1969 in the Vietnam War

1969 in the Vietnam War
← 1968
1970 →

Helicopters of the 170th and the 189th Helicopter Assault Companies await the loading of troops at Polei Kleng, in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam
Location
Belligerents

Anti-Communist forces:

 South Vietnam
 United States
 South Korea
 Australia
 Philippines
 New Zealand
 Thailand
Laos Kingdom of Laos
Taiwan Republic of China

Communist forces:

 North Vietnam
Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam Viet Cong
Cambodia Khmer Rouge
Laos Pathet Lao
 People's Republic of China
 Soviet Union
 North Korea
Strength

South Vietnam 897,000
United States: 549,500
South Korea: 48,870
Thailand : 11,570
Australia: 7670
Philippines: 190

New Zealand: 550
Casualties and losses
US: 11,780 killed[1]
South Vietnam: 21,833 killed[2]: 275 

The inauguration of Richard Nixon in January led to a reevaluation of the U.S. role in the war. U.S. forces peaked at 543,000 in April. U.S. military strategy remained relatively unchanged from the offensive strategy of 1968 until the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May which led to a change a more reactive approach. The U.S. and South Vietnam agreed on a policy of Vietnamization with South Vietnamese forces being expanded and equipped to take over more of the ground combat from the departing Americans which began to withdraw in late June without any reciprocal commitment by the North Vietnamese. The morale of U.S. ground forces began to fray with increasing racial tensions and the first instances of fragging and combat refusal. The antiwar movement in the U.S. continued to grow and public opinion turned increasingly antiwar when the Mỹ Lai massacre was revealed in November.

  1. ^ "Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics". National Archives. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. ^ Clarke, Jeffrey (1988). United States Army in Vietnam: Advice and Support: The Final Years, 1965-1973. Center of Military History, United States Army. ISBN 978-1518612619.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.