1969 in the Vietnam War

1969 in the Vietnam War
← 1968
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Helicopters of the 170th and the 189th Helicopter Assault Companies await the loading of troops at Polei Kleng, in the Central Highlands of the Republic of South Vietnam., 04/10/1969
Location
Indochina
Belligerents

Anti-Communist forces:

 South Vietnam
 United States
 South Korea
 Australia
 Philippines
 New Zealand
Kingdom of Cambodia
 Thailand
Kingdom of Laos
Republic of China

Communist forces:

 North Vietnam
Viet Cong
Khmer Rouge
Pathet Lao
 People's Republic of China
 Soviet Union
 North Korea
Strength

South Vietnam 897,000
United States: 549,500
South Korea: 48,870
Thailand : 11,570
Australia: 7670
Philippines: 190

New Zealand: 550
Casualties and losses
US: 11,616 killed
South Vietnam: 21,833 Killed[1]
Congressman Alexander Pirnie (R-NY) drawing the first capsule for the Selective Service draft, Dec 1, 1969

January
January 12 to February 7

In Operation Bold Mariner the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines and 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines clear, search and depopulate the Batangan Peninsula a Viet Cong (VC) stronghold in Quảng Ngãi Province.[2]:300-3

January 20

Richard Nixon is inaugurated as 37th President of the United States.

January 22 to March 18

The U.S. 3rd Marine Division launched Operation Dewey Canyon to attack People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) base areas in the A Shau and Song Đa Krông Valleys of Quảng Trị Province. The operation results in 1,617 PAVN killed while 130 Marines were killed.[2]:50

February
February 17 to October 31

U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces begin the multi-division Operation Toan Thang III to keep pressure on PAVN/VC forces in III Corps. The operation results in 41,803 PAVN/VC killed and 3,299 captured, U.S. losses were 1,533 killed.[3]:A-17

February 22

The PAVN launches the Tet 1969 offensive against U.S. military targets near Saigon and Da Nang. The attacks were quickly beaten off. In the attack on Bien Hoa Air Base the PAVN lost 264 killed and 87 captured while ARVN losses were 10 killed and U.S. losses were one killed. Around Da Nang the PAVN/VC lost over 500 killed.[2]:101

February 28 to May 8

The U.S. 101st Airborne Division and ARVN 1st Division launch Operation Massachusetts Striker to keep pressure on the PAVN in the southern A Shau Valley. The operation results in 223 PAVN killed and two captured while U.S. losses were 59 killed.[4]

February 28 to February 28 1971

The 11th Light Infantry Brigade launches Operation Iron Mountain to attack PAVN/VC bases and logistics routes in southeastern Quảng Ngãi Province. The operation results in 4,589 PAVN/VC killed and 137 captured while U.S. losses are 440 killed.[5]

March
March 1 to May 8

The 4th Marine Regiment launches Operation Purple Martin against three PAVN regiments operating near the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The operation results in 347 PAVN killed and approximately 100 Marines killed.[2]:58

March 1 to August 1971

In the DMZ Campaign (1969-71) the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) assumed responsibility for the defense of the DMZ from the 3rd Marine Division as it withdrew from South Vietnam.

March 15 to May 2

The 3rd Marine Division and a regiment from the ARVN 1st Division launch Operation Maine Crag in the "Vietnam Salient" of Quảng Trị Province. the operation uncovered large amounts of supplies and resulted in 207 PAVN killed.[2]:67

March 18 to May 28 1970

Operation Menu was the codename of a covert United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC) bombing campaign conducted in eastern Cambodia from 18 March 1969 until 26 May 1970. The supposed targets of these attacks were PAVN/VC sanctuaries and base areas used for resupply, training, and resting between campaigns across the border in the South Vietnam.

