The Archive / Season 1, Episode 8
The first major battle of Vietnam
THE ARCHIVE Season 1, Episode 8: "The Ia Drang Valley" --- [ARCHIVAL NOTE: The following letters and testimonies are from American soldiers who fought in the Battle of Ia Drang, November 14-18, 1965. It was the first major engagement between U.S. Army forces and the North Vietnamese Army. The battle proved that both sides were willing to sustain massive casualties. These are the voices of the men who fought in Vietnam's "baptism of fire."] --- [LETTER ONE] From: PFC David Rodriguez, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry To: His mother, San Antonio Date: November 13, 1965 (the night before Landing Zone X-Ray) Dear Mama, Tomorrow we go into the valley. The Ia Drang, they call it — Vietnamese for "river of blood." I don't know if that's true or just a rumor the guys started to scare each other. Either way, it doesn't feel like a good sign. We're the 1st Cavalry Division, Mama. The "First Team." Supposed to be the best air assault unit in the Army. Helicopters that can put us anywhere in minutes, firepower that can level a mountain. The generals say we're going to revolutionize warfare. But flying into a jungle full of North Vietnamese regulars doesn't feel revolutionary. It feels like putting a target on your back and hoping they miss. The guys are nervous. You can...