The Vietnam Air Gallantry Cross was a military decoration of South Vietnam which was issued during the years of the Vietnam War. The Air Gallantry Cross was awarded for meritorious or heroic conduct while engaged in aerial combat. The decoration was comparable to the United States decoration of the Air Medal.
The Air Gallantry Cross was occasionally awarded to members of foreign militaries, but only if an air combat action was performed which directly benefitted Vietnamese war efforts. Pilots of the United States Air Force were often awarded the Air Gallantry Cross.
Separate decorations, known as the Vietnam Gallantry Cross and Vietnam Navy Gallantry Cross, were also issued for general service and naval achievement. These were separate awards from the Vietnam Air Gallantry Cross.
The Vietnam War was in many ways a direct successor to the French Indochina War, sometimes referred to as the First Indochina War, in which the French fought, with the financial and logistical support of the United States, to regain control of their former colony in Indochina.
The unstated goal of Vietnamization was that the primary burden of combat would be returned to ARVN troops and thereby lessen domestic opposition to the war in the U.S. During this period, the United States conducted a gradual troop withdrawal from Vietnam.
Vietnam released figures on April 3, 1995 that a total of one million Vietnamese combatants and four million civilians were killed in the war.
The Vietnam War is classed as the second war of the Indochina Wars and was in many ways a direct successor to the French Indochina War in which the French, with the financial and logistical support of the United States, fought a losing effort to maintain control of their former colony of French Indochina.
The unstated goal of Vietnamization was that the primary burden of combat would be returned to ARVN troops and thereby lessen domestic opposition to the war in the U.S. During this period, the United States conducted a gradual troop withdrawal from Vietnam.
Vietnam service has become more respected, especially in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and was important to the election of some American politicians; for example, it was a factor in the election of John McCain, a former Vietnam POW, to the US Senate.
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