Importance of the Battles of Ap Bac and Ia Drang Valley

In January of the same year, the Battle of Ap Bac took place thirty miles south of Saigon. It was a pivotal battle because it was the first major engagement between the South Vietnamese Army and their U.S. Army advisers and the Northern Vietnamese Communist guerillas. The hamlet of Ap Bac and the outlying area was held by about 200 Communist guerillas. The ARVN forces in the battle outnumbered the Communists 10 to one and were supported by artillery and armor so it was thought that a straightforward attack would overwhelm and trample the enemy. The plan was to siege the town and kill or capture all guerilla forces; for Ap Bac was of strategic importance in protecting the capital, Saigon. This plan was all but followed.

Due to poor Vietnamese judgment not to follow their American advisers, there were 65 dead and 100 wounded unnecessarily. “Vietnamese infantrymen refused direct orders to advance during the bat

The Battle of Ap Bac was important both militaristically and politically. It showed the United States that we were going about this whole conflict all wrong. We can’t get the South Vietnamese to fight for a cause they can’t see or believe in. That cause was the agenda of America to stop the spread of Communism. If we were going to stop the spread of Communism in starting and ending in Vietnam, we were going to have to do it with our own discipline army. This was the lesson of Ap Bac. We didn’t want other instances of combat Captains refusing orders and not obeying superior officers. Therefore, the Battle of Ap Bac caused the U.S. to build up troops in Vietnam and take matters into her own hands. By 1965 the number of U.S. military personnel reached 200,000.

In the end of the campaign 305 American soldiers were dead and 3,561 were dead on the Communist side. The campaign in Ia Drang was considered a victory by both sides in their own retrospect and even though the numbers give the conclusion of a lop-sided American victory, those numbers weren’t the important factor. The battle of Ia Drang was the first major conflict between purely American forces and the North Vietnamese. It showed us most importantly how determined and fanatical our enemy was in this fight. The use of helicopters was great because it provided a quick way for the insurgence of men in particular areas where they are needed. Most importantly, the conclusion of Ia Drang told the United States “this was going to be a long war”.

In fighting a determined enemy such as the Viet Cong, the U.S. could only hop

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