kontum in II Corps and An Loc in III Corps. Some 65 air miles north of
Saigon, An Loc was attacked by three divisions beginning on April 5, 1972. The
assault continued for 95 days. Although driven back, the South Vietnamese
Army's Fifth Infantry Division, supported by U.S. Air Force tactical fighterbombers and B-52 strategic bombers, held its positions, and on July 11, 1972 the
North Vietnamese withdrew to their base areas in Cambodia.
At the time of the Paris Accords in January 1973, the NV A had 24,600 troops
in III Corps, including its Seventh, Ninth and 95C Infantry Divisions, six separate
infantry regiments plus two armor battalions and six battalions of artillery.
Reinforcements were close at hand from the nearby Ho Chi Minh Trail. On
December 13, 1974 the N VA made the preliminary move that would lead to the
Final Offensive in 1975. Preceded by a massive artillery barrage, its tanksupported Third and Seventh Divisions launched an attack on the province of
11
Phuoc Long and on January 6, 1975 captured the first provincial capital in South
Viet~ nam since the cease-fire two years before. When the United States did not
react as promised to this flagrant violation of the Paris Accords, the North
Vietnamese knew that the time had come for their Final Offensive to conquer
South Vietnam.
After the fall of II Corps in March 1975, the North Vietnamese Army
concentrated its entire force on III Corps. After a heroic battle at Xuan Loc from
March 17 to April 15, 1975, South Vietnamese defenses were pushed in by this
blitzkrieg, and on April 30, 1975 Saigon was surrendered. Before the fall the
South Vietnamese Air Force flew some 132 aircraft-including 26 F-5 and 27 A37 jet fighter-bombers-to U Tapao Royal Air Force Base in Thailand and the
Commanding General of the Fifth Infantry Division committed suicide rather
than surrender.
From Harry Summers, Vietnam War Almanac (New York: Facts on File,
1985)
12
13
14
15
16
William C. Westmoreland
William Childs Westmoreland was born in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, on
26 March 1914; graduated from the United States Military Academy, 1936; was
commissioned a second lieutenant, June 1936, and served with the 18th Field Artillery
at Fort Sill, 1936-1939; was promoted to first lieutenant, June 1939; was a battery
officer and commander and a battalion staff officer of the 8th Field Artillery at
Schofield Barracks, 1939 -1941; was promoted to temporary major (February) and
lieutenant colonel (September), 1942; was operations officer of the 34th Field
Artillery Battalion, 9th Infantry Division, in the United States and North Africa and a
battalion commander in operations in Tunisia and Sicily, 1942-1944; was executive
officer of the 9th Division Artillery in Western European operations, 1944; was
promoted to temporary colonel, July 1944; was chief of staff of the 9th Infantry
Division in the closing operations of World War II in Germany, 1944-1945;
transferred to the Infantry; commanded the 60th Infantry, 1945-1946; was promoted to
permanent captain, June 1946; was chief of staff and later commander of the 71st
Infantry Division, 1946; received airborne training at the Infantry School, 1946;
commanded the 504th Parachute Infantry, 82d Airborne Division, 1946-1947; married
Katherine S. Van Deusen, 1947; was chief of staff of the 82d Airborne Division at
Fort Bragg, 1947-1950, receiving his promotion to permanent major in July 1948; was
instructor at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, 19501951, and the Army War College, 1951-1952; commanded the 187th Airborne
Regimental Combat Team in operations in Korea, 1952-1953; was promoted to
temporary brigadier general, November 1952, and permanent lieutenant colonel, July
1953; was deputy assistant chief of staff, G-1, for manpower control, 1953-1955;
attended the advanced management program at Harvard Business School, 1954; was
secretary of the General Staff, 1955-1958; was promoted to temporary major general,
December 1956; was commander of the 10Ist Airborne Division and Fort Campbell,
1958-1960; was superintendent of the United States Military Academy, 1960-1963;
was promoted to permanent ranks of colonel, June 1961, and brigadier general,
February 1963, and to temporary lieutenant general, July 1963; was commander of the
Strategic Army Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps, 1963-1964; was successively deputy
commander and acting commander of United States Military Assistance Command,
Vietnam, 1964; was promoted to temporary general, August 1964, and permanent
major general, August 1965; was commander of United States Military Assistance
Command, Vietnam, and United States Army, Vietnam, at the peak of the Vietnam
War, 1964-1968; was chief of staff of the United States Army, 3 July 1968-30 June
1972; supervised the Army’s disengagement from Vietnam, the transition from the
draft to an all-volunteer footing, and the employment of troops in a period of active
civil disturbance; centered attention upon efforts to improve service life, officer
17
professionalism, job attractiveness, and public understanding; retired from active
service, July 1972.
