1966 Stars and Stripes Map of Vietnam During the Vietnam War

This is a c. 1966 Stars and Stripes map of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Vietnam is divided into North and South Vietnam, and a large black arrow emphasizes the intervening Demilitarized Zone. Cities, towns, and villages are labeled throughout, including Hanoi, Haiphong, Da Nang, and Saigon. Blue text and lines identify American military districts in South Vietnam. Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia are also included.

The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, known in Vietnam as the 'Resistance War Against America' or simply the 'American War', raged between November 1, 1955, and April 30, 1975, when Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese. A complicated conflict with an even more complicated history and legacy, the Vietnam War pitted the communist supported North Vietnamese, led by Ho Chi Minh, against the American supported anti-communist South Vietnamese. American anti-communist dogma drove much of America's enthusiasm for involving themselves in Southeast Asia and their fear that 'if one country fell to Communism, then more would fall.' Eventually, as the conflict between the North and South grew fiercer, American involvement became more and more overt. Finally, American ground troops were sent into combat against the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong. 1968, three years after the map was published, proved to be a pivotal year, with U.S. troop strength in Vietnam reaching its maximum of 549,500 soldiers. 1968 also saw the Tet Offensive, the most successful North Vietnamese attack on American forces, and a waning of American domestic support for the war. U.S. forces withdrew in January 1973, and Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese on April 30, 1975.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by Stars and Stripes c. 1966. An example is part of the collection at the Library of Congress.