by Max Hastings
North Vietnamese Air Force: China supplies planes for, 193; MiG fighters, 193, 286, 289, 290, 292, 295, 298–9, 303, 318, 513, 564, 566; pilots tightly controlled from the ground, 298–9; Russian advisers, 314–15, 318–19
North Vietnamese Army (NVA): Chinese weapons, 157, 193, 242, 314, 351, 379, 495, 521, 523; Soviet weapons, 157, 209, 242, 286, 314, 495, 523, 533; cadres, advisers and specialists, 167; food shortages, 167, 202–3, 321, 366; hardships on Trail, 167, 202–3; defectors from, 192, 280, 281, 335, 367, 408, 486–7, 624; regular division sent south, 193, 202–5; Russian advisers, 204, 314–18, 320, 567; sappers, 205, 293, 452, 489, 497, 507–11, 596, 599, 619, 620; casualties, 242–3, 438–9, 501, 550, 611, 639; Ia Drang Valley battles, 244–7, 336, 352; tolerance of casualties, 246, 401, 500; ambitious objectives, 251–2; tensions with Vietcong, 252; A Shau attack, 255; battles 1967–68, 334, 335, 355–6, 361–2; troop numbers in South, 336, 406; and AK-47 rifle, 350–1, 373; brutality of, 356; soldiers’ everyday lives, 362–70; committed revolutionaries in, 363–4, 373–4, 453, 482, 484, 492; diseases and chronic sickness, 367, 407; Hue as key Tet objective, 381, 387–93, 404, 409–12; attacks in advance of Tet offensive, 381–2; Khe Sanh attack, 381–2, 407–9; losses at Hue, 413; Vietcong eclipsed by after TET, 422, 453–4; battle at Daido, 423, 426–40; Hak Ly trucking company, 450; 1969 as worst year for, 453; and US–ARVN Cambodian incursions, 482, 483; manpower crisis, 486–7; battle for An Loc, 496–502, 539–44; 1972 offensive, 519–20, 523–44, 547–51; assault on FSB Sarge, 529–30; attack on FSB Charlie, 530–2; fall of Quang Tri to, 535–8; battle for Kontum city, 538–9; strength below DMZ (1973), 585; Route 7 battles, 591; final offensive, 592–3, 595–613, 618–24, 626–7; fighting for Hill 1062, 595; 1975 strategic plan, 597; Ban Me Thuot falls to, 597–9; Central Highlands campaign (1975), 597–602; battle for Xuan Loc, 610–11; final attack and capture of Saigon, 618–27; veterans’ nostalgia for war, 649–50
BATTALIONS: 6/52nd Infantry, 426, 430, 432, 435, 439; 28th, 486–7; 409th Sapper, 508–11
CORPS: 4th, 619–20; 2nd, 620
DIVISIONS: 308th, 51, 70, 80, 547, 548; 325th, 193, 202–5; 41st, 293; 2nd, 335; 3rd ‘Yellow Star’, 361, 625; 304th, 380–1, 407–9, 623; 3/48th Infantry, 435; 7th, 483, 610, 611; 320th, 531; 9th, 591; 324th, 598; 5th, 610; 341st, 610–11; 6th, 611; 10th, 620
REGIMENTS: 32nd, 243; 33rd, 243; 66th, 243, 246; 9th, 380–1, 407; 48th, 432, 435; 52nd, 435
North Vietnamese Navy, 185–94
Novak, Robert, 175
nuclear weapons, 46, 58, 65, 72, 476–7, 573
Núi Đất (Anzac base), 462
Obama, Barack: visits Vietnam, 648
O’Brien, Tim, 341, 344, 349
O’Daniel, Gen. Mike, 37, 46, 59
O’Donnell, Kenny, 155
Office of Strategic Services (OSS; American), 9
oil: as target for US air strikes, 287–8
Olds, Col. Robin, 289–90, 292
O’Neill, L/Cpl. James, 426
opium: consumption under French rule, 2
OPLAN34-A (US), 184–5, 188–9
Orwell, George, 18
Osborne, Vince, 561
Otis, Lt.Col. Glen, 399
Overnand, Master-Sgt. Chester, 105
Paddington, Operation, 464
Palmer, Maj.Gen. Bruce, 141, 180, 228, 285, 307, 334, 337, 499, 615
Panov, Lt. Valery, 315–16, 318