18
Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
Creighton Williams Abrams, Jr., was born in
Springfield, Massachusetts, on
15 September 1914; graduated from the United
States Military Academy, 1936; married Julia Harvey, 1936; was commissioned a
second lieutenant and served in the 1st Cavalry Division, 1936-1940; was promoted to
first lieutenant, June 1939, and to temporary captain, September 1940; was briefly a
tank company commander in the 1st Armored Division, 1941; was a battalion
commander in the 37th Armored Regiment, 1942-1943; was promoted to temporary
major (February) and lieutenant colonel (September), 1943; commanded the 37th Tank
Battalion and Combat Command B, 4th Armored Division, in Allied operations across
Europe, 1943-1945, earning fame for his role in the relief of Bastogne during the
Battle of the Bulge; was promoted to temporary colonel, April 1945; served on the
Army General Staff, 1945, and in the War plans section of the Army Ground Forces
headquarters, 1945-1946; was director of tactics of the Armored School at Fort Knox,
1946-1948; was promoted to permanent ranks of captain, June 1946, and major, July
1948; graduated from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth,
1949; commanded the 63d Tank Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, United States Army,
Europe, 1949-1951; was again promoted to temporary colonel after postwar reversion,
June 1951; commanded the 2d Armored Cavalry, United States Army, Europe, 19511952; graduated from the Army War College, 1953; was successively chief of staff of
the I, X, and IX Corps, United States Army Forces, Far East, Korea, 1953-1954; was
chief of staff of the Armor Center at Fort Knox, 1954-1956; was promoted to
temporary brigadier general, February 1956; was deputy assistant chief of staff for
reserve components, 1956-1959; was assistant division commander of the 3d Armored
Division, 1959-1960, and deputy chief of staff for military operations, United States
Army, Europe, 1960; was promoted to temporary major general, June 1960, and
permanent colonel, June 1961; was commander of the 3d Armored Division, 19601962; was assistant deputy chief of staff and director of operations, Office of the
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, 1962-1963; was assistant chief of staff for force
development, 1963; commanded V Corps in Germany, 1963-1964; was promoted to
permanent brigadier general (February) and temporary lieutenant general (August),
1963; was acting vice chief of staff and vice chief of staff of the United States Army,
August 1964-April 1967; was promoted to general, September 1964, and permanent
major general, August 1965; was deputy commander and then commander of United
States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, 1967-1972; was chief of staff of the
United States Army, 12 October 1972- 4 September 1974; supervised the Army in the
closing stages of the Vietnam War, including withdrawal of American troops from the
war zone, overall reductions in Army strength, elimination of the draft, transition to a
volunteer status, and execution of a major reorganization; died of cancer in
Washington, D.C., on 4 September 1974.
19
WilliamE. DePuy, was born and raised in North Dakota. He moved with his
family to South Dakota where he joined the National Guard, became a squad
leader, graduated from South Dakota State, and accepted his ROTC commission
in the Infantry. DePuy joined the 20th Infantry regiment in 1941 at Fort Leonard
Wood. As a platoon leader, he walked 500 miles to the Louisiana Maneuvers
and back--he said he learned to "soldier" in that six months. In 1942, he joined
the 90th Division, the first of four divisions in which he would serve. He would
train with, deploy with, and fight with this division for the next three years. Bill
landed on Utah Beach at noon on the 8th of June 1944, D+2. He was the S3 of
the 1st Battalion, 357th Infantry. He fought through the hedgerows of
Normandy, through the Falaise Gap, and on the Moselle River as both the
battalion and regimental operations officer (on the 4th of December 1944).
