What Book Are You Reading at the Moment?

[Smitty-48]

Is it true the VC and North Vietnamese were more scared of the Aussies than the Americans? One of my professors told us this, and said it was because the Australian servicemen were very familiar with the bush.

I don't think so. The NLF and NVA feared American firepower more than anything.

If they could hug the belt, which was their doctrine, they were not afraid.

[heydaralon]

Sorry I'm not all caught up on military terminology. What do you mean hug the belt?

[Smitty-48]

Sorry I'm not all caught up on military terminology. What do you mean hug the belt?

In the first engagement at Ia Drang, the Americans at LZ X-ray were able to keep the NVA at bay and destroy them with artillery and airpower.

Two days later at LZ Albany, the NVA got close enough so that the Americans could not call in fire support, and so they wiped that American battalion out.

The NVA took the lesson; get in close so they can't call in artillery and airpower, then it's an even fight.

They called it Hug the Belt.

[heydaralon]

Taking out air power though, were Americans still better fighters than the yellow man?

[Smitty-48]

Taking out air power though, were Americans still better fighters than the yellow man?

The American started out better but morale collapsed at Hill 937 in the A Shau.

So it's like two American forces.

Before the A Shau and after the A Shau.

[heydaralon]

Once Nixon's second term started, Americans were not actually fighting the VC and NVA on the ground anymore right? We were just giving the ARVN weapons, training, and air support?

[Smitty-48]

Once Nixon's second term started, Americans were not actually fighting the VC and NVA on the ground anymore right? We were just giving the ARVN weapons, training, and air support?

No, the Army was being withdrawn, but slowly and fighting as it went.

This contributes to the morale collapse.

No hope of victory, but keep on with Search & Destroy so you can be the last man to die in defeat in Vietnam.

[Smitty-48]

This is when discipline completely breaks down.

Not just in the rear, but in the field as well.

This is when casualties go through the roof.

They suffer far more casualties by not fighting hard than they did when fighting hard.

They stopped taking the fight to the enemy, lost the initiative, and then just started to flail.

[heydaralon]

Once Nixon's second term started, Americans were not actually fighting the VC and NVA on the ground anymore right? We were just giving the ARVN weapons, training, and air support?

No, the Army was being withdrawn, but slowly and fighting as it went.

This contributes to the morale collapse.

No hope of victory, but keep on with Search & Destroy so you can be the last man to die in defeat in Vietnam.

No one wanted to be the last American who died in Vietnam, I guess. Which makes sense. Were the South Vietnamese not motivated or something? Even though Vietnam sounds like a nightmare I can't even imagine, at least as an American I would have a chance of leaving. I wouldn't be forced to live in a communist shithole if I lost. Why didn't the South take that shit seriously the way the North did? Across the board, it seems like every account discusses them as being more interested in riding around on motor scooters over fighting. Why was the North so good at fighting, but the South so terrible?

[Smitty-48]

The North Vietnamese had a Grand Strategy.

Information Warfare.

Co-opt American academia and media to undermine American morale.

Win the war in Washington.

Wins the war on the battlefield by default.

The problem with the ARVN goes back to Diem, Diem corrupted it from the beginning.

Many ARVN fought very hard and valiantly, but the officer corps was rotten to the core, thanks to Diem.

The NLF was all due to Diem. It was the Anti-Diem coalition.

NVA troops were naive and idealistic and that was the source of their bravery and determination.

The NVA troops were so naive and idealistic, the chain of command allowed them to go AWOL to go home to visit their families, because they knew that once they had seen their mommas one more time, they would come back to the front on their own.

They were so young naive and idealistic, they were like child soldiers for all intents and purposes, they'd do anything for you if you ordered them too.