Plei Me was the prelude to the bloody battles of the 1st Cavalry Division troopers in the nearby Ia Drang Valley just weeks later. This story has it all: the bravery and suffering of men in extreme peril and how they lived and died.
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A full regiment of North Vietnamese Army regulars had the 12 American Green Berets and their Montagnard allies in a death grip. Keith Saliba reconstructs this pivotal battle in vivid, gut-wrenching detail and illustrates where the siege fit in the war’s strategic picture.įinally, here it is: a detailed, carefully researched book about the siege at Plei Me Camp in October of 1965-the real beginning of America's war in Vietnam. and North Vietnamese armies.ĭrawing on archival research and interviews with combat veterans, J. Before it was over, the siege of Plei Me would push its defenders to the brink and usher in the first major clashes between the U.S. Soon, the 1st Cavalry Division would also join the fray, setting the stage for its bloody Ia Drang Valley fights a few weeks later. Cut off and beleaguered, Plei Me’s defenders fought for their lives, while a daring band of close air support and resupply pilots helped keep the beast at bay.īut as the overland relief force bogged down, 5th Group ordered in the legendary “Chargin” Charlie Beckwith and his elite Project Delta to help hold the line. Initially, all that stood athwart Hanoi’s grand scheme was a handful of American Green Berets, a few hundred Montagnard allies-and burgeoning U.S. The plan was as simple as it was audacious: one regiment would bring the frontier fortress under murderous siege while the other would lie in wait to destroy the inevitable rescue force. Their first target was the American Special Forces camp at Plei Me, remote and isolated along the Cambodian border.Īs darkness fell on 19 October, 1965, two North Vietnamese Army regiments-some 4,000 troops- crept into their final strike positions. Annihilate ARVN’s defenses in Kontum and Pleiku provinces, the communists surmised, and the region’s remaining provinces would topple like dominoes.
The communists set their sights on South Vietnam’s strategically vital West-Central Highlands. The South Vietnamese republic was on the verge of collapse, and Hanoi resolved to crush it once and for all. He is a certified Substitute teacher for Chesapeake Public Schools, a member of the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts, Hampton Roads REALTORS Association, Vetted VA, and a life member of the VFW, and Special Forces Association.In fall 1965, North Vietnam’s high command smelled blood in the water. He is currently a volunteer and member of the International Advisory Board for Montero Medical Mission, helping Veterans locally and humanitarian missions abroad. While no longer wearing the uniform, James’ passion for helping others has not changed. Since retirement, he has chosen to work with a small Veteran-owned company in an industry that allows him to continue to serve with honesty, integrity, and competence while pursuing his volunteer endeavors.
James and his family came to the Hampton Roads area in 2012, stationed at Norfolk Naval Station and Langley AFB, and he did an unaccompanied tour in Ukraine before retiring in 2020. During those 30 years, James passionately mentored, led, and professionally developed soldiers around the globe. James spent 11 years serving in the Regular Army, and 19 years in the Special Operations Community, serving in a multitude of positions. He spent his first 7 years enlisted before being commissioned from Officer Candidate School.
He enlisted in the Army straight out of high school at the age of 17. James grew up on a farm near Brush, Colorado, raising cattle, growing corn and alfalfa (hay). Upon retirement, he started his new career as a Mortgage Loan Originator in 2020 with VA Wholesale Mortgage. James is a retired US Army Green Beret, serving just over 30 years on active duty.
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