I brought my fishing poles plus gloves and baseballs over once.
The Americans finally left Phu Da in August 1970. Seven months later, in
March 1971, the Communists slaughtered the village, burning 800 homes
and killing and wounding 250 men, women and children. The peasants only
crime... was they supported the Americans in the An Hoa Valley. Jack
Cunningham was one of the last Americans to serve in this village.
You might hear of the Civic Action Campaign (Cong
Tac Dan Su Vu) during the Vietnam war, a type of helping-hand works
carried out by ARVN units or US Armed Forces to win the hearts and minds
of the peasants. Unlike CTDSV which usually lasts only a few days, the
Combined Action Program (CAP) was a long term commitment in which the
participating soldiers would stay within the village, enhance the
village people's lives and provide security around the clock. The
following article is a unique, untold story that began with an
optimistic promise, unfortunately ended in a sorrow outcome. Perhaps
this was an early omen for the fate of South Vietnam when the US started
to pull out his troops, cutting short the commitment "to keep a village
free"...
COMBINED ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)
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