FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Volume 7, No. 47 ©SS 2015
CONTINUING SERIES
Stumbling into war INSIDE
From the front: Killing, dying, suffering ‘indelibly marked us all’ was the year America took the gloves off in Vietnam, moving from “advising and assisting” the South Vietnamese military to an active combat role. The first U.S. ground combat troops arrived there in March. That same month, the United States began bombing North Vietnam in Operation Rolling Thunder. In November, troops would take on North Vietnamese regulars for the first time in the Battle of Ia Drang Valley. Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of the U.S. Forces, was Time magazine’s Man of the Year. Once again, America was at war.
War correspondent Joseph Galloway did four stints in Vietnam, including a 16-month tour in 1965, during which he covered the pivotal Battle of Ia Drang Valley. Galloway, the co-author of the acclaimed Vietnam War book “We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young,” which was the basis for the movie “We Were Soldiers,” shares with us his unique perspective from the ground at Landing Zone X-Ray and a lifelong brotherhood forged under fire. Page 4
AT STRIPES.COM/VIETNAM50
‘Slippery slope’ The first U.S. combat troops waded ashore near Da Nang in March 1965, and within a few months the Vietnam conflict became an American war. Although it barely registered in the national consciousness at first, the war would have dire consequences for the country, the presidency and American optimism and faith in government.
Unrest at home The self-immolations of 1965 were the most dramatic acts of a budding antiwar movement. The centralized and diverse effort intertwined with movements for civil rights and free speech and against war, nuclear weapons and communism — then overtook them all.
Interactives, galleries & much more Interactive features include bios of key players, a timeline of major 1965 events and an Ia Drang Valley battle map. Plus, view photo galleries, read Stars and Stripes reporting from 1965 and veterans can share their experiences.