Introducing the US Ground Forces in Vietnam

The US armed forces in Vietnam included a wide range of units, including Army, Army Air Cavalry, Armor, Engineers, Marines, Airborne, Special Forces, Air Force, Navy Aviators, etc. While the US had been playing some type of role in the region since WWII, and throughout the Indochina war, the official start of the involvement for US forces in Vietnam is considered November of 1955, when the first set of sanctioned 'military advisors' was deployed on the ground to help train and administer financial aid. 

The first two US casualties, who are also the first to appear on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, did not happen until 1959, when the VC attacked a US training camp. The first set of 400 Green Berets were sent in '61, anticipating that the fighting in Vietnam would require this type of small unit jungle warfare, and may not require large scale troop deployments. 

By '63, the number of advisors had grown from a couple hundred to 16,000. Things escalated quickly after an incident in the summer of '64, during which a US Destroyer was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats off the gulf of Tonkin as a result of which Congress authorized the US President to use military force as needed. Tactical retaliatory air strikes took place, and soon after they turned into a full blown bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Thus began Operation Rolling Thunder in March of '65 lasting through November of '68. Other air campaigns were organized to disrupt the logistical support flowing through the Ho Chi Minh trail destined for the VC and NVA troops fighting in South Vietnam.   

The first contingent of 3500 Marines arrived in March of '65, and by that summer, fought their first major engagement against Viet Cong forces at the Battle of Van Tuong, decidedly defeating them. Later that year, about 3 battalions from of Air Cavalry Divisions faced the North Vietnamese Army for the first time in the Drang Valley in November '65, made famous in the book/movie 'We were soldiers once... and young". This battle was hard to call in favor of either side, but both sides claimed victory and reported very different casualty numbers. 

From there, the US commitment of ground forces accelerated, relying on the draft to make the numbers. US troop presence peaked at abut 550k in the '68-'69 period. Additional troops from allied Asia-Pacific nations, funded by the US, were deployed. These came mainly from South Korea, with additional contributions from Australia, Thailand, Philippines, and New Zealand. These came mainly from South Korea, with additional contributions from Australia, Thailand, Philippines, and New Zealand. The number of US soldiers who fought in Vietnam is actually much higher (about 2.7 million - close to 1% of the US population at the time) given the fact that most of them served a one year tour of duty. 

The US fighting tactics during the war relied heavily on the use of the helicopter and focused on 'search and destroy', which involved flying into areas where the enemy was suspected to be, finding them, destroying them, and then withdrawing. For many US troops, abandoning ground for which they had just fought and died was an odd concept. It also neglected the importance of winning the hearts and minds of the local villagers, which were heavily courted and pressured by the VC to join them. The task of dealing with the local population was left primarily to the South Vietnamese troops, which were apparently not very good at it. 

US Air power was also used to deliver large loads of bombs, as well as herbicides and defoliants from 62 to 71. This was meant to deny the enemy the jungle cover that they relied on. The NVA and Viet Cong adapted by avoiding large scale engagements, and also going underground, relying on a large network of tunnels, that were also ideal for ambushing US troops searching for them. Most of the Vietnam engagements were small unit actions, fought in guerilla style ambushes, with many booby traps and trickery involved. 

During '67 a series of engagements at the border region with Laos and the failed attempt by the NVA to lay siege to the Khe Sanh base overlooking the Ho Chi Minh trail made some US generals confident that the end of the war was in sight, or at least that's how it was communicated to the US public. The surprise Tet Offensive in January of '68 during a truce to observe the religious holiday shocked every one. The joint NVA and VC forces attacked every major city and town in the south. While initially successful, most objectives were back in US/South Vietnamese hands shortly - except for a few border regions and Hue, where control was not regained for over a month. And while VC losses were extremely high - about half their strength-, the psychological effect turned this into a positive outcome for the North. Even Saigon which had been deemed safe to that point was attacked and it took three days to reclaim it. It did not matter that the offensive had been repulsed and that the combined US/South Vietnamese losses were only a fraction of the enemy's. The Tet Offensive marked a turning point for the US. The public felt misled that the war was under control and support at home began to turn sharply.  Soon after, the bombing campaigns were scaled back to just the DMZ zone, and the Paris peace talk began that spring. Events like the My Lai massacre in which approximately 400 civilians were killed by US forces during a search and destroy operation conducted in '68, further damaged the public's and the media's perception towards US involvement in Vietnam. 

From that point forward, the US policy turned towards tuning over responsibility for operations to the South Vietnamese army, and the withdrawal of US forces. Between 80k to 180k US soldiers were withdrawn each year between '69 and '73. The Paris agreement of January and '73 made this official, and the US troops completed their withdrawal later that year, leaving behind plentiful amounts of planes, vehicles, weapons, ammunition, and other supplies. This was meant to prop up the South to be able to defend themselves on their own if needed. Hostilities between the North and the South almost immediately, but neither the US nor the international community had the appetite to engage militarily to enforce the agreement. Another Spring Offensive in March of '75 allowed the North to conclusively defeat the South. Saigon fell on April 30, 1975 putting an end to the Vietnam war. Total US casualties during the war were 58,220 KIA, 153,303 wounded, and approximately another 2,500 POW/MIA, which were unaccounted for at the end of the war. The number of South Vietnamese KIA is estimated at about a quarter of a million. 

In terms of toy soldiers, this is a period that had not received much attention until recently. Perhaps because of how recent the war was as well as the controversy on the home front surrounding it. For decades, the only set depicting Vietnam troops had been the TimMee GIs. Fortunately for the Toy Soldier Collectors, the late 2010's have brought a nice number of sets onto the market by firms such as TSSD, Mars, and Plastic Platoon. Let's take a look.  

