The Vietnam War (generals, economic, military, army)

[noetsi]

We have a thread dealing with the broad issues of Vietnam. This one is aimed at the war itself. I personally believe that Vietnam is the most fasinating one in US history because of the mix on politics, economics, and the military and because it was one of the few conflicts to employ the modern technologies developed after the 2nd World War.

An early example of the new technology was the Air Cavalry - a division made up entirely of helicopter troops, including artillery. This unit was the baby of Robert McNamara, a key proponent of modern technology and a brillant infighter who overcame massive Pentagon resistance to the idea.

From the early days of the Ira Drang Valley onto the last days of the US military in Vietnam the Air Cav dominated the headlines and commonly the fighting. It was one of the few divisions not signficantly effected by the decline of morale and increased drug use that began to destroy the combat capacity of the US Army in 69 on. I believe the last full combat brigade in Vietnam was from the Air Cav.

Its mobility and aerial firepower were a huge advantage in the difficult, terain of Vietnam which had few roads. But it encouraged generals like Westmorland to ignore key political and economic reforms and support of the ARVN - proving counterproductive in the long wrong.

[nawary]

I heard about it a lot
but, I dont know the reason
why this War appear between U.S & Vietnam?!

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by noetsi

We have a thread dealing with the broad issues of Vietnam. This one is aimed at the war itself. I personally believe that Vietnam is the most fasinating one in US history because of the mix on politics, economics, and the military and because it was one of the few conflicts to employ the modern technologies developed after the 2nd World War.

An early example of the new technology was the Air Cavalry - a division made up entirely of helicopter troops, including artillery. This unit was the baby of Robert McNamara, a key proponent of modern technology and a brillant infighter who overcame massive Pentagon resistance to the idea.

From the early days of the Ira Drang Valley onto the last days of the US military in Vietnam the Air Cav dominated the headlines and commonly the fighting. It was one of the few divisions not signficantly effected by the decline of morale and increased drug use that began to destroy the combat capacity of the US Army in 69 on. I believe the last full combat brigade in Vietnam was from the Air Cav.

Its mobility and aerial firepower were a huge advantage in the difficult, terain of Vietnam which had few roads. But it encouraged generals like Westmorland to ignore key political and economic reforms and support of the ARVN - proving counterproductive in the long wrong.

No, the last full brigade in Vietnam was the 196th, not one from the 1st Cav.

[noetsi]

The first aviation brigade, while not part of the 1st cavalry was in Vietnam until march 1973.

Portal - 1st Aviation Brigade - U

The 196th left in June of 72

196th Infantry Brigade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

While the Air Cav left in 1971 its Third Brigade stayed and appears to have left in June 1972, the same month as the 196th.

In mid June 1972, the stand-down ceremony for the 3rd Brigade was held in Bien Hoa and the colors were returned to the United States. The last trooper left from Tan Son Nhut on 26 June, completing the Division recall that had started on 05 May 1971. With the 3rd Brigade completing their withdrawal, the 1st Cavalry became the first US Army Division to go to Vietnam and the last to leave.

The 196th of course was not a division although it was for a time part of the Americal Division before that unit stood down.

1st Cavalry Division History - Vietnam War, 1965 - 1972

Remarkably about 10 percent of all US deaths in Vietnam were suffered by the Air Cavalry

The service of the 1st Cavalry Division in the Vietnam War was not without a price. As a grim reminder of their remarkable legacy, the 1st Cavalry Division experienced causalities of 26,592 Wounded and 5,464 Killed In Action.