After six months in combat, Bill DePuy was given command of an infantry
battalion, the 1st Battalion of the 357th Infantry. In the next six months, he would lead his battalion in heavy
combat across the Moselle, through the Siegfried Line, and on to Czechoslovakia at war's end—earning the
Distinguished Service Cross, three Silver Stars, and two Purple Hearts. DePuy came home from Europe in 1945
and went to Fort Leavenworth, and then to Washington for the first of five assignments. He was integrated into
the Regular Army--he could have returned to his father's bank, but he loved the military. He then studied Russian
language because be thought it would be important in the years ahead. He was posted to Hungary as an attache,
the first of several appointments in the intelligence arena. His Hungarian tour over, he joined the Central
Intelligence Agency working in China operations. In 1953 he returned to Germany. It was the third of four
periods of service in Europe. After a year on the V Corps staff in Frankfurt, DePuy became the commander of the
2d Battalion, 8th Infantry, in the 4th Division. He returned to Washington for his third assignment, this time in
the chief of staff’s office-writing "learned papers" for three years, he said. He returned to Europe, this time to
England to attend the Imperial Defence College. From there, on to Schweinfurt, Germany, where DePuy
commanded the 1st Battle Group, 30th Infantry, in the 3d Division. DePuy returned to Washington in 1962 for
two years on the Army staff. He served in the special operations business when that field was emerging as an
important element of our Army. In May, 1964, he was transferred to Vietnam, and for two years, he was the
operations chief for MACV [Military Assistance Command, Vietnam]. He then took command the 1st Division
for a year before returning to Washington-now his fifth tour blending his skills in combat operations, intelligence,
and special operations. He served on the joint staff as the special assistant for counterinsurgency. He then moved
back to the Army staff and became the first assistant to the vice chief of staff. In this role, he became the
counselor to secretaries of the Army, as well as the assistant to the chief of staff. He promoted the Big 5 weapon
systems-the Apache, Abrams, Bradley, Patriot, and Blackhawk that performed so magnificently in Operation
Desert Storm. He led the charge to streamline the continental Army which brought about the formation of
TRADOC (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command) and FORSCOM (U.S. Army Forces Command]. He
then moved to Fort Monroe and took command of TRADOC in July 1973. He retired in 1977.
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Orwin Clark Talbott was born in San Jose, California, on 18 June 1918, the
son of Ernest O. and Violet S. Talbott. Attending the University of California
he was commissioned and called to active duty in 1941. Assigned to the 40th
Division he was commissioned in the Regular Army in 1942 an immediately
assigned to the 90th Infantry Division, which was activated and trained in
Texas. Talbott remained with this unit throughout World War II, rising from
platoon leader to battalion commander. Among his World War II decorations
are three Purple Hearts and five campaign stars.
During the Normandy invasion he was a rifle company commander in the 359th Infantry
Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division as a part of the assault force for UTAH Beach.
He was on the USS Susan B. Anthony AP-72 which was the largest ship sunk in the Normandy
invasion. He landed in the morning of D+ 1 and ended the war in Czechoslovakia.
In addition to the Normal command, staff, and school assignments, Talbott was military
assistant to two Secretaries of the Army and Executive Officer to an Army Chief of Staff,
staying as his Executive Officer when the latter became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and then Supreme Allied Commander-Europe (SACEUR).
In the Vietnam War he commanded the First Infantry Division (The Big Red One), serving as a
general officer in combat with that famous unit longer than any other officer in Vietnam. This
was followed by command of Ft. Benning, the Army's world-famous Infantry School, again
serving longer than anyone in thirty years. His final active duty was as the first Deputy
Commander of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). In this position among other
duties he was in charge of the Army's schools, training centers and ROTC. He retired as Lt.
General in 1975.
