Hell-in-An-Loc-The-1972-Easter-Invasion and The Battle That Saved South Vietnam

Duong currently lives in Australia.
7. Willbanks, 47.
8. FAS Military Analysis Network, CBU-87/B Combined Effects Munitions (Website:

66.218.69.11).
9. Willbanks, 47.
10. Ibid.
11. Tran Van Nhut, 120.
12. Andradé, 399.
13. Willbanks, 46.
14. Nguyen Cong Vinh, Letter dated June 16, 2006; copy in author’s possession.
15. Tran Van Nhut, 120.
16. Ibid., 121.
17. Mach Van Truong, 5.
18. Ibid., 6.
19. Willbanks, 41.
20. Ibid.
21. Ly Tong Ba, 25 Nam Khoi Lua (25 Years of War) (np: Self-published, 1995), 162, 163.
22. Willbanks, 58.
23. Mach Van Truong, 5.
24. Conversation with Maj. Gen. Le Minh Dao, former 18th ARVN Division.
25. Willbanks, 51.
26. Ibid., 52.
27. Willbanks revealed that most of the description of the “Battle of Loc Ninh” comes from

Captain Smith’s Battle of Loc Ninh, RVN 5-7 April 1972, unpublished narrative (Fort Bragg,
North Carolina, 21 October 1976). See the Battle of An Loc, 193 n15.

28. Willbanks, 193 n 24.
29. Nguyen Cong Vinh, Cau Chuyen Suy Tu Cua Mot Cuu Tu Nhan Chinh Tri (Reflections of
a Political Prisoner) (San Jose, CA: Mekong-Ty Nan, 1996), 122.
30. Ibid.
31. Colonel Vinh spent thirteen years in Communist re-education camps. He currently lives in
California.
32. Tran Van Nhut, 122.
33. Ngo Quang Truong, The 1972 Easter Offensive, 146.
34. Colonel Bui Duc Diem now lives in Oregon.
35. Willbanks, 54.
36. In his letter, Colonel Vinh alleged that the district had evacuated before the NVA attack on
Loc Ninh. This contradicts Nhut’s statement that he still had radio contact with Major Thinh, the
district chief, on April 7.
37. Willbanks, 42.
38. Ibid., 53, 54.
39. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 29.
40. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 3rd Ranger Group and the Battle of An Loc (reprinted in Ranger
Magazine 7, Feb. 2003), 89.
41. Willbanks, 81.

Chapter 4

1. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 55.
2. Ngo Quang Truong, The 1972 Easter Offensive, 143.
3. General Truong replaced Gen. Hoang Xuan Lam as I Corps commander after the fall of
Quang Tri on May 1, 1972.
4. Ngo Quang Truong, The 1972 Easter Offensive, 143.
5. Tran Van Nhut, 123.
6. Ibid.
7. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 78.
8. Ibid., 2.
9. Ibid., 3.
10. Ibid., 5, 6.
11. Tran Van Nhut, 124.
12. Ibid., 181.
13. Conversation with General Mach Van Truong, former 8th Regiment commander in An Loc.
14. Nguyen Duc Phuong, 571.
15. “Muoi Chin Ngay Trong An Loc (Nineteen Days in An Loc),” KBC Army Magazine 12
(Nov. 1994): 12.
16. Ngo Quang Truong, The 1972 Easter Offensive, 144.
17. Mach Van Truong, 5.
18. Tran Van Nhut, 124.
19. Willbanks, 70.
20. Mach Van Truong, 7.
21. Ibid., 8.
22. Ibid., 9.
23. KBC Army Magazine 12 (Nov. 1994): 13.
24. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 95.
25. Ibid., 89.
26. Ibid.
27. Ibid., 92.
28. Tran Van Nhut, 132.
29. Willbanks, 65.
30. Ibid., 72.

Chapter 5

1. Nguyen Huu Chinh, Phi Doan 237 Tham Du Mat Tran An Loc (237th Squadron in the
Battle of An Loc) Unpublished report, October 2006, copy in author’s possession.

2. Tran Van Nhut, 133.
3. Mach Van Truong, 9.
4. Ibid., 10.
5. Tran Van Nhut, 134.
6. Mach Van Truong, 10.
7. Willbanks, 72.
8. Ngo Quang Truong, The 1972 Easter Offensive, 145.
9. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 71.
10. Mach Van Truong, 10.
11. Ibid.

12. Ibid., 11.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Telephone conversation with Nguyen Cau, who currently lives in San Jose, California.
16. Mach Van Truong, 11.
17. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 97.
18. Tran Van Nhut, 135.
19. Willbanks, 76.
20. 81st Ranger Magazine, July 1998, p. 72.
21. Willbanks, 78.
22. Philip C. Clarke, “The Battle that Saved Saigon,” Reader’s Digest, March 1973.
23. Tran Van Nhut, 136.
24. Clarke, Reader’s Digest.
25. Phan Nhat Nam, Mua He Do Lua (Red Burning Summer) June 1972 (Reprinted in Tieu
Lun Online Library), p. 12.
26. Ibid., 9.
27. Ibid., 11.
28. The Phoenix program was a national campaign aimed at the elimination of the VC political
and administrative infrastructure.
29. Tran Van Nhut, 136.
30. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 121.
31. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 100.
32. Ibid., 103.
33. Willbanks, 78.
34. Mach Van Truong, 13.
35. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 109.
36. Willbanks, 83, 84.
37. Mach Van Truong, 13.

