On 8 March 1965 at Da Nang in South Vietnam, 3,500 Marines landed thus marking the beginning of US combat troops in Vietnam. 8 years later the Americans would withdraw having lost more than 58,000 dead, and 300,000 wounded. The Vietnam War itself cost, and these numbers are approximate, around 300,000 South Vietnamese troops dead, 1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong dead and more than 3 million civilians killed.

Joining today is Geoffrey Wawro, historian and author of a new military history of this tragic conflict. This is the first of a two-parter as Geoff describes the background of US involvement, the mistakes made by the military leaders, and the Nixon administration’s involvement. Part two is out on Wednesday as we discuss the war from 1968 as US troops lose discipline and the American public lost faith in the war.

Geoffrey Wawro Links

The Vietnam War: A Military History

Aspects of History Links

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