Tanks in the streets volume 2 focused on the massive pavn peoples army of vietnam infantry and armored invasion across the dmz and subsequent actions in northern south vietnam. The easter offensive was a military campaign conducted by the peoples army of vietnam against the army of the republic of vietnam and the united states military between 30 march and 22 october 1972, this conventional invasion was a radical departure from previous north vietnamese offensives. The easter offensive, the last american advisors, vietnam 1972. Vietnam 1972 easter offensive campaign medal certificate ebay. This is a excellent account of the 1972 easter offensive in vietnam during the final stages of the american troop withdrawals. On easter morning 1972, captain ripley repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire over a threehour period as he prepared to blow up an essential bridge in dong ha. On 30 march 1972 the north vietnamese army launched a largescale attack on. Easter offensive, 1972, vietnam war, 19611975 united states publisher new york.
One of the least mentioned events that occurred during the easter offensive of 1972 is the surrender of the 56 th arvn regiment of the 3 rd arvn division on easter sunday, april 2, 1972. Almost all of the american forces had already withdrawn from vietnam except for a small group of american advisers to the south vietnamese armed forces. This is one of the best examples of scholarship of the late stages of the vietnam war and covers the events on and after the start of the easter offensive of 1972. According to vietnam s ministry of national defense, north vietnam dedicated a force of about 10 battalions, equipped with. Turley isbn 1557508305 is a must read for those studying marine advisors in vietnam. The battle of an loc was one of the most important battles of the vietnam war. The easter offensive began at 0900 on 30 march 1972 as nva artillery, especially the longrange, sovietmade m46mm guns, began an intense shelling of arvn. The attack, which broke through the dmz into the central highlands toward saigon, was countered by increased amphibious activity in i corps in the northernmost provinces of south vietnam as well as naval. The phoenix program and the vietnam war lexington books. Foreign affairs where previous accounts have focused entirely on small slices of the easter offensive, andrade gives us the full panorama of this important campaign and does it in a style of classic military history. Vietnam 1972 easter offensive campaign medal certificate.
Andrades book on this brutal and bloody struggle fills an important gap in the history of the vietnam war. The easter offensive was designed by north vietnam not to end the war directly, but to destroy the military strength of south vietnam s army arvn. The united states continued to participate in combat, primarily with air power to assist the south vietnamese army, while negotiators in paris tried to hammer out a peace agreement and withdrawal. Edited november 4, 2008 by river patrol share this post. Offensive, serves both as a historical lesson and a remarkable war memoir. In 1972 a north vietnamese offensive of more than 30,000 men and 100 tanks smashed into south vietnam and raced to capture saigon. Once the us military became fully involved in the war in.
The goal of easter offensive, officially known as the 1972 spring summer offensive, also called the nguyen hue nguy. The north vietnamese army easter offensive of 1972. Marine lieutenant colonel on an introductory tour of south vietnam s northern bases, to. The easter offensive, officially known as the 1972 spring summer offensive vietnamese. A map of the 1972 easter offensive in south vietnam. Easter offensive vietnam 1972 stunning in its magnitude. Only the 1st arvn army of the republic of vietnam hue and 3d arvn quang tri divisions, the 147th and 258th vietnamese marine corps vnmc brigades. But air power reinforcements could be rushed to the theater. It is more remarkable that this same army, with pivotal american air support, held its ground and defeated the nvas multidivision easter offensive in 1972, achieving perhaps the biggest single victory of either the indochina war or the vietnam war. Learn about the planning, execution and outcome of. Marine lieutenant colonel on an introductory tour of south vietnam s northern bases, to act as chief advisor to the 3rd arvn division. Why did north vietnam and vietcong lose the easter.
March 30july 1972 the pavn peoples army of viet nam and the nlf begin a major offensive. The easter offensive of 1972, coming at the end of the vietnam war, is usually an afterthought in most histories of the conflict, primarily because most u. The 1972 easter offensive, americas last vietnam battle. North vietnamese armys 1972 eastertide offensive james k. The 1972 easter offensive, americas last vietnam battle hippocrene books, 1994, and ashes to ashes. The easter offensive of 1972 was an effort by north vietnam to eradicate south vietnam, expedite the american withdrawal and unify the nation. Dedicated to 11 men lost on easter sunday 1971, vietnam. Comments made during a lecture colonel turley gave at the headquarters of the american society for the defense of tradition, family and property in spring grove, pennsylvania. Tet with tanks the nva easter offensive, 1972 armchair. The last american advisors, vietnam 1972 annapolis, md us naval institute press, 1995 p. North vietnamese artillery unit in action near kon tum, vietnam during the easter offensive.
Details about vietnam 1972 easter offensive campaign medal certificate. This does a great disservice to the american and south vietnamese militaries who remained, particularly to those killed or wounded inaction. Halting hanois 1972 easter offensive modern war studies paperback andrade, dale on. Halting hanois 1972 easter offensive modern war studies paperback. Acg vietnam war bonus article the octobernovember 2007 issue of armchair general magazine is chockfull of articles on americas longest war, vietnam, including james willbanks outstanding retrospective of the entire war, featuring acgs exclusive vietnam gatefold map. On the marine corps commandants professional list for years, it is told with authority and compassion by a crucial player, an american. By all standards, the easter offensive of 1972 was one of north vietnam1 5 most significant initiatives during the vietnam war. Drawing on archival sources as well as interviews, the author takes the perspective of the small band of american advisers who helped south vietnamese forces stalemate the north vietnamese assault. John walter ripley june 29, 1939 october 28, 2008 was a united states marine corps officer who received the navy cross for his actions in combat during the vietnam war. Albert grandolini deftly details the fiercest campaign of the vietnam war in terms of military engagement and length of fighting in volume 1 of the easter offensive vietnam 1972. This thoroughly documented chronology of the april 1972 invasion of south vietnam by the north vietnamese army, called the easter offensive, serves both as a historical lesson and a remarkable war memoir.