March 18 to February 28 1971

The 196th Light Infantry Brigade and ARVN 5th Regiment, 2nd Division launch Operation Frederick Hill to pacify the coastal areas of Quảng Tín Province. The operation results in 7,514 PAVN/VC killed and 133 captured, U.S. losses are 572 killed.[6]

March 18 to February 28 1971

The 198th Light Infantry Brigade and ARVN 6th Regiment, 2nd Division launch Operation Geneva Park to pacify Quảng Ngãi Province. the operation results in 2,337 PAVN killed and 67 captured, U.S. losses are 231 killed.[7]

March 23 to April 3

The 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines and elements of the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division launch Operation Montana Mauler against the PAVN 27th Regiment north of Firebase Fuller in Quảng Trị Province. The operation results in 271 PAVN killed, U.S. losses are 38 killed.[2]:60

March 31 to May 29

The 1st Marine Division and ARVN 51st Regiment, 1st Division launch Operation Oklahoma Hills in southwest Quảng Nam Province. the operation results in 589 PAVN killed, U.S. losses are 43 killed.[2]:116

April

The number of American military personnel in Vietnam peaked at 543,000.[8] Tensions and casualties start escalating months after the Vietnam War begins both in Vietnam and back home in the United States. In the beginning of April a massive group of Harvard students took their angers to the school, trying to overthrow officials all while physically taking out multiple deans and eventually locked themselves in to revolt against the Vietnam War.[9][10]

April 15 to January 1 1971

The 173rd Airborne Brigade, ARVN 2nd Division and 22nd Division and Regional Force and Popular Forces launch Operation Washington Green a security and pacification operation in Bình Định Province. The operation results in 1,957 PAVN/VC killed, U.S. losses are 227 killed.[11]

May
May 2 to July 16

The 3rd Marine Regiment launches Operation Virginia Ridge to engage the PAVN 27th and 36th Regiments near the central DMZ. The operation results in 560 PAVN killed and 17 captured, Marine losses were 16 killed.[2]:75

May 10 to June 7

The U.S. 101st Airborne Division and ARVN 1st Division launch Operation Apache Snow in the A Shau Valley. The operation results in 977 PAVN killed and five captured while U.S. losses were 113 killed and ARVN losses were 31 killed.[12] Most of the U.S. casualties were in the Battle of Hamburger Hill from May 13-20 where U.S. forces attacked heavily fortified PAVN positions on Hill 937. 630 PAVN, 72 U.S. and 31 ARVN were killed in the fighting for Hill 937.[13]

May 15 to August 14

The 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division launches Operation Lamar Plain in Quảng Tín Province. The operation results in 524 PAVN/VC killed and 21 captured and U.S. losses were 116 killed and one missing.[14]

May 26 to November 7

The 1st Marine Division, ARVN 51st Regiment and Republic of Korea Marine Corps 2nd Marine Brigade launch Operation Pipestone Canyon to pacify and clear Go Noi Island, Quảng Nam Province. The operation results in 852 PAVN/VC killed and 58 captured, U.S. Marine losses were 71 killed.[2]:187

June
June 6

The Battle of Binh Ba, also known as Operation Hammer, was a hard-fought, but one-sided, battle. The action occurred on 6–8 June 1969 when troops from the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR) fought a PAVN/VC force in the village of Binh Ba, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province resulting in 107 PAVN/VC killed and eight captured for the loss of one Australian killed.

June 12 to July 6

The 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, elements of the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division and the ARVN 2nd Regiment launch Operation Utah Mesa against the PAVN 24th Regiment near Khe Sanh. The operation results in 309 PAVN killed and U.S. losses were 14 killed.[2]:72

June 18 to August 15

The 101st Airborne Division launches Operation Montgomery Rendezvous in western Thừa Thiên Province to interdict PAVN infiltration routes and forestall attacks on Huế. The operation results in 393 PAVN killed and 87 U.S. killed.[15]

June 29 to August 30

In Operation Keystone Eagle the initial units of the 3rd Marine Division withdrew from South Vietnam.[2]:128-32

July
July 13 to August 15

The 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and ARVN 54th Regiment, 1st Division launch Operation Campbell Streamer in the Bạch Mã area near Huế. The operation results in 51 PAVN killed and one captured.[16]

July 21 to September 25

The 3rd Marine Division and elements of the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division launch Operation Idaho Canyon in north-central Quảng Trị Province. The operation results in 563 PAVN killed.[2]:149

July 23 to March 10 1971

The 198th Light Infantry Brigade launches Operation Nantucket Beach on the Batangan Peninsula. The operation results in 630 PAVN/VC killed, U.S. losses are 51 killed.[17]

August
August 21

Operation Camden was an Australian Army military operation in support of the 501 Land Clearing Company, United States Army Corps of Engineers who were undertaking land clearing operations in the Hat Dich Area.

August 27

The U.S. 9th Infantry Division began withdrawing from South Vietnam.

