Author(s): James H. Willbanks; Ramiro Bujeiro (Illustrator)

History

Operation Apache Snow in the a Shau Valley Operation Apache Snow was the result of a renewed allied effort in early 1969 to neutralize the North Vietnamese forces in the A Shau, a 45km-long valley located in the southwestern Thua Thien Province. This area had long provided an infiltration corridor for Communist forces from the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos to the coastal cities of the northern I Corps Tactical Zone. The ensuing battle to take Ap Bia Mountain, which became known as Hamburger Hill, lasted for ten days. Although US and South Vietnamese forces were ultimately successful, the heavy casualties incurred in the bitter fighting caused a furor in Congress, with many members denouncing the action. In this work, respected Vietnam War historian James H. Willbanks documents the planning and execution of the battle for Hamburger Hill. The progress of the campaign is carefully presented using maps and diagrams, and the forces and weaponry of both sides are brought to life in photos and color battlescenes. Willbanks also explores why, despite the allied success in taking Hamburger'Hill, the battle came to symbolize the frustration of winning costly encounters without ever achieving a strategic victory.