S05E07: Ia Drang: The Vietnam War Begins - a podcast by Brady J. Crytzer

For three days in November of 1965 Americans soldiers found
themselves surrounded by an unseen enemy in the jungles of Southeast Asia. In
what would become the first battle of the Vietnam War, US troops squared off
with the People’s Army of Vietnam in the Ia Drang Valley. Badly outnumbered and
undersupplied, the American troops fought to defend a tiny clearing in a dense
rainforest non-stop for over fifty hours. Though the communist forces were
ultimately pushed back by the awesome airpower of the United States, the North
Vietnamese gained valuable intelligence on how to wage war against the enemy
superpower. For US citizens watching at home and abroad, the battle of the Ia
Drang Valley was sent a clear message that the Vietnam War was far from over,
and was only just beginning. On this episode we discuss the Battle of the Ia
Drang Valley.

Further episodes of WARTIME: A History Series

Further podcasts by Brady J. Crytzer

Website of Brady J. Crytzer