American Bases Overrun in Vietnam
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Soon after American combat troops arrived in Vietnam, a strategy debate began. One faction wanted American combat forces to only protect large cities and dispatch units to rural areas only when enemy forces converged to battle local forces. American aid would focus on improving the economic infrastructure and local militia forces.
Another faction favored securing all of southern Vietnam with hundreds of American bases. This “search and destroy” strategy was selected because most American Generals favored offensive operations. Yet each base required clean water, electricity, security, and frequent resupply, which required guarding bridges, road mine clearing, weekly convoys and helicopter runs. This was expensive, required much manpower, left forces dispersed, provided ample targets for the enemy, and alienated the population with frequent combat operations that caused much death and destruction.
Small bases with artillery covered their area and supported adjacent bases to rain heavy firepower upon the enemy within minutes. These firebases were effective and hundreds of attacks were repelled. However, bases were vulnerable to surprise attacks so constant patrolling was required around each base. This allowed enemy forces inflict casualties with mines and ambushes. In several cases, the enemy quickly amassed forces who overran American bases.
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“Marine Alternative to Search and Destroy”; Connatix; HistoryNet; www.historynet...
“Lost Battles of the Vietnam War”; Carlton Meyer; G2mil; 2013; www.g2mil.com/...
Related Tale: “The Illusion of South Vietnam”; • The Illusion Called So...
Related Tale: “Ten Battles Americans Lost in Vietnam”; • Ten Battles Americans ...
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To my childhood Friend ..PFC Henry Franklin Evans...KILLED IN ACTION on 18 May 1969 at Firebase Husky that night . They were attacked by NVA and Viet Cong . Frankie and 13 others were KILLED that night...part of the base were over ran , then it retaken by the Army Forces there . Frankie was only 18 years old and only been in country 52 days when KIA .. He never got to live his life , growup , get married, and have a family ... I'll never forget you Frankie ...God Bless You ..
So sad. My condolences.
Excellent job! As a young Marine in Nam, 67-69, I moved between the many bases along Rte 9. Later I found myself in a state of astonished bewilderment after hearing all those bases, that had been turned over to Army and Arvn Forces, were literally abandonded to the enemy - with only Quang Tri actually fought over (1972). An absolute waste in every sense of the word.
“...Turned over to the Army...”? Like what Khe Shan in which the 1st Cav relieved the surrounded Marines? Surely you meant the Army of SVN and not the U.S. Army. As for defeats and casualties, the Marines had just as many as the Army.
I am a proud Vietnam/Draft resistor. I continue seeing Vietnam veterans make comments like this. It's pretty damn bad when you risk your life and huge money is spent for the endgame of "an absolute waste in every sense of the word". I didn't miss anything, did I ?
@@topgeardel draft Dodging TRAITOR
@@studentofsweetscience6922 Well said; I was thinking the same before I even saw your comment, Doc.
@@topgeardel C
I was on FSB Rifle with the 101st, July-October 71. I never heard a word about what happened there on 2/11/70. I guess they didn't want us to know. I have always felt lucky to make it home healthy. This knowledge made me feel even luckier. I'll be thinking of those 11 boys who never got to experience a full life like I have.
Some of those overun bases it is hard to find anything online. They don't want people to know how under strengthed they were at times.
Who did the construction of these bases, large and small; military personnel and equipment or civilian contractors?
My father is looking for surviving vets of firebase Henderson. His friend Airborne
101 SGT medic Jay Thomas Diller was killed there.
I was there
I was on FSB Henderson May 6 1970. Hell broke loose at 0500 am. Lost many freiends. Ammo dump blew and sappers invaded.
Fred (lucky) and Doc members of 2/501 Recon.
@@thomashook8500please see my post below.
@@FredHenderson-bb1jhplease see my post below
As former leader of LRRP in Vietnam. What suckers we were! Returned home and had to fight another battle with the VA for disability. It was easier ambushing the enemy, rather than fighting VA disability denials!
The VC and NVA were never your enemy. The government that sent you there is. There was no reason to suppress Vietnemese agrarian movements using American lives.
True
Well said!@@VivaLaSocialismo
I know it’s been a long road, but it’s never too late to thank you for your service and sacrifice.
@@VivaLaSocialismoain’t that the truth….I couldn’t get seen for disability until 2009
I was a Gunner on a Slick (Huey). We visited dozens of FBs, American and ROK. In general, American bases could not compare to ROK installations. The ROKs knew how to build things and they had the discipline to build things.