Chapter 6

1. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 112.
2. Mach Van Truong, 14.
3. Tran Van Nhut, 154.
4. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 112.
5. The VC’s B3 Front encompassed the provinces of the Central Highlands.
6. Le Khac Anh Dao, Nhung Tran Danh Khong Ten (The Nameless Battles) January 2003, pp.
186, 187.
7. Ibid., 193.
8. Tran Chien An Loc (The Battle of An Loc), online Tieu Lun Library (Website:
tieulun.hopto.org), p. 7.
9. Nguyen Quoc Khue, pp. 98, 99.
10. KBC Army Magazine 12 (Nov. 1994): 13.
11. Willbanks, 80.
12. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 108.
13. Ibid., 109.
14. Nguyen Van Quy, Hoi Ky An Loc: 86 Ngay cua mot Bac Si Giai Phau tai Mat Tran
(Memoirs of An Loc: 86 Days of a Surgeon in Battle) (Westminster, CA: Van Nghe Pub., 2002).

15. Phan Nhat Nam, Red Burning Summer, Tieu Lun online library (Website:
tieulun.hopto.org), p. 3.

16. Telephone conversation with Col. Bui Duc Diem.
17. Andradé, 458.
18. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 206.
19. Ibid., 207.
20. Andradé, 453.
21. Ibid., 454.
22. Willbanks, 106.
23. Andradé, 457.
24. Ibid., 456.
25. Ibid., 462.

Chapter 7

1. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 151, 152.
2. Nguyen Duc Phuong, Chien Tranh Viet Nam Toan Tap (Comprehensive Narrative of the Viet
Nam War), 571.
3. Dac San Hoa Du (Airborne Magazine, 2003), p. 125
4. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 89.
5. Ibid., 91.
6. M202A1 Flame Assault Shoulder Weapon: Gary’s U.S. Infantry Weapons Reference Guide
(Website: inetres.com).
7. Truong Duong, Mot Canh Hoa Du (One Parachute Flower) (Np: Tu Huynh Publishing,
1999), 235.
8. 81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, July 1998, p.84.
9. KBC Army Magazine 12 (Nov. 1994): 27.
10. Tran Van Nhut, 160.
11. Vu Van Hoi, Viet Ve An Loc (Narrative on An Loc), Nov. 2006; unpublished essay in
author’s possession , p. 4.
12. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 115.
13. Ibid., 116.
14. Vu Van Hoi, 5.
15. Ibid.
16. Truong Duong, 235.
17. Tran Van Nhut, 161.
18. 81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, May 2006, p. 11.
19. 81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, July 1998, p. 83.
20. Ibid., 74.
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid., 84.
23. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 117.
24. Mach Van Truong, Trung Doan 8 Bo Binh va Tran Chien An Loc (The 8th Infantry
Regiment and the Battle of An Loc, May 2007), p. 16.
25. Dac San Hoa Du (Airborne Magazine), 2003, p. 126.
26. Tran Van Nhut, 164.
27. Willbanks, 97.

28. 81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, July 1998, p. 89.
29. Telephone conversation with Brig. Gen. Mach Van Truong.
30. Hoang Khoi Phong, Cay Tung Truoc Bao (The Pine Tree Facing the Storm), Reprinted in
the 81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, July 2007, p. 14.
31. Ngo Quang Truong, 148.
32. Tran Van Nhut, 169.
33. Ibid., 170.
34. Vu Van Hoi, 4.
35. Tran Van Nhut, 171.
36. Andradé, 441.
37. Dac San Hoa Du (Airborne Magazine), 2003, p. 126.
38. Vu Van Hoi, 6.
39. Mach Van Truong, 18.
40. Willbanks, 107.
41. Tran Van Nhut, 143.
42. Bui Duc Diem, unpublished account of the battle of An Loc, Aug. 2006; copy in author’s
possession.
43. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 120.
44. Willbanks, 109.
45. Ibid.
46. Tran Van Nhut, 171.

Chapter 8

1. 81st Airborne Commando Magazine, July 1998, p.77.
2. Tran Van Nhut, 181.
3. Ngo Quang Truong, 155.
4. Andradé, 472.
5. In his memoir, Nhut reported that he and General Hollingsworth continued using their own
code names to talk on the telephone after 1975, in the United States.
6. The Battle of An Loc, Tieulun Online Library (Website: tieulun.hopto.org), p. 9.
7. Letter from Lt. Col. Nguyen Phu Chinh, former 237th Squadron commander, dated October
17, 2006; copy in author’s possession.
8. Willbanks, 116.
9. Ulmer later retired as a lieutenant-general.
10. Andradé, 472.
11. Ibid., 477.
12. 81st Airborne Commando Magazine, July 1998, p. 93.
13. Nguyen Quoc Khue, 115.
14. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 172, 173.
15. Willbanks, 116.
16. KBC Army Magazine 12 (Nov. 1994): 27.
17. Willbanks, 155.
18. Ibid., 121.
19. Tran Van Nhut, 188.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid., 189.

22. Willbanks, 123.
23. Tran Van Nhut, 189.
24. Mach Van Truong, 20.
25. Andradé, 477.
26. 81st Airborne Commando Magazine, July 1998, p. 93.
27. Truong Duong, Mot Canh Hoa Du (One Parachute Flower) (Np: Tu Huynh Publishing,
1999), 236.
28. ARVN, The Battle of Binh Long, 156.
29. Mach Van Truong, 21.
30. Ibid.
31. Tran Van Nhut, 191.
32. Ly Tong Ba, 25 Years of War (Np: Self-published), 179
33. Le Khac Anh Dao, Nhung Tran Danh Khong Ten (The Nameless Battles), (Vancouver:
Nguyet San Viet Nam, 2003), 201.
34. Ly Tong Ba, 183.
35. Tieu Lun Online Library (Website: tieulun.hopto.org), p. 12.
36. Vu Van Hoi, 6.

