Made famous in the film We Were Soldiers, the Battle of Ia Drang was the first major conventional battle between regular North Vietnamese forces and the United States military. Drawing from numerous first-person accounts, the Battle of Ia Drang is recounted with vivid detail in this episode. It’s a battle which directly changed the tactics and strategy of two nations – a battle which led to hundreds of thousands of Americans walking through the middle of nowhere in search for an elusive enemy, an enemy who had learned to harass but rarely to stand up and fight the Americans. And both sides reached these tactics as a direct result of this one battle – the Battle of Ia Drang. This is part two of a two part series. You can find part one here: episode 77.

Download episode 78 here: download link

Maps and Images:

Extensive maps and images are posted to the historical atlas located here: Battle of Ia Drang historical atlas

Music Source:

Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio /// website: karlcasey.bandcamp.com

References:

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