Comments on: Air Power in the Siege of Khe Sanh http://www.historynet.com/air-power-in-the-siege-of-khe-sanh.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=air-power-in-the-siege-of-khe-sanh From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:45:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: 88 Bravo http://www.historynet.com/air-power-in-the-siege-of-khe-sanh.htm#comment-785037 88 Bravo Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:00:40 +0000 #comment-785037 I have spoken with a number of North Vietnamese who were at Khe Sanh and they all say the B-52 strikes were the back breaker. The way an area 1 kilometer by 2 kilometers would suddenly erupt destroyed entire units and crushed morale. The actual "boots on the ground" relief was done by the 1st Cavalry Division, absolutely no question. I have spoken with a number of North Vietnamese who were at Khe Sanh and they all say the B-52 strikes were the back breaker. The way an area 1 kilometer by 2 kilometers would suddenly erupt destroyed entire units and crushed morale. The actual "boots on the ground" relief was done by the 1st Cavalry Division, absolutely no question.

]]> By: Joe Abodeely http://www.historynet.com/air-power-in-the-siege-of-khe-sanh.htm#comment-781853 Joe Abodeely Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:08:24 +0000 #comment-781853 The Marines were under siege until the 1st Air Calvary Operation Pegasus relieved them of April 8, 1968. They did not fight their way out of the siege as they could not go up and down highway 9 until the airmobile infantry cleared the road to the Khe Sanh fire base. They had to be resupplied by the Air Force with LAPE methods. The Air Force had bombed the AO around KSFB with fantastic bomb tonnage, and the NVA were still there keeping the Marines from sending two companies per the contingency plan to aid Lang Vei Special Forces caamp whe it was attacked by NVA tanks. The bombing did not drive the NVA away--the Marines did not drive the NVA away. If the NVA left before the 1st Air Cavalry conducted Operation Pegasus (because they heard about it)--when was that? And if they did--all the better. The art of war is not defeating your enemy in a hundred battles--it is puting him in a position that he mus capitulate. (Sun Tzu) Even the famous History Channel with its recent Vietnam series comments that the air force drove the NVA away so the 1st Cavalry could relieve KSFB. When did they drive them away because we were still fighting them in Operation Pegasus. USAF bombing was important, but not decisive. The 1st Air Cavalry "boots on the ground" are what drove the NVA away, cleared Route 9, and relieved the Marines from the siege at Khe Sanh Fire Base. The Marines were under siege until the 1st Air Calvary Operation Pegasus relieved them of April 8, 1968. They did not fight their way out of the siege as they could not go up and down highway 9 until the airmobile infantry cleared the road to the Khe Sanh fire base. They had to be resupplied by the Air Force with LAPE methods. The Air Force had bombed the AO around KSFB with fantastic bomb tonnage, and the NVA were still there keeping the Marines from sending two companies per the contingency plan to aid Lang Vei Special Forces caamp whe it was attacked by NVA tanks. The bombing did not drive the NVA away–the Marines did not drive the NVA away. If the NVA left before the 1st Air Cavalry conducted Operation Pegasus (because they heard about it)–when was that? And if they did–all the better. The art of war is not defeating your enemy in a hundred battles–it is puting him in a position that he mus capitulate. (Sun Tzu) Even the famous History Channel with its recent Vietnam series comments that the air force drove the NVA away so the 1st Cavalry could relieve KSFB. When did they drive them away because we were still fighting them in Operation Pegasus. USAF bombing was important, but not decisive. The 1st Air Cavalry "boots on the ground" are what drove the NVA away, cleared Route 9, and relieved the Marines from the siege at Khe Sanh Fire Base.

]]> By: Craig W. Tourte http://www.historynet.com/air-power-in-the-siege-of-khe-sanh.htm#comment-51452 Craig W. Tourte Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:57:58 +0000 #comment-51452 Great historical information - For those of us who served at Khe Sanh during that long and bloody siege, the personal deprivation was indescribable. Craig W. Tourte USMC/Khe Sanh H.Q. 1/13 Great historical information – For those of us who served at Khe Sanh during that long and bloody siege, the personal deprivation was indescribable.

Craig W. Tourte
USMC/Khe Sanh
H.Q. 1/13

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