Chapter 9

1. Willbanks, 129.
2. Nguyen Dinh Sach, Binh Long Anh Dung (Heroic Binh Long), unpublished account of 21st
Division in Binh Long in 1972; copy in author’s possession.
3. Nguyen Dinh Sach, 8, 9.
4. Tran Van Nhut, 175.
5. Ibid., 176.
6. Ibid., 177.
7. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 128.
8. Willbanks, 132.
9. Nguyen Dinh Sach, 10.
10. Tran Van Nhut, 192.
11. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 158.
12. Andradé, 485.
13. Nguyen Dinh Sach, 11.
14. Willbanks, 130.
15. Nguyen Van Quy, 431.
16. Nguyen Dinh Sach, 14.
17. Long Phi (or Flying Dragon) was a name given to all 9th Division operations.
18. Nguyen Dinh Sach, 14.
19. Tran Van Nhut, 194.
20. Ibid., 195.
21. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 163.
22. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 166.
23. Ibid., 171.
24. Ibid., 172.
25. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 163.
26. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 173.

27. Ibid.
28. Phan Nhat Nam, Mua He Do Lua (Red Burning Summer), 4.
29. Ibid.
30. Ibid., 5.
31. Ibid., 6.
32. Ibid.
33. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 164.
34. Tran Van Nhut, 196.
35. Ibid., 198.

Chapter 10

1. 81st Airborne Commando Magazine, May 1998, p. 78.
2. Ibid., 79.
3. Nguyen Duc Phuong, 574.
4. 81st Airborne Commando Magazine, May 1998, p. 79.
5. When he came to the United States after the war, Nguyen Cau tried in vain to get in touch
with the two girls.
6. Mach Van Truong, 22.
7. Willbanks, 142.
8. Ibid., 141.
9. Ibid., 135.
10. Ibid., 136.
11. Lt. Col. Nguyen Viet Can was the younger brother of Maj. Gen. Nguyen Viet Thanh,
former IV Corps commander; General Thanh was killed in 1972 while directing his troops during
an incursion into Cambodia.
12. Andradé, 485.
13. Ngo Quang Truong, 163.
14. Willbanks, 142.
15. Vu Van Hoi, 7.
16. 81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, May 1998, p. 96.
17. Ibid., 22.
18. Mach Van Truong, 23.
19. General Vanuxem died shortly after the Viet Nam War; his daughter returned the An Loc
flag to the Vietnamese veterans in France.
20. Ngo Quang Truong, 164.
21. Mach Van Truong, 24.
22. Ibid., 25.
23. Ibid.
24. Nguyen Van Quy, 397.
25. Ibid., 386.
26. Nguyen Dinh Sach, 13.
27. ARVN, Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 202–4.

Chapter 11

1. Su doan 18 Bo Binh Dac San (18th Infantry Division Magazine), July 2005, p. 46.
2. Ibid., 199

3. Conversation with Gen. Le Minh Dao.
4. Su doan 18 Bo Binh Dac San (18th Infantry Division Magazine), July 2005, p. 202.
5. Le Khac Anh Dao, 45.
6. Ibid., 46.
7. Ibid., 48.
8. Su doan 18 Bo Binh Dac San (18th Infantry Division Magazine), July 2005, p. 201.
9. Ibid.
10. Nguyen Duc Phuong, 577.
11. Ibid., 203.
12. Conversation with Colonel Hua Yen Len, former Assistant for Operations, 18th Division.
13. Su doan 18 Bo Binh Dac San (18th Infantry Division Magazine), July 2005, p. 203.
14. Ibid., 204.
15. Hoang Minh Thao was the VC general in charge of B3 Front in the Central Highlands.
16. Le Khac Anh Dao, 163.
17. Ibid., 165.
18. Su doan 18 Bo Binh Dac San (18th Infantry Division Magazine), July 2005, p. 205.
19. Ibid.

Chapter 12

1. Gen. Hoang Xuan Lam, former I Corps Commander, once told the author that the
evacuation of Khe Sanh made it very difficult, if not impossible, to defend Quang Tri and Thua
Thien provinces.

2. Lewis Sorley, “Reassessing Viet Nam,” 26.
3. Willbanks, 192 n7.
4. Andradé, 474.
5. Willbanks, 79.
6. Hammond, 249.
7. Tran Van Nhut, 127.
8. Mach Van Truong, 12.
9. Ly Tong Ba, 164.
10. Andradé, 501.
11. Sorley, “Reassessing Viet Nam,” 26, 27.
12. Andradé, 489.
13. Ibid., 502.

Chapter 13

1. Arnold Isaacs, Without Honor (Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 1983), 64.
2. Lewis Sorley, “Remembering Viet Nam,” 16, 17 .
3. Henry Kissinger, Years of Upheaval (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1982), 32, 33.
4. Tran Do Cam, Special Forces Airborne Commando Magazine (Orange County, California,
July 2004), p. 161.
5. Ibid., 162.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.,164.

8. Ibid.
9. Ibid., 167.
10. Ibid., 169.
11. Ibid.
12. Bui Tin defected to the West after 1975 and now lives in Paris.
13. Bui Tin, cont., 68.
14. Dac San Su Doan 18 Bo Binh (18th Infantry Division Magazine), July 2005, p. 26.
15. Ibid., 72.
16. Ibid., 31.
17. Ibid., 37.
18. George Veith and Merle Pribbenow, “Fighting Is an Art,” The Journal of Military History,
January 2004.
19. Orange County Register (website: http://www.darcenter.org)
20. Arnold Issaacs, cont., Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land, ed. Andrew Wiest, 308.
21. Nguoi An Loc, 81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, p. 62.

