The first major battle between U.S. ground forces and the North Vietnamese Army took place in November 1965 at:

Question

Accepted Answer

Ia Drang Valley. The Battle of Ia Drang Valley in November 1965 was the first major engagement between U.S. ground forces and the North Vietnamese Army. The battle tested the American strategy of using helicopter-borne air cavalry tactics and demonstrated both the effectiveness of U.S. firepower and the determination of North Vietnamese forces to stand and fight.

Khe Sanh was besieged by North Vietnamese forces in early 1968, more than two years after Ia Drang, and involved U.S. Marines rather than the air cavalry units that fought at Ia Drang. Hamburger Hill (Ap Bia Mountain) was a costly battle in May 1969 that generated controversy because the hill was abandoned shortly after being taken at great cost. The Battle of Hue was part of the 1968 Tet Offensive and involved brutal urban combat to recapture the city from North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces.

The Battle of Ia Drang is significant on the DSST exam because it established patterns that would characterize the entire American war: helicopter mobility, massive firepower, body count metrics, and an enemy willing to absorb enormous casualties. The battle was later chronicled in the book and film "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young," which remains one of the most detailed accounts of combat in Vietnam.

DSST A History of the Vietnam War: Question of the Day

Get a free DSST A History of the Vietnam War question every day

Ready for the full DSST A History of the Vietnam War? Earn 3 college credits.