Operation Masher/White Wing

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Operation Masher/White Wing
partof=the Vietnam War


date=January 28-March 6, 1966
place=Bong Son Plain, Kim Son Valley, An Lao Valley, South Vietnam
result=Allied victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1= 288 killed and 990 wounded
casualties2=2,232 killed|

Operation Masher was a combined U.S., ARVN, and ROKA operation that began on January 28, 1966. The name "Operation Masher" was changed to "Operation White Wing", because the name was deemed too crude for 'nation-building'.

The mission was a search and destroy mission, and had little to do with nation-building. The operation was divided into four Phases.

Masher/White Wing lasted 42 days and ended on March 6. As many as 1,342 enemy soldiers had been killed by the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) at the cost of 288 United States' troops killed and 990 wounded. The ARVN and ROKA forces killed an additional 808 enemy soldiers. The 3rd NVA Division was pronounced destroyed, but later was back in action elsewhere on the battlefield.

During Operation White Wing, grenades containing quinuclidinyl benzilate were allegedly used against 500 Viet Cong. Quinuclidinyl benzilate, or BZ, is a powerful hallucinogen with effects similar to but much stronger than LSD. Effects usually last only a few days but can linger for several weeks. Many people report never feeling the same after being exposed to the drug.

tatistics

The US Government summarised the amount of firepower deployed during Operation Masher/White wing. 1352 strikes coupled with 1126 fighte sorties unloaded 1.5 million pounds of bombs. 292,000 pounds of Napalm was also used and Operation Masher left over 1884 refugees. By 1967, the amount of Communists captured in Vietnam numbered 17,000 but there were over 1.2 million civilian refugees.

References

*Summers, Harry G. "Historical Atlas of the Vietnam War". New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
*http://www.mindcontrolforums.com/lsd-mc-cia.htm

The Ten Thousand Day War - Imperial War Museum Dept of Printed Books