Epilogue

1. Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land, 73.
2. Andradé, 502

Glossary

AAR After-Action Report
APC Armored Personnel Carrier
ARVN Army of the Republic of Viet Nam
CBU Cluster Bomb Unit
C&C Command & Control
CIDG Civil Defense Group
COSVN Central Office for South Viet Nam
CP Command Post
FAC Forward Air Controller
FLSVN Front for the Liberation of South Viet Nam
FSB Fire Support Base
GVN Government of Viet Nam
HALO High Altitude, Low Opening
IPR Inter-Provincial Road.
JGS Joint General Staff
KIA Killed in Action
LCDB Lao Cong Dao Binh or Convicted deserters
LZ Landing Zone
MAF Marine Amphibious Forces
Medevac Medical evacuation
MIA Missing in Action
MR Military Region
NCO Non-Commissioned Officer
NLA National Liberation Army
NLF National Liberation Front
NVA North Vietnamese Army
NVN North Viet Nam
PAVN People’s Army of Viet Nam
PF Popular Forces
PRG Provisional Revolutionary Government
PSDF People’s Self-Defense Forces
RC Route Coloniale
RF Regional Forces
RN Route Nationale
RVN Republic of Viet Nam

TOC Tactical Operation Center
TRAC Third Regional Assistance Command
VC Viet Cong
VM Viet Minh (Viet Nam Dong Minh Hoi or League of Vietnamese Alliance)
VNAF Vietnamese Air Force
WIA Wounded in Action

Bibliography

INTERVIEWS AND CORRESPONDENCE
(Ranks as of April 1972)

Bui Duc Diem, Colonel, Assistant for Operations, 5th ARVN Division
Hua Yen Len, Colonel, Assistant for Operations, 18th ARVN Division
Huynh Thao Luoc, Colonel, Chief of Staff, 18th ARVN Division
Le Minh Dao, Colonel (later major general), division commander, 18th ARVN Division
Le Quang Luong, Colonel (later brigadier general), airborne brigade commander, 1st Airborne

Brigade
Ly Tong Ba, Colonel (later brigadier general), division commander, 23rd ARVN Division
Mach Van Truong, Colonel (later brigadier general), regiment commander, 8th Regiment/5th

Division
Nguyen Cau, TV reporter at An Loc
Nguyen Cong Vinh, Colonel, regiment commander, 9th Regiment/5th Division
Nguyen Dinh Sach, Colonel, former Chief of Staff, 21st ARVN Division
Nguyen Phu Chinh, Lieutenant Colonel, VNAF, squadron commander, 237th Helicopter

Squadron
Pham Van Huan, Colonel, commando group commander, 81st Airborne Commando Group
Pham X. Quang, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marines and author of A Sense of Duty:

My Father, My American Journey, whose father, the late VNAF Lt. Col. Pham V. Hoa, had
participated in the air resupply missions in An Loc
Tran Van Nhut, Colonel (later brigadier general), province chief, Binh Long province
Vu Van Hoi, Second Lieutenant, platoon leader, 5th Airborne Battalion

PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS

Andradé, Dale. America’s Last Vietnam Battle. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2001.
Braestrup, Peter. Big Story. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1977.
FitzGerald, Frances. Fire in the Lake. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1972.
Hammond, William M. Reporting Viet Nam: Media and Military at War. Lawrence: University

Press of Kansas, 1998.
Isaacs, Arnold. Without Honor. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 1983.
Kissinger, Henry. The White House Years. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1979.
———. Years of Upheaval. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1982.
Le Khac Anh Dao, Nhung Tran Danh Khong Ten (Nameless Battles). Vancouver: Nguyet San

Viet Nam, 2003.
Ly Tong Ba, 25 Nam Khoi Lua (25 Years of War). Np: Self-published, 1995.

Metzner, Edward. More Than a Soldier’s War. College Station: Texas A&M University Press,
1995.

Nguyen Cong Vinh. Cau Chuyen Suy Tu Cua Mot Cuu Tu Nhan Chinh Tri (Reflections of a
Former Political Prisoner). San Jose, CA: Mekong Ty Nan Publishing, 1996.

Nguyen Duc Phuong. Chien Tranh Viet Nam Toan Tap (Comprehensive Narrative of the Viet
Nam War). Toronto, Canada: Lang Van, 2001.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh. Chien Thang An Loc (The Victory of An Loc). Austin, TX: Self-published,
2007.

Nguyen Quoc Khue. 3rd Ranger Group and the Battle of An Loc. Reprinted in Ranger Magazine
7, 2003.

Nguyen Van Quy. Hoi Ky An Loc: 86 Ngay cua mot Bac Si Giai Phau tai Mat Tran (Memoir of
An Loc: 86 Days of a Surgeon in Battle). Westminster, CA: Van Nghe Publishing, 2002.

Phan Nhat Nam. Mua He Do Lua (Red Burning Summer), June 1972. Reprinted in Tieu Lun
online Library (Website: tieulun.tohop.org).

Prados, John, and Ray W. Stubbe. Valley of Decision: The Siege of Khe Sanh. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1991.

Tran Van Nhut. Cuoc Chien Dang Do (Unfinished War). Santa Ana, CA: An Loc Publishing,
2003. This book was translated into English and the edited version was published by Texas
Tech University Press in May 2009 under the title An Loc: The Unfinished War.

Truong Duong, Mot Canh Hoa Du (One Parachute Flower). Tu Huynh Publishing, 1999.
Wiest, Andrew, ed. Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2006.
Willbanks, James H. The Battle of An Loc. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005.

