The US special forces camp in the A Shau Valley was a constant problem for North Vietnam. It was two miles from Laos, enabling the garrison to impede traffic on the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the other side of the border. It also lay astride the infiltration route toward Hue and Da Nang. In 1966, the North Vietnamese Army decided to put the camp out of business and brought a fresh regiment down the Trail to join the NVA division already operating in the area. The camp was of rough construction, with a barracks, a fort, and an airstrip of pierced steel planking just outside the barbed wire perimeter. High hills rose up on both sides of the valley. Everything, including food and ammunition, came by air. The only real defense was air support. Strength of the camp was 17 US Green Berets and 368 South Vietnamese irregulars and Chinese Nung mercenaries.
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