George J Veith - Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75

BLACK APRIL

PRAISE FOR BLACK APRIL

Veith tells his tale with a flair and passion equal to that of Shelby Foote writing about the American Civil War. In this volume he has substantially elevated the level of scholarship with regard to Vietnam, judiciously analyzing histories, memoirs, and official documents before blending them into his narrative. The result is a superb book that should substantially change popular assumptions about Americas allies in the long Vietnam conflict, the character of the South Vietnamese and their military establishment, and the relevance of all this for current and future American military involvement around the world.

Dr. Larry Engelmann, professor of history at
San Jose State University and author of Tears Before the Rain:
An Oral History of the Fall of South Vietnam

George Veith has produced the definitive account of the final battles that preceded the collapse of the Republic of Vietnam and its capitulation to the Communist armed forces of North Vietnam. This is a detailed, exhaustively researched, critically analyzed study of the interplay of politics, strategy, logistics, and personalities in the decline and eventual disintegration of the Republics armed forces. Mr. Veith skillfully weaves information from four types of source material into his tragic tale: firsthand accounts and reports from South Vietnamese officers and units, American intelligence reports, North Vietnamese official reports and accounts of the strategy and the battles, and postwar interviews with South Vietnamese military participants. This book should put to rest forever the popular misconceptions that the war in Indochina ended with the withdrawal of American forces, and that the war was lost because the forces of the South lacked the will to fight.

Colonel William E. Le Gro, former Intelligence Chief
of the Defense Attach Office, Saigon,
and author of Vietnam from Cease-Fire to Capitulation

Masterful, empathetic, and insightful. Veith knows why South Vietnam still mattered even after America got out, and he tells the story beautifully. Black April is an immensely important work by a historian and writer of the first order.

Robert Kurson, author of Shadow Divers

Photo used on cover, title page, and chapter openers:

North Vietnamese T-54 tank destroyed on 11 April 1975 by forces from the South Vietnamese 18th Division during the battle for Xuan Loc. South Vietnamese soldiers were given a monetary reward for destroying North Vietnamese tanks, but they had to prove it; hence the painting on the destroyed tank.

The painting on the tanks hull says:
Su Doan, 18, LK 11-4 (18th Division, Long Khanh, 11 April)

The painting on the front slope of the tanks hull says:
Chi Doan, 1/5 CXA, Ban Ha Ngay, 11/4/75, Chi Doi 2 Xa Doi [32 or 52] (1st Tank Troop/5th
Squadron. Destroyed 11 April 1975. 2nd Platoon/Tank Crew [32 or 52])

Copyright 2012 by George J. Veith

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First American edition published in 2012 by Encounter Books,
an activity of Encounter for Culture and Education, Inc.,
a nonprofit, tax exempt corporation.
Encounter Books website address: www.encounterbooks.com

Manufactured in the United States and printed on
acid-free paper. The paper used in this publication meets
the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.481992
(R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).

Maps by Philip Schwartzberg, Meridian Mapping, Minneapolis

FIRST AMERICAN EDITION

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Veith, George J., 1957
Black April: the fall of South Vietnam, 19731975 / by George J. Veith.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-5940-3573-9
1. Vietnam War, 19611975.
2. Vietnam War, 19611975United States. I. Title.
DS557.7.V45 2011
959.7043dc22
2011005905

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedicated to the men and women,
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines,
of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces,
19551975,
who stood and fought

And to the men and women,
U.S. Mission, Vietnam,
19731975,
who so valiantly tried to uphold Americas honor

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1
The U.S. will react vigorously: Signing the Paris Peace Accords

CHAPTER 2
South Vietnam will have both peace and war: The Collapse of the Accords

CHAPTER 3
Enough to make the angels weep: Trading Blood for Ammunition

CHAPTER 4
A rainy season like no other: The War Resumes

CHAPTER 5
Even the gods weep for Phuoc Long: The Beginning of the End

CHAPTER 6
How can the free world abandon us?: Preparing for the Strategic Blow

CHAPTER 7
Goodbye for now, Ban Me Thuot: Beginning the Great Spring Offensive

CHAPTER 8
Light at the top, heavy at the bottom: Decisions That Destroyed a Nation

CHAPTER 9
The Road of Blood and Tears: The Retreat from the Highlands

CHAPTER 10
Chaos and disintegration: Surrounding Saigon

CHAPTER 11
How could I abandon this rocky soil?: Fighting to Save Hue

CHAPTER 12
The hours of hell: The Collapse of I Corps

CHAPTER 13
The sea is our only hope: The Battle for the Coastal Cities

CHAPTER 14
Lightning speed, daring, surprise, certain victory: PAVN Surrounds Saigon

CHAPTER 15
Hold fast the remaining land: The South Vietnamese Fight Back

CHAPTER 16
No matter what happens, do not stop your attack: Capturing Phan Rang

CHAPTER 17
I will knock them down!: ARVN Holds at Xuan Loc

CHAPTER 18
Do not come home until victory is won: The Fall of Saigon

For me, writing a book while raising a family is a Faustian bargain. Every minute one spends toiling over prose is a minute stolen from ones wife and children. Thus, my deepest appreciation goes to my remarkably tolerant wife, Gina, and to our beautiful children, Analiese, Austin, Allegra, and Adia. For them, piles of documents and long hours spent by me staring at a computer are now synonymous with Daddys working on his book. I am also indebted to my parents, George C. and Joan A. Veith, who patiently supported my seemingly endless quest to complete this work.

The inspiration and hard work of two great Americans made this book possible. The first is Merle L. Pribbenow, whose skill at translating Vietnamese texts gave Black April its documentary heart. When I struggled with the intricacies of the North and South Vietnamese governments decision-making, his insight, formed by more than thirty years of close interaction with Vietnam and its people, instantly cut through my confusion. His incredible knowledge of the war and boundless generosity in translating so many publications and documents enabled me to explore both sides policies and motivations, which until now have remained hidden behind barriers of language and access. To Merle, I owe undying gratitude, not only for his knowledge, but also for his kindness and steady hand.