Interesting
THE ROK SOLDIERS WERE AWESOME...WE WATCHED THEIR BASE ONE NIGHT GETTING ATTACKED...FOR TEN STRAIGHT MINUETS THE VOLUME OF ENEMY FIRE WAS SO INTENSE WE COULD SEE INDIVIDUALS IN THE TRACERS GLOW...THEN THE ROKS OPENED UP...SUCH FIRE DISCIPLINE...THE OUTER PERIMETER ERUPTED LIKE LIKE A FLOWER GLOWING RED, YELLOW, AND WHITE...IN 5 MINUETS THEY KILLED ALMOST A DIVISION OF NVA...
I bet this had a lot to do with the level of soldier being fielded by both countries at the time. Young 18 & 19 drafted Americans who didn’t want to be there, didn’t understand the concept of Stalinist Expansion as opposed to a Republic of Korea Professional fighting force who grew up understanding the potential future of living under a totalitarian Stalinistic government like North Korea. I’m sure American bases in WW2 would compare more favorably.
@@catmandu1957 It has to do with Leadership. If Officers will accept shit work, then shit work is what you will get. You are correct.
@@rambob69 Doesn't a division consist of anywhere between 6000-25000? Let's say there was only 6000 men in an NVA division....the ROK took them out in 5 minutes?
My DAD was on Kate His name was Gerald W. Rogers they knew him as TEX. he got a bronze star for that engagement. He was a man among men. I miss him.
God bless your dad.
How about that. My first night in the field was when Henderson was overrun. I spent time on Tomahawk. I happened to watch the siege of Ripcord from about a mile away. A/2/501, 101st Airborne.
Yep , and our main base was Eagle . . .
B Battery 4/77 ARA ....
Glad to hear ya made it back
My father is looking for Henderson survivors as his friend was kia there.
@@scmacsart }> How you doing young Buck ..> do a Wikipedia search Firebase Henderson 1970 .. you have two different groups of Marines ... you had artillery and you had Infantry ... Write down the two units information , then
VA councilors should point you in the right direction .. Or contact Marines website ..
@@scmacsart I'm a survivor but I didn't know any names. First night in the field with the company.
Sucks
My dad was there that day at FSB Mary Ann, his name is Ted Rose. He flew in from Chu Lai after they received calls over the radio. FSB Mary Ann was about 45 mins away from their location. There was a lead helicopter and a chase helicopter. Pops was the Crew Chief on the chase helicopter. According to the pilot, they loaded 30-40 dead or wounded out of there that day in the course of 4 trips. At least some of the dead, if not all, were not in body bags. At the end of the day, after they landed for the final time, the helicopter had bullet holes all over it. And my dad remembers blood leaking out of the bottom. This day has haunted my dad his entire life. He didn't tell me what really happened until I was 40 years old.
It is a pity that the US ground forces (Marines and Army) did not learn and apply the experience and tactics of the Australian ground forces in Malaysia. Fighting the NVA and Vietcong in a similar style of quiet reconnaissance style of patrolling was much more effective than the US style of overt and noisy search and destroy patrolling. General Westmoreland often berated Australian forces for their military tactics in Vietnam. It was the combination of his tactics and hype back to his US political/military masters in the US that brought his undoing when the body count from his military methodology turned against him at home. There 1ATF faced a similar base overrun situation in Phuoc Thy province but managed to fight there way out of it, save their under threat company and stave off a base overun threat. The Australians did not get everything right but infantry battlefield tactics were much better than US infantry caught in similar situations in the Vietnam (American) war. Also the Australian practice of training prior to Vietnam deployment and deploying to Vietnam infantry battalions together provided a much more cohesive fighting unit than the US method of singular infantry soldier topups to already deployed marine and army units.
I do not remember any Malay guerillas that could compare to the NVA
Thank God for our Aussie Brothers period. Was a bad war and everyone suffered ...especially the Vietnamese. I understand your theory of guerilla warfare and your successes...but the Vietnam War is a different animal
US strategy was to kill the enemy. It was believed at the time that if enough were killed they would cease their aggression. It worked too.
I served with the Aussies for a while in VN and they told me there was no comparison. In Malaysia the Aussies had a 22 to 1 advantage. Also, the enemy was separated from the civilian population which, of course, was impossible in Vietnam. When the Aussies arrived in VN they took over an area around Nui Dat and completed a sweep, along with Americans, in a circle 4800 yards in all directions. They removed everything, villages, people. I am not taking anything away from my Aussie buddies. They were tough, professional, prepared and absolutely fearless. They were confounded why we had Vietnamese people working on our basis. So was I. I never saw one in Nui Dat. Australians tried to tell their government and ours as early as 1962 not to send troops because the war was not winnable. I salute the Aussie who served, but the Americans did a pretty good job in what was an unwinnable situation. And for John and the boys at Nui Dat, I still can't drink beer at 8 AM.
