ABSTRACT
Every aspect of the war in Hau Nghia province after 1965 revolved around the use of force on the part of the US Army and Air Force. Before considering the actual course of operations by US armed forces and, in particular, their role in the political struggle for Hau Nghia province, it is necessary to examine some aspects of the earlier experience that both shaped and limited the mode of employment of the American military in South Vietnam. Because the army had done a better job than most institutions in American society at opening doors for racial minorities after World War II, it possessed a fine cadre of NCOs and junior officers. Much of the criticism directed toward it during the war by US military personnel resulted from an unfortunate but understandable lack of empathy for the different reality facing South Vietnamese soldiers.
