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
May 1969: The switch to pacification
By Bob Hall In July 1968 the Psyops advisor in Phuoc Tuy Province, Major Desmal C. Smith Jr. was nearing the end of his tenure in the job. He was writing his end-of-tour report giving an overall assessment of progress and recommendations for change and improvement. He argued that the achievement of physical security was the key to improving pacification … Read More