Losing Vietnam (63 page)

North Vietnamese Army (NVA),
6–20
; antiaircraft defenses,
32
,
99
,
111
,
113
; armor capabilities,
31–35
,
75–76
; attacks by fire,
55–57
,
91
; Cambodian invasion,
172
,
173
,
183
,
237
; combined arms attacks by,
47–48
,
83
,
113
,
125–26
; decrease in combat activity before major attacks,
122–23
,
127
; firepower and mobility,
27
,
84
,
100
; historical perspective,
6–9
; increasing combat initiatives,
72
,
83–84
,
93
,
100
,
102
,
110
,
125–26
; land-grabbing offensives,
7
,
39
,
47
,
48
,
49
,
113
,
120
; logistics,
18
,
60
,
88
,
93
,
113
,
125
; major commands,
44
; Mekong River interdictions by,
254
; military regions,
45
; morale in,
19–20
,
38
; 1975 dry-weather offensive,
76–79
; 1972 Easter Offensive,
8–9
,
11
,
14
,
31–32
,
108
; northern Cambodia controlled by,
174–75
; order of battle data for,
11–13
,
12t1
,
12t2
,
13–14
,
13t
; political assessment,
9–14
; reorganization of,
112–13
,
124
,
168–69
; reorganization of,
112–13
,
124
,
168–69
; RVNAF compared to,
27
,
37–39
,
113–14
; Tet Offensive,
12–13
; troop levels,
14
,
16
,
17f
,
145–50
.
See also
infiltration, North Vietnamese
;
Viet Cong (VC)

Nui Ba Den, attacks on,
121

offset charges.
See
set-asides oil: Arab embargo
,
35–36
,
183
; discovery of,
103–4
.
See also
petroleum

O'Keefe, Gen. Timothy,
4
,
112
,
222
,
227
,
233
; and Congressional funding cuts,
92–93
,
101
; and USSAG Cambodian population study,
235–36

152nd KC Regiment (Cambodia),
271

operations research, combat effectiveness improved through,
39–41
,
47
,
62
,
210

order of battle data,
11–14
,
12t1
,
12t2
,
13t
,
137
,
205–6

orphans, evacuation from Saigon,
153

Oudong, Cambodia, fighting in,
227–28
,
231
,
233

outposts, South Vietnamese.
See
hamlets, South Vietnamese

Pacification and Rural Development Program (PRD),
21
,
62–68
,
75
,
88
; North Vietnam's goal of defeating,
9
,
10
,
60
,
66–67
,
113
,
128
,
164
,
166

Pacification Statistical Analysis System,
57–58

Palmer, Brig. Gen. William W. “Jack,” 103,
185
,
233
,
269
,
281
; as MEDTC commander,
174
,
179
,
232
,
283

Pao, Gen. Vang,
319

Paracel Islands, South Vietnamese-Chinese skirmish at,
103

Paramoun, Brig. Gen. Noup,
262

Paris peace talks.
See
cease-fire agreement, Vietnam War

Parrot's Beak, Cambodia,
172–73

Pathet Lao,
317–18

Peam Reang Island, Cambodia,
248
,
259
,
260

penetration incidents,
165
,
166
,
214
,
249
; defined,
327
; as incident type,
331

Pentagon,
5
,
47
,
158
; and combat issues,
27
,
39
,
47
,
78
; and Congressional cuts in aid to South Vietnam,
97
; and USSAG threat assessment,
104
,
115

People's Self Defense Force (PSDF, South Vietnam),
24
,
329

petroleum: increasing costs of,
35–36
,
87
; NVA storage areas for,
16
; purchases of,
93
,
100
; resupplying,
249
,
254
,
262
,
270
; U.S. resupply of Cambodia,
206
,
207–8
,
209
,
210
,
219
,
220
.
See also
oil

PGNU.
See
Provisional Government of National Unity (PGNU, Laos)

Phat, Huynh Tan,
10

Phnom Penh, Cambodia: battles for,
277–84
,
294
; communists' takeover of,
290–92
; defense of,
200
,
203
,
229–34
,
287
,
295
,
296–97
; evacuation of,
142
,
150
,
151–52
,
162
,
284–87
; FANK defeats of KC at,
204–5
,
225–26
,
232
,
247
,
248
; flooding of,
186
,
188
; KC attacks on,
3
,
188
,
207
,
221–26
,
228
,
243–44
,
246–53
,
263–64
,
293
; petroleum storage at,
208
; population statistics,
74
,
237
; resupplying,
201
,
206
,
219
,
224
,
248
,
249
,
254
,
259
,
261–62
,
270
; siege of,
268
,
271–72
,
274
; surrender of,
289
.
See also
Pochentong Airfield, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Thom, Cambodia, attacks on,
278

Phouma, Prime Minister Souvanna,
317
,
319
,
320

Phu, Maj. Gen. Pham Van: and central highlands attack,
130–31
; lack of planning by,
109
,
147
; and redeployment of forces,
133
,
136
,
137

Phuoc Long Province, South Vietnam.
See
Vietnam War, 1974 highlights, Phuoc Long attack