Studies, Reports, Periodicals

Su doan 18 Bo Binh Dac San (18th Infantry Division Magazine), July 2005.
81st Airborne Commando Group Magazine, Issues 1998, 2001, and 2006.
ARVN. Tran Binh Long (The Battle of Binh Long), 1973.
ARVN. Quan Su 4 (Military History 4), June 1972.
Dac San Hoa Du (Airborne Magazine), Special Issue, 2003.
Battle of Khe Sanh, Wikipedia. Accessed October 21, 2007.
Clarke, Philip C. “The Battle That Saved Saigon.” Reader’s Digest, March 1973.
Gary’s U.S. Infantry Weapons Reference Guide (Website: inetres. com).
Harmer, Jerry. “Endangered Species Thrive along Ho Chi Minh Trail.” San Jose Mercury News,

March 4, 2007.
Kaiser, Robert G. “The Arrogance of Power Revisited.” San Jose Mercury News, Jan. 1, 2007.
KBC Army Magazine 12, Nov. 1994.
Ngo Quang Truong. The 1972 Easter Offensive (Reprinted in Vietnamese in Ranger Magazine

21, May 2007).
Orange County Register (Website: www.darcenter.org).
Sorley, Lewis. “Remembering Viet Nam.” A Lecture delivered at the National Archives,

Washington D.C, April 30, 2002; and “Reassessing Viet Nam.” A Lecture delivered at the Viet
Nam Center, Texas Tech University, March 17, 2006.
Veith, George, and Merle Pribbenow. “Fighting Is an Art.” The Journal of Military History,
January 2004.

Unpublished Source Material

Bui Duc Diem, Colonel, Assistant for Operations, 5th ARVN Division. Unpublished manuscript
on An Loc; copy in author’s possession.

Mach Van Truong, Brigadier General, former 8th Regiment commander, 5th Division. Tran
Chien An Loc (The Battle of An Loc); unpublished memoir on An Loc; copy in author’s
possession.

Nguyen Dinh Sach, Colonel, former chief of staff, 21st Division. Binh Long Anh Dung (Heroic
Binh Long), July 31, 2007; unpublished manuscript in author’s possession.

Nguyen Cong Vinh, Colonel, 9th Regiment commander, 5th Division. Letter on the battle of Loc
Ninh, June 16, 2006; copy in author’s possession.

Nguyen Huu Chinh, Phi Doan 237 Tham Du Mat Tran An Loc (237th Squadron in the Battle of
An Loc) Unpublished report, October 2006, copy in author’s possession.

Vu Van Hoi. “Narrative on An Loc”; unpublished manuscript; copy in author’s possession.

Index

A

Abramawith, Col., 72
Abrams, Gen. Creighton, 4, 20, 43, 82, 143, 209
Acheson, Dean, 8,
Aerial resupply: 113–15
air-ground base concept, 9, 10, 11
Andradé, Dale, 3, 30, 32, 145, 153, 218
Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) evolution: 16, 33–34 leadership and motivation: 109
Argo, Col. Reamer, 7

B

Ban Me Thuot, 25, 216, 230
Bao Dai, emperor, 15
Be, Sgt., 196
Ben Hai River, 44, 172
Bien Hoa , 23, 33, 41, 72, 83, 122, 160, 172, 182, 192, 214, 231, 236
Binh Long, 5, 8, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 33, 36, 39, 42, 46, 47, 53, 54, 55, 59, 74, 80, 86, 99,

100, 103, 107, 110, 111, 125, 129, 150, 160, 161, 180, 185, 186, 187, 215, 227
Brzezinski, Zbignew, 246
Bui Duc Diem, Col., as assistant for operations, 5th Division: 50, 61, 112, 113, 139, 210 after An

Loc: 240
Bui Huu Tai, 51, 52
Bui Tin, Col. (NVA), 231, 244
Butler, Lt. Col. Charles, 180
B-52 bombers, 20, 134, 136, 138, 141, 143, 146, 147, 149, 150, 154, 157, 165, 166, 172, 179,

209, 212, 213, 216

C

Cambodia, 1, 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 42, 52, 60, 62, 63, 91, 207, 222, 223, 243
Cam Lo River, 64, 66
Canh, Dr., 79
Can Le Bridge, 46, 51, 56, 60, 69, 75, 80, 95
Can Tho, 240
Cao Bang, 8, 9
Cao Hao Hon, Lt. Gen., 46, 47
Cao Van Vien, Gen., 35, 64, 183, 185
Carlson, Maj. Albert E., 58, 62
Central Office for South Viet Nam (COSVN), 93, 119, 133, 143, 154, 157, 192, 198, 217, 225
Chau, Dr. 126

Chon Thanh, 25, 51, 69, 70, 72, 94, 116, 117, 136, 152, 155, 160, 161, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169,
180, 214

Chot, Kieng (blocking positions), 165, 167–68
Clarke, Philip C., 1
Clausewitz, Carl, 54
Cluster Bomb Unit (CBU), 49,150,172, 173, 174
Co, Lt., 196
Colby, William, 44
colons, 23
Corley, Lt. Col. Robert E., 47, 62, 155, 183
Craig, Maj. Mandela, 175, 247
Cuong, Corporal, 166, 168

D

Danang, 17, 18, 230
Dang Van Quang, Lt. Gen., 28, 64, 65
Davidson, Maj. Thomas, 62, 75
De Castries, Brig. Gen., 11, 14, 209, 225, 228
De Lattre de Tassigny, Gen. Jean, 9, 184
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), 1, 31, 35, 206, 207, 222, 230, 231
Dien Bien Phu, 1, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 20, 99, 176, 206, 207, 208, 209, 225, 228
Dieu Huynh, Pastor, 84
Doan, Capt., 130
Do Cao Tri, Lt. Gen., 26, 28, 38, 52
Do Duc Thinh, Sgt., 128, 131
Doi Gio (Windy Hill), 70, 99, 100, 110, 118, 119, 120, 122, 126, 127, 134, 135, 136, 142, 150,

152, 173, 193, 194, 197, 225
Dong Ha, 64, 193, 231
Dong Kim Quang, Lt., 74
Dong Long Hill, 66, 69, 74, 76, 86, 89, 97, 131, 132, 177, 178, 179
Dumond, Yves Michel, 58, 62
Duong Van Minh, Gen., 17, 236, 240, 241
Du Quoc Dong, Lt. Gen., 117

E

ethnocentrism, 3–4
Evans, Col. John, 193

F

Fall, Bernard, 1, 28
Fishhook, 39, 46, 225
Fitzgerald, Frances, 31
Franklin, Col. Ross, 159, 167

