End of the Rope: The Ripcord Campaign and American Disengagement in Vietnam

The campaign around Firebase Ripcord in 1970 was the last major American offensive effort in the Vietnam War. It went badly and is little known. Elements of the 101st Airborne Division tried to go back to the area where the Hamburger Hill battles had been fought the year before, but they never made it. Ripcord base was supposed to provide a stepping stone for an incursion into the A Shau Valley. It took three attempts to establish the base. Once the base was established, the North Vietnamese built up their forces in the area, effectively attacked surrounding units and bases, and isolated it. Instead of disappearing, they stepped up resistance and forced the Americans to abandon the campaign. In 1970, the Americans were unable to conduct the sort of campaign that they had previously launched. Instead of piling on, they chose to withdraw. As the Americans were weakening, the North Vietnamese were getting stronger. Beyond that, the American system of rotating officers in and out of command assignments took place without any regard for the situation. At the higher levels, there was also competition for commands of combat units. Several of the key leaders had little relevant experience. At lower levels, most of the officers and men in the campaign performed well, despite the sense that they were risking their lives for no purpose.