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Thoughts on Papers
A+ = 98%
A = 95%
A- = 92%
B+ = 88%
B = 85%
B- = 82%
Etc.
Thoughts on Papers
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Capitalization:
Congress
president
Vietnam: Peace With Honor
Lesson Objectives
• Understand the goals, provisions and consequences of
President Nixon's Vietnamization policy.
• Describe the efforts of President Nixon to change global
strategic alignments and the implications of his initiatives.
• Describe and analyze changes in the military situation in
Vietnam from 1969 to 1973.
• Describe and assess the impact of US political developments
from 1969 through 1975.
Major Issues
What was Vietnamization?
What was the impact of the Cambodian Incursion on the US
domestic situation?
• Specifically, how did Congress react to the Cambodian incursion?
What was Lam Son 719?
• How did Lam Son 719 reflect on the Vietnamization effort?
What were the results of the Easter (Spring) Offensive of 1972?
What action did the US take as a result of the Easter (Spring)
Offensive of 1972?
What was Linebacker II and what was its objective?
Troop Levels
Vietnam War Casualties
Buildup In Vietnam
Why was our buildup in Vietnam so slow?
Vietnam: 1964 - 1968
Gulf War: Aug 1990 - Jan-Mar 1991
Gradual escalation?
Fear of Soviet or Chinese intervention?
Lack of infrastructure?
Probably a little of each!
Strategy
Revolutionary
War
Tetof68
for U.S
1954-1965: Phase I (guerrilla warfare)
• 1961-1965: Heated Politburo debate on transition
1965-1967: Phase II (guerrilla & conventional warfare)
• Increased large unit actions (Ia Drang, Khe Sanh)
1968 (early): Phase III (Tet Offensive) (conventional warfare)
• Military disaster (VC destroyed)
• “General Uprising” did not occur
• Strategic victory for the Communists none the less
Tactical Victory , Strategic Defeat
Richard M. Nixon
January 20, 1969
Vietnamization
During 1968 presidential campaign, Nixon pledged to have
a secret plan for ending the Vietnam War
Initiated a plan to increase the size and effectiveness of
South Vietnamese forces while drawing down size of US
military role in that country.
Vietnamization
President Nixon gave major speech on Vietnamization policy
November 3, 1969
Text
Video 32:24
Vietnamization begins 14:00
Silent Majority
Troop Levels
Vietnam War Casualties
Vietnam War Casualties
Cambodian Incursion
29 April - 22 July 1970
Cambodian Incursion
29 April - 22 July 1970
Results:
Casualties:
US: 338 KIA
ARVN: 809 KIA
NVA: 12,000+ KIA (estimated)
Huge stocks of NVA weapons, ammo, food captured
US Domestic:
Widespread protest in US, particularly on college campuses
Congress took first action to limit US involvement in SEA
• Cooper-Church Amendment
Kent State Massacre
May 4, 1970
( 1:18 )
Congress and the War
Use of Budget to Restrict Operations in SEA
Cooper-Church Amendment (1970)
• Sponsored by Sen. John Cooper (R-KY) & Sen. Frank Church (S-ID)
• Reaction to US-led invasion of Cambodia (April 1970)
• Prohibited use of US troops in Cambodia after June 30, 1970
• Approved by Senate 58-37 on June 30, 1970, after troops US withdrew
• House approved watered-down version December 1970
Significance:
First time Congress had restricted the deployment of US troops in wartime
Review
US Strategy in Vietnam
JCS Proposal 1965
• Build a Korean-war style defensive line across DMZ
• Conduct operations into Laos to permanently cut supply lines (Ho
Chi Minh Trail)
• Proposed by Westmoreland in 1967, again in 1968
• Never approved or rejected by LBJ, SecDef
Summers
In 1971, President Nixon approved the plan
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Lam Son 719
8 February - 25 March 1971
Attempt to cut Ho Chi Minh Trail
Before one draws any comparisons between the Laos
operations and airmobile operations conducted by the U. S.
Army, it must be realized that LAMSON 719 was a very special
operation in which strict rules governed U. S. military
operations across the Laotian border. While the Republic of
Vietnam Armed Forces could operate freely on the ground
and in the air within Laos, U. S. Forces were restricted to air
operations under specific rules of engagement and were
prohibited from fighting on the ground.
