Weapons

1
Weapons Battles

• Vietnam War

2
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

3
Vietcong

• NLF-National Liberation Front
• 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

4
Weapons of the Vietcong

• Punji Pits

Spiked Mud Ball/ Bamboo Whip
Side Closing Trap
Bear Trap
Crossbows
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Weapons of the Vietcong

• Explosives
• Daisy Chains
• Trip Wire Trap
• Bouncing Betty
• Anti-Aircraft
• Claymore Mine on its back

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Tunnels
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US Tactics

• Herbicides Agent Orange, Blue, Purple
• -Kill Vegetation
• Helicopters

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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

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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

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11
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

12
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

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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?
• 19 yr old bad head wound
• Married 25 year old bad stomach wound
• Leg wound
• Shoulder wound

14
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

15
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

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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
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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

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Question

• Should women fight in combat?
• Should women be drafted?
• Should they serve in the Special Forces?

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Women Debate

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vHALZowDySaI

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Where?

• Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Finland,
  France, Italy, Germany, Norway, Israel, Serbia,
  Sweden and Switzerland, Russia
• Limited Pakistan, Greece, India, UK, Turkey,
  U.S. (mainly pilots)

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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

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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)

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Casualties

• 76 lower/middle class
• 75 Income above Poverty
• 23 Fathers had professional jobs
• 79 had high school diplomas or higher