Very well said.
Let’s not forget the bases that would’ve been completely overrun if not for Spooky gunships. No base was overrun with a spooky on station. Excellent video. Keep em coming.
Artillary, B52, spooky and fighter bombers saved the day many times with under strengthed units
I appreciate this channel. Those men we lost could have been future leaders and politicians who may have lead the country in a different direction.
Most Wars are started by Rich old men, but are fought by young men.
@Messenger Charles yeah probably
Sad.
America just ended another war they lost to people fighting in sandals
@@jacobjorgenson9285 sad
Firebase ripcord happened in 1970
Correct. Keith William Nolan's "Ripcord" is a classic work on this base.
Narrator is an Idiot !! Lots of his "facts" are incorrect.
Pretty sure Ripcord was over run in 1970. I have read the book and was in country at that time.
The siege of Ripcord took place in April-July 1970, not 1971.
An excellent and informative documentary. My absolute respect (from the UK) to the brave young Americans who fought and died there and the surviving veterans who made it home. I would like to say that I hope that they had good lives, but as we know, sadly many did not.
Those men did a fine job over there. Respect.
Lot of innocent lives lost, for nothing to show for
Did you know LBJ became majority share holder of Bell Helicopter just b4 he sent troops to Vietnam
@@billwylie1746
Wow
I have seen so many people saying we won every. battle , sounds like we got a number of ass kickings
Let's see we lost 58,220 and they lost 2.2 million. Sounds like the boot was on our foot, not theirs.
@@1pcfred Both Vietnam and the US have reason to inflate the numbers.
@@helicopter2992 actually neither is comfortable admitting just how large the numbers are. It doesn't look good for either of them.
@@1pcfred Why would Vietnam want to deflate the numbers? That's like moshe and shlomo telling you it was 5 million instead of 6.
@@helicopter2992 because it would illustrate how little regard for human life they had.
"' ALL WARFARE IS BASED ON DECEPTION "' ( Sun Tzu ) 5th Century BC = ' The Art of War '
That is true... which also explains a lot of the "bullshit" that goes on day-to-day, even in garrison. Some of that logic I believe stems from the idea that "if our own people don't know what the hell is going on and are caught off guard when sudden last-minute changes are implemented... how can the enemy know what we're doing?"
I have a story of some of the last minute bullshit and being shuffled around pointlessly in Iraq 2003-2004. And how the "light bulb" didn't go off until almost a decade later after watching this documentary about operation Anaconda during the early days of Afghanistan, and this general was talking about relocating battalions far from their areas of operation just to flood this single valley... I have to do something now
These stories must be told and MOST importantly HEARD??? THANK YOU!! MY HEART ❤GOES OUT TO ALL VEITNAM COMBAT VET'S?? YOU ARE ALL( HERO'S) AND SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE NFL PLAYERS AND THOSE HOLLYWOOD SCUM BAGS TAKE FOR GRANTED?? STAR'S!! ALL OF YOU!!
Lz east was not the 169th Infantry, but the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. It was part of 3 LZ's of the 3rd of the 21st Infantry. East was abandoned and never rebuilt. The LZ's were poorly planned and poorly built but the men used what they had. Also, there was an attitude that no one was going to attack instead of the attitude that we had to be prepared for attack at any time. It was not uncommon to come to a bunker at night and find everyone asleep. My CO once said that I was the first person he found awake in 4 bunkers. Still, the response was quick to attacks and many men died repelling them. They should be honored. And, if your are going to make a video about Vietnam, please learn how to pronounce the names.
The narrator's telling 12+++ who know more else FSB's leveled in the Vietnam War and you only worry 'bout pronounciation???
@@joelzavala8359 As you can see, or maybe you can't, pronunciation was the last thing I mentioned and was offered as advice, not criticism. Funny how you do not mentioned the important points I brought up. The facts the FSB's were poorly designed and defended and discipline wasn't that great. The enemy knew these things and used them to their advantage. Some of the attacks would have been successful no matter what the defenders did. As I said, those who died should be honored no matter what the situation. Not only was I on FSB's in 69, but I used to be a printer, proofreader and sometimes editor. Things like bad spelling and mispronunciation I can't help but notice. Never mind bad grammar, we're too far gone for that.
@@dbeaus FSBs' fate were sealed from the very begining, it was just a matter of time before they all fall like dominoes just like Khe Sanh did btw the vid doesn't count houndreds of satelite US outpost whos defenders were simply left to rot and believe my history techer telling me "the US won all the battles but lost the war" Really???