Lieutenant General John J. Tolson, USA
Airmobility 1961-1971, p. 236
Vietnam Studies series, CMH Pub 90-4
Washington: Department of the Army, 1989
Lam Son 719
Logistics
Lam Son 719
8 February - 25 March 1971
Objective: Tchepone & Base Area 604
Concept of Operations:
US provided:
• logistic support to border,
• air support in Laos
Lam Son 719
8 February - 25 March 1971
Results:
Casualties:
US: 215 KIA
ARVN: 1,500-3,500 KIA *
NVA: 2,000 KIA (estimated)
Some NVA weapons, ammo, food captured
ARVN did not perform well in face of stiff NVA resistance
• Poor planning and execution by ARVN leadership
Generally regarded as indicating a failure of Vietnamization
* ARVN reports vary
Update on Vietnam
Address - April 1971
Part 2 - 10:39
Easter (Spring) Offensive
March 30 - October 22, 1972
Easter (Spring) Offensive
March 30 - October 22, 1972
Easter (Spring) Offensive
March 30 - October 22, 1972
Major conventional invasion on three fronts:
• Across DMZ
• Central Highlands
• West of Saigon
ARVN performed reasonably well with US air support
DRV gained valuable space inside RVN for future offensives
• Also gained bargaining chip in negotiations
Nixon initiated Operation Linebacker (May 9 - October 23, 1972)
• Bombing of North Vietnamese logistics targets
Nixon began planning for Linebacker II
• Sustained bombing of North Vietnamese strategic targets
Paris Peace Accords
January 23, 1973
Henry Kissinger (left) and Le Duc Tho initial agreement
Paris Peace Accords
January 23, 1973
Major Provisions:
 US troops would leave Vietnam by 1973
 North Vietnamese troops would remain in South
 South Vietnamese government would remain
Congress and the War
Use of Budget to Restrict Operations in SEA
Case-Church Amendment (1973)
• After Paris Peace Accords (Jan 1973), Nixon hinted at US intervention
if North Vietnam attacked South
• Introduced by Senators Clifford Case (R‐NJ) & Frank Church (D‐ID)
• Prohibited U.S. military activity in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia after
August 15, 1973 without Congressional approval.
• Passed by Senate 64-26, House 278-124 (June 1973)
Significance:
Essentially ended US military activity in Southeast Asia
Nixon Resigns
August 9, 1974
President Gerald Ford
US Drawdown
( 58:19 )
Final Offensive
DRV planned final offensive for 1976
Probing Attacks
Final Offensive
DRV planned final offensive for 1976
Encouraged, DVR ordered additional probes in 1975
The Final Days - 1975
Final Offensive
DRV planned final offensive for 1976
Encouraged, DVR ordered additional probes in 1975
DRV politburo again astonished by speed of success
• Ordered push to Pleiku and on to coast
RVN President Thieu ordered strategic retreat
• Gave up northern provinces to protect Saigon and south
ARVN retreat turned into a rout
The Final Days - 1975
Hué Fell
March 25
Da Nang Fell
March 30
Pleiku Abandoned
March 16
II Corps Fell
April 2
Last Flight From Danang
March 29, 1975
( 4:59 )
US Evacuation of Saigon
Contingency plans always existed for evacuation of US citizens
• Also included “At risk” Vietnamese citizens
• • “At Risk” = US employees and agents
Early plans had identified:
• 8,000 US and third country citizens for evacuation
• Number of potential South Vietnamese evacuees never determined
• • Estimate: 17,000 US employee + 6 family members = > ~120,000 evacuees
• • Later estimates went as high as 200,000!
Late March 1975: Evacuations by commercial aircraft began
• Last fixed-wing transport (C-130) left Tan San Nhut airport 29 April
Operation Frequent Wind
April 29-30, 1975
Final helicopter evacuation of US citizens and others
Pickup points at Tan San Nhut airport and US Embassy
US Marine helicopters operated from off-shore ships
• USAF helicopters from Thailand shuttled to ships
• Air America (CIA-run airline) also committed 24 helicopters
Operation Frequent Wind
April 29-30, 1975
Helicopter operations from Saigon progressed smoothly
Operation Frequent Wind
April 29-30, 1975
April 30, 1975 - 7:53 AM
Last US Marine helicopter lifted off the roof of the US Embassy
Evacuation of Saigon
Iconic image: “Evacuation from the U.S. Embassy roof”
U.S. Embassy - Saigon
1972
Evacuation of Saigon
Pittman Apartment building used by CIA staff
(top of elevator shaft - not a heliport)
Story
Operation Frequent Wind
April 29-30, 1975
Meanwhile, as South Vietnam forces crumbled …
…scores of VNAF officers commandeered aircraft and headed to
Thailand or the US fleet offshore.
Created desk space problem on
aircraft carrier USS Midway
Scenes
Ditching
Operation Frequent Wind
VNAF Major Ly Buang, wife, five
children arrive on USS Midway
Operation Frequent Wind
Major Ly Buang’s
O-1 aircraft
USS Midway after stop in Thailand to retrieve fixed wing aircraft
Fall of Saigon
April 30, 1975
( 6:06 )
What went wrong in Vietnam?
Those who cannot remember the past
are doomed to repeat it.
-- George Santyana (1863-1952), 1905
Next:
Vietnam: Lessons Learned
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