An Loc
Encyclopedia
An Loc is a small town in Bình Phước Province
in southern Vietnam
, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City
) with a population of 15,000. The town became famous during the Vietnam War
, as the location of a major battle in 1972.
In North Vietnam
's Easter Offensive of 1972, the Communist Politburo
/General Vo Nguyen Giap
planned simultaneous attacks to capture as much territory as possible and to defeat the US-supported South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam
(ARVN). By then, the number of United States ground forces in South Vietnam had fallen to 65,000 from an all-time high of 543,000 in 1969; and the North Vietnamese correctly anticipated that the US was unwilling to commit ground troops again. An aerial armada consisting of United States Air Force
(USAF) B-52 Stratofortress
es, F-4 Phantom II
s, A-37 Dragonflies
and US Navy planes from four aircraft carrier
wings and some Vietnam Air Force
(VNAF) fighters, however, were at hand to provide strong and at times crucial air-support.
One of the main attacks of the offensive took place north of Saigon, where three divisions of North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) troops from base areas inside Cambodia
launched a full-scale invasion starting on April 2, 1972. Quickly overrunning South Vietnamese defensive outposts, the North Vietnamese rolled down Highway 13 towards Saigon.
The ARVN took a stand at An Loc, led by CG Nguyen Van Minh, which was shortly surrounded by PAVN troops. The North Vietnamese forces, for the first time supported by heavy tanks, began their assault on April 13, 1972. A three-days all-out attack failed, after which the battle turned into a prolonged siege with shifting attacks and counter-attacks. All the while, the town was turned into rubble. Although the North Vietnamese on several occasions breached the defenses, they never managed to deal the defenders a knock-out blow; and An Loc remained in the hands of the South Vietnamese. By July, the fighting had subsided and An Loc was relieved on July 11.
Although the ARVN performed well in some regards in An Loc, USAF air-support and air-borne supplies and reinforcements were key in preventing the fall of the town to the North Vietnamese. As such, the battle failed to convince US policymakers that the South Vietnamese could continue the war on their own. In his memoirs, US Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger
notes that the South Vietnamese Army never managed to reopen the road into An Loc. The battle for An Loc (Easter Offensive) interrupted the Paris Peace Talks. Operation Linebacker I brought the communists back to the negotiations.
Three historical figures are linked to An Loc. Air Force pilot First Lieutenant Michael Blassie
died near An Loc when his A-37B went down on May 11, 1972. He had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns
from 1984 to 1998 as the Unknown Service Member
from the Vietnam War, before positive identification was obtained`through DNA evidence. Colonel William Nolde
, the last recorded American combat casualty of the conflict, fell here on January 27, 1973. The ARVN did have a hero in Brigadier General Le Van Hung
(1933–1975), whose remark "If I'm still alive, An Loc still stands" rallied the troops. His forces firmly held the city of An Loc under fierce enemy attacks that lasted 2 months. At the end of the war, General Hung was by then deputy commander of the IV Corps
(known as Military Region 4) at Can Tho. He and the commander, General Nguyen Khoa Nam
, rather than fleeing the country or surrendering to the communists, committed suicide on April 30, 1975 after hearing the order to lay down their arms by General Duong Van Minh
, who had been President of the Republic of Vietnam for just three days. For some South Vietnamese, this month is now known as "Cruel April"; and the Communist North Vietnamese finally achieved what they sought in their 1972 Easter Offensive.
An Loc is mentioned in the epilogue of American Graffiti
. It is said that "Terry 'Toad' Fields was reported missing in action near An Loc in December 1965." An Loc is also mentioned in Good Morning Vietnam, as Sgt Major Dickerson requests activity on the road to An Loc for the trip that Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) and Edward Garlick (Forest Whitaker) are taking to supposedly 'interview' troops in the field.
Binh Phuoc Province
Bình Phước is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the southeastern region of the country, to the north of Ho Chi Minh City. It shares a border with Cambodia.-History:...
in southern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
) with a population of 15,000. The town became famous during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, as the location of a major battle in 1972.
In North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
's Easter Offensive of 1972, the Communist Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
/General Vo Nguyen Giap
Vo Nguyen Giap
Võ Nguyên Giáp is a retired Vietnamese officer in the Vietnam People’s Army and a politician. He was a principal commander in two wars: the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War...
planned simultaneous attacks to capture as much territory as possible and to defeat the US-supported South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
(ARVN). By then, the number of United States ground forces in South Vietnam had fallen to 65,000 from an all-time high of 543,000 in 1969; and the North Vietnamese correctly anticipated that the US was unwilling to commit ground troops again. An aerial armada consisting of United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
es, F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
s, A-37 Dragonflies
Cessna T-37
The Cessna T-37 Tweet is a small, economical twin-engine jet trainer-attack type aircraft which flew for decades as a primary trainer for the United States Air Force and in the air forces of several other nations...
and US Navy planes from four aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
wings and some Vietnam Air Force
Vietnam Air Force
The Vietnam Air Force began with a few hand-picked men chosen to fly alongside French pilots during the State of Vietnam era. It eventually grew into the world’s sixth largest air force at the height of its power, in 1974...
