So, here we are: living with another war against an invisible foe that spans the globe. Victims can be found among all citizens everywhere. The enemy is a virus, visible only under a microscope. 55 years ago, the war was with a different enemy: Communists fighting for unification of a former colonial country ruled by the French for 80 years +/-. After the defeat of Japan, the Vietnamese sought independence from foreign overlords and sought help from the United Nations and the Allied victors who defeated Germany and Japan. However, the US thought that a takeover by the followers of Ho Chi Minh would lead to a Communist regime which would position itself under the umbrella of Communist China(under Mao since 1949), and Russya, under Stalin since 1924. President Eisenhower, a Republican former Army general, decided to support the French effort and gave financial backing to their ill-fated efforts which was carried out largely by colonial troops and the Foreign Legion. Pres. Kennedy continued the cause and although he was hesitant to wade in, he added advisors, until he was assassinated in November 1963. President Johnson then studied the same sad procession of events and added his own efforts, leading to a gradual build out during his administration(s) that led to over 575,000 troops on the ground in 1968.
Frank Cox was one of the first Marine officers to land with the 9th Marine Regiment at Danang in 1965. Initially, their role was to provide security for the airfield along the shore of Danang harbor. Soon, that role gradually expanded to provide security for the city of Danang and then the surrounding countryside. With each expansion of the mission, the casualty count among the Marines began to rise. Each Marine battalion has an artillery unit in support of its efforts. Mr. Cox was a lieutenant trained as an artillery officer and this was his first assignment on foreign soil. He was attached to an admin role upon his arrival, detailed to assist in logistical support of the unit. After a few months he was then assigned to join an infantry company in the field where he would be responsible to call in artillery fire. And thus, he began the role he was trained to do. What followed was a tour of work that reflected the early phase of the war. It was at this point, a guerilla war, fought against armed locals, called Viet Cong. They operated in clandestine cell groups, picking targets without any attempt to capture strong points or defeat Marine units in the field. Often, the hit and run tactics caused numerous Marine casualties and many more amongst the civilian population who lived in the villages sprinkled over the countryside. The coastal area around Danang is relatively flat and a major rice growing region. The patrolling Marines had to differentiate between friend and foe, not an easy task.
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