Dak To and the Border Battles of Vietnam, 1967–1968

In 1967, the North Vietnamese launched a series of offensives in the Central Highlands along the border with South Vietnam—a strategic move intended to draw U.S. and South Vietnamese forces away from major cities before the Tet Offensive. A series of bloody engagements known as “the border battles” followed, with the principle action taking place at Dak To. Drawing on the writings of key figures, veterans’ memoirs and the author’s records from two tours in Vietnam, this book merges official history with the recollections of those who were there, revealing previously unpublished details of these decisive battles.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Michael A. Eggleston is a graduate of West Point and a 30 year Army veteran. Now retired, he lives in Nokesville, Virginia.

Michael A. Eggleston
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 224
Bibliographic Info: 20 photos, 24 maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6417-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2699-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments v
Preface 1
Introduction 3
1—Background 5
2—The U.S. at War 16
3—Dak To 26
4—Last of the Border Battles 99
5—Aftermath: Tet ’68—31 January 1968 122
Biographical Sketches 157
Appendix A: Names, Acronyms and Terms 165
Appendix B: Vietnam Chronology 169
Appendix C: Unit Organization 172
Appendix D: The Wall 174
Chapter Notes 193
Bibliography 201
Index 209

“This is an excellent book to read in order to gain an appreciation of the nature of the conflict during this period. [Eggleston] expertly combines a sweeping synopsis of the history and nature of the war up to the Border Battle period and then delves in more detail regarding the scope of this engagement…he ensures that the reader has great difficulty putting the book down…recommended…. Disturbing, enlightening and poignant in equal measure.”—The Military Reviewer.