Download or read book The Battle For Khe Sanh Illustrated Edition written by Captain Moyers S. Shore II USMC and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes more than 10 maps and 20 Illustrations “The Marines’ heroic defense of the Khe Sanh area against numerically superior North Vietnamese forces stands out among the many battles fought to defend the Republic of Vietnam against Communist aggression. “The enemy’s primary objective of his 1968 TET Offensive was to seize power in South Vietnam by creating a general uprising and causing the defection of major elements of the ARVN. In conjunction with this, the enemy apparently expected to seize by military action large portions of the northern two provinces lying just south of the Demilitarized Zone and there to set up a “liberation government.” The virtually unpopulated Khe Sanh Plateau, which lay astride the enemy’s principal avenue of approach from his large base areas in Laos, was obviously an initial objective of the North Vietnamese Army.... “This report provides a detailed and graphic account of events as they unfolded. It centers about the 26th Marine Regiment, the main defenders of the Khe Sanh area, who tenaciously and magnificently held off the enemy during the two-and-one-half-month siege. Yet the battle of Khe Sanh was an inter-Service and international operation. Consequently, appropriate coverage is given to the contributions of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, and to South Vietnamese regular and irregular military units, all of whom contributed to the defense of the area and to the destruction of the enemy. As Marine artillery from within the fortified positions pounded the enemy, Army artillery located to the east provided heavy, long-range fire support. Fighter aircraft from the Marines, Air Force, and Navy provided continuous close air support, while B-52 bombers of the Strategic Air Command dealt decisive blows around-the-clock to enemy forces within striking distance of our positions and against enemy supply areas....”-General Westmoreland

Download or read book The Battle for Khe Sanh Vietnam War written by Moyers S. Shore II, USMC and published by . This book was released on 2017-04-30 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report by History And Museums Division Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps provides a detailed and graphic account of events as they unfolded. It centers about the 26th Marine regiment, the main defenders of the Khe Sanh area, who tenaciously and magnificently held off the enemy during the two-and-one-half- month siege.

Download or read book The Battle for Khe Sanh written by M. Shore, II and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-08-13 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The official Marine Corps history of the battle for Khe Sanh in the Vietnam War. Illustrated with black/white pictures and maps.

Download or read book Close Air Support And The Battle For Khe Sanh Illustrated Edition written by Lt.-Col Shawn Callahan USMC and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes 7 maps, 3 tables, and more than 80 photo illustrations. In the 77 days from 20 Jan. to 18 March of 1968, two divisions of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) surrounded a regiment of U.S. Marines on a mountain plateau in the northwest corner of South Vietnam known as Khe Sanh. The episode was no accident; it was in fact a carefully orchestrated meeting in which both sides got what they wanted. The North Vietnamese succeeded in surrounding the Marines in a situation in many ways similar to Dien Bien Phu, and may have been seeking similar tactical, operational, and strategic results. General William C. Westmoreland, the commander of the joint U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam (COMUSMACV), meanwhile, sought to lure the NVA into the unpopulated terrain around the 26th Marines in order to wage a battle of annihilation with air power. In this respect Khe Sanh has been lauded as a great victory of air power, a military instrument of dubious suitability to much of the Vietnam conflict. The facts support the assessment that air power was the decisive element at Khe Sanh, delivering more than 96 percent of the ordnance used against the NVA. Most histories of the battle, however, do not delve much deeper than this. Comprehensive histories like John Prados and Ray Stubbe’s Valley of Decision, Robert Pisor’s End of the Line, and Eric Hammel’s Siege in the Clouds provide excellent accounts of the battle, supported by detailed analyses of its strategic and operational background but tend to focus on the ground battle and treat the application of air power in general terms. They do not, however, make significant distinction between the contributions of the two primary air combat elements in this air-land battle: the 7th Air Force and the 1st Marine Air Wing. An analysis of their respective contributions to the campaign reveals that they each made very different contributions that reflected very different approaches to the application of air power.