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Glossary of Military Terms and Acronyms
Agent Orange
Herbicide sprayed primarily from U.S. cargo aircraft in
operations designed to deprive enemy soldiers of concealment in forests near borders and
along highways and rivers. The defoliations campaign intensified in 1965 but was
curtailed rapidly after 1970 when the dioxin in the herbicide was recognized as a danger
to human health.
Air Cavalry
Performance of traditional cavalry roles of reconnaissance,
security, and economy of force operations using helicopters and helicopter gunships.
Airmobile Operations
Use of Helicopters to transport soldiers, weapons, and
supplies to a battle area, with helicopters providing the bulk of the initial fire support as
well as sustainment logistical support and medical evacuation.
AK-47
A Soviet assault rifle developed by M.T. Kalashnikov, firing a 7.62
mm bullet as a semi-automatic or fully-automatic weapon. Easy to maintain and simple to
operate, it is an extremely effective battlefield weapon. Communist forces in Vietnam
were often armed with Chinese-made copies.
APC
Armored Personnel Carrier. A fully-tracked vehicle with aluminum
armor that could stop small-arms fire and resist some mines and shell fragments. Early
deploying units brought few APC’s, but their use by armored cavalry units proved that
they could operate in difficult terrain, leading to a deployment of greater numbers as the
war progressed.
Arc Light
B-52 bombing missions in support of ground tactical
operations and for interdiction of movement of personnel and supplies into South
Vietnam. Modified to carry conventional bombs, each B-52 could deliver more than 50
750-pound bombs or more than 100 500-pound bombs. Releasing their bombs from
30,000 feet, the bombers were seldom seen or heard from the ground, but their results
could be devastating.
ARVN
Army of Vietnam. The “regular army” of South Vietnam,
composed largely of draftees, but the best led and best equipped of the Vietnamese
forces. Originally organized by the French into infantry divisions and elite units, they
rapidly adopted U.S. Army equipment, doctrine, and organizational structure. By late
1965, the U.S. Army had advisory teams with ARVN infantry units down to battalion
level—a system of advice and support that became even more important as ARVN units
bore greater battlefield burdens under “Vietnamization.”
Body Count
An outgrowth of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara’s
belief that success could be quantified, the practice of reporting enemy killed may have
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resulted in some inflated counts and certainly contributed to many Americans’ rejection
of the Vietnam war’s methods and grisly results.
Chieu Hoi
Literally “open arms”—an amnesty program designed to
attract Viet Cong fighters to the Saigon regime. From 1963-1973 the program brought in
nearly 160,000 Viet Cong deserters.
Chinook
The CH-47 Chinook helicopter is a twin-engine aircraft
with rotor blades fore and aft. It was designed to transport cargo, equipment, or troops. It
can carry up to 33 passengers and can transport large items, such as artillery pieces, as
sling loads suspended beneath the aircraft.
CINCPAC
Commander in Chief Pacific Command—the joint theater
command, with headquarters in Hawaii, with overall responsibility for operations in
Vietnam and in the waters adjacent and skies overhead.
Claymore mine
A shaped anti-personnel mine which when detonated
propels small steel cubes in a fan-shaped pattern to a distance of about 50 yards.
COMUSMACV
Commander, U.S. Military Assistance Command,
Vietnam—the joint commander of U.S. operations in support of the Government of South
Vietnam
CORDS
(Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development
Support)—a U.S. program initiated in 1967 to unify various military, State Department,
Agency for International Development, U.S. Information Agency, and Central
Intelligence Agency assets into civil-military advisory teams in all of South Vietnam’s
districts and provinces. It improved performance of local defense forces and virtually
eliminated the guerrilla threat in large areas.
COSVN
(Central Office for South Vietnam)—The North
Vietnamese control headquarters for Viet Cong military forces. Located in a corner of
Tay Ninh Province, III Corps, near the Cambodian border, it was the focus of operation
Junction City in 1967 and the Cambodian Incursion of 1970. It was small, highly mobile,
and moved frequently to avoid being targeted.
