An Loc is a small town in South Vietnam, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). The town became famous during the Vietnam War, as the location of a major battle in 1972. Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh  ) is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong River delta. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

In North Vietnam's Eastertide Offensive of 1972, the Communist Politbureau planned simultaneous attacks to capture as much territory as possible and to defeat the US-supported South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). By then, the number of United States ground forces in South Vietnam had fallen to 65,000 from an all-time high of 543,000 in 1969; and the North Vietnamese correctly anticipated that the US was unwilling to commit ground troops again. An aerial armada consisting of United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses and US Navy planes from four aircraft carrier wings, however, were at hand to provide strong and at times crucial air-support. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... The Easter Offensive (also known as the Nguyen Hue Offensive) was a military campaign in the Vietnam War. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Politburo is short for Political Bureau. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was a military component of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... The U.S. Air Force redirects here, for the official song, see The U.S. Air Force (song) The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Four aircraft carriers, Principe-de-Asturias, USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and HMS Invincible (front-to-back), showing the difference in size between a supercarrier, light V/STOL carriers, and an amphibious carrier. ...

One of the main attacks of the offensive took place north of Saigon, where North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) troops from base areas inside Cambodia launched a full-scale invasion starting on April 2, 1972. Quickly overrunning South Vietnamese defensive outposts, the North Vietnamese rolled down Highway 13 towards Saigon. The Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ... The Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their army, which during the Vietnam War (1961 - 1975) was known as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), or Army of North Vietnam. ...

The ARVN took a stand at An Loc, which was shortly surrounded by PAVN troops. The North Vietnamese forces, for the first time supported by heavy tanks, began their assault on April 13, 1972. A three-days all-out attack failed, after which the battle turned into a prolonged siege with shifting attacks and counter-attacks, all the while, the town was turned into rubble. Although the North Vietnamese on several occasions managed to breach the defenses, they never managed to deal the defenders a knock-out blow; and An Loc remained in the hands of the South Vietnamese. By July, the fighting had subsided and An Loc was relieved on July 11.

Although the ARVN performed well in some regards in An Loc, US air-support and air-borne supplies and reinforcements were key in preventing the fall of the town to the North Vietnamese. As such, the battle failed to convince US policymakers that the South Vietnamese could continue the war on their own. In his memoirs, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger notes that the South Vietnamese Army never managed to reopen the road into An Loc. The battle for An Loc (Easter Offensive) interrupted the Paris Peace Talks. Operation Linebacker I brought the communists back to the negotiations. In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German-born American diplomat, Nobel laureate and statesman. ... To set the stage, there were about 500,000 American troops in Vietnam, in 1967. ... Operation Linebacker was the code name for the bombing actions conducted by the United States Air Force during the Eastertide Offensive in the Vietnam War. ...

Three historical figures are linked to An Loc. Air Force pilot First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie died near An Loc when his A-37B Dragonfly went down on May 11, 1972. He had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns from 1984 to 1988 as the Unknown Service Member from the Vietnam War, before positive identification was obtained. Colonel William Benedict Nolde, the last recorded American combat casualty of the conflict, fell here on January 27, 1973. The ARVN did have a hero in Brigadier General Le Van Hung (1933-1975), whose remark "If I'm still alive, An Loc still stands" rallied the troops. His forces firmly held the city of An Loc under fierce enemy attacks that lasted 2 months. At the end of the war, General Hung was by then deputy commander of the IV Corps/Military Region 4 at Can Tho. He and the commander, General Nguyen Khoa Nam, rather than fleeing the country or surrendering to the communists, committed suicide on April 30, 1975. For the South Vietnamese, this month is now known as Cruel April; and the Communist North Vietnamese finally achieved what they sought in the 1972 Easter Offensive. May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, although it has never been officially named) is a monument in Arlington National Cemetery, United States dedicated to the American soldiers who have died without their remains being identified. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... List of military corps — List of military corps by number A number of countries have Fourth, or IV, Corps: Soviet 4th Mechanized Corps This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Cần Thơ is a city in Vietnam. ... General Nguyen Khoa Nam (23 September 1927–30 April 1975), was an illustrious Vietnamese soldier, born in Da Nang. ... The Eastertide Offensive was a military campaign in the Vietnam War. ...

See Also

• Battle of An Loc
• Vietnam War

Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Gen. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

External links

• The Battle of An Loc - Battle Overview, Photos, Personal Accounts and Links.
• [1]/ Communist Battle Plans for An Loc
• Vietnam War Internet Project
• Texas Tech University Vietnam Project - The major Vietnam era Archive.