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Engineers at war / by Adrian G. Traas.

by Traas, Adrian George, 1934-

Washington, D.C. : Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 2010.

United States. Army. Engineer Command, Vietnam -- History.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Engineering and construction.

Military engineering -- Vietnam -- History -- 20th century.

Military engineers -- Vietnam -- History -- 20th century.

Military engineers -- United States -- History -- 20th century.

CMH pub ; 91-14-1.

United States Army in Vietnam.

xx, 647 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 25 cm.

Part one: Engineers enter the war. The path to war -- Engineers cross the Pacific -- First battles -- Organizing the construction effort -- Building the bases, 1966 -- Part two: Supporting the offensive. Spoiling attacks, January-September 1966 -- The campaign widens, October 1966-June 1967 -- To I Corps -- Completing the bases -- Inland and to the borders, June 1967-January 1968 -- Part three: Changing course. Tet, January-March 1968 -- The aftermath, April-December 1968 -- The land lines of communication -- Year of transition, 1969 -- Year of Cambodia, 1970 -- Last battles and departure -- Conclusion.

"Engineers at War describes the role of military engineers, especially the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in the Vietnam War. It is a story of the engineers battle against an elusive and determined enemy in one of the harshest underdeveloped regions of the world. Despite these challenges, engineer soldiers successfully carried out their combat and construction missions. The building effort in South Vietnam allowed the United States to deploy and operate a modern 500,000-man force in a far-off region. Although the engineers faced huge construction tasks, they were always ready to support the combat troops. They built ports and depots, carved airfields and airstrips out of jungle and mountain plateaus, repaired roads and bridges, and constructed bases. Because of these efforts, ground combat troops with their supporting engineers were able to fight the enemy from well-established bases. Although most of the construction was temporary, more durable facilities, such as airfields, port and depot complexes, headquarters buildings, communications facilities, and an improved highway system, were intended to serve as economic assets for South Vietnam. This volume covers how the engineers grew from a few advisory detachments to a force of more than 10 percent of the Army troops serving in South Vietnam. The 35th Engineer Group began arriving in large numbers in June 1965 to begin transforming Cam Ranh Bay into a major port, airfield, and depot complex. Within a few years, the Army engineers had expanded to a command, two brigades, six groups, twenty-eight construction and combat battalions, and many smaller units."--CMH website.

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