Ia Drang Valley

Ia Drang Valley

Introduction

The battle in the Ia Drang Valley was the first battle that was fought among conventional U.S. troops against the North Vietnamese Army and the main force of the FNL. It was also the bloodiest war so far and the last in which insurgent troops took part against the Americans in a conventional manner. In the spring and summer of 1965, the U.S. troops were sent to South Vietnam, where at that time the communist North Vietnam guerrilla war, actually supported regular military units to support the Government. In July-September, U.S. forces carried out the first offensive operations against the guerrillas of the National Liberation at the Front of South Vietnam. However, a significant concern to the U.S. command is not been called to join the battle of the regular North Vietnamese army, who were thought superior to the level of guerrilla units fighting efficiency through better organization and weapons. The desire of both parties to check the capabilities of his opponent in battle led to the inevitability of a major collision. This paper will be focusing on the dilemma that was faced by the soldiers who waged counter insurgency and moved to Vietnam.

Engaging the U.S. in the Vietnam conflict followed slowly and in stages. Initially, during the presidency of John F. Kennedy, the Americans sent to Indochina weapons, military advisers and built the base for the soldiers of South Vietnam. Direct responsibility and burden of fighting the communists, however, still rested on the shoulders of the pro-Western president of the Republic of Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem. Army subordinate to refer to him as true some success in this area, but not big enough to stop the Vietcong growing in strength and seeking to unite the country under his leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The U.S. administration was frustrated by this turn of events. Therefore, not only did not protest, but actually supported (CIA participation) made by the military 1 and 2 November 1963 coup (James, n.d.). The result were overthrowing Ngo Dinh Diem. It was a moment when the United States de facto took full responsibility for the fate of South Vietnam. Arousing controversy among historians of the events of early August 1964, when North Vietnamese patrol boats allegedly fired the destroyer USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin, were the perfect excuse for President Lyndon Johnson, to force Congress agreed to direct U.S. military involvement in the conflict.

In March 1965, the U.S. Air Force bombing campaign began a long-term North Vietnam - Operation "Rolling Thunder". On the beach lying in the vicinity of the town in the Republic of Vietnam, Da Nang also the first U.S. infantry. The official nature of their mission was strictly defensive. The soldiers had only protected military air bases before attacking by surprise, "invisible" Vietcong guerrillas. It soon turned out that the defensive strategy did not bring in the projected outcomes. So after a few weeks it was decided to radically change. Americans have so far had to ...