G

Gates, Bill, 246
Gaudeuil, E., 46
Geneva Accords, 15, 16, 33, 44, 110, 149
Gilles, Brig. Gen., 10, 11
Ginger, Lt. Col. Walter, 56

H

Hammond, William M., 4, 5
Hanoi, 9, 14, 17, 18, 21, 36, 38, 107, 159, 166, 168, 209, 212, 213, 220, 229, 331, 245
Harkins, Gen. Paul, 17
Harmer, Jerry, 243
Hart, Liddel, 54
Ha Thi Loan, 179
Ha Thi No, 179
Ha Van Hien, Sgt., 179
Hill 169: 66, 119, 120, 122, 126, 127, 134, 135, 136, 142, 173, 192, 194, 195, 196, 197
Hoang Minh Thao, Gen. (VC), 202
Hoang Trung Liem, Maj., 87
Hoang Van Hien., Lt. Col., 56
Hoang Xuan Lam, Lt. Gen., 45
Ho Chi Minh, 1, 107, 108, 144, 155, 157, 212, 243, 246
Hollingworth, Maj. Gen. James H., 1, 4, 29, 31, 49, 56, 78, 80, 82, 143, 176, 181, 183, 186, 218,

248
Hong Khac Tran, Maj., 68, 78
Ho Ngoc Can, Lt. Col., as TF-15 commander: 164, 170, 175 after An Loc: 240
Ho Ngoc Son, Capt., 70
Ho Trung Hau, Brig. Gen., as brigade commander, 3rd Airborne Brigade, 161, 163 as division

commander, 21st Division: 168, 169, 180, 187 after An Loc: 239
Hue , 7, 38, 64, 109, 118, 164, 182, 205, 206, 212, 213, 216, 230
Huggins, Capt. Charles, R., 127, 130, 131, 180
Hung, Col., 234
Huynh Ba Tinh, Brig. Gen., 172
Huynh Huu Tri, Second Lt., 182

I

Indochina War, 7, 26, 28, 29, 155, 207, 225
Iron Triangle, 41, 225
Issaacs, Arnold, 220, 242, 243

J

Johnson, Pres. Lyndon B., 207
Joint General Staff (JGS), ARVN, 5, 37, 42, 64, 65, 66, 72, 81, 157, 161, 164, 183, 185, 202,

213, 214, 229

K

Kaiser, Robert G., 3
Khai, Capt., 91
Khmer Rouges, 175
Kissinger, Henry, 119, 221, 222
Khe Sanh, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 205, 206, 207, 230, 231
Kontum, 36, 50, 54, 65, 103, 144, 201, 202, 207, 213, 216, 220, 230
Kratie, 91

L

Lai Khe, 33, 34, 35, 52, 72, 73, 76, 87, 99, 103, 114, 116, 117, 119, 122, 126, 136, 160, 161,
168, 169, 222

Lam Quang Tho, Maj. Gen., 26
Lan, Maj., 131
Lang Son, 9
Lang Vei, 20, 21, 223
lao cong dao binh (LCDB), 73, 90, 97–98, 112–13, 227
Laos, 1, 18, 23, 118, 206, 207, 211, 222, 223
La Trong Thang, Sgt., 149
Le Dinh Chieu Thien, Lt., 127
Le Duan, 35
Le Duc Anh, 23
Le Duc Dat, Col., 45
Le Duc Tho, 221, 222
Le Hong, Maj., 124
Le Minh Dao, Brig. Gen., at An Loc: 186, 191, 192, 194, 200, 201, 203 battle of Xuan Loc: 231,

232, 234, 235 after Xuan Loc: 238, 239
Le Nguyen Vy, Col., as deputy division commander, 5th Division: 68, 69, 73, 74, 88, 96, 107,

185, 193, 198, 210 as division commander, 5th Division: 241
Le Quang Luong, Col., as 1st Airborne Brigade commander: 117, 119, 125, 129, 135, 140, 150,

152, 182 as Airborne Division commander: 239
Le Quang Vinh, Capt. 156
Le Quy Dau, Maj., 69, 148
Le Trong Tan, Gen.( PAVN), 231
Le Van Dao, Capt., 141
Le Van Hung, Brig. Gen., as division commander, 5th Division: 29, 30, 35, 48, 52, 53, 54, 55,

56, 59, 66, 68, 72, 73, 84, 86, 88, 96, 98, 101, 104, 112, 138, 139, 140, 152, 178, 181, 185,
186, 209, 210 after An Loc: 241
Le Van Hung, Lt., 48
Le Van Huu (NVA soldier), 93
Le Van Loi, Lt., 177
Le Van Ngoc, Lt. Col., 122, 135
Le Van Ngon, Lt. Col., as battalion commander, 92nd Border Ranger Battalion: 45, 225, 227,
228 after Tong Le Chan: 240

Le Xuan Hieu, Lt. Col., 199, 200, 231
Loc Ninh, 22, 25, 26, 34, 42, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 54, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 64, 66, 69, 71, 73, 74,

75, 76, 81, 86, 106, 107, 116, 117, 123, 127, 128, 129, 142, 143, 192, 193, 215
Loc Tan, 50
Lownds, Col. David E., 19
Lull, Howard B., 58
Ly Duc Quan, Lt. Col., 80, 138, 148, 149
Ly, Lt., 196
Ly Tong Ba, Col., 50, 53, 54, 103, 104, 156, 201, 202, 216

M

MacArthur, Gen. Douglas, 230
Mach Van Truong, Col., as regiment commander, 8th Regiment: 5, 35, 52, 72–74, 80, 86, 88, 97,

