Over 10 days men of the 101st Airborne assaulted the heavily fortified Hill 937, Dong Ap Bia, The Mountain of the Crouching Beast. The NVA fiercely resisted, with the attacking paratrooper companies sustaining 50-75% casualties, including 72 KIA and 370 WIA, before they took the hill on 20th May. This casualty rate earned the Hill its nickname, echoing Pork Chop Hill from the Korean War.
The action was made particularly controversial because the US quickly abandoned the position after the engagement, generating public outcry in America of what was seen to be a senseless battle in an increasingly unpopular conflict.
Taking the hill then abandoning it became the norm for the American Strategy. Documentarys now make it highlighted that the concept was VC Body Count and not taking of Territory was the highest priority. A war that was doomed from the onset. Madness!
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed a priority to Finf, Fix and Finish the enemy rather than hold ground. Post the Tet Offensive it was also seen that mobile action reduced vulnerability of bases to infiltration and attack
DeleteA pointless battle, from a ill-conceived campaign set within a myopic, woefully ignorant and cynical geopolitical strategy that achieved absolutely nothing except pain, division and suffering.
ReplyDelete