By Bob Hall With the 50th anniversary of the US withdrawal from Vietnam War behind us it is worth considering why the combined efforts of the Republic of Vietnam and the United States and their allies, failed to achieve the outcome they desired in the campaign. Indeed, this has been a hotly debated issue since the end of the war. … Read More
Political legitimacy: The 1971 Vietnamese Presidential election
By Bob Hall 3 October 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Presidential election in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). While debate has swirled around questions of which military strategy was best – Westmoreland’s attrition strategy or Abrams’ pacification strategy[1] – the political strategy has received little attention. Yet the campaign was acknowledged by all participants as essentially … Read More
Social and economic development: Phuoc Tuy 1966 to 1971
By Bob Hall Over the course of the war between 1966 when the Australian Task Force arrived, to the end of 1971 when the Task Force departed, Phuoc Tuy Province underwent significant changes. Some of these were the direct result of civil affairs projects. Some were indirect results of these projects. Still others were the result of improving security and … Read More
Ambassador Bunker and the Tet Offensive of 1968
By Bob Hall Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam from 5 April 1967 to 11 May 1973, wrote lengthy monthly reports to Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. Bunker wrote a final report to President Johnson on the President’s last days in office, on 16 January 1969. It ran to 56 pages. In it, Bunker … Read More