101, 128, 129, 131, 138, 152, 184, 185, 210, 215 after An Loc: 238
McManus, Lt. Col. Richard J., 78, 148
Mekong Delta, 4, 17, 22, 28, 30, 160, 187, 214, 240, 241
Mendes-France, 15
Metzner, Col. Edward P., 32
Military Assistance Command, Viet Nam (MACV), 17, 205, 207
Miller, Col. William, 30, 31, 52, 53, 82, 97, 136, 139, 144, 209, 210, 211
Minh Mang, Emperor, 25
Montagnard, 18, 23, 26, 27, 47, 84, 119, 127, 140, 141, 152, 224
My Chanh River, 139, 144, 164

N

Nam, 2nd Lt., 105, 106
Nang, Capt., 79
Nasan, 9, 10, 206, 207
National Liberation Front (NLF), 17
Navarre, Gen. Henri, 11, 15
Nghi, Capt., 110
Ngo Dinh Diem, Pres, 15, 17, 25, 33, 191
Ngo Dzu. Lt. Gen., 45
Ngo Ky Dung, Col., 231
Ngo Le Tinh, Lt. Col., 163
Ngo Minh Hang, Lt. Col., 183
Ngo Quang Truong, Lt. Gen., 60, 66, 71, 168, 181, 204, 230
Nguyen Anh, Emperor, 7
Nguyen Ba Thinh, Col., 42, 55, 56, 91
Nguyen Cao Ky, Maj. Gen., 26, 28, 108
Nguyen Cau, 88, 179
Nguyen Chi Hieu, Lt. Col., 122, 127, 175
Nguyen Cong Vinh, Col., as regiment commander, 9th Regiment: 48, 51, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 210

after Loc Ninh: 240
Nguyen Dinh Nghiem (NVA soldier), 92

Nguyen Dinh Sach, Col., 6
Nguyen Dinh The, Maj., 139
Nguyen Duc Phong, 2nd Lt., 182
Nguyen Hue campaign, 35–38, 41, 119, 211, 220
Nguyen Huu Che, Maj., 194, 199, 200, 201
Nguyen Huu Duong, Lt. Col., 48, 50, 60, 61
Nguyen Huu Kiem, Col., 165
Nguyen Huu Nhan, Maj., 83
Nguyen Khoa Nam, Maj. Gen., 241
Nguyen Kim Dien, Maj., 139
Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Lt. Col., 5, 62, 118, 119, 171
Nguyen Phu Chinh, Lt. Col., 83
Nguyen Phuc, Dr., 186
Nguyen Phuoc Song Huong, Capt., 195, 196, 197
Nguyen Quoc Khue, Capt., 76, 77, 79, 107
Nguyen Son, Capt., 177
Nguyen Tan Chi, Capt., 200
Nguyen Tan Trong, Maj., 144
Nguyen Thanh Chuan, Col., 204
Nguyen The Hoa (NVA warrant officer), 142
Nguyen The Than, Lt. Col., 113
Nguyen Thi Binh, 92, 107, 137
Nguyen Thi Hang, 93
Nguyen Thong Thanh, Lt. Col., 46, 47, 67, 184
Nguyen Van Biet, Lt. Col., as group commander, 3rd Ranger Group: 67, 68, 69, 70, 77, 78, 79,

80, 89, 95, 107, 132, 147 after An Loc: 240
Nguyen Van Dinh, Lt. Col., 120, 136, 151, 173, 174
Nguyen Van Giang, 90
Nguyen Van Hieu, Lt., 95, 96
Nguyen Van Huu (NVA soldier), 92, 93
Nguyen Van Kiet, 4
Nguyen Van Minh, Lt. Gen., battle of An Loc: 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 38, 42, 45, 60, 62, 65, 66, 72,

99, 103, 116, 117, 118, 119, 143, 144, 159, 160, 172, 173, 176, 181, 191, after An Loc: 239
Nguyen Van Quoc, Maj., 69
Nguyen Van Quy, Dr., 109, 110, 111, 112, 125, 166, 176, 186
Nguyen Van Thanh, Lt., 144
Nguyen Van Thiet, Capt., 141
Nguyen Van Thieu, Pres., 26, 28, 35, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 64, 65, 66, 82, 108, 144, 160, 166, 168,

183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 204, 221, 229, 230
Nguyen Van Thinh, Maj., 47, 50, 51, 62, 75
Nguyen Van Thoai, Maj., 194
Nguyen Van Toan, Lt. Gen., 236
Nguyen Van Tuong, Col., 172
Nguyen Van Uc, Maj., 122
Nguyen Van Xuan, 2nd Lt., 181, 182
Nguyen Van Xuan (corporal), 147
Nguyen Viet Can, Lt. Col., 180

Nguyen Vinh Nghi, Lt. Gen., as 21st Division commander: 160, 161, 168 after An Loc: 238, 239
Nixon, Pres. Richard, 2, 32, 36, 166, 176, 212, 248
North Viet Nam, 8, 29, 35
North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Political indoctrination: 107–9

O

Ong Sau (An Loc resident), 147, 148

P

Paris Peace Agreement, 46, 62, 144, 155, 204, 220, 221, 222, 226, 229, 230
Parrot’s Beak, 39, 41, 67, 225
Pha, Ms., 158
Pham Chau Tai, Capt., 177
Pham Cuong Tuan, 90
Pham Kim Bang, Maj., 120, 135
Pham Ngoc Sang, Brig. Gen., 238, 239
Pham Phong Dinh, 240
Pham Quang My, Lt. Col., 47, 69
Pham Quoc Thuan, Lt. Gen., 228
Pham Van Dinh, Lt. Col., 64
Pham Van Huan, Lt. Col. as group commander, 81st Airborne Ranger Group: 5, 127, 128, 129,

131, 176, 183, 210 after An Loc: 240
Phan Nhat Nam, 92, 111, 174, 175
Phan Van Phu, Maj. Gen., 241
Phu Bai, 214
Phuoc Long, 22, 33, 50, 51, 229
Phuong, 2nd Lt., 201
Pleiku, 65, 156, 216, 229, 230, 239
Prados, John, and Stubbe, Ray W., 7, 20
Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG), 38, 92, 213, 238

