Although the Paris Peace Accords ended direct United States military involvement in Vietnam on January 27, 1973, the process of withdrawal lasted over three years. This illuminating volume chronicles this withdrawal, its background, and its impact through a combination of official history and first-person accounts from key players at every level.
Brief historical narratives join recollections from U.S. servicemen and support staff, North and South Vietnamese soldiers, and such notable figures as Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig and Richard Nixon to reveal the human story behind the history.
A biographical dictionary summarizes the lives of important individuals, a glossary presents unusual terms and acronyms, and an appendix analyzes the war casualties under each U.S. president.

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 (6 x 9)
Pages: 228
Bibliographic Info: 28 photos, 8 maps, biographical dictionary, appendices, notes, bibliography, glossary, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7772-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1458-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments v

Preface 1

Introduction 9

One. The Early Days 13

Two. The Advisors 21

Three. Taking Over the War—No End in Sight 42

Four. The Home Front 83

Five. The Disintegration of the U.S. Army in Vietnam—

The Reluctant Warriors 94

Six. Vietnamization 120

Seven. Lam Son 719—The Test That We Failed 129

Eight. The Exit 163

Biographical Dictionary 183

Appendix A: Names, Abbreviations and Terms 192

Appendix B: The Presidents and U.S. Casualties 198

Appendix C: Lam Son 719 Result 201

Chapter Notes 202

Bibliography 210

Index 217