Battle of the Ia Drang - Definition and Overview

The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major battle of the Vietnam War between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN).

On November 14, 1965, the 1st battalion of the 7th Cavalry was ordered to the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam with a simple mission - find and kill the enemy (search and destroy). The 450 man battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, was pitted against over 2000 North Vietnamese regulars entrenched in the valley. There was a lack of reliable roads into the area, so the companies of the battalion were flown in and out on Huey helicopters. The soldiers deployed at a clearing designated Landing Zone X-Ray. The Hueys were also used to bring in ammunition and extract the wounded and dead.

The battle lasted November 14 - 16 until the PAVN withdrew. The U.S. lost 79 Soldiers with 121 wounded. The PAVN lost 634 fighters with an estimated 1215 wounded.

While technically an American victory and proof that "search and destroy" missions could be successful, the battle helped to shape the North Vietnamese strategy for years to come. Engaging the Americans close up, they learned, reduced America's ability to use its powerful air power on the battlefield.

The battle was the subject of the film We Were Soldiers (2002) which was based on Moore's book We Were Soldiers Once...And Young. The book was co-written by Joseph L. Galloway, the only reporter on the field during the battle.

External links

• Landing Zone X-Ray (http://www.lzxray.com/)