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Close-up of Cobra illustrated display base, with elements all relevant to Cobra "White 725" of 7/79th AFA "Blue Max" unit, June 1972. Graphical assets downloaded from Internet, modified via Adobe Photoshop, assembled in Microsoft Powerpoint. Left is map of 1972 NVA offensive against An Loc and Tay Ninh cities, launched from Cambodian sanctuary bases. Right items are military unit symbols, yellow-red-green bar is Vietnam Service Ribbon. Awards and decorations of the Vietnam War - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awards_and_decorations_of_the_Vietnam_War
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Throughout Vietnam War, major US/ARVN military challenge in this "limited war" was interdict Communist armaments & supplies transversing from North Vietnam, thru Laos eastern mountainous regions ( aka Ho Chi Minh Trail ), into eastern Cambodian sanctuaries. Cambodia, ruled by Prince Sihanouk, was officially neutral in Vietnam War. But Sihanouk viewed US Republican government structure ( as being emulated in South Vietnam Republic ) as a threat against his throne, dynasty, and monarchy. Hence mistrust between US and Cambodia was rampant. NVA also supplied arms to Khmer Rouge (Cambodia Communists led by infamous Pol Pot), Sihanouk feared agitating both NVA & Khmer Rouge forces would expand the war and destroy his monarchy, thus he allowed Communist sanctuaries to fester over a decade. Cambodia and the Vietnam War - www.olive-drab.com/od_history_vietnam_cambodia.php
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In 1970, Cambodian Army factions overthrew Sihanouk, abolished the monarchy & proclaimed nation a Republic, and launched offensives against NVA and Khmer Rouge bases in eastern Cambodia. As a result, Sihanouk threw his support behind Red China and Khmer Rouge to regain his throne. This he succeeded by 1975, but once Khmer Rouge gained full power, Sihanouk was expelled from the country. For next 4 years, so-called "Killing Fields" permeated across Cambodia as about 3 million out of 8 million population were executed as political / social / ethnic undesirables, worked to death in slave labor camps, or died of starvation. It was not until 1979 Socialist Vietnam conquest of Cambodia via brief border war did world knew extent of atrocities. The Killing Fields - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Fields
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BTW, some Vietnam veterans remark US had its own opportunistic"Sihanouk" by name of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. He served in both Kennedy and Johnson Administrations from 1961 - 1968, and was main architect of injecting 500,000 US troops into South Vietnam. With over 58,000 killed in combat, along with social trauma impressed upon American home front, McNamara finally admitted in late-1990s that he knew US could never win the war in South Vietnam, but decided to send troops anyway to preserve US political prestige. Needless to state, American Vietnam veterans were aghast. McNamara died on July 2009, a mere footnote in history for no one really missed him. Robert Strange McNamara - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McNamara
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Rollover : ( Rollover JPG link ) Although NVA launched 3-pronge offensive across western South Vietnam, its main objective was conquest of An Loc to formally establish capitol for "Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam" (new name of Viet Cong to make them more internationally legitimate). NVA armor quickly conquered Loc Ninh and Quan Loi airfield (An Loc's only airbase) near border region, and feint attacked Tay Ninh to the west to draw Allied forces away from An Loc. Exceptional US/ARVN combat performance was apex of US President Nixon's "Vietnamization" doctrine, whereby majority of ground combat taken over by ARVN forces, while US leveraged airpower to coordinate defense. THE BATTLE OF AN LOC (VALIANT BINH LONG) - www.vnafmamn.com/Valiant_Anloc.html
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NVA April-July 1972 offensive began with 200,000 men, but they lost 100,00 causalities and 50% of armor forces. NVA commander in chief General Vo Nguyen Giap, who planned and executed this offensive, was quietly "promoted" and forced into retirement. He would hold no political influence or suasion from that point onward. FYI, General Giap was same person who won 1954 battle against French colonial forces at Dien Bien Phu, thus securing Vietnam independence from France. Vo Nguyen Giap - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Giap
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BTW, Tay Ninh is headquarter of Vietnamese religious sect Cao Dai ( syncretistic monotheistic theology of Buddhism - Christianity - Confucianism ), its followers live in large communes relative in size to New York's Central Park. Cao Dai - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cao_dai
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Lull in An Loc street battles, with at least 3 knocked-out North Vietnamese Soviet-made T-54/55 tanks in front of ARVN (pronounced Ar-Ven) command post.