Download or read book Air Power And The Fight For Khe Sanh Illustrated Edition written by Bernard C. Nalty and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes 60 photos and 7 maps and charts The 1968 fight for Khe Sanh pitted some 6,000 U.S. Marines and South Vietnamese Rangers against an enemy force roughly three times as large. For more than 70 days North Vietnamese troops maintained pressure on Khe Sanh’s defenders, who had dug in around the base’s airstrip. The original purpose for deploying the Marines and South Vietnamese into the northwest corner of South Vietnam was to block Communist troop movements along Highway 9 toward Quang Tri City and the heavily populated coastal areas. When U.S. intelligence detected large enemy forces assembling near Khe Sanh, the senior American commander in Vietnam, Gen. William C. Westmoreland, ordered the Marines to hold the base. During the siege that followed, U.S. strike aircraft rained nearly 100,000 tons of munitions down upon the North Vietnamese while other planes—primarily U.S. Air Force transports—flew in essential supplies of food, ammunition, and other necessities to Khe Sanh’s defenders. The Leathernecks also used their own aircraft to provision Marine outposts which denied the enemy the high ground overlooking the base. Other military elements participating in the battle included U.S. Army artillerymen dug in east of Khe Sanh, who fired deadly concentrations against the besieging forces. Marine howitzers and mortars added to the heavy U.S. fire, while Army engineers joined Navy Seabees in helping prepare airstrips which supported the allied defense effort. Finally, the relief of Khe Sanh—though spearheaded by Army troops—also involved American Marines and soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

Download or read book The Battle for Khe Sanh written by II Usmc Shore, Captain and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-06-10 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the extreme northwestern corner of South Vietnam there stands a monument to the free world. Unlike those which commemorate the victories of past wars, this one was not built on marble or bronze but the sacrifices of men who fought and died at a remote outpost to halt the spread of Communism. This is the story of those men--the defenders of Khe Sanh--and the epic 77-day struggle which not only denied the North Vietnamese Army a much needed victory but reaffirmed to the world the intention of the United States to hold the line in Southeast Asia. In addition to having been a contest of men and machines, this was the test of a nation's will. As a history, this work is not intended to prove any point, but rather to record objectively the series of events which came to be called the Battle of Khe Sanh. These events spanned a period from April 1967 to April 1968. The rationale for the buildup along the Demilitarized Zone and the commitment to hold the small garrison is presented as a logical extension of the three-pronged strategy then employed throughout I Corps and the rest of South Vietnam; this balanced campaign included pacification programs, counterguerrilla activity, and large unit offensive sweeps. Although isolated, the Khe Sanh Combat Base was a vital link in the northern defenses which screened the Allied counterinsurgency efforts in the densely populated coastal plains from invasion by regular divisions from North Vietnam. By obstructing this attempted invasion, American and South Vietnamese forces at Khe Sanh provided a shield for their contemporaries who were waging a war for the hearts and minds of the people in the cities, villages, and hamlets farther to the south. In the process, a reinforced regiment--the 26th Marines--supported by massive firepower provided by the Marine and Navy air arms, the U.S. Air Force and Marine and Army artillery, defended this base and mangled two crack North Vietnamese Army divisions, further illustrating to Hanoi the futility of its war of aggression. Later, after the encirclement was broken and additional U.S. forces became available, the Allies were able to shift emphasis from the fixed defense to fast-moving offensive operations to control this vital area astride the enemy's invasion route. In these operations, our troops thrust out to strike the enemy whenever he appeared in this critical region. This shift in tactics in the spring of 1968 was made possible by favorable weather, the buildup of troops, helicopters, and logistics that had taken place during the winter of 1967-68. An additional factor was the construction of a secure forward base across the mountains to the east of Khe Sanh, from which these operations could be supported. The Khe Sanh Combat Base then lost the importance it had earlier and was dismantled after its supplies were drawn down, since it was no longer needed. The strategy of containing the North Vietnamese Army along the border remained the same; but revised tactics were now possible. But in 1967 and early 1968, neither troops nor helicopters, logistics nor the forward base were available to support the more aggressive tactics. The enemy lunged into the area in force, and he had to be stopped. The KSCB with its airstrip was the pivotal point in the area from which Allied firepower could be directed and which the enemy could not ignore. It was here that the 26th Marines made their stand. This study also provides insight into the mechanics of the battle from the highest echelon of command to the smallest unit. In addition, appropriate coverage is provided to the supporting arms and the mammoth logistics effort which spelled the difference between victory and defeat. While this is basically a story about Marines, it notes the valiant contributions of U. S. Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel, as well as the South Vietnamese.

