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The Battle of Ia Drang in November 1965 was the first major encounter between the People Army of North Vietnam (PAVN or North Vietnamese Army – NVA) and the US Army during the Vietnam War.
On March 8th, 1965 the fist US combat troops arrived in Da Nang and Vung Tau South Vietnam. In Da Nang, it was the 3rd Battalions of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB). The ground deployment of US combat troops in South Vietnam heralded their direct engagements in the battlefields and their leading role in major military operations. The role of the troops of South Vietnam Republic turned to mostly pacification operations in the countryside.
The Context of the battle
In an effort to block Viet Minh’s movements between the mountainous Northwest and the Red River Delta, the French deployed its forces in Hoa Binh in 1951. The Viet Minh commanders found this a great opportunity for causing high casualties to the French. Both sides chose Hoa Binh as the battlefield for their military operations in the dry season of 1951-1952 which is known as the Battle of Hoa Binh or the Hoa Binh Campaign by the Viet Minh.
Dien Bien Phu is the name of the capital city of Dien Bien Province in the far Northwest of Vietnam. Dien Bien Phu is the name of a decisive battle which led to the departure of the French colonialists from the land once called Indochina. In our guide, you can learn more about the Dien Bien Phu City as well as the Dien Bien Phu Battle which helped to change the course of the world’s history.
