Thursday, February 07, 2008
This Day in the Long History of American Successes in Viet Nam
On this day in 1971, American forces (mainly from the 5th Division) finished 'clearing the road,' (in Operation Dewey Canyon II) in the northwest corner of South Viet Nam, in preparation for ARVN troops invading Laos, in order to cut the Ho Chi Minh trail and destroy the NVA munitions dump at Tchepone, (in Operation Lam Son 719) the second phase of which began the next day. Lam Son 719, unfortunately, was not a success.
The ARVN wasn't great on offense, but proved much better on defense during the 1972 Easter Offensive by the NVA, when they, with American air cover, just slaughtered the invading NVA.
Labels: Viet Nam War