Pickar, Capt. Jerry, Cambodian population study,
235–36

PILLAR POST Project,
209

PL 480 assistance program (U.S.),
207–8

Pleiku, South Vietnam, attacks on,
31–32
,
131
,
133
,
134
,
136–37
,
147

Plei Me, South Vietnam, attacks on,
56–57

Pochentong Airfield, Phnom Penh,
Cambodia,
228
,
266
; KC attacks on,
246–47
,
249–50
,
253
,
264–65
,
269
,
274
,
277–78
,
284
,
287

Pogorzelski, Maj. Jerome,
204

political incidents,
127
,
165
,
166
; defined,
328
; as incident type,
331

politics: Cambodian,
233–39
,
280–81
,
287–88
; South Vietnamese,
20–21
,
146–49

popular forces (PF, ARVN),
23
,
35
,
50
,
111
; defined,
329
; fighting by,
61
,
122
,
143–44
; upgrades of,
59–61

population, control of, Cambodia,
236
,
237

population, control of, South Vietnam: North Vietnam's goal to disrupt,
61
,
128
,
164
,
167
; as troop efficiency measure,
82
; U.S. funding reductions' effects on,
93
,
101
.
See also
South Vietnam, policy of no loss of territory or population

Pramor, Seni,
312

Pramot, Prime Minister Khukrit (Thailand),
315

Praphat, Field Marshal,
311

Prek Phnom, Cambodia, petroleum storage at,
208

Prek Thnot River, Cambodia,
277–78

Prek Yuon, Cambodia, fall of,
248

Prey Veng, Cambodia,
229
,
231
,
281
,
287

PROJECT ENHANCE and ENHANCE PLUS,
26
,
27
,
28
,
35

propaganda: Khmer Rouge,
276
; North Vietnamese,
39
,
47
,
58
,
112
,
124
; regarding peace talks,
2
,
10

Provisional Government of National Unity (PGNU, Laos),
317
,
318
,
319

PSDF.
See
People's Self Defense Force (PSDF, South Vietnam)

Puolo Wei Island, Gulf of Thailand, ownership dispute over,
103–4

Pursat, Cambodia,
272
,
291

QL-1 highway (South Vietnam),
138
,
145

QL-13 highway (South Vietnam),
142

QL-14 highway (South Vietnam),
131
,
133
,
134

QL-15 highway (South Vietnam),
144

QL-19 highway (South Vietnam),
131
,
133
,
134–35

QL-21 highway (South Vietnam),
131
,
133
,
134
,
135
,
137

Quang, Lt. Gen. Dang Van,
133

Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam,
8
,
137–38

Quang-Trung Training Center, South Vietnam,
32–33

Queen's Cobra infantry regiment (Thailand),
3–4
,
311

ranger units (ARVN),
22–23
,
31
,
90–91
,
121
,
123
,
131
,
135
,
142–43

reconnaissance units: ARVN,
121
; Khmer Air Force,
252
,
255
; U.S. aerial,
3
,
48
,
124
,
130
,
134
,
218–19
,
269
,
304
; USSAG,
235–36
; VC,
58
,
90

refugees: Cambodian,
206
,
207
,
232
,
234–35
,
239
; South Vietnamese,
127
,
138
,
139
,
140
,
147

regional forces (RF, ARVN),
23
,
43
,
50
; defined,
329
; fighting by,
61
,
142
,
143–44
; reorganization of,
35
,
44
,
88
,
123
,
141
; upgrades of,
59–61
,
111

Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVNAF),
20–59
,
145
,
169
,
204
,
206
; ammunition use,
70–71
,
79
,
80
,
124
; antiarmor capabilities,
32–35
; ARVN as centerpiece of,
167
; combat intensity factor,
295
,
295t
,
296
; corruption in,
37
,
109
,
111–12
; defensive operations,
91
,
211
; desertions from,
111–12
,
183
; effectiveness of,
46
,
47–48
,
49t
,
87
,
113–14
,
166
,
337–39
; efficiency of,
87
,
95
,
110–11
,
113–14
,
125
,
166
; evacuation of dependents of,
154
,
155
; firepower and mobility,
9
,
22
,
27–35
,
37–38
,
48–49
,
88
,
98–100
,
110
,
112
,
115
,
125–27
,
168
; improvement efforts,
59–62
; J-2 study,
6–7
,
182
; lack of reserve troops in,
123–24
; logistics in,
26
,
37
,
111
,
183
; management system,
182
,
183
; manpower deficiencies in,
37
,
38–39
,
65–66
,
68
,
168
,
296
; 1972 Easter Offensive,
27–28
,
38
; North Vietnam's goal of defeating,
113
,
128
; NVA assessment of,
6–8
,
112
,
113
; NVA/VC compared to,
11–13
,
27
,
37–39
,
113–14
; offensive operations,
9
,
48
,
55
,
88
,
183
; pay situation,
182–83
; retrograde movements of,
134
,
141
; strategy of,
20–27
; surgeon general's casualty report,
104–5
; training,
26–27
,
48
,
183
; and U.S. funding cuts,
5
,
35–37
,
92
,
95–96
,
98–100
,
102
,
107–9
,
110
,
112
,
125–26
,
125t
; USSAG as liaison with,
2
; USSAG assessments of,
39–59
,
100–112
.
See also
casualties, Vietnam War, friendly
;
South Vietnamese Army (ARVN)
;
Vietnam War