"HISTORY ET AL"

 This is the introduction to "Conventional Commanders"... Introduction “More combat battalions from the U. S. are necessary. A total of 13 additional battalions need to be sent now. On June 15, we announced 75,000 men or 15 battalions. A total of 28 battalions is now necessary.”   Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara National Security Council Meeting, July 27, 1965 [1]   On a cold February afternoon in 1966, Marlys Lippman held a weathered package in her hands. Marked with the word “DECEASED,” she had mailed to her brother two months prior. Her brother, Lieutenant Colonel Gordan Lippman, a native of South Dakota, was killed in South Vietnam on 11 December 1965. He was serving as the Executive Officer (XO) of the 1 st Brigade, 1 st Infantry Division, one of the first two infantry divisions sent to South Vietnam in mid-1965.   LTC Lippman was killed by an enemy sniper one evening on the firebase. [2] Forty-one years old, LTC Lippman was deployed to ...

   "Conventional Commanders in an Unconventional War: The U.S. Army in Vietnam 1965-1972" Précis Thesis and Conclusions: Patrick R. Eaton’s dissertation examines the pivotal role of U.S. Army maneuver battalion and brigade commanders during the Vietnam War (1965-1973). The thesis contends that these commanders, many of whom were veterans of World War II and the Korean War, significantly influenced U.S. military strategy and tactics in Vietnam. Their leadership shaped the operational execution of Military Assistance Command-Vietnam’s (MACV) directives, contributing to the evolution of counterinsurgency and conventional warfare tactics. Eaton concludes that while high-level strategies are often scrutinized, the contributions and challenges faced by these mid-level commanders were critical to the overall U.S. effort in Vietnam. Furthermore, despite being part of a flawed and evolving strategy, these commanders directly impacted combat operations and, by extension, influenced th...

  Conventional Commanders in an Unconventional War: The U.S. Army in Vietnam 1965-1973 This is Appendix A and Appendix B of "Conventional Commanders." Appendix A is the Maneuver Commanders Database, which has over 700 maneuver commanders from the battalion through the corps. Additionally, over 140 General (Flag) Officers are included, of whom many were the Separate Brigade, Division, Corps Commanders, or MACV staff. Appendix B is the list of maneuver Battalion Commanders Killed In Action (KIA). Appendix A1. Maneuver Battalion Commanders. Appendix A2. Maneuver Brigade Commanders. Appendix A3. Flag Officers. Appendix B. Maneuver Commanders and Maneuver Flag Officers Killed in Action.