The A Shau Valley (Vietnamese: ''thung lũng A Sầu'') is a valley in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
's
Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, west of the coastal city of
Huế
Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...
, along the border of
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
. The valley runs north and south for 40 kilometers and is a 1.5-kilometer-wide flat bottomland covered with tall
elephant grass The term Elephant grass may refer to the following grass species:
* The Asian '' Miscanthus giganteus'', also known as giant miscanthus, commonly used as a biomass crop
* The African '' Cenchrus purpureus'', also known as Napier grass, Uganda grass ...
, flanked by two densely forested mountain ridges whose summits vary in elevation from 900 to 1,800 meters. A Shau Valley was one of the key entry points into
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
for men and material brought along the
Ho Chi Minh trail by the
North Vietnamese Army
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed win ...
and was the scene of heavy fighting during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. The A Shau Valley is bisected lengthwise by Route 548.
The
Ho Chi Minh Highway
Ho Chi Minh Road or Ho Chi Minh Highway ( vi, Đường Hồ Chí Minh, links=no) is a highway in Vietnam. It runs from the north to the south of Vietnam, west of National Route 1. The highway was named after Hồ Chí Minh.
History
The route ro ...
now runs along the valley floor.
See also
*
Battle of A Shau
*
Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord
The Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord was a 23-day battle between elements of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and two reinforced divisions of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) that took place from 1 to 23 July 1970. It was the last ma ...
*
Battle of Hamburger Hill
*
Battle of Signal Hill Vietnam
The Battle of Signal Hill was a company size engagement between members of Company E, 52nd Infantry (LRP) long-range reconnaissance patrol of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) from 19–21 April 1968 dur ...
*
Dong Ap Bia
Dong Ap Bia ( vi, Đồi A Bia, Ap Bia Mountain) is a mountain on the Laotian border of South Vietnam in Thừa Thiên–Huế Province.
Rising from the floor of the western A Shau Valley, it is a looming, solitary massif, unconnected to the r ...
*
Dong Re Lao Mountain
*
Operation Apache Snow
*
Operation Delaware
Operation Delaware/Operation Lam Son 216 was a joint military operation launched during the Vietnam War. It began on 19 April 1968, with troops from the United States and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) moving into the A Sầu Valley. ...
*
Operation Dewey Canyon
Operation Dewey Canyon was the last major offensive by the 3rd Marine Division (United States)#Vietnam War, 3rd Marine Division during the Vietnam War. It took place from 22 January through 18 March 1969 and involved a sweep of the People's Army o ...
*
Operation Somerset Plain
Operation Somerset Plain was a joint military operation conducted by the United States and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in the A Sầu Valley from 4–20 August 1968.
Background
The A Sầu Valley was a vital corridor for moving mi ...
References
External links
Battlefields in Vietnam
Landforms of Thừa Thiên Huế province
Valleys of Vietnam
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