42,000 Americans to leave Vietnam

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 15

42,000 Americans to leave Vietnam

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright > SAIGON, August 31. The United States Command would withdraw 42,000 American soldiers from Vietnam during a three-month period beginning on Wednesday to meet President Nixon’s December 1 deadline for cutting troop strength to 184,000, military sources said.

Withdrawals so far have cut the peak strength of 543,400 in April, 1969, to the present 219,000. One-third of the 19 American manoeuvre battalions are earmarked for withdrawal by December 1, the sources said. The 101st Airborne and the America! divisions would remain in the five northernmost provinces, making up Military Region 1, according to the sources. The 101st is responsible for Quang Tri and Thua Thien provinces containing the Demilitarised Zone defence line and the ancient imperial capital of Hue. The America! is in the southern portion of the region. The withdrawals will close Mr Nixon’s programme to reduce U.S. forces by 100,000 soldiers from May 1 to December 1, when the maximum strength allowed will be 184,000. As of last Thursday, 219,000 soldiers were in Vietnam, the command said. This was 1100 fewer than the previous week. The reduction was the smallest since the week ending on February 4 when 800 soldiers were withdrawn. The U.S. force now stands at the lowest level since the end of February, 1966. The total allied force in Vietnam dropped by 1900 men to 61,300 men last week, spokesmen said. The allied force—made up primarily of troops from South Korea, Thailand, Australia ■

and New Zealand—dropped largely because of the pulli out of the Thai forces, they said.