Download or read book Voices of Courage written by Ronald J. Drez and published by Little Brown GBR. This book was released on 2005 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers a vivid narrative of the seventy-seven-day struggle to control the remote Khe Sanh base in Vietnam, during which a severely outnumbered and isolated group of Marines held off an enemy onslaught, in a multimedia history that features firsthand remin

Download or read book Semper Fi Vietnam written by Edward F. Murphy and published by Presidio Press. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From their early days in 1965 when the order of the day was to drive the insurgent Viet Cong from the villages around Da Nang to the final, dramatic evacuation of Saigon ten years later, Semper Fi—Vietnam relates the whole gutsy, glorious saga of the Marines in Vietnam in stark, riveting detail. Acclimating to their strange new surroundings occupied the Marines’ first few weeks in South Vietnam. . . . Throughout the day, peasants dressed in pajama-like clothing and sporting conical hats worked the paddies behind the heaving water buffalo. . . . If daytime scenes appeared bucolic, the arrival of sunset quickly changed that perception. Gunfire and explosions erupted at dusk. Marines nervously watched bright tracers cut colorful swaths across the night sky. From distant bamboo thickets, mortar shells flew skyward to crash in the paddies. The Marines were learning that the war in South Vietnam was unlike anything for which they’d been trained.

Download or read book Khe Sanh 1967 68 written by Gordon L. Rottman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-09-20 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A concise, focused volume on the NVA's fight for a strategically important military base. Khe Sanh was a small village in northwest South Vietnam that sat astride key North Vietnamese infiltration routes. In September 1966 a Marine battalion deployed into the area. Action gradually increased as the NVA attempted to destroy Free World Forces bases, and the siege of Khe Sanh proper began in October 1967. The bitter fight lasted into July 1968 when, with the changing strategic and tactical situation, the base was finally closed. This book details the siege and explains how, although the NVA successfully overran a Special Forces camp nearby, it was unable to drive US forces from Khe Sanh.

Download or read book 1st Marine Division in Vietnam written by Simon Dunstan and published by . This book was released on with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Soldiers Story An Illustrated Edition written by Ron Steinman and published by Wellfleet Press. This book was released on 2015-09-16 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Veteran journalist, Ron Steinman, profiled 76 Vietnam vets. Complete with maps & photographs, their stories are a record of the horrors & fellowship they experienced.

Download or read book The Vietnam War written by DK and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-04-04 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Vietnam War remains one of the most heroic and heartbreaking events in history. This definitive guide charts the unforgettable story of the world's first televised war. Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, this authoritative guide chronicles America's fight against Communism in southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s, and comprehensively explores the people, politics, events, and lasting effects of the Vietnam War. Hundreds of insightful images and a compelling narrative combine to chronicle this catastrophic conflict.?? From 1955, the communist government of North Vietnam waged war against South Vietnam and its main ally, the USA. Over the course of two decades of hostility and warfare, the number of casualties reached an incomprehensible three million people. Detailed descriptions of every episode, including Operation Passage to Freedom and the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon, tell the stories in iconic photographs and eyewitness accounts. Discover the real people behind the conflict, with gripping biographies of key figures, including Henry Kissinger, General Thieu, President Nixon, and Pol Pot. This incredible visual record is supported by locator maps, at-a-glance timelines, archive photography, and key quotations to ensure an all-encompassing experience. The Vietnam War is an essential historic reference to help humanity learn the lessons of suffering and sacrifice from one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century.

Download or read book The Moving Trees written by James C. Oyster and published by Dog Ear Publishing. This book was released on 2011-04 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the work of a 21 year old Marine Corps Sergeant who fought in the battle of Khe Sanh South Vietnam. The author endured the hardships of the 77 day siege recording each day's events and his feelings in his diary. Rather than a historical account of the battle's significance or political ramifications, it is the personal story of one man's experience showing, in sometimes graphic detail, the effect such an intense war experience can have. It is written in the words that were used by the young Marines and those words are not meant to be racist or derogatory. This individual account of life "inside the wire" provides an incredibly detailed and poignant illustration of the everyday infantrymen who found a way to exhibit extraordinary courage despite abhorrent conditions. The day to day events flow well from one subject/day to the next and crescendos to the incredible story of the author being wounded and whisked from the battlefield and shipped "back to the world." Walk with this young Marine as he struggles to keep his men on task, prepared for what ever may come and most importantly, alive. Listen while he talks to his superiors on the radio trying to give a tactical assessment of the situation and bring help to his pinned down platoon. Be with him when he is holding a dying fellow Marine and in one instant goes from having his head on the chest of his dead friend to pulling himself together and taking charge of the platoon. Laugh with him as the stories are told about the happenings of fellow Marines returning from R&R and the girls in Hong Kong and Bangkok. The Battle for Khe Sanh is among some of the most important in American military history and a significant source of pride for military veterans and civilians alike. Even President Barack Obama mentioned the Battle for Khe Sanh in his inaugural speech along with other great American battles like Gettysburg and Normandy. Jim Oyster is a decorated Marine Corps veteran of the Battle of Khe Sanh and additional engagements in the Vietnam War. He received two Purple Heart medals as well as a Bronze Star with Valor. During his tour in Viet Nam Jim served as a fire team leader, squad leader, right guide, platoon sergeant, and platoon commander. Following his discharge from the Marine Corps Jim went to Fairmont State College, in Fairmont, West Virginia, receiving his under-graduate degree in Education and later received his Masters Degree in Speech Communication from West Virginia University, in Morgantown, West Virginia. He then embarked upon a thirty-eight year career in education serving as a high school and middle school teacher, principal and coach. His Marine Corps training and unique experiences in the military along with his desire to educate and mentor America's youth enabled him to inspire countless young men and women to work above and beyond their perceived talents and abilities. His belief in the attributes of positive thinking and perseverance have guided his life accomplishments, and highlighted his ability to overcome adversity and to embrace life to the fullest.

