"" On April 30, 1975, Saigon and the government of South Vietnam fell to the communist regime of North Vietnam, ending -- for American military forces -- exactly twenty-five year of courageous but unavailing struggle. This is not the story of how America became embroiled in a conflict in a small country half-way around the globe, nor of why our armed forces remained there so long after the futility of our efforts became obvious to many. It is the story of what went wrong there militarily, and why. The author is a professional soldier who experienced the Vietnam war in the field and in the h.

Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Preface; Prologue: 1950-1963; Part I AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM; 1. 1963-1967: The JCS and Vietnam; 2. 1967: Corps Command, Vietnam; 3. 1967-1968: Army HQ, Vietnam; 4. 1968-1969: The Transition Years; 5. 1969-1971: Vietnamization; 6. 1972-1973: Cease-Fire Achieved; Illustrations; 7. 1973-1975: The Final War Years; Part II ASSESSMENT; 8. American Operational Performance; 9. American Strategy; 10. The Larger Lessons; Notes; Glossary of Acronyms; Selected Bibliography; Index.