TimMee Vietnam US Infantry - Part I

These guys were my first set of Vietnam GIs. Very popular during the 80s, I grew up with them and over the years I accumulated hundreds of them. These guys have been so popular that they continue to be cloned and sold as cheap generic tan and green army men to this day. Unfortunately, so much cloning has led today's figures to barely have any detail left in them. Anyhow, the set contains 13 poses. You can see that they are definitely Vietnam figures as many of them are equipped with M16s. Besides the M16s, there are also a good variety of other weapons represented and a good number of fighting poses. That's what's possible when releasing this many figures in one set. I find that most of them evolved from the earlier TimMee WWII poses, but with much better sculpting. The level of detail and the fluidity of the figures' movements are far superior than that of their predecessors. Maybe the only thing they missed is that they all look like they are wearing pristine uniforms, whereas the reality of the jungle war in Vietnam, made that impractical. 

TimMee Vietnam US Infantry - Part II

This is the other half of the set. If you are paying attention, there are a total of 14 figures in both pictures. By now you have probably realized that one of the guys is featured twice, but with a slight variation. If you like to solve those magazine puzzles in which you get to find the differences, go ahead and take a moment to do so, before I spoil it for you... The guy in the lower picture is throwing a grenade, whereas the one in the first picture has his hand open. My understanding is that the one with the grenade was the original pose, which was later modified to have his hand open. I guess it gives him more of a commanding attitude, so much, that for years I thought he was the officer leading the men. I did not learn about the earlier pose until much later. BTW, the marching guy, third from the right, is a bit hard to find so if you have any of those, hold on to them. Out of a new bag that I recently got with about 40 guys, it only contained one of them. Then again, he would not be of much use in a battle scene, so we do not need many of these. 

Toy Soldiers of San Diego Vietnam Marines

The TSSD Marines were the first to be released representing this era in over three decades, and the wait was not in vain. This set is a really nice one, far superior to what they did with their NVA counterparts. The set is rich in detail. Some of the faces are so realistic that you can picture the ethnicity of some of these guys. The outfits are also far more realistic. Torn pants, rolled up sleeves, vests, cigarette packs tucked in the helmets. With 8 poses in the set, the range of weapons is a bit more limited than TimMee's, but they still managed to include a grenade launcher, which was not represented before. Some of the sculpting feels a bit bulky, like the M16s, and the boots they are wearing, but other than that, this is really a great set.

Plastic Platoon 1st Cavalry Infantry Division Vietnam

This was Plastic Platoon's debut set. What a way to make an entrance into the toy soldier scene. Only six poses, but very well taken advantage of. Each man carrying a different weapon, and all in useful battle scenes. While some might argue that the man holding his head is not a fighting pose, he could still be used in a battle scene to make it even more authentic, unlike guys who might be standing guard or just having a cigarette. These guys also show very authentic attire, and the sculpting of the body muscles on the machine gunner is also unprecedented. Probably one of my all-time favorite toy soldier figures. I also like the officer who is multi-tasking. Reminds me of Mel Gibson's character in 'We were soldiers...' when their command post gets overrun. Overall, a great set.

Plastic Platoon 25th US Infantry Division Vietnam

So the one thing I don't like as much about Plastic Platoon's sets is that they only contain 6 figures, but in this case, we got treated to 5 sets in total, which means that in the end, we have a really good number of great poses -if you are willing to buy them all. This second set was a bit less dramatic than the previous one, but equally rich in details. Extra ammo on the helmets, visible dog tags, bracelets, etc. And all poses useful in a battle situation. What's also notable is that at this stage of Plastic Platoon's sets, the bases were still relatively simple. Later -starting with set 2 of the Hue Marines-, they've become busier with additional detail and debris. I don't mind that, but some collectors do. The only thing I am not a big fan of in this set is the sculpting of the hands. I think they tried too hard to make them realistic, to the point that they look skeletal.  

Plastic Platoon US Marines - Hue Set 1

The Battle of Hue was a subplot of the major Tet offensive at the start of '68, most notable because it lasted over a month during which the city switched control twice, and it involved tough house to house urban combat. Plastic Platoon has decided to dedicate this set to the Marines who fought that battle. Overall it is a nice set, with Plastic Platoon's characteristic level of detail and realism. Particularly dramatic are the wounded man and the man tending to him while he defends them with his pistol. One thing I did not like as much about this set is that the material was a bit hard and still, the tips of the weapons get easily bent. This has been an on and off issue for Plastic Platoon since this set, as they experiment with different materials. Another thing to point out is that as much as I like Plastic Platoon's sculpting, there is something that feels off balance when it comes to the posing of the grenade thrower. Or is it just me?

Plastic Platoon US Marines - Hue Set 2

This set is interesting mainly due to the fact that most of these guys are wearing gas masks. I don't believe that gas was used as a weapon in Vietnam, so I really don't know how prevalent the use of gas masks was. Maybe they were useful when using smoke grenades? In any case, Plastic Platoon thought that they were worth representing generously with a set of their own. This set also gives us a bazooka man, and a flame thrower, which is also very rich in detail, particularly when you look at the tanks he is carrying on his back. The poses are mostly in a state of anticipation or engaging the enemy from a safe distance, except for the guy on the left who seems to be running for his life and firing back at whatever is trying to get him. 

Plastic Platoon US Marines with Recoilless Rifle 

This is a set built around the 106mm recoilless rifle. Three figures represent the crew, and the other two are simply supporting cast. I do like the man firing his rifle. The feather on his helmet is a pretty nice touch. Now about that camera man... For sure he is a fine sculpture, and I could see how he might have been present a bit behind the front lines, where this weapon might have been operating, but I still feel like I would have been happier with another fighting pose. I know that on the fifth set, one can probably afford to make such a pose, so maybe I am being overly critical. BTW, I should also point