Navy task force 77 air interdiction campaign conducted against the north vietnam from 9 may to 23 october 1972, during the vietnam war its purpose was to halt or slow the transportation of supplies and materials for the nguyen hue offensive known in the west as the easter offensive, an invasion of the south vietnam. The easter offensive occurred between march 30 and oct. May 11, 2017 it is more remarkable that this same army, with pivotal american air support, held its ground and defeated the nvas multidivision easter offensive in 1972, achieving perhaps the biggest single victory of either the indochina war or the vietnam war. At easter 1972, north vietnam invaded the south, and there were almost no us ground troops left to stop it. But you couldnt get a better book about the late stages of the vietnam war, a subject that has been woefully overlooked and or glossed over by civilian and military scholars. Why the vietnam war could have been lost even sooner. President richard nixons visit to chairman maos red china. During north vietnam s easter offensive, known in vietnam as the nguyen hue offensive of 1972, an l. The books covers a firsthand aspect of the easter offensive written by someone that was unexpectedly caught in the middle at the ai tu toc.
The easter offensive took place primarily in the northern three military regions out of a total of four of south vietnam. The easter offensive was the worlds largest ground operation since the korean war, when 300,000 chinese soldiers crossed the yalu river into north korea. Most people do not know that the 1972 easter offensive was the largest to date during the vietnam war. It was indeed the 1972 easter offensive that served as the best indicator of the arvns. Nov 15, 2010 this thoroughly documented chronology of the april 1972 invasion of south vietnam by the north vietnamese army, called the easter offensive, serves both as a historical lesson and a remarkable war memoir. Oct 20, 2017 the easter offensive was designed by north vietnam not to end the war directly, but to destroy the military strength of south vietnams army arvn. The easter offensive vietnam 1972 volume 2 by albert grandolini.
Efforts to reduce the aggressive capabilities of the north vietnamese and to strengthen the south vietnamese were primary goals of the nixon administration, necessary to prepare the way for the successful withdrawal of american troops. Tet with tanks the nva easter offensive, 1972 by frederick f. The easter offensive, officially known as the 1972 spring summer offensive by north. Among the peppered history of rather indecisive battles fought in the vietnam war, few events were more controversial than this 1972 affair. The battle of an loc, april 1972 by lieutenant colonel james h. The easter offensive stands as a remarkable war memoir that as part of the.
Easter offensive 1972 vietnam veteran army embroidered 2sided satin jacket. It took place during the 1972 north vietnamese spring offensive, after most. This all out effort involved eventually in excess of ten divisions on each side and affected the lives of well over a million south vietnamese people. Albert grandolini concludes his splendid study of the easter offensive vietnam 1972 with volume 2. The 1972 easter offensive, americas last vietnam battle by dale andrade is an excellent account of the 1972 easter offensive in vietnam during the final stages of the american troop withdrawals. Vietnam war the easter offensive 1972 parallel narratives. Ls, billowing smoke on ridge from usaf b 52 air strikes. Vietnam 1972 easter offensive campaign medal certificate 1 of 3 free shipping vietnam 1972 easter offensive campaign medal certificate 2 2 of 3 vietnam 1972 easter.
The offensive was not designed to win the war outright but to gain as much. Essential reading for the serious student of war, the book is a major case study of command and control on the battlefield. The threefront easter offensive, launched by north vietnam in 1972, stunned the south vietnamese and americans with its magnitude. The easter offensive vietnam 1972 volume 2 book depository. For many, the vietnam war is synonymous with antiinsurgency warfare where us soldiers tried to catch elusive guerrillas by. Navy in vietnam, 1972 would prove to be a busy year of conducting numerous and dangerous combat operations. The majority of historians write what nixongovernment supplied as information, and has resulted in woefully inaccurate facts. An example of events that year happened in late march 1972, with an action taken by north vietnam, which came to be officially called, the 1972 springsummer offensive.
In the northernmost region, called i corps, the north vietnamese opened the attack on 30 march 1972 with a massive artillery barrage of an intensity unmatched since world war ii. By the end of 1971, in what hanoi called the american war and at the height. Americas last vietnam battle 1972 easter offensive ribbon army navy usaf usmc. Why did north vietnam and vietcong lose the easter offensive. A solid and wellrecounted narrative of the penultimate communist vietnamese attempt to end the conflict, this book fills an important gap in the history of the vietnam war. This is a story of courage, stupidity, cowardice and of major and minor firefights and battles. Here, frances albert grandolini explains how he explores this landmark campaign in the vietnam war in two exhilarating new volumes. President nixon ordered massive bombing of north vietnam in response.
Two allies, new zealand and thailand, which had contributed a small military contingent, left south vietnam this year. Marine base a few miles south of the dmz, surrendered to the north vietnamese army. While most areas of south vietnam encountered nva ground force activity during the easter offensive of 1972, it was the northernmost portion of the country, the quang tri province, which bore the initial and most severe brunt of the nvas conventional ground campaign. In the action some 45 miles southwest of saigon, one government soldier was killed and two were wounded. August 25, 1972 an arvn soldier dives for safety as mortar round fired by communist guerrillas explodes, blowing up truck loaded with ammunition. On 30 march 1972 the north vietnamese army launched a largescale attack on the south known as the easter offensive. Airpower in vietnam, as in most wars, operated under a variety of political constraints. Moore thirteen years after the north vietnamese governments resolution 15, in january 1959, set in motion the armed struggle to conquer south vietnam, north vietnamese army nva general vo nguyen giap believed he had found the elusive center of gravity he had been searching for.
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