Paracel Islands, 591
Paris: formal talks between North Vietnam and US, 440, 478, 521; Accords (1973), 578–9, 582, 585
Park, Daphne, 243, 485
Parkins, L/Cpl. James, 432
Parks, Capt. Hays, 615
Parrish, Dick, 568–9
Parrot’s Beak, 480
Party Congress, Sixth (1986), 637
Pathet Lao, 110, 481
Patti, Maj. Archimedes, 9, 11
Paul Doumer bridge (Hanoi), 285, 292, 307, 324, 544
Paulo Condore (island), 5
Peers, Lt.Gen. William, 449–50
Pentagon Papers, 516
People’s Army (Hanoi weekly), 85
Péraud, Jean, 54
Pétain, Gen. Philippe, 56
Petersen, Capt. Ed, 561
Peterson, Pete, 558
Phạm Duy, 276
Phạm Hùng, 310–11, 548–9
Phạm Ngọc Thảo, Col., 205
Phạm Phú Bằng, 13, 355–6, 366–7
Phạm Phương, 312–13
Phạm Thành Hưng, 534–5, 646
Phạm Văn Đính, Maj., 389, 412, 527–8
Phạm Văn Đồng: education, 5; proclaims Vietminh’s commitment to full independence for Indochina, 73; as prime minister, 128; warned by Washington, 191; on impending US war, 193; on duration of war, 282; and US peace overtures, 309; greets Chinese engineers, 321; and peace plans, 441; visit to Moscow, 477; reveals peace settlement terms, 556; predicts non-return of US forces, 597
Phạm Văn Phú, Gen., 599–600
Phạm Viết Tú, Dr, 537
Phan Huy Quát, 212
Phan Nhật Nam, Lt., 164–5, 194–5
Phan Phương, 636
Phan Rang, 611–12
Phan Tấn Ngưu, Capt., 127, 357, 555, 590, 625–6, 631, 636
Phi Long, Gen., 547
Philippines: sends contingent to Vietnam, 238
Phillips, Rufus, 154, 177
Phnom Penh, 480–1, 597, 612
Phoenix programme, 487–8, 493
Phouma, Prince Souvanna, 111
Phú Gia, 605
Phúc Yên MiG base, 292
Phùng Bá Thọ, 608
Phùng Thị Lệ Lý, 91, 206, 270
Phùng Thị Lý, see Phùng Thị Lệ Lý
Phước Long province, 597
Phước Tuy province, 462
Pinnaroo, Operation, 464
Piroth, Col. Charles, 52
Pittman, ‘Doc’, 439
Plain of Reeds, 168
Plei Me base, 245
Pleiku: US forces attacked in, 209–10; and North’s 1975 offensive, 598–600
Polansky, Jonathan, 265
Polgar, Tom, 622
Potter, John, 260
Pouget, Capt. Jean, 68–9
Powell, Maj. Colin, 449
Prescott, Lt. Alex ‘Scotty’, 427–8, 436
Pressler, Larry, 333
Pribbenow, Merle, 502, 550, 584–5, 594, 616
prostitution, 206–7
Provincial Reconnaissance Units, 488
Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG; North Vietnam), 479, 483
Pumphrey, Louis, 388
Purcell, Shirley, 265–6
Quảng Ngãi province, 453
Quảng Trị city and province, 532, 534–9, 547, 549, 604
Qui Nhơn, 605, 608, 610
Quiet American, The (film), 96
Radford, Adm. Arthur, 57–8, 60, 64–6
Rahman, Tunku Abdul, 123
Ramsey, Doug: on French loss of Indochina, 71; in South Vietnam, 114–15; on brutality in South Vietnam, 131; on Vann, 160–1; view of Vietnam, 160, 162, 181; on deteriorating military situation, 216; on communism in Vietnam, 229; deplores US burning of villages, 236–7; on expansion of South Vietnam army, 239; on unarmed casualties, 242; captured and imprisoned, 254, 330, 357, 362, 364, 574–8; on LeMay’s bombing threat, 283; on mistreatment of communist captives, 303; studies North Vietnam fighters, 362; repelled by communist propaganda, 364; on US incursion into Cambodia, 482; background, 574–5; released, 580, 582; visits Saigon as guest, 594; on communist rule in South Vietnam, 636; and US involvement in war, 640; return to US and death, 645–6