Q

Quan, Lt., 106
Quan Loi, 34, 55, 70, 71, 77, 78, 89, 91, 96, 124, 132, 142, 147, 193, 194, 198, 199, 201, 203,

220
Quang Tri, 36, 38, 41, 44, 65, 72, 77, 80, 103, 108, 135, 138, 139, 144, 167, 168, 193, 198,

203, 207, 213, 214, 218, 228, 230, 236

R

Rhotenberry, Col., 202
Risch, David, Dr., 110
Route Nationale 1 (RN1), 41, 76, 167, 231, 232,
Route Nationale 9 (RN9), 18, 20, 21, 64

Route Nationale 13 (RN13), 5, 6, 25, 34, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 52, 56, 61, 69, 70, 75, 81, 86, 89,
91, 95, 116, 117, 118, 126, 142, 159, 163, 165, 166, 168, 175, 181, 182, 183, 214

Route Nationale 20 (RN20), 231, 232

S

Saigon, 1, 23, 28, 29, 30, 37, 41, 64, 116, 117, 118, 119, 160, 182, 211, 213, 215, 226, 229
Salan, Gen. Raoul, 9, 10
Schott, Lt. Col. Richard S., 49, 58
Smith, Capt. Mark A., 49, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62
Snoul , 25, 38, 63
Son, Maj., 51
Son Do, Lt., 69
Sorley, Lewis, 28, 42, 43, 209, 218, 221
South Viet Nam, 1, 18, 19, 35, 38, 41, 117, 133, 161, 199, 207, 209, 213, 216, 218, 221, 222,

223, 229, 230, 236, 244, 247
Stein, Lt. Col. Edward J., 180
strategy of indirect approach: 53–54, 229–31
Sully, François, 28
Sun Tzu, 54, 205, 211

T

Tai, Lt., 68
Tallman, Brig. Gen. Richard J., 186
Tan Khai, 25, 46, 47, 52, 81, 155, 161, 162, 163, 169, 171, 173, 182, 193, 194
Tao O, 25, 116, 142, 161, 163, 164, 165, 166, 187
Taylor, Lt. Col., Art, 176
Taylor, Gen. Maxwell, 207
Tay Ninh, 22, 30, 33, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 53, 67, 68, 116, 117, 126, 133
Tchepone, 21, 212
Territorial forces: 27–28
Thach Han River, 139, 193, 203
Thien Ngon, 45
Thieu (commando), 178
Tho, Capt., 68
Thompson, Sir Robert, 2, 176, 204
Tong Le Chan, 45, 94, 133, 152, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229
Tong Viet Lac, Maj., 69, 106, 107, 132
Tran Ba Thanh, Lt. Col., 197
Tran Dai Chien, 2nd. Lt., 135
Tran Minh Cong, Lt. Col., 231
Tran Thien Khiem, Gen, 64, 108, 183
Tran Thien Tuyen, Lt. Col., 174
Tran Van Binh, 90
Tran Van Hai, Brig. Gen., 241

Tran Van Nhut, Col. as Binh Long province chief: 5, 26, 27, 31, 46, 47, 50, 51, 52, 66, 67, 69,
72, 75, 84, 91, 93, 107, 108, 110, 112, 125, 130, 143, 155, 175, 176, 182, 183, 184, 214 as
division commander, 2nd Division: 239

Tran Van Tra, Gen. (VC), 41, 119
Truong Dang Si, Lt., 125
Truong Huu Duc, Col., 71–72, 116
Truong Khanh, Maj., 69, 147
Truong Phuoc, Lt., 69, 75, 89, 95, 96
Truong Thanh Minh, 2nd Lt., 182
Tuan, Lt., 120
Tung, Sgt., 126, 131

U

Ulmer, Col. Walter as senior advisor to the 5th Division: 144, 145, 210 as retired lieutenant
general: 247

V

Van Ba Ninh, Lt. Col., 122, 128
Van Mai (NVA soldier), 91, 92
Vann, John Paul, 42, 53, 54, 202
Vanuxem, Lt. Gen. Paul, 2, 183, 184, 185
Veith, George J & Pribbernow, Merle L., 236
Viet Cong, 16, 17, 18, 19, 36, 38, 39, 41, 43, 46, 63, 67, 93, 94, 108, 109, 122, 137, 159, 160,

192, 193, 212, 223, 225, 226
VietMinh, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 58, 59, 155, 206, 208, 209
Viet Nam War, 3, 26, 50, 229, 246, 248
Vinh, Lt., 120
Vo Nguyen Giap, Gen. (NVA), 9, 13, 16, 35, 36, 211, 231
Vosary (commando), 178
Vo Tanh, Gen., 7
Vo Tan Vinh, 67, 91
Vo Van Tay, Lt., Col., 69, 70
Vung Tau, 44, 51, 182, 192
Vu Van Giai, Brig. Gen., 139
Vu Van Hoi, 2nd. Lt., 123, 124, 137, 181

W

Wallingford, Kenneth, 58, 62
Wanat, Capt. George, 62
War Zone C, 25, 41, 46, 224, 225
War Zone D, 25, 225
Westmoreland, Gen. William C., 7, 18, 20, 43, 205, 206, 207
Wheeler, Gen. Earl, 205, 206, 207
Willbanks, James H., 11, 3, 30, 53, 57, 58, 210

Willey, Lt. Col. Burr, 180
Windrow, Martin, 9

X

Xa Cam, 25, 118, 134, 149, 150, 161, 172, 173, 193, 194, 242
Xuan Loc, 33, 231, 232, 234, 235, 236

Y

Yerta, Jesse, Sgt., 127, 130, 131
Y Muil Mbor, (commando), 178