The Hump : The 1st Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry, in the First Major Battle of the Vietnam War

Operation Hump, the first major battle between the U.S. Army and the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, took place November 5-9, 1965, in South Vietnam's War Zone D. Known as "The Hump," it would change the nature of the war, escalating it from a hit-and-run guerrilla conflict to a bloody contest between Communist main force units and American commands of battalion size or larger. This memoir of an Operation Hump survivor begins with the sequence of events leading up to the battle, from the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Drawing on official Army documents and the recollections of fellow combatants, the author not only describes the battle in detail but explains the war's basis in fabrications at the highest levels of the U.S. government. His experiences with PTSD after the war and his eventual return to Vietnam in the 1990s are included. Cover......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Prologue......Page 16 1. The Road to War......Page 18 2. 173d Airborne Brigade......Page 41 3. 5–7 November 1965......Page 50 4. 8 November 1965 0800–1200......Page 57 5. 8 November 1965 1200–2400......Page 84 6. 9–12 November 1965......Page 97 7. The Ia Drang Valley......Page 115 8. Afterthought......Page 124 9. Back to ’Nam......Page 128 10. Back in ’Nam......Page 136 11. Lessons Learned......Page 140 12. Big & Rich......Page 145 13. PTSD......Page 148 Appendix 1. The Medal of Honor......Page 166 Appendix 2. Where Are They Now?......Page 168 Appendix 3. Key Personnel......Page 171 Appendix 4. Combat After Action Report......Page 172 Appendix 5. Presidential Unit Citation......Page 191 Appendix 6. Glossary......Page 193 Chapter Notes......Page 198 Bibliography......Page 206 Author’s Service Record......Page 212 Index......Page 214 Operation Hump, The First Major Battle Between The U.s. Army And The Viet Cong And North Vietnamese Forces, Took Place November 5-9, 1965, In South Vietnam's War Zone D. This Memoir Of An Operation Hump Survivor Begins With Sequence Of Events Leading Up To The Battle, From The French Defeat At Dien Bien Phu In 1954-- Al Conetto. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 195-199) And Index. Operation Hump, the first major battle between the U.S. Army and the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, took place November 5-9, 1965, in South Vietnam's War Zone D. Known as "The Hump," it would change the nature of the war. This memoir of an Operation Hump draws on official Army documents and the recollections of combatants, and describes the battle in detail. "Operation Hump, the first major battle between the U.S. Army and the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, took place November 5-9, 1965, in South Vietnam's War Zone D. This memoir of an Operation Hump survivor begins with the sequence of events leading up to the battle, from the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954"-- Provided by publisher