What were the three phases of General Westmoreland’s “Concept of Operations” for victory in Vietnam?

1. What were the three phases of General Westmoreland’s “Concept of Operations” for victory in Vietnam?
2. Define “crossover point.”
3. What is the “domino theory?” Did it end up being true?

Answer

General Westmoreland’s “Concept of Operations” for victory in Vietnam had three phases:

1. Clear and hold: This involved US and South Vietnamese forces clearing communist forces from a specific area and then holding it with a combination of regular and local forces.
2. Search and destroy: This phase focused on using mobile units to find and engage communist forces in their base areas and sanctuaries.
3. Pacification: This final phase involved improving the living conditions and political and economic development in the areas held by the government in order to win the support of the population and deny the communists a base of support.

The “crossover point” is a term used to describe the point at which the number of enemy soldiers being killed by US and South Vietnamese forces exceeds the number of new soldiers being recruited by the communist forces. This point was seen as a key marker of progress…