Hamburger Hill 1969: Operation Apache Snow in the a Shau Valley

A highly illustrated, authoritative exploration of Operation Apache Snow, including the infamous Battle of Hamburger Hill (Ap Bia Mountain), one of the most significant and well-known actions in the Vietnam War.

Operation Apache Snow was the result of a renewed Allied effort in early 1969 to neutralize the North Vietnamese forces in the A Shau, a 45km-long valley located in the southwestern Thua Thien Province. This area had long provided an infiltration corridor for Communist forces from the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos to the coastal cities of northern I Corps Tactical Zone.

The ensuing battle to take Ap Bia Mountain, which became known as Hamburger Hill, lasted for ten days. Although US and South Vietnamese forces were ultimately successful in taking the hill, the heavy casualties incurred in the bitter fighting caused a furor in Congress, with many congressmen denouncing the action.

In this work, respected Vietnam War historian James H. Willbanks documents the planning and execution of Operation Apache Snow. The progress of the operation is carefully presented using maps and diagrams, and the forces and weaponry of both sides are brought to life in photos and color battlescenes. Willbanks also explores why, despite the Allied success in taking Hamburger Hill, the battle came to symbolize the frustration of winning costly encounters without ever consummating a strategic victory.

Dr James H. Willbanks is Professor Emeritus of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He served in Vietnam as an infantry advisor with a South Vietnamese regiment and was awarded the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. He is the author or editor of more than 20 books on Vietnam and other aspects of military history.