RAND Corporation, 122, 207, 279–81
Rash, James, 572
Rayburn, Sam, 121
Reagan, Ronald, 639
Red River delta, 3, 25
Reindenlaugh, Capt. Chuck, 253, 340
Resolution 9 (North Vietnam), 167
Reston, James, 126, 210, 275, 355, 558
Rhee, Syngman, 75, 97, 107
, 149
Richards, Bob, 529
Richardson, John, 150
Ridenhour, Ronald, 449
Ridgway, Gen. Matthew, 58, 223, 419
rifles, 350–4
Riley, Staff-Sgt. Howard, 340
Ripley, Capt. John, 526–7
Risner, Col. Robinson, 568
Roberts, Gene, 414
Robinson, Sgt. Robert, 430
Rochau, Ludwig von, 476
Rocolle, Pierre, 51, 55, 70
Rogers, David, 231, 250, 333, 339, 343, 345, 348, 646, 648
Rogers, William, 482, 515, 579
Rohweller, Lt. Tim, 459
Rolling Thunder (US bombing programme), 215, 283–5, 288, 292–3, 308, 314, 317, 324–6
Rollins, Jim, 580
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 7, 71, 211
Roraback, Sgt. Ken, 575
Rostow, Walter, 111, 116, 121, 175, 280, 287, 290, 292
Rowan, Carl, 223
Rowe, Lt. Nick, 159
Rowen, Harry, 207, 281
Rubin, Jerry, 327
Rudd, Mark, 331
Ruis, Maj. Dail, 105
Rusk, Dean: wary of appeasement, 29; and partition of Vietnam, 73; favours major military commitment, 117; in Kennedy’s Round Table, 121; contradicts Halberstam report, 145; weakness as diplomat, 174; at Honolulu strategy summit, 181; on North Vietnamese aggression, 189; and British non-participation in Vietnam, 199; opposes use of napalm, 210; persuades Fulbright to prevent Senate debate on war, 211; and Russian response to Vietnam, 219; attempts to withdraw US from Vietnam, 230; gains confidence in military action, 248; on need for toughness, 274; approves Rolling Thunder programme, 285; committed to air offensive, 290; scepticism over bombing campaign, 290; condemns anti-war protesters, 355; on communist claim to political victory over Tet, 420
Russell, Bertrand, 327
Russell, Col. Clyde, 185
Russell, Richard: briefed on Dienbienphu, 60; urges US action in Vietnam, 192; scepticism over US Vietnam policy, 197, 227; Johnson discusses with, 228; on US options in Vietnam, 291; requests supply of M-16 rifle, 352
Russia, see Soviet Union
Ryan, Gen. John, 512–14
Saigon: Norman Lewis on, 4; British and Indian troops in, 12; French troops arrive in (October 1945), 13; character, 95; journalists in, 133–4; Buddhist protests in, 143–5; changes, 163; civil disorder, 194–5; Vietcong attacks on, 198, 200; repeated coups, 200, 212, 215; life in, 358–60; in Tet offensive, 394, 399–402, 405, 416–17; US embassy attacked in Tet offensive, 394–8, 415; US reporters in, 454; North’s final attack on and capture, 607, 619–20, 622–6; flight from, 621–2; exploited by North after surrender, 629; renamed Ho Chi Minh City, 631, 649; see also South Vietnam
Sainteny, Jean, 309
Salah, Mohammed ben, 69
Salisbury, Harrison, 282, 323–4
SALT I treaty, 546
SAM-2 missiles, 314, 316–17, 513, 535, 564, 566–8
Sams, Lt. Jerry, 509
Sang bridge, 620
Savage, Cpl. Roy, 471
Scanlon, Capt. Jim, 139, 141
Schlesinger, Arthur: member of Kennedy’s Round Table, 121; on Lodge’s appointment as ambassador to Saigon, 145; on Johnson, 154; and McNamara’s disbelief in military solution, 247; opposes Vietnam war, 327; condemns Johnson’s decision to retire, 419; on Kissinger, 476; and Kissinger’s secret negotiations, 495; and Kissinger’s view of Nixon, 583
