U.S. Involvement Began Nine Years Ago

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31879, 6 January 1969, Page 13

U.S. Involvement Began Nine Years Ago

(N.Z.P.A Reuter—Copyright) SAIGON, January 4. American servicemen have started their ninth year of involvement in the Vietnam war, which has cost them more than 30,500 dead.

From a handful of military advisers in January. 1961. the United States ranks have swollen to more than half a million men. alongside Australian, South Korean. Thai and New Zealand troops. In the last eight years the political and military scene in South Vietnam has changed considerably. Elections brought President Nguyen Van Thieu to power in September, 1967. A new Constitution was drafted, and the South Vietnamese armed forces were built up to more than 800,000 men to fight the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. More Guerrillas But while the military build-up and strength of South Vietnam increased, sol did the infiltration of North I Vietnamese troops. They came along the Ho Chi Minh trail, hidden in the jungles of Laos and northeastern Cambodia, as well as across the Demilitarised Zone separating North and South Vietnam.

By January 31 last year they were able to launch the nation-wide lunar new year Tet offensive.

The guerrillas gained temporary control of eight pro-1 vincial capitals, and held the| former Imperial capital of' Hue for 28 days. They penetrated the American Embassy in Saigon, and at one stage forced more than 750,000 people to flee their homes to refugee centres. Unpleasant Memories On the ninth birthday of their part in the civil war, the Americans can look back on some harrowing memories

—memories of Hill 881, in the northern part of the country, where more than 300 United States soldiers were cut down in an ambush in 1967. They can look back to the days of siege in the strategic base camp at Khc Sanh, where marines were surrounded by North Vietnamese for more than three months, and could only be supplied and evacuated by planes or helicopters using a runway constantly under heavy fire. They can look back to the liberation of Hue, where half the beautiful city was shelled to ruins. The guerrillas resisted the marines down to the last chair in the throne I room of the former Imperial > palace. Losses In 1968 Nearly half the Americans who have died in Vietnam were killed in 1968. Of these, 6081 died in the northern provinces between the big military base at Da Nang and the Demilitarised Zone. The cost has not been in men alone. A total of 4750 United States aircraft have been lost in Vietnam since January, 1961, including three |FIII fighter-bombers, which alone represented a loss of nearly SUS2Om. But. for the first time since they have been here, the Americans can look forward to the possibility of beginning a withdrawal before the end of the year. As President Thieu himself said in a New Year adi dress, the South Vietnamese .forces have been built up so | well that their allies may be able to start pulling out dur'ing 1969.