@@dbeaus Grammer. Yes, I cannot even compose a clear concise letter on first draft, let alone converse.
As regards pronunciations, there are the pronunciations the troops used while in country, the proper pronunciation in Vietnamese and the mangled utterances of persons not familiar with either.
And then you have the French colonial flavored ...
All helps to establish where and when a person was.
I was there on East June 11. I was Sgt. of the guard in the 105 battery B 3/82 down slope from the 3/21 company. It was our 2nd trip to East from LZ Center. We had little to no defense, no wire, no Inf. just holes in the ground and sand bags.
I didn't know this. Our US generals never learned a damn thing from the French defeat, and allowed the VC to repeat the Dien Bein Phu recipe over and over, wiping out all these fire-bases that were undermanned, poorly supported, and with militia troops that were a liability with VC spies.
The problem with US strategy in Vietnam was 1.) It wasn't a declared war, the US was playing defensive, and could only shoot when shot at. 2.) Most of the South Vietnam people living remotely in villages had no loyalty to a corrupt government that only came around to collect taxes, and 3) General Westmoreland was an artillery guy who was fighting the VC with tactics from the Korean war that would not work in Vietnam.
He set up the fire-bases as bait to draw the VC into a killing ground. Problem was, the VC were so committed to re-unite Vietnam and be free, that casualties meant nothing to them. US body counts were pointless, because what the CIA bean counters didn't take into account was that ALL North Vietnamese thought of themselves as combatants that could replace losses. The US would have to literally genocide every single VC to win, which, of course, played into the VC's hand to make the US look worse than themselves. Add that North Vietnam bordered with China, and the US could not conduct as throughout attacks without risking a war with China.
I heard the French experienced Dien Bien Phu on land. While the Americans experienced Dien Bien Phu in the air.
Generals MacArthur and Maxwell Taylor both said to not go into Vietnam
Mr. Meyer, I love your channel. Constructive feedback: eliminate the intro or at least shorten it.
A LOT LATE BUT . WELCOME HOME , GOD BLESS YOU ALL , GOD BLESS AMERICA
Has anyone that served in Vietnam in 1970 thrugh the end of the war ever heard of "Cement Plant Outpost" just outside of the Can Tho Army Airfield? If my memoeies serve me right I was at the Outpost as an Army Air Traffic Controler just in country less then a month when it was overrun. I don't think any American forces were killed but lots of ARVNS were wounded or KIA.
Salute to Vietnam!!
All for nothing
You keep saying captured soldiers, this is not true. I did two tours as a grunt in Nam. Look at the prisoners released in 1973,do you see any that are not pilots? They were shot down over north Vietnam. We knew the nva/vc could never move us hundreds of miles to their bases in the north. The truth is they executed captives as that was their only option. We knew this and nobody would ever surrender as that meant certain death. As an infantry unit we were always moving setting up an ndp {night defensive position} every night. These were company size or smaller units only defended by m60 machine guns, m16s and claymores. We did get overrun a couple of times, they would run through and exit quickly. Please prove one example of a soldier or marine captured in the south and taken prisoner who survived, i'm waiting.
There are dozens of cases, like this one:
www.taskforceomegainc.org/r010.html
There were a number of ground US troops captured in South Vietnam that were held in the U Minh Forest in the Delta. Others were force marched to North Vietnam. Nick Rowe, Humberto Versace were but two. And for the narrator, it was pronounced, ”Newy Ba Dinh”.
@@forwardobserver2048 You clearly were not there. Forced 400 miles north, that's a joke. If your tale is true why were no em among the prisoners released? You clearly served as a fo at home.
Most American pilots shot down over Lao never made it to Hanoi either. American MIA-POW's involved in Lao were never heard of again.
Robert Garwood, a Marine Jeep driver captured, I believe, in 1966. He was moved four different times in South Vietnam and was never found. You got wounded in one of our airstrikes and they moved him up to Hanoi where they hit him working on our equipment that we left behind. After 14 years he slipped a note to a visiting journalist and was eventually we-patriated back to the US. In his book he names Americans who were left behind them in Hanoi. The defense intelligence agency knew all along where those guys were and who they were
F.S.B.Ripcord started first wk of March lasting four months ending on )July 23 1970) NOT in 1971!!!!!! Beginning of Chicago peak then operation Texas Star Sage of 101st
you forgot HILL 11 THAT WAS ARTILLERY BASE MY BROTHER WAS THERE CHARLIE TRY TO OVER RUN THE BASE BUT THEY FAIL MY BROTHER SERVED 68- 69 CHU LAI 198TH INFANTRY AMERICAL DIVISION REST IN PEACE 2012
Just before 1 PM May 12th, 1968, two CH46 Choppers from Hmm364 were called to refuel, and report to a base called "Cam Duc" We had to go in under intense fire to evacuate a group of Army Personnel trapped in a culvert alongside the runway. The runway was scattered with burning planes and equipment, I was copilot on the lead Chopper. We did a spiral approach, which looks and feels like a crash, which I think save our lives. I must say, I had blocked this mission out completely, it was to much for me. However my flight rerecords showed up and that mission was there, I looked up Cam Duc and it all came back to me.(we were flying into Hill 881s , Kha San daily, and all flights were pure hell, this was just another on. However I recently received a letter from one of the troops aboard, it was amassing to read. I felt that our little effort had fallen between the cracks, it was never mentioned in the stuff written about that day. Because of that letter, and what happened in Afghanistan, oath we lived by "no man left behind" was likw and arrow in my heart. How much we have changed.......
