March 29 marks the anniversary of the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam in 1973. While it took decades for their sacrifices to be formally recognized, the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 officially designated this day to honor the 2.7 million Americans who served in uniform.
The Vietnam War was a period of immense complexity and sacrifice. More than 58,000 service members gave their lives, and countless others returned to a nation deeply divided.
A turning point in public support came during the 1968 Tet Offensive, a massive, coordinated attack by North Vietnamese forces during the lunar new year. Though U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually repelled the assault, the intensity of the conflict accelerated the eventual withdrawal of American forces a few years later.
The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) maintains the official records of this era, from the 1974 Presidential Proclamation to detailed military histories. For those looking to understand the intricacies of the war, the GPO Bookstore offers several definitive titles:
- Advice and Support: The Final Years, 1965–1973: An in-depth look at the U.S. Army’s advisory efforts to South Vietnamese forces.
- Taking the Offensive, Oct 1966–Sept 1967: A tactical breakdown of major operations like ATTLEBORO and JUNCTION CITY, featuring maps and illustrations of the U.S. effort to disrupt enemy supply lines.
- Stemming the Tide, May 1965 to October 1966: Provides a balanced look at the U.S. Army’s first 18 months of ground combat in Vietnam, detailing how search and destroy operations and airmobile warfare successfully stemmed the communist tide while revealing the workforce shortages that complicated the transition to a full-scale offensive.
Today, we honor the millions who served in Vietnam. We salute their courage and commit to keeping their stories alive for future generations.
The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications
HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?
Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.
- Click here to purchase Taking the Offensive, Oct 1966–Sept 1967
- Click here to purchase Advice and Support: The Final Years, 1965-1973
- Click here to purchase Stemming the Tide, May 1965 to October 196
- Click here to browse our Vietnam War collection
Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From the US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.
Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.
About the author: Blogger Trudy Hawkins is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office, supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).
govbooktalk
Trudy Hawkins
Government Book Talk 