History 10.03 (Spring 2023): The Dartmouth Vietnam Project: Learning Oral History in a Digital Age

The difficulty of perspective in combat pervaded beyond the obfuscation of the jungle. Kill counts were a crucial factor in qualifying combat success. Anthony Thompson describes the difficulty that strategic decision makers had because of the incentive to inflate KIA numbers. The desire to not disappoint led to a long term disaster. Regardless of the uncertain kill counts, Thompson’s ARVN regiment was successful in combat operations. However, the aggressiveness of the 1st regiment was a double edged sword. The final demise of the 1st regiment was their unwavering desire to attack, ultimately meeting an ambush after being lured out by mortar fire. 

Combat experiences for American Soldiers in Vietnam were not monolithic. In fact, the idea that every Vietnam Veteran was exposed to combat is itself a misconception. Robert Munson served during the Tet Period of the Vietnam War. Munson was not a combat soldier by trade; he was a combat engineer, who, after a chaotic entry to Vietnam, became a company clerk. His early months of service had two main roles. First, he was responsible for writing reports on the base and the actions of the soldiers he was placed with. Secondly, he filled in support roles when necessary with other combat engineers. Regardless of which role he was in, he was not in a role that would've been thought to be risky or exposed to combat. While this was generaly true it does not represent his complete experience.

While based in a village near to Dalat, Munson's base came under heavy artillery fire from PAVN (People's Army of Vietnam) troops. This was part of the 1968 Tet Offensive, which was a major North Vietnamese uprising on the Tet religous holiday.   The uprising was a surprise attack, coming during what was supposed to be a ceasefire. As the PAVN artillery fired, Munson was not aware that his base was being attacked. One artillery shell exploded near him, and a hot piece of shrapnel struck him in his side. After completing what he referred to as “the fingers and toes” (a check to make sure he had not been critically injured), he put on his flak jacket and ran to join his fellow soldiers outside. After recieving air support, his camp persevered the attacks while only suffering a few casualties. After being checked on by medics, Munson went straight back to work, typing out the report on the attack.