DEROS
(Date Eligible to Return from Overseas)—Americans
serving in Vietnam were on a one-year (or 13 month) tour of duty. These fixed tours,
designed to improve morale, ultimately had the opposite effect, resulting in “short
timers’ attitudes.”
Dustoff
Derived from the radio call sign of medical evacuation
helicopter pilot Major James L. Kelly, who was killed in action on July 1, 1964,
“Dustoff” was the nickname for medical evacuation helicopters as well as for the process
of using those helicopters to remove wounded soldiers from a battlefield. By 1968, the
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U.S. Army had deployed 116 air ambulances to Vietnam and their operations were an
important factor reducing the number of soldiers who died from wounds.
Field Forces
The designation used for U.S. Army headquarters
performing the tactical control function of a corps. Since they were inserted into a
situation where Vietnam was divided into “Corps Tactical Zones” commanded by
Vietnamese generals, this designation helped reduce confusion.
Fire Support Bases
There were no “front lines” in Vietnam, so bases had to be
established to provide artillery support when large infantry operations were launched.
Guns and ammunition often had to be delivered by helicopters. Infantry was sometimes
detailed to supplement the gunners in providing security against ground attack of these
bases by Viet Cong or North Vietnamese Army units.
Free Fire Zones
Areas totally under enemy control (and usually very thinly
populated) designated for attack of any available target—or for the disposal of
ordnance—without coordination with political or military authorities.
Grenade Launcher
The M-79 grenade launcher was a shoulder-fired, shotgunstyle weapon firing a 40-mm explosive grenade-type round. It replaced rifle grenades
used in earlier wars, giving infantrymen a portable fire support weapon that could
accompany the smallest patrol.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
The strategic logistics route used by the North Vietnamese
to support military operations in South Vietnam. It had been opened shortly after the
French were defeated, and by the time the U.S. Army began to deploy large formations in
1965, it enabled the North to build up their battlefield and logistics assets rapidly. The
main route ran through Laos and Cambodia, but it was supplemented by another route
from the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville. The Americans attempted to interdict the
trails with bombardment aviation, and as early as 1967 General Westmoreland sought
authorization to conduct large-scale ground operations across borders to cut the trail.
Huey Helicopter
The UH-1 Huey helicopter was the workhorse of all U.S.
military forces in Vietnam. It transported troops and supplies, conducted medical
evacuations, and served as a fire support platform when rigged with rockets and machine
guns.
Kit Carson Scouts
Former Viet Cong soldiers who agreed to live under the
laws of the South Vietnamese government and serve on the front line with U.S. military
forces. they often led U.S. units to Viet Cong caches, camps, and paths.
LAW
(Light Assault Weapon)—The M72 LAW was a highexplosive antitank weapon that was used for “bunker busting” by both U.S. and
Vietnamese soldiers. It consisted of a one-shot, disposable launcher-container loaded
with a shaped charge and fired from the shoulder. It replaced the “bazooka” of World
War II, and had greater range and penetrating power.
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M-14 Rifle
The replacement for the World War II M-1 Garand rifle, the M-14
employed a 20-round magazine, had an effective range of 500 yards, and could be fired
on full-automatic as well as semi-automatic. It was brought into service to bring U.S.
forces to a NATO standard, and it fired a 7.62 mm cartridge. The weapon weighed 9.3
pounds, and the ammunition was heavy. The M-14 was too unwieldy for jungle fighting
and was replaced by the M-16 beginning in 1966.
M-16 Rifle
The replacement for the M-14 was almost two pounds lighter and
five inches shorter. It fired the smaller, lighter 5.56 mm cartridge and could be fired on
full automatic. Its range was roughly equivalent to that of the M-14—more than adequate
for the usual engagement ranges in Vietnam.
MACV
(U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam)—this successor to
the original Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) was established in Saigon in
February 1962 to control the buildup of advisors and support personnel that began to flow
into Vietnam in ever-increasing numbers during the Kennedy administration. It evolved
to perform three functions: 1) a high-level source of consultation for the U.S. Embassy,
the Vietnamese Government, and higher political and military agencies in the United
States government; 2) a field army headquarters controlling battlefield operations of U.S.
military units in Vietnam; 3) the center of assistance to the South Vietnamese Armed
Forces through a network of field advisory elements.
