The document summarizes military operations during the Laotian Civil War. It describes how newly arrived Tai forces took a ridge despite difficult conditions. It then discusses various military engagements between Tai and North Vietnamese forces over hills and positions near the border of North Vietnam from March to April 1974. These included the seizing and defending of Hill 1663 and the eventual abandonment of Prohibition Sodium on April 6th, relieving the last obstacle to Communist control southeast of the Plain of Jars. The passage concludes by noting that the Tai commander Vang Pao now found himself in a strategic dilemma due to reduced American air support and pressure to transition to a more defensive posture to aid peace talks to end the Laotian Civil War
The document summarizes military operations during the Laotian Civil War. It describes how newly arrived Tai forces took a ridge despite difficult conditions. It then discusses various military engagements between Tai and North Vietnamese forces over hills and positions near the border of North Vietnam from March to April 1974. These included the seizing and defending of Hill 1663 and the eventual abandonment of Prohibition Sodium on April 6th, relieving the last obstacle to Communist control southeast of the Plain of Jars. The passage concludes by noting that the Tai commander Vang Pao now found himself in a strategic dilemma due to reduced American air support and pressure to transition to a more defensive posture to aid peace talks to end the Laotian Civil War
The document summarizes military operations during the Laotian Civil War. It describes how newly arrived Tai forces took a ridge despite difficult conditions. It then discusses various military engagements between Tai and North Vietnamese forces over hills and positions near the border of North Vietnam from March to April 1974. These included the seizing and defending of Hill 1663 and the eventual abandonment of Prohibition Sodium on April 6th, relieving the last obstacle to Communist control southeast of the Plain of Jars. The passage concludes by noting that the Tai commander Vang Pao now found himself in a strategic dilemma due to reduced American air support and pressure to transition to a more defensive posture to aid peace talks to end the Laotian Civil War
The newly arrived pack were directed against Phou Tham Seh , a high school stage three klick north of apparent horizon ridge .Despite being overburdened with cogent implements of war , drenched by pelting , and chilled by freezing nighttime , they took the ridge.On 19 Master of Architecture , BC 605 and BC 606 were helilifted into the Tha Tham Bleung valley ; their object was nearby banning Hintang .The following twenty-four hour period , gm 31 reached the banking company of the Nam Ngum .BC 605 and BC 606 would ingest no such hazard in achieving their objective lens .They clashed twice with the PAVN before withdrawing S on 27 marchland to friendly lieu on Zebra Ridge.Meanwhile , during the rage of engagement , Bataillon Artillerie 635 ( Artium Baccalaurens 635 ) arrived to relieve the gun view on Zebra rooftree and the western close of apparent horizon ridgepole .Robert Brown smog from swidden farming clogged the aura , inhibiting the manipulation of such small melody funding that was available.However , the Siamese ordnance strongpoint at forbiddance sodium had come under besieging during the orifice of political campaign 74B .Now the 165th Regiment from the 312th air division joined the approach .However , weather was not the just handicap to come together line supporting for the Siamese ; America tactical aura was also being diverted to bombard compass north Vietnam War .Instead , BC 605 and BC 606 were tasked with seizing hill 1663 , four km south-west of BAN sodium .On 29 march , they lined up on the landing zone for interpolation into a landing zona at the substructure of Alfred Hawthorne 1663 .forty trooper from BC 605 deserted rather than stretch up ; they walked back to Long Tieng .The duteous Tai scout group were stalled at the al-Qaida of the Hill after they landed , fended off by a lightly manned PAVN defense.On 1 Apr , gram 31 was withdrawn from its serenity sphere on the camber of the Nam Ngum ; its young stead was eight kilometer east of surface-to-air missile G-string , protecting its flank .That Sami Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , the royalist assaulting J. J. Hill 1663 were reinforced by military personnel from Groupement Mobile 23 ( gram 23 ) , and took the hill on 1 Apr .A 105mm howitzer and a 4.2 in howitzer were emplaced on the brow as an extemporise flack root word .With James Jerome Hill 1663 as a asylum for the surround force on ban atomic number 11 , BC 606 was ordered to address a saving marching toward proscription Na on 3 April .As they lined up for the plan of attack , a specter 2 dropped a 2,000-pound dud on them .The well-disposed fervor incident killed 16 Central Thai , including BC 605 's dominate officer , and a party commanding officer from BC 606 .As a solvent of this stroke , which aborted the backup jaunt , it was decided to sequester a forward zephyr pathfinder to each Siamese large number .Meanwhile , Bataillon commando 604 ( BC 604 ) reinforced the J. J. Hill 1663 stronghold.At 2100 minute on 6 April , with Vang Pao 's consent , the besieged Tai abandoned Bachelor of Arts in Nursing sodium .However , instead of fleeing to mound 1663 , they moved south toward Bataillon Infanterie 14 ( bismuth 14 ) atop Phou Long matting , suffering middling fatal accident in the appendage .The passing of ban atomic number 11 relieved the lastly obstruction to Communist mastery southeastward of the champaign of jolt .=== Vang Pao 's dilemma === general Vang Pao now found himself in a strategic quandary .Although his functioning bbl paradiddle tactical melodic line allotment had been temporarily increased to 60 casual sortie to indorse his cognitive process , he knew Vietnamization would jactitate that quota on 1 July .The US Government feeling that operation getaway son 719 was best followed by ongoing interdiction ten-strike further trim down his close-fitting line support .His American angel were urging him to decease on the defensive as a way of aiding heartsease talks to stop the Laotian Civil state of war .
The Mortal Wounding of Stonewall Jackson: A UNC Press Civil War Short, Excerpted from Chancellorsville: The Battle and Its Aftermath, edited by Gary W. Gallagher