Operation Speedy Express

Operation Speedy Express
Part of the Vietnam War

Fire Support Base Danger, headquarters of an element of the 1st Brigade, 9th U.S. Infantry Division, Định Tường Province
Date1 December 1968 – 31 May 1969
Location
Mekong Delta provinces Định Tường, Kiến Hòa and Gò Công, Republic of Vietnam
Result U.S. claims operational success
VC claims U.S. operational failure[1]
Belligerents
 United States Viet Cong
Commanders and leaders
MG Julian Ewell Unknown
Units involved
1st Brigade, 9th U.S. Infantry Division Unknown
Strength
8,000 Undetermined
Casualties and losses
242 killed

U.S. body count: 10,889 killed[2]: 11 
688 individual and 60 crew-served weapons recovered

Department of Defense Internal Report: Between 5,000 and 7,000 casualties were civilians[3]

Operation Speedy Express was a controversial military operation conducted by the United States Army's 9th Infantry Division during the Vietnam War in the Mekong Delta provinces of Kiến Hòa and Vĩnh Bình. The operation, led by Major-General Julian Ewell, was part of counterinsurgency operations by the United States Armed Forces which targeted the Viet Cong (VC). U.S. forces aimed to interdict VC lines of communication and prevent Viet Cong personnel from establishing outposts in the region via the operation. The U.S. claimed the operation was successful in achieving its objectives, although the VC denied this and claimed the operation failed to stop their activities in the region.[4]: 357–9 

The number of Vietnamese casualties that resulted from the operation is controversial. The U.S. Army's official body count estimate of VC fighters killed was 10,889,[2] however this has been described as an exaggeration and the U.S. Army inspector general estimated that there may have been between 5,000 and 7,000 Vietnamese civilian casualties during the operation.[3] Fewer than 750 weapons were captured by American forces.[5] A VC report estimated that the U.S. military killed at least 3,000 Vietnamese civilians and destroyed "thousands of houses, hundreds of hectares of fields and orchards" during the operation.[6]

  1. ^ "Không tìm thấy nội dung!".
  2. ^ a b "Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary June 1969" (PDF). Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 4 October 1969. Retrieved 2 September 2021.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ward was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Bullman, TA (28 August 2013). "Was My Lai just one of many massacres in Vietnam War?". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  6. ^ Turse, Nick (13 November 2008). "A My Lai a Month". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)