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Life and Death in I Corps:
To understand the Vietnam War, it is essential to appreciate the significance of I Corps. Strategically located, it was only through or around its provinces that the North Vietnamese could move troops and material to South America. From bases in mountainous western reaches, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched attacks into the south and reorganized after battles.
Before American involvement, North Vietnam used waterways and roads crossing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), as well as the formative Ho Chi Minh Trail in bordering Laos, to move supplies to the South. The South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) had little success stopping the flow. When the U.S. Marines landed in I Corps in 1965, the expanding American presence forced the North to deploy their own regular combat units to support operations.
The increase of NVA and Viet Cong units in I Corps resulted in a corresponding expansion of Marine, Army, and ARVN troop numbers as both sides wrestled for control of vital areas. The Air Force and Navy also added their weight to the contest. Seeking to shut down infiltration routes, American forces also deployed electronic monitoring systems and considered erecting a physical barrier along the DMZ.
While technology and firepower hindered Communist efforts, ongoing combat through I Corps demonstrated that the real fight would continue on the ground. In the end, sustained massive casualties failed to persuade the North to give up the war. Enemy soldiers and material moved endlessly to the front. In response to negative American public opinion against the war, Washington's war planners pursued an exit strategy through Vietnamization. Yet, only an American military presence could protect South Vietnam, and without it, the nation was doomed. |