Weapons & Battles

Vietnam War

ARVN and NVA

• Army of the Republic of Vietnam

• South Vietnam• They are the ally of the

US

•North Vietnam Army•Enemy for US & ARVN

Vietcong

• Also known as Charlie, Chuck, VC, Victor Charlie, or Black Pajamas due to what they wore

• Rebels in the South who help the North

• Enemy to US and ARVN

Weapons of the Vietcong• Punji Pits

Bear Trap

Side Closing Trap

Crossbows

Spiked Mud Ball/ Bamboo Whip

Weapons of the Vietcong

Explosives• Daisy Chains• Trip Wire Trap• Bouncing Betty

Anti-Aircraft• Claymore Mine on

its back

Tunnels

US Tactics

• Herbicides: Agent Orange, Blue, Purple

-Kill Vegetation• Helicopters

DaNang & Ia Drang Valley

• Major air strip for US and ARVN

• Where we landed Marines during the 1965 escalation of the war

• IaDrang Valley-1st battle “search & destroy”

-US air strikes “Operation Rolling Thunder”

-VC uses close battle-Sets stage strategy of war

Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Supply trail that ran through neighboring Laos & Cambodia to get supplies from North to Vietcong in South

• Complicated trails, foot &truck paths, river transport and mazes

• Ex: October 1967 480 trucks by Dec. 6315-They are preparing for Tet

Tet Offensive• Lunar New Year• Suppose to be a truce for 2 days so

ARVN go home to celebrate• Westmoreland knows it is not a

good idea since there is build up on Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Jan 31, 1968-Sept. 1968• Surprise attack by NVA & Vietcong

to invade over 100 key cities including Saigon

-wanted to take the countryside of the south

-have South start uprising against Am./ARVN

• At 1st Americans winning• *Turning point-60% Americans see

Tet as the American defeat

Khe Sanh

• Marine base• Part of Tet• 77 day standoff• Had an airstrip built 1962• Left the base on 7/5/68• ~274 killed• Will eventually reopen in

1971 to invade Laos & abandoned again 1972

A Tough Question

• You are a 21 yr old Officer with 4 wounded men. The medivac reports they can only take 2 now. Which do you send?

1.19 yr old bad head wound2.Married 25 year old bad stomach wound3.Leg wound4.Shoulder wound

My Lai Massacre

• Hamlet• March 16, 1968• 350-500 killed (unsure)• Charlie Company given

orders to search for VC who may have retreated during Tet

• Unclear if there were orders given to kill anyone

• Thompson flies over in helicopter and tells them to stop

My Lai Massacre

• Lt Calley convicted March 1970 and serves 3 ½ months until released by Nixon

• The Captain Medina & 26 platoon members never convicted

• Changed American opinion of the war

Vietnamization 1969-1973

• After Tet in 1968 under President Nixon

• Policy of training and increases supplies to South Vietnam Army while reducing the number of American troops in Vietnam

• We begin withdrawing• 1969-480,000• 1970-280,000• 1971-140,000• End 1972-30,000• January 1973 we sign

agreement to fully withdraw

Without telling the public, Nixon ordered the invasion of Laos & Cambodia in 1970…

Fall of Saigon

• NVA captured capital Saigon April 30, 1975

• Renamed Ho Chi Minh City

• “Frequent Winds” begin to evacuate tens of thousands of Americans & South Vietnamese

• Largest helicopter evacuation in history

• Vietnam unites under communism

Women

• Approx. 7500 women served in the military primarily as nurses

• Over 30,000 women would be in Vietnam, through Red Cross, Salvation Army and entertainment through USO

Casualties

• 58,193/ 8 women• 1,484 NJ• Average age of deaths

23• 25% draftees-2/3 were

Volunteer• 86% White/Hispanic

(88% those served)• 12.5% Black (11% those

served)• 1.2% Other (1% those

served)

Casualties

• 76% lower/middle class

• 75% Income above Poverty

• 23% Fathers had professional jobs

• 79% had high school diplomas or higher