www.historynet.com/get-everybody-out-the-battle-of-kham-duc/
There is a fairly new book titled "Bait" written about the battle of Kham Duc. Good read.
Given the score was being kept by "body count" it can be debated whether its more effective to send out search and destroy patrols or whether to place a Special Forces Camp in an annoying place .
Literally thousands of NVA troops were thrown at Kham Duc. The book title is "Bait" Nearly every aircraft that could shoot or drop ordnance was called in to Kham Duc, from B-52s out of Guam to Cobra/Loach teams. NVA died by the thousands.
Why beat the bushes for 3 or 5 or 20 NVA at a time when you can have thousands come to you to get pounded by B-52s, AC-130's, Napalm,etc. Thats what they did. Body count.
That done,no need to hold Kham Duc.
The SF moved to Nong Som a bit west and a little south of DaNang. (FWIW I'm not a Veteran. )
Sir, I had to comment and let you know that as a fellow American I'm so proud of you as well as the rest of our men and women that have and continue to give all they got to make sure we keep the liberties and freedom that we do have. Bless you ALL. thank you.
FYI, A Shau Valley, I Corps area, 101st Airborne Division, 1969, Firebase Airborne run over on May 13 with 33 killed and Berchtesgaden, run over on June 14th with 13 artillerymen killed.
I will agree the strategy put forth by President Johnson and McNamara was faulty at best, but at what cost did the NVA pay to overrun these sites? I suspect at great cost as communism has never valued human life in their conquests. Something to place in the equation.
Do you truly think Americans value human life? I served on the ground in Vietnam Johnson with his best friend of Brown in Root made billions of dollars.Please read of the men of 8F and how they benefited. Do you realize more Americans were killed and injured by agent orange than by gunfire in Vietnam.
At least 10,000 NVA killed at Firebase Ripcord.
What difference does it make? The US lost. Vietnam is a thriving country. US Vietnam vets go on reunion trips to Vietnam to cleanse their souls and cry over battlefields...while they economically support the Vietnam communist system. The real waste was the loss of Americans with nothing to show for it. The Vietnamese can say differently.
@@topgeardel I don’t know. Wasn’t it the Vietnamese who came crawling to the US trying to get into their market? I remember the Chinese invaded and they couldn’t have trade with them.
And the capitalist who enslaved kidnapped Africans and exterminated the native american population on the north American continent were Champions of humanity??? Bull....!!!! The arrogance and IGNORANCE of many Americans is mind blowing!!! Know that you are ALONE in your fantasyland!!!
My 2nd cousin was at Firebase Jay. CPL Paul Robert Stepp Jr. KIA March 29, 1970.
FB Ripcord was overrun in July 1970, not 1971
I served with men that were at Firebase Tomahawk
I was there
Firebase Ripcord was 1970 not 1971
Great video! my dad was at fire base Mary Anne after re enlisting from Marines over to Army. Haunted him all the way up to his death.
A guy I worked with in the early 80s was at firebase Mary Ann. He was taken off the base 3 weeks before the over-run due to alcohol poisoning. Apparently, there was a lot of drinking, and he said he drank as much as he could. Another GI brought a magazine to him in his hospital bed (Time magazine I think) that had an article about it. If I recall, most of the dead turned out to be officers.
what a waste of money.....
No real historical value.
Anyone interested in learning more about the 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) at the battle of Fire Support Base Mary Ann should read Sappers in the Wire: The Life and Death of Firebase Mary Ann, written by Keith William Nolan.
Nolan has also written a good book on the battle for Firebase Ripcord.
Poor book on a poor war
I wonder who the hell were in charge for the Vietnam strategy in Washington that time...
We know that Wstmorland was incapable to fight cowboys & indians in elementary school...
