Operation Junction City

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Cedar Falls/Junction City area of operations

Date	22 February - 14 May 1967
Location	War Zone C, Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam
Result	Indecisive

Belligerents

United States

Republic of Vietnam

National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam

Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Casualties and losses

282 killed 1,023 wounded

1,728 killed

v • d • e

Vietnam War

Ap Bac – Binh Gia – Pleiku – Song Be – Dong Xoai – Starlite – Gang Toi – Ia Drang – Hastings – Masher/White Wing – A Shau – Xa Cam My – Duc Co – Long Tan – Attleboro – Cedar Falls – Tra Binh Dong – Bribie – Junction City – Union – Hill 881 – Union II - Ong Thanh – Dak To – 1st Tet – Khe Sanh – 1st Saigon – Hue – Lang Vei – Lima Site 85 – Kham Duc – Speedy Express – Dewey Canyon – 2nd Tet – Hamburger Hill – Binh Ba – Cambodia – Snuol – FSB Ripcord – Tailwind – Chenla I – Son Tay Raid – Lam Son 719 – Chenla II – Ban Dong – FSB Mary Ann – Easter '72 – 1st Quang Tri – Loc Ninh – An Loc – Kontum – 2nd Quang Tri – Phuoc Long – Ho Chi Minh – Ban Me Thuot – Xuan Loc – Truong Sa – 2nd Saigon – SS Mayagüez
Air operations
Ranch Hand – Pierce Arrow – Barrel Roll – Pony Express – Flaming Dart – Rolling Thunder – Steel Tiger – Arc Light – Tiger Hound – Bolo – Igloo White – Commando Hunt – Menu – Freedom Deal – Linebacker I – Linebacker II – Shed Light

Operation Junction City was a 82-day military operation conducted by U.S. and Republic of Vietnam (RVN or South Vietnam) forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam Conflict. It was the largest U.S. airborne operation since Operation Market Garden during the Second World War, the only major airborne operation in the Vietnam War, and was one of the largest U.S. operations of the Southeast Asian conflict.

Junction City was a massive search and destroy operation, conducted in hopes of clearing People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF or derogatively, Viet Cong) units from the area of War Zone C, northeast of the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. Another goal of the operation was the possible capture or destruction of the PAVN/NLF Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN). This headquarters controlled all enemy activities south of the triborder region of Laos, Cambodia, and South Vietnam. The operation was considered largely successful by the U.S. command, although PAVN/NLF units returned to the area once allied forces were withdrawn. COSVN itself withdrew to the safety of Cambodian territory, where it remained for the rest of the U.S. commitment to the Southeast Asian conflict. The operations failure in destroying the COSVN according to Major General John Hay was primarily down to three main factors. This included the proximity of a sancutuary to reported COSVN locations, difficulty in achieving sufficient troop density to infiltrate the Vietcong and finally the failure in gaining a complete surprise through the repositioning of US troops.

Air Drop Of Supplies In Operation Junction City.

[edit] References

Summers, Harry G. Historical Atlas of the Vietnam War. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
"Destroying the Haven", TIME Magazine, 1967-03-03. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
"Psy-War Success", TIME Magazine, 1967-03-03. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
"The Lure of the Lonely Patrol: Forcing the Enemy to Fight", TIME Magazine, 1967-04-14. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.