Military Regions
The title adopted in July 1970 to designate the four
geographical divisions of South Vietnam. they were synonymous with the previously
designated corps tactical zones. Military Region (MR) 3 was the same as III Corps
Tactical Zone, etc.
Napalm
An acronym derived from NAphthenic and PALMitic
acids, whose salts are used in its manufacture, napalm is jellied gasoline used in
flamethrowers and bombs. Its use was widespread in World War II and Korea as well as
in Vietnam. Television coverage brought the awful visual effect of napalm into
American living rooms, and its use was widely condemned by anti-war protesters.
NVA
Vietnam)
(North Vietnamese Army)--Also PAVN (People’s Army of
PF
(Popular Forces)—local security forces enlisted to provide
defenses at the district level. Poorly-trained and lightly-armed, when the American
assistance effort began, they were eventually strengthened and supported well enough to
deter local Viet Cong attacks.
RF
(Regional Forces)—local security forces enlisted to provide
defenses at the province level. Only slightly superior to PF in arms and training in the
early years, they became effective “fire brigades” with the help of advisors.
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Rome Plow
Designed for jungle clearing operations, especially to clear
out ambush sites along supply routes, the Rome plow was a large caterpillar-type tractor
with a specially-configured dozer blade developed for heavy-duty land clearing
operations. the blade was more curved than a bulldozer blade and had a sharply-honed,
protruding lower edge that curved out on one side to form a spike that could be used to
split trees too large to cut with the blade. The blade could usually slice through a tree up
to three feet in diameter. Bars were attached to the top of the blade to force trees away
from the tractor, and the operator was protected by “headache bars” to protect him from
falling debris.
RPG
(Rocket Propelled Grenade)—This Soviet invention is still
in the headlines. The early RPG-2 was a shoulder-fired 82 mm weapon that had a range
of about 200 yards and could penetrate up to 7 inches of armor. The later RPG-7, used in
Vietnam and still in use, has almost twice the range and penetration.
Search-and-Destroy
An operational term adopted by MACV in 1964 designed
to find, fix in place and destroy enemy forces and their base areas and supply caches.
Originally intended to delineate one of the basic missions performed by South
Vietnamese Military Forces, the term became widely used by U.S. forces as they joined
in the effort.
Tet Offensive
“Tet” is the traditional Vietnamese holiday celebrating the
lunar new year, and it had been customary to observe a cease-fire during the period. On
January 30, 1968, the Tet holiday began, but shortly after midnight several cities in I
Corps and II Corps were attacked, and by noon on January 30 all U.S. units were on
maximum alert. The main attacks came at 3:00 am on January 31st, with simultaneous
attacks on Hue, Saigon, and other major cities. One assault team got inside the compound
of the U. S. Embassy before it was destroyed. These attacks received widespread media
coverage in the United States, and although they were unsuccessful and led to the
destruction of critical North Vietnamese and Viet Cong assets, they were perceived as a
major set-back to the South Vietnamese and U.S. governments.
USARV
(U.S. Army Vietnam)—Organized in July 1965 with
headquarters in Saigon (later Long Binh), USARV grew out of existing support
detachments that had been overseeing the logistics build-up in Vietnam. The MACV
Commander was also the USARV commander, but day-to-day operations were run by his
deputy. USARV was roughly equivalent to a “communications zone headquarters” in
earlier wars, overseeing administrative and logistical units, and in 1972 it was
redesignated USARV/MACV Support Command.
Viet Cong
Vietnamese Communists in the South, especially those who
took up arms against the Saigon government. Viet Cong forces included “main force”
units organized into companies and battalions that were reinforced by North Vietnamese
regular Army units. There was also what was called the Viet Cong Infrastructure (VCI)
made up of a party secretary, a finance and supply unit, and recruiting and social welfare
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elements. The Viet Cong was effectively destroyed in the Tet Offensive of 1968 and
ensuing search-and- destroy operations.
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