Book description
Of all the military assignments in Vietnam, perhaps none was more
challenging than the defense of the Mekong River Delta region. Operating
deep within the Viet Cong-controlled Delta, the 9th Infantry Division of
the U. S. Army was charged with protecting the area and its population
against Communist insurgents and ensuring the success of the South
Vietnamese government's pacification program. Faced with unrelenting
physical hardships, a tenacious enemy, and the region's rugged terrain,
the 9th Division established strategies and quantifiable goals for
completing their mission, effectively writing a blueprint for combating
guerilla warfare that influenced army tacticians for decades to come. In
The 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam: Unparalleled and Unequaled, Ira A.
Hunt Jr. details the innovative strategies of the 9th Division in their
fight to overcome the Viet Cong. Based on Hunt's experience as colonel
and division chief of staff, the volume documents how the 9th Division's
combat effectiveness peaked in 1969. A wealth of illustrative material,
including photos, maps, charts, and tables, deepens understanding of the
region's hazardous environment and clarifies the circumstances of the
division's failures and successes. A welcome addition to scholarship on
the Vietnam War, The 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam will find an
audience with enthusiasts and scholars of military history. Ira A.
Hunt Jr. is a retired major general.