Photo shows how close of NVA tanks came to over-running ARVN/US defenders. Fortunately, accompanying NVA infantrymen advanced on-foot, and was quickly outpaced by its tanks. Thus, leaving enemy tanks to straddle into street ambushes by allied anti-tank teams.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) | Wiki
South Vietnamese special forces armed with US-made M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon), which was an infantryman one-shot throw-away anti-armor weapon.
M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon | Wiki
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Another angle of same command post, showing ARVN with M72 LAWs and KO'ed T-54/55 tank + armored truck. NVA launched a 2-pronge pincer attack from northern and western sectors into the city.
These anti-armor weapons can trace its origins to WW2 German Panzerfaust, of which both Soviet re-loadable RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) launcher and US LAW can trace its origins.
RPG-7 antitank grenade launcher | Guns.ru
Einzelkampfer with Panzerfaust | UweM
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 North Vietnamese T-54/55 tank destroyed in An Loc street battles. These were main battle tanks of Soviet Union and eastern Europe Warsaw Pact nations late-1940s to 1950s. T-54/55 | Wiki
They were superceded by T-62, T-72, and T-80 in the Soviet and Russian Armies. Nevertheless, T-54/55 series continued to be used by 50 armies worldwide (such as Iraq and Afghanistan) via armor retrofitting.
Throughout American 8-year Vietnam War conflict (all be it South Vietnam battled North Vietnam in various forms since 1956), common public opinion was these North Vietnamese / Viet Cong were mere "black pajama-clad insurgents" executing hit-n-run military ambushes and planting terrorist bombing of civilian targets.
However, 1972 North Vietnamese Army (NVA) "Easter Offensive" came as a shock to US/South Vietnam forces since NVA muster full fledged WW2 German-style Panzer assaults via 3-pronge offensive into South Vietnam, its southern pincer aimed at An Loc city, circa 60 miles from Saigon.
1972 Easter Offensive | Wiki
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 US Army M113 armor personnel carrier taking up majority road width, en-route to break NVA's An Loc siege lines via QL-13 highway from Saigon (Vietnamese title is Quoc Lo 13 or National Road 13).
National Road 13 (Quoc Lo 13) Vietnam | Wiki
Vietnamese word Quoc Lo (national road) is derived from Sino-Vietnamese word of Chinese origin titled "Kuo Lu".
Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary | Wiki Vietnamese language | Wiki
Regular traffic accidents on these roads were as dangerous as enemy ambushes given its width constraint, "speed demons", and blind curves for heavy military vehicles. Hence, almost all visiting VIPs in Vietnam were helicopter escorted to their designations, be it HQs in sprawled cities or remote jungle firebases.
Being major supply lines, these well-traveled roads were excellent aerial markers to designated military bases. Bush and tree lines on both sides of the highway were cleared hundreds of feet to prevent enemy ambushes. Americans opted not to repeat French colonialists mistake of allowing enemy concealment close to road edge, such as famed Viet Minh central highland ambush of French Groupement Mobile 100 at Man Yang pass on 24 Jun 1954, and ambush of 1st Bataillon de Coree (1st Korea Battalion) on 17 July 1954 at Chu Dreh pass.
1954 Battle of Mang Yang Pass | Wiki
THE VALLEY OF CROSSES - 1954 French and the Mang Yang Pass - Landscaper.net
Chu Dreh Pass Map Area | RJSmith.com
In American military history, 2 top generals were killed in traffic accidents. 1st was WW2-era Gen. George Patton in 21 December 1945, 2nd was Korean War Gen. Walton Walker on 23 Dec 1950.
George S. Patton - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patton
Walton Walker - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walton_Walker
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Roaming dog in An Loc sniffs at charred remains of NVA tank personnel destroyed in close-quarter combat.
Battle of An Loc | Wiki
As US Gen. Douglas MacAuthur once remarked "only the dead has truly seen the last of war"
In addition to T-54/55 battles tanks, NVA also fielded Soviet-made PT-76 amphibious recon tanks into street battles.
PT-76 | Wiki
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ARVN 1st Airborne Brigade soldiers air transported to besieged An Loc region, reinforcing "Windy Hill" west of city. Background is KO'ed NVA T-54/55 tank.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam | Wiki
Vietnam Areas of Operation Topographic Digital Map Images | RJSmith.com
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ARVN 5th Division, reinforced An Loc city itself by moving in 2 battalions during lull in combat, increasing defenders there to 3,000 men.
Ready to rock-n-roll, ARVN infantrymen laden with guns - ammo - grenades - LAW rockets move to defense perimeter.
1972 - The Battle of An Loc | Vlink.com |
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