Weapons In The Vietnam War

Although the Vietnam War costs the lives of many American Soldiers it helped develop

today's military forces. During the Vietnam War the U.S Army deployed multiple Air Defense

battalions to the peninsula of Vietnam due to demands of fire support. The Vietnam War

required the use of different Air Defense mobile and stationary equipment to fight and defend

against enemy forces. This Essay will discuss how the Vietnam conflict helped to shape and

evolve today's Air Defense Artillery and how it affects today's military operations.

The method of warfare used in the Twentieth Century and beyond would change due to the

use of air power in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War became a testing ground for the United

States military
because of new technological advances and the development of

more sophisticated weapons. Varying degrees of success formed possible new tactics and

approaches that military made use of. North Vietnamese acts of aggression would get

counteracted by air power used as a bargaining tool and as punishment. Dawning a

new age of tactics for the United States military would include the introduction of the attack

helicopter as a vital weapon. The United States had involvement in the skies of Vietnam for

over 15 years, starting with the training and advising of the South Vietnamese Air Force

(VNAF), and culminating with the Christmas bombing of 1972. The air war in Vietnam steadily

increased and built up throughout the campaign, which was consistent with U.S.
military as well

as political objectives. The requirements of all four military services became available and

utilized for their air components. For the first time in the history of modern warfare, jet bombers

and fighters implied a great deal. Many historians would argue that the air war was too costly in

lives and money resulting in many differences of opinion regarding the effectiveness of the air

campaign during the Vietnam War. Many advocates and supporters of the air campaign would

say that it dawned a new age in warfare and actually helped bring the war to an end

state. Nevertheless, the air campaign was not without cost. With the help of the former Soviet

Union, the North Vietnamese had developed an extensive air defense network, and the United

States suffered heavy plane, helicopter and pilot losses throughout the campaign leading to

the realization that the United States needed to counteract this new development.

The United States needed a weapon with speed, power, and armor protection. With this

intention, the United States began to recall the air defense weapon system, known as the
M-

42A1, from the National Guard. This weapon, given the name "The Duster", being the 40mm,

self-propelled, anti-aircraft system that provided adequate protection against enemy aircraft.

The Duster had a maximum effective anti-aircraft range of five-thousand meters. During late

1966, M-42A1 anti-aircraft weapons systems started to arrive in Vietnam to support the three

battalions that deployed to Vietnam at the time. The battalions deployed to Vietnam include 1st

Battalion, 44th Artillery based out of Dong Ha and Da Nang, 5th Battalion, 2nd Artillery at Long

Binh, and 4th Battalion, 60th Artillery in Quin Nhon.
The Duster dominated the skies in Vietnam

giving the United States an advantage against enemy aircraft and missiles in the Vietnam War.

The Duster was also a weapon used in land warfare, as well. Using this weapon proved to be

more effective on the ground than Soldiers with automatic weapons. M-42A1 was also a weapon

of choice for nighttime operations, for being fitted with infrared searchlights with lock on

capabilities, and could operate undetected. (Vince Hawkins) stated "The Viet Cong called them

"“Fire Dragons,” because their high volume of fire and tracer ammunition gave the appearance

of a dragon’s breath." (https://armyhistory.org/duster-m42-self-propelled-anti-aircraft-gun/). The M42 Duster had its advantages but also had its disadvantages. Built in 1952 out of Cleveland, Ohio, the M42 Duster sole purpose was to provide defense for anti-aircraft but their rapid rate of fire proved to be useless when engaging ground targets. The 40mm Bofor cannons was only effective for a small period of time due to project costs. It would also take a minimum of four soldiers to operate the machine. The Soldiers of Charlie Battery 1st Battalion 44th Air Defense Artillery had their work cut out for them. There is documentation showing over 3,700 Dusters made throughout 1959. Nevertheless, in 1963 the Duster got discontinued from service and replaced by the MIM 23
HAWK. Along with dealing with equipment, they also had to deal with the decline of military leadership. In the Vietnam War, leadership was lacking of a certain foundation. Marine Colonel Robert D. Heinl Jr stated that “By every conceivable indicator, our army that now remains in Vietnam is in a state approaching collapse, with individual units avoiding or having refused combat, murdering their Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, drug-ridden, and dispirited where not near mutinous.” (https://libcom.org/history/vietnam/collapse-armed-forces). Not all service members volunteered to join the military, some would be called upon through the draft. The struggle of being in a different country fighting a war that they wanted nothing apart of was weighing heavily on the soldiers. But, that shouldn’t matter. Fighting for your country should be a proud honor. No matter what you do in life you will always come across bad leadership and mentors. Just learn from how they conduct themselves and how their leadership style affected you and try to make yourself a better leader because of it. Along with leadership being a problem there was also some problems with vehicles. Charlie Battery 1st Battalion 44th Air Defense Artillery went through some issues on their deployment to Vietnam. The one person they could count on for leadership was Sergeant Mitchell W. Stout. Sergeant Stout, born on February 24, 1950 in Knoxville, Tennessee and passing away on 12 March 1970 in the republic of Vietnam always to be considered a true icon of heroism. Sergeant Stout displayed a tremendous amount of courage and leadership by picking up a grenade thrown in his bunker simultaneously running to the door shielding the grenade with his own body to protect his men from the blast. He took his own life for the sake of others. In doing so he became the first and only Medal of Honor Recipient in Air Defense History. Sergeant Mitchell W. Stout is a true Leader. Although the war brought many losses to the United States of America it also brought knowledge and experience to today's Armed Forces. It provided the U.S Armed Forces the knowledge needed for today’s Air Defense Artillery. In today's world conflicts the United States Air Defense Artillery provides air and missile defense against all enemies foreign and domestic across the globe.