Schlesiona, Cpl. Peter, 425
Scotton, Frank: devotion to Vietnam, 114–16, 164; in US Information Agency, 114; shoots Vietcong attacker, 117; Vann confesses ignorance of enemy to, 127; incredulity over Kim Olan, 131; on Buddhist protesters, 143; on city dwellers in action, 146; on Conein, 149; on Diem’s meeting with Lodge, 151; on killing of Diem, 154; on hazards of travelling in Vietnam, 160–2; on Vietnamese games, 166; on US attitude to Vietnamese, 181, 259; told Nguyen Khanh’s leadership ending, 195; on separate US and Vietnamese campaigns, 214; on US winning by excess, 244; addresses students in US, 328; pessimism, 333–4; told of success at Hue, 412; letter from Dodson on destruction in Vietnam, 417; witnesses encounter between drunk Americans and senior Vietnamese, 446; on effectiveness of Phoenix programme, 488; and release of US prisoners, 582; predicts fall of South Vietnam regime, 594; and Snepp’s meeting with congressmen, 613; on Thieu’s inscrutability, 617; disperses guerrilla fighters against communism, 637; on outcome of war, 640; marriage to Kim Vui, 645; on US-Vietnamese blame for outcome of war, 645
Scotton, Katherine, 114
SEALs, 488–92
search-and-destroy tactics, 253–4
Seeger, Pete, 327, 338
SEPES (South Vietnam intelligence service), 97
Serna, Pfc. Marshall, 436
Shackley, Ted, 496
Shank, Jerry, 134
Sharp, Adm. Ulysses Grant, 188, 189–90, 215, 222, 228, 291, 308, 405–6
Sheehan, Neil: and McNamara’s claim to be winning, 126; presence on battlefield, 140; briefed by Vann, 141; reporting, 142; on hope of South Vietnam success, 153; on DePuy’s militancy, 218; on Thieu’s evasiveness, 277; dismisses Gouré, 280; in Huey helicopter, 471; on US reluctance to leave, 517; on lack of integrated policy, 642; on US experience of foreign wars, 644; Rogers on, 646; A Bright Shining Light, 539; The Last Frontier, 134
Shotgun, Operation, 278
Shyab, Charlie, 250, 345
Sianis, Maj.Gen. Pete, 569
Sihanouk, Prince Norodom, 111, 480–1
Silver Bayonet (MACV operation), 245
Simpson, Howard, 22, 80, 113, 163, 181, 227
Simpson, Ken, 569
Slavitch, Ivan, 134
Small, William, 227
Smith, Carl, 247
Smith, Lt. Neil, 239, 460, 462–3, 466–8
Smith, Ray, 528–9
Smith, Pte. Reginald, 459
Smock, Maj. Jim, 527
Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The (TV programme), 327
Snepp, Frank: background, 162; devotion to Vietnam, 162, 359; on Frances Fitzgerald, 359; joins Saigon’s CIA station, 454; on communist seriousness, 487; on Phoenix programme, 487; on communist hatred of Americans, 492; on Vietnamisation, 502; on Thieu’s fear of US abandonment, 600; on US loss of interest in Vietnam, 602; barred from briefing team, 613; on Thieu’s inscrutability, 617; and Thieu’s leaving Vietnam, 618; and evacuation from Vietnam, 622, 629; Decent Interval, 303, 629
Snider, Lt. Don, 159–60
Somers, Willie, 262–3
Sơn Tây, 493
Sorley, Lewis, 493–5
South-East Asia: fear of domino effect, 61, 65
South Korea: sends contingent to Vietnam, 238; inappropriate military machine, 589; success as democracy, 648
