[math=power]

From what I have read 'Operation Pheonix" was the one program that was actually yielding positive results. In fact, it was the one thing that might have actually won the war if it was pressed far enough. VC hated it as much as they hated meeting our special foprces which they called 'the men with the green faces'

[squidly]

Operation Phoenix eliminated about 25,000 of the enemy, if I'm not mistaken, mostly higher ranking ones, as they were the primary targets of the operation. Officers, political leaders, etc.

[squidly]

I should add that it was probably the biggest single factor in the destruction of the VC. If only we had also destroyed the NVA.....

[Criminal Number 18F]

Be careful what you read about Phoenix. There are a lot of bogus stories out there.

• It was a Vietnamese, not US, operation (with US advisors).
• It was not meant to assassinate, but to capture and interrogate, enemies.
• Far from being secret, it had a kickoff press conference with a US Ambassador (Komer) and high ranking RVN officials!
• Douglas Valentine's book is all bullshit (most of his "SEALS", etc. that gave him info, are phonies)
• Dale Andrade's book is almost completely accurate.
• there were no mass killings, annihilated villages, etc.
• it was effective. The VC were already hurting -- TET 68 decimated them, and their auxiliary and underground supporters. After that, the VC were combat ineffective. What Phung Hoang did was put the guerilla eyes of the NVA out, so when it invaded it was basically a combined arms invasion w/o significant guerilla/underground support (1972 and 1975 both).

Be really leery about stuff you read about special ops forces in Vietnam, especially SEALs. If you read something that sounds dodgy, check out authentiseal (forget if it's .org or .com), they can tell you if someone is on the up and up in jig time.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F