September
September 2

With the outcome of the war still in question, Hồ Chí Minh died on the morning of 2 September 1969, at his home in Hanoi at age 79 from heart failure.

September 30 to November 27

In Operation Keystone Cardinal the remaining units of the 3rd Marine Division withdrew from South Vietnam.[2]:167-8

October
October 22 to January 18 1970

The 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division and ARVN 1st Division launch Operation Fulton Square in the lowlands of Quảng Trị Province. The operation results in 384 PAVN killed, U.S. losses are 28 killed.[2]:171

November
November 1 to May 1 1970

Following the conclusion of Operation Toan Thang III, U.S. and ARVN forces begin Operation Toan Thang IV with largely the same forces and objectives. When the operation concludes on May 1 1970 14,479 PAVN/VC have been killed for the loss of 685 U.S. killed.[18]

December
December 7 to March 31 1970

The 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and ARVN 1st Division launch Operation Randolph Glen to engage PAVN/VC units and interdict supply lines into the lowlands of Thừa Thiên Province. The operation results in 670 PAVN killed, U.S. losses are 123 killed and four missing.[19]

Year in numbers
Armed Force Strength KIA Reference Military costs - 1968 Military costs in 2020 US$ Reference
 South Vietnam ARVN 897,000 21,833 [20]
 United States US Forces 549,500 11,616 [21]
 South Korea 48,870 [20][22]
 Thailand 11,570 [20]
 Australia 7670 [20]
 Philippines 190 [20]
 New Zealand 550 [20]
 North Vietnam

Bibliography
Notes
  1. Clarke, Jeffrey J. (1988), United States Army in Vietnam: Advice and Support: The Final Years, 1965–1973, Washington, D.C: Center of Military History, United States Army, p. 275
  2. Smith, Charles (1988). U.S. Marines In Vietnam: High Mobility And Standdown, 1969. History and Museums Division, Headquarters US Marine Corps. ISBN 9781494287627. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. "United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Command History 1969 Volume III" (PDF). Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 30 April 1970. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. "Combat Operations After Action Report Operation Massachusetts Striker" (PDF). Headquarters, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. 25 May 1969. p. 6. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. "Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 30 April 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 15 May 1971. p. 29. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. "Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 30 April 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 15 May 1971. p. 22. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. "Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 30 April 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 15 May 1971. p. 25. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. Lewy, Guenther (1978), America in Vietnam, New York: Oxford University Press, p. 146.
  9. "The History Place - Vietnam War 1969-1975". www.historyplace.com. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
  10. "Battlefield:Vietnam | Timeline". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  11. "Senior Officer debriefing report" (PDF). Department of the Army, Headquarters, 173d Airborne Brigade. 9 August 1970. pp. 8–15. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. Stanton 2003, p. 13
  13. "The Battle of Hamburger Hill - Veteran Legacy". Veteran Legacy. 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  14. "Combat Operations After Action Report Operation Lamar Plain" (PDF). Department of the Army. 15 September 1969. p. 29. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.}
  15. "Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary August 1969" (PDF). Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 10 December 1969. p. 55. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  16. "Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) for Period Ending 31 July 1969". Headquarters 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). 20 August 1969. p. 8. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  17. "Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 30 April 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 15 May 1971. p. 34. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  18. "Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary April 1970" (PDF). Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 17 August 1970. p. 83. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  19. "Combat Operations After Action Report, Operation Randolph Glen" (PDF). Headquarters 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). 30 June 1970. p. 17. Retrieved 25 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

  20. War Remnants Museum Data

    Armed Force 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972
     South Vietnam ARVN 514,000 643,000 735,900 798,800 820,000 897,000 968,000 1,046,250 1,048,00053**553(55((3(5(5minute ththhthntththte digest my nuts
     United States 23,310 180,000 385,300 485,600 549,500 549,500 335,790 158,120 24,000
     South Korea 200 20,620 25,570 47,830 50,000 48,870 48,540 45,700 36,790
     Australia 200 1560 4530 6820 7660 7670 6800 2000 130
     Thailand 0 20 240 2220 6000 11,570 11,570 6000 40
     Philippines 20 70 2060 2020 1580 190 70 50 50
     New Zealand 30 120 160 530 520 550 440 100 50
  21. United States 2010
  22. Leepson & Hannaford 1999, p. 209
References
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