South Vietnam: border with North, 76; differences from North, 82, 98; exodus of communists to North, 89–90; conditions, 90; under Diem, 92, 121; US finances, 92, 95, 97, 112; women and girls, 95–6; corruption in, 99–100, 270–3, 589; land ownership, 99; persecutions in, 100; warfare revives, 100; communist terrorism and guerrilla activity, 101, 104–8, 131–2, 337; detainees die of food poisoning, 103; infiltrated by communists from North, 103; popular resistance to, 108; strategic hamlets programme, 112–13, 156; US personnel’s attitudes to, 119; Communist Party membership increases, 129; journalists in, 133–42, 145, 414; peasants drafted to fight, 137–8; Vietcong terrorist fighters in, 137, 167–9, 194, 205, 243–4; Buddhist revolt in, 142–4; US supports coup against Diem, 146–54; North Vietnam’s commitment to war against, 157; wish for peace settlement, 157–8; coup against Big Minh, 171–2; constitution redrafted, 177; anti-American outbursts, 195; Ball’s memorandum on collapse of, 223; civilian acts of heroism, 241; US servicemen’s conditions in, 249–50; black-marketeering, 271; Assembly elections (1966), 276; government composition and incompetence, 276–7; bombed, 285; number of North Vietnam fighters in, 336; everyday life in, 357–9; diet, 360; price increases, 372; rumours of US betrayal, 422; and Laird’s Vietnamisation policy, 477; military government, 494;
final presidential election (October 1971), 517; US withdrawal from, 517–18; regime’s failure to support own people, 551; and US settlement proposals, 559–60; and Paris Accords, 579; releases communist prisoners, 579; and departure of Americans, 585–7; economic problems, 588–9, 594–5; casualties, 591; US reduces funding, 591, 593–4; resists North’s 1975 general offensive, 599; withdrawal and panic before North’s advance, 600–6, 613; collapse, 613–14; civilians evacuate and escape abroad, 616–17, 624, 629; surrenders, 623–4; refugees and fugitives from, 630; under communist rule, 631–6; boat people, 634; resistance group formed and dispersed, 637; mistrust of Saigon regime, 641–2; see also ARVN; South Vietnam
South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF), 371, 526, 533, 612; US aircrew in cockpits, 134; Skyraider ground-attack aircraft, 136; airstrikes on North, 210; grounding of aircraft, 593; and battle for Xuan Loc, 610, 611; and defence of Saigon, 623, 625
Soviet Communist Party: 20th Congress, 89
Soviet Union: treaty with China (1950), 28; proposes conference on French withdrawal from Indochina, 47; attends Geneva conference (1954), 72, 76; supports North Vietnam, 79, 86, 314, 517; rift with China, 103, 107, 167, 319, 377; supplies arms and equipment to North Vietnam, 209, 320, 495; advisers in North Vietnam, 242, 314–20; ships damaged by US bombing, 291; supplies SAM missiles to North Vietnam, 314; US believes intervention unlikely, 314; ships delayed at North Vietnamese ports, 320; North Vietnam denigrates, 358; urges North Vietnam to negotiate peace, 441; Kissinger believes key to peace, 477; aims for détente, 533; Nixon negotiates in, 546; takes spoils from defeated South Vietnam, 632; aid reduced and withdrawn, 637
Special Forces: activities, 244–5
Special Operations Executive (SOE; British), 10
Spectator (magazine), 78
Speedy, Capt. Jack, 396, 397