This war should have been fought totally differently..only Kennedy had a better approach. Only Special forces, Green Beret, LRRPs on the ground for special missions.. and then Artillery and Air Force power to take action. Since it was all about South Vietnam to be free and a non communism country, every South man should have enlisted and fight for their land!
I was on LZ East 6/11/69, no one had to retake the base and rescue those barricaded in bunkers the next morning, East was never lost and nobody was barricaded in bunkers the next day. At least get the right unit numbers, we were in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade! Very sloppy reporting.
Yes, I read the narration incorrectly for that number. There are several accounts online that say it was overrun, like this one:
www.missionvietnam.org/single-post/2016/10/14/My-dad-and-my-Father-brought-me-home
and this one:
www.hiawathaworldonline.com/news/visiting-a-fallen-soldier-and-friend/article_adb346fc-00d8-11ea-aa0e-eb8ab3543bcc.html
The West Point Association had a very detailed account that is no longer on-line. All say the base was destroyed and abandoned.
@@talesoftheamericanempire I appreciate that you would reply. I guess it depends on your definition of overrun. LZ East was under control of A Company 3/21 and B Battery 3/82 all during the battle and also the next morning and I never heard of anyone being rescued from barricaded bunkers. If it happened, this is the first time I've heard about it. Respectfully, B-3/82 Artillery 1969.
@@earlemacedo7924thank you for your service Sir.
@@paulmaiellano2185 Thank you.
They taught us how to fight for our country but not how to fight with our country for help from the VA!
This announcer sounds gleeful
My dad was a red eye gunner on ripcord. He told me a lot of stories. None of which were happy memories. Those were the battle stories he told me before I enlisted and soon after deployed. I’m a combat veteran but my “war” wasn’t shit compared to pops
A few of those bases over run by sappers were due to lack of security patrols and too much dope smoking, especially late in the war
No dope smoking that’s a false narrative !
They wouldn’t let us smoke dope in the jungle
That IS what happened in Afghanistan with the Afghan army. Entire outposts of Afghan army would be found dead,many all from single snipers who could get as close as to climb on top of their hesco walls and get thm at close range. I have video taken through a thermal sight. It's unbelievable
@@jackmomma7481 Is it any wonder that a 250,000 man army with pretty much modern weaponry dropped their weapons, stripped off their uniforms and ran off in the face of a 75,000 man pack of rock monkeys armed with 20+ year old weapons. Remember Dopey China Joe said back in July the Afghan army was 300K strong and can easily take on the Taliban, biggest joke since the South Vietnamese army of 1975
Never too much dope smoking. A pair that held a machine gun nest and killed 252 of the enemy in one attack admitted afterwards they were as high as kites.
Although not a professional soldier, common sense is available to everyone. When I first saw the defenses of the firebases, i thought, this sucks. I asked the engineers could the bases be built better and why weren't they? The engineers said it would be easy to construct bases that were impossible to overrun. But then they wouldn't try and no bad guys would be killed. See what I'm getting at? No Attacks, no bodycount . Would they sacrifice Americans to get bodycount? They did it every day.
Then there was mr bone spur!
I love your videos and your books. Could you please make a video about the motivation to invade Vietnam. Most wester historians are lying about it.
Southern Vietnam was not really invaded, but slowly occupied as the French left, as I explain in my video "The Illusion of South Vietnam."
@@talesoftheamericanempire You are absolutely right in that video. But it does not explain the motivation why they "get involved" in Vietnam. Most wester historians are lying by saying that they wanted to help Vietnam get freedom, stop communism... The truth is related to regain control of China that why they invaded Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan... and recently is the "involvement" in Thailand, Myanmar and soon would be the Philippines. China is the biggest piece of land that the Anglo-American want to get control. Too late now
@@vietnam4624 Thanks for your comment. I will add - I was born in 1948 and saw the worst of this VietNam disaster play out. Two boys from my high school class died there. Other friends came back damaged forever - physically and mentally. During this time period ( 1960s ) there was also extreme, extreme anti Communist sentiment - big support for this in Republican Party and lots of money poured into it. In fact I attended ( as college freshman ) a huge Anti Communist rally in Washington DC - Young Republicans. Thousands of young people there, everything paid for by Republican Party/ wealthy donors - Hotel, food, etc. At that time , I think China was a huge country, but it was very poor and very closed off from rest of world. Don’t know if these “rabid Republican anti communists” thought of controlling it or thought of a future powerful China ? My husband and colleagues ( university professors- geographers ) were invited to China in 1984, and that is when things were really taking off.