(VNAF) fighters, however, were at hand to provide strong and at times crucial air-support.
One of the main attacks of the offensive took place north of Saigon, where three divisions of North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) troops from base areas inside Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
launched a full-scale invasion starting on April 2, 1972. Quickly overrunning South Vietnamese defensive outposts, the North Vietnamese rolled down Highway 13 towards Saigon.
The ARVN took a stand at An Loc, led by CG Nguyen Van Minh, which was shortly surrounded by PAVN troops. The North Vietnamese forces, for the first time supported by heavy tanks, began their assault on April 13, 1972. A three-days all-out attack failed, after which the battle turned into a prolonged siege with shifting attacks and counter-attacks. All the while, the town was turned into rubble. Although the North Vietnamese on several occasions breached the defenses, they never managed to deal the defenders a knock-out blow; and An Loc remained in the hands of the South Vietnamese. By July, the fighting had subsided and An Loc was relieved on July 11.
Although the ARVN performed well in some regards in An Loc, USAF air-support and air-borne supplies and reinforcements were key in preventing the fall of the town to the North Vietnamese. As such, the battle failed to convince US policymakers that the South Vietnamese could continue the war on their own. In his memoirs, US Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
notes that the South Vietnamese Army never managed to reopen the road into An Loc. The battle for An Loc (Easter Offensive) interrupted the Paris Peace Talks. Operation Linebacker I brought the communists back to the negotiations.
Three historical figures are linked to An Loc. Air Force pilot First Lieutenant Michael Blassie
Michael Blassie
First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie was an officer in the United States Air Force. Prior to identification of his remains, Blassie was the Unknown service member from the Vietnam War laid to rest at the Tomb of the Unknowns.After graduating from St. Louis University High School, Blassie...
died near An Loc when his A-37B went down on May 11, 1972. He had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
from 1984 to 1998 as the Unknown Service Member
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
from the Vietnam War, before positive identification was obtained`through DNA evidence. Colonel William Nolde
William Nolde
Colonel William Benedict Nolde was an officer in the United States Army. Born in Menominee, Michigan, Nolde was a professor of military science at Central Michigan University before joining the army...
, the last recorded American combat casualty of the conflict, fell here on January 27, 1973. The ARVN did have a hero in Brigadier General Le Van Hung
Le Van Hung
Lê Văn Hưng was born in Hóc Môn, in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, and graduated from Thủ Đức Military Academy, 5th class, in 1955. He held many commands from company to battalion level...
(1933–1975), whose remark "If I'm still alive, An Loc still stands" rallied the troops. His forces firmly held the city of An Loc under fierce enemy attacks that lasted 2 months. At the end of the war, General Hung was by then deputy commander of the IV Corps
IV Corps (South Vietnam)
The IV Corps was a corps of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975...
(known as Military Region 4) at Can Tho. He and the commander, General Nguyen Khoa Nam
Nguyen Khoa Nam
Major General Nguyễn Khoa Nam , was a native of Đà Nẵng and served in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam .-Education:He received his primary education at the École des Garçons in Đà Nẵng and graduated in 1939...
, rather than fleeing the country or surrendering to the communists, committed suicide on April 30, 1975 after hearing the order to lay down their arms by General Duong Van Minh
Duong Van Minh
Minh was born on 16 February 1916 in Mỹ Tho Province in the Mekong Delta, the son of a wealthy landowner who served in a prominent position in the Finance Ministry of the French colonial administration...
, who had been President of the Republic of Vietnam for just three days. For some South Vietnamese, this month is now known as "Cruel April"; and the Communist North Vietnamese finally achieved what they sought in their 1972 Easter Offensive.
An Loc is mentioned in the epilogue of American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
. It is said that "Terry 'Toad' Fields was reported missing in action near An Loc in December 1965." An Loc is also mentioned in Good Morning Vietnam, as Sgt Major Dickerson requests activity on the road to An Loc for the trip that Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) and Edward Garlick (Forest Whitaker) are taking to supposedly 'interview' troops in the field.
External links
- The Battle of An Loc - Battle Overview, Photos, Personal Accounts and Links.
- Battle of An Loc (Valiant Binh Long)
- Battle of An Loc - by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Willbanks
- http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/thiet/thie_c3_pt1.pdf/ Communist Battle Plans for An Loc
- Vietnam War Internet Project
- Texas Tech University Vietnam Project - Major Vietnam Era Archive.
- Gerald R. Ford Library holdings - Declassified National Security Adviser files of interest
- PBS Battlefield: Vietnam
- Account of ARVN Armor general and last days combat