Download or read book The Illustrated History of the Vietnam War written by Brian Beckett and published by Blandford. This book was released on 1985 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated documentary of the Vietnam War, from the establishment of French rule to the secret operations in Laos and Cambodia and the fall of Saigon.

Download or read book The 1968 Tet Offensive Battles Of Quang Tri City And Hue Illustrated Edition written by Erik Villard and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: [Includes 10 maps, 5 illustrations] “This monograph focuses on the battles of Quang Tri City and Hue that took place during the 1968 Tet offensive. The offensive itself, an all-out effort by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces to overrun the major cities of South Vietnam, marked the turning point of the Vietnam War. Although the attacks were costly failures in military terms, they set the United States on a path of disengagement from the war that ultimately led to the fall of Saigon some seven years later. The battles for the two northernmost provincial capitals in South Vietnam, Quang Tri City and Hue, are particularly worth examining because the enemy regarded them as key objectives, second only to Saigon, the national capital. To a large extent, the success or failure of the offensive depended on what happened there. The battles tell us much about how the enemy prepared for the offensive, why he achieved a high degree of surprise and initial success, and why his attacks ultimately failed. The battle for Quang Tri City, a textbook example of a vertical envelopment, resulted in a quick allied victory. The fight for Hue turned into a slow, grinding campaign of attrition that lasted nearly a month before the enemy was finally defeated. Together, they offer instruction on the strengths and limitations of airmobile warfare and a primer on urban fighting in a counterinsurgency environment, subjects that continue to be a major Army interest throughout the world.”

Download or read book Air Power in Three Wars World War II Korea Vietnam Illustrated Edition written by General William W. Momyer USAF and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: [Includes over 130 illustrations and maps] This insightful work documents the thoughts and perspectives of a general with 35 years of history with the U.S. Air Force – General William W. Momyer. The manuscript discusses his years as a senior commander of the Air Force – strategy, command and control counter air operations, interdiction, and close air support. His perspectives cover World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Download or read book The Tet Offensive written by James H. Willbanks and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2008-12-09 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Tet Offensive of 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched a massive countrywide attack on South Vietnam. Though the Communists failed to achieve their tactical and operational objectives, James Willbanks claims Hanoi won a strategic victory. The offensive proved that America's progress was grossly overstated and caused many Americans and key presidential advisors to question the wisdom of prolonging combat. Willbanks also maintains that the Communists laid siege to a Marine combat base two weeks prior to the Tet Offensive-known as the Battle of Khe Sanh—to distract the United States. It is his belief that these two events are intimately linked, and in his concise and compelling history, he presents an engaging portrait of the conflicts and singles out key problems of interpretation. Willbanks divides his study into six sections, beginning with a historical overview of the events leading up to the offensive, the attack itself, and the consequent battles of Saigon, Hue, and Khe Sahn. He continues with a critical assessment of the main themes and issues surrounding the offensive, and concludes with excerpts from American and Vietnamese documents, maps and chronologies, an annotated list of resources, and a short encyclopedia of key people, places, and events. An experienced military historian and scholar of the Vietnam War, Willbanks has written a unique critical reference and guide that enlarges the debate surrounding this important turning point in America's longest war.