Of course we are aware of the huge heroin operation from the Vietnam/ Laos area to Cuba via Air America by CIA ( 1955 - 1974). Maybe just an added side benefit ?
@@nanallen1 If you are studying history then I would suggest to study it again otherwise all of what you think is not correct. You are talking from the stand point of good human I met everywhere in your country. But that is not the motivation, the politicians have their own calculation and spread the propaganda to you. If you think China is not in the motivation, you would never understand why Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Myanmar, Afghanistan and soon Iran. I wish you read more books by F. William Engdahl. If you really understand it, then you know why North Korea problem can't be solved as Trump promised because behind it is China. When it was poor you should get control, now it is too late, a big headache for your politicians. It will be fun to see how the effort to control China turning out in Taiwan, Iran as well as the Russia-China link... The British Empire started to go down when it lost control of America, soon we will see the same. Look into the future: I see the lost of control in Afghanistan, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand... By the way, when you guys start saying good thing about Vietnam, for example Trump speech in Vietnam APEC, you want us to fight China for you, right? We want to make friend with everyone, but be good friends.
@@nanallen1 Republican Party? Kennedy started the troop assignments to Vietnam in military advisors, LBJ commited thousands of troops. Nixon, ran his election campaign on withdrawal of troops from Vietnam. What planet were you living on when the Vietnam War was going on?
They was building tunnels around the base towards and nears to easily escape and attack
Thanks for sharing sir
We didn’t lose. We chose to leave. We could have turned Vietnam into a smoldering desolate wasteland with one hand tied behind our back.
No we lost get over it.
The b 52s carpet bombed Vietnam non stop. What are you talking about?
Delusional American is delusional.
how about fb ross
I know it was overrun after the ARVN took over late in the war. I've seen nothing that it was overrun with American defenders.
You missed Firebase Airborne 13 May 1968
Lang Vei has always fascinated me. Tanks are scary.
Well he is wrong about American Base being over run in 1975. There were more American Based after 1973
. All American troops, except Embassy Marines. American Forces were all withdrawn by mid 1973:, after the Paris Peace Accords.
The Viet Cong tried to overrun our 155 artillery base situated at the end of Thunder Road in 1969. Took place in the wee hours of the morning, and we were able to wipe them out. My last stop was at LZ Jerri, (or Jerry) where we were hit by mortar rounds, and about 8 of us were hit with shrapnel. Artillery unit was always on the move to a new base every couple of weeks. We were sitting ducks.
What an incredible waste of human lives, money, and resources. Seems leadership (politicians?) was lacking to say the least. And, Rule #1 of war was disregarded: 'never underestimate your enemy'.
By 1975 all South Vietnam was overruned.
Could you talk about the resistance cafés and underground newspapers off-base?
Thanks so much
🇻🇳 usa 🇺🇸 american of war Siêu Anh Hùng
Sounds like gi got a bit of a slap , wonder how they retaliate?
I Dont Think American. Combat troop would have wanted to return home with a rediculus spectacal like the parades of WWII.
The problem with Vietnam War is it was a hybrid type of proxy/partisan/civil war that makes are soldier numbers more limited than other wider wars. Harder to pay larger price for desired results like WW2.
US won most largers ops and battles, but there was a fair share of disasters.
I knew an Artillery Soldier that had terrible luck in Vietnam. Not only was he chased off of a firebase, he was chased off twice from 2 different bases. He has since passed away and I can't remember the names of the fire bases or units he was in when this happened.
FSB Nancy 1969 and 1970 over run but the Eng took the base back
Good report. Thanks, G2mil.
forgot Firebase 6 March 1971
Do you reckon that you could do a topic on Operation Popeye??
Search and Destroy meant offensive operations???? 🙃🙃🙃🙃
Yup. Somewhere in mid '68, the brass told us to stop saying "search and destroy" and say "reconnaisence in force" instead. Same difference...
When I heard there was a combat artist. I knew why we lost
Has anyone ever heard of Firebase Gloria?
Only in the movie, and the movie was B.S.
Failed tactics never improved at all
What is your experience and education...with due respect
You have to wonder why the military continued on with such failed tactics versus retrenching to consolidate it's lines and making a perimeter around larger cites. So many lives lost for worthless land. Not that just defending cities alone would have won, but would have reduced the number of US service members killed in action, cost less money, and allowed a much longer presence in the country which might have led to a different outcome and strategy for withdrawal. Fewer larger but much better well defended bases, with better security should have been applied, then it becomes a strategy of how many and how long can Vietcong can sustain such heavy losses in attacks trying to take bases they can't take or even overrun.
US forces were there as long as they wanted to be.
Any common soldier on the ground after a little time could tell you exactly what needs to be done but no one higher up with listen
A lot had to do with politics in the U.S. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were smart politicians but idiotic military leaders. Also, we supported the wrong clique of South Vietnamese politicians.
So excellent, so sad.
Indo-China Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia.
Used to jog to Stars & Stripes - " Bee - Bop " city. 😎 Bryan.
We had no business being there. I'm sorry for such loss of life on both sides. Theses countries need to solve their own problems. Think about it what would we do if some country sent over 500,00 troops to our country. We had to go to some of these fire bases to keep them from being over run. Thank you for your work.
Thank you Jerry...you are a breath of fresh air! The arrogant ignorance of so many americans may cost them dearly one day!!
Thank you Jerry...You ae a breath of fresh air!!!
We decide what is in our interests. If we say it is our business then it is our business.
Firebase Sarge?????
The limits of power
Precisely
Does anyone know what happened to the fire base of the 25th Inf. in the battle of Tet. I had friends there.
Fsb Burt Jan 1-2 1968. 3bgd 25th inf and batteries from the 77th FA. Attacked by 1500 NVA and VC. 26 Kia plus many many wounded. Southeast of Tay Ninh near Cambodian border. Hell on Earth
I know technically part of Tet,but they were positioning themselves by moving Regiments across the border for the upcoming attacks against Tay Ninh,Dau Tieng,Ho Bo Woods,Long Binh,Saigon and a dozen or so other places as well as further south against the Old Reliables,9th Infantry Division.
By 1975? The US ended combat operations in Vietnam in 1973 with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. Achieving our objective in the region. The conflict was over. Of course after US forces left fighting did break out again. That was not our fight though.
The South Vietnamese army used these American built bases until they were all overrun by 1975.
never was our fight
WE didn't lose....the arvns ran n lost it...They surrendered.
@@sps244 US don't loose - well unless in some fire base overrun; but too don't win over the Vietcong and NVA, at best achieve a stalemate like in Korea, with North Vietnam slowing gain terrain and upper hand over the South year after year.
The fire base in Tay Nihn that is.
That place really sucked I was up in I core for 2 months and got temporary duty for a few weeks, them few weeks were almost the worst in my life. Sorry but that place was a crap hole, wasn’t it the 196 there? I was in the 502 101 69 to 72.
What were the NVA and Viet Cong losses in these attacks?
10,000 at Ripcord.
@@jonness8927only 3.000 NVA soldiers were at Ripcord lmao
Please try to pronounce the names properly.
Can you pronounce those names correctly "Smart-Ass"!! I've lived in Thailand, Lao, Cambodia and Vietnam for 20 years and I still have a hard time with those languages !!!!
Yes, I can, stupid A$$. While my Cambodian isn't great, I can still order a meal, get directions, greet people. My eldest son is married to a lovely Lao lady for 25 years, but I speak Hmong better. My second son speaks excellent Korean as does my granddaughters. My Vietnami is with a southern accent. I have lived in Asia since the US Army sent me here in 1964 and am fluent in Japanese, read Chinese, and speak passable Korean. My native language is platt Deutsch and Pennsylvanian German. I learned English in school as a young boy. I can order coffee in Paris, or Roma and order baklava in Athens. I used to speak farsi but not anymore. I learned Spanish in Peru, Tex-Mex in Arizona and Texas, Portuguese in Brazil and some Ethiopian. From your attitude, I imagine that you speak only frumpy style hillbilly English but call it American, married your sister and play a banjo.
So many Americans today, just tell us about a relative that served their country, but not them. Makes a difference when Americans are made to serve America.
doesn't really mean any respect for you, just the relative that served matters
I respect every Vet, but that war in itself was wrong - and so much for the often quoten "They never beat us on the battlefield...:".
The attack was repelled at fire base tomahawk.
Slightly misleading title, don't you think?
What happens to 'hope' when it is not possible to trust the word of your adversary ? When trust is betrayed
what happens to negotiations ?
By definition, you never trust the word of your adversary. Anyone who believes his enemy is ripe for deception and is a fool.
It seems to be very deadly being Americans allies.
I agree, having fewer but much bigger Firebases would be much easier to defend than a bunch of smaller ones...
Exactly, like Khe San.
A firebase is a standing target, without a proper and organized base depending where it is located, it will be a sitting duck!
What’s your point?
a buddy of mine got shot twice one morning in his Vietnam fire base. He was trying to get out of work in the medics office, when the VC overran their base. He threw out his weapon and ran after it, trying to reach the jungle. He got shot twice and had to wait out there, until the Americans took back the base. He received the Purple Heart for that.
God Bless him
Your anti-American bias is showing.
How so???