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The A Shau Valley, sometimes referred to as the “valley of death” is a valley located on the eastern side of Vietnam near the Laotian border. Due to its location it was an important strategic point for both the U.S. and South Vietnam forces and the NVA. The geographical and environmental features of the valley made it a challenge for any forces to navigate let alone fight a battle in. The valley was also the scene of several major battles and conflicts throughout the war including the battle at A Shau Special Forces Camp, Hamburger Hill (Operation Apache Snow), battle at firebase Ripcord, Operation Dewey Canyon, Operation Delaware and countless other operations and missions. The North Vietnamese Army kept control of the valley for the majority of the war and used it was a strategic transport and planning region for many offensives. In many personal accounts and after battle reports, the valley is described as some of the toughest terrain in all of Vietnam and faced some of the harshest weather conditions, with fog and heavy rain causing problems for both air and ground troops. The A Shau valley was both revered for its beauty and feared because of the physical geography of the environment.
My project looks at three of the major battles fought in the valley and provides a 3D map that was created using the ArcScene program in order to give a visual of what the valley looked like in terms of elevation and structure. The maps feature several of the firebases and LZs that were located in the valley and the sites of the major battles. These maps provide a visual image that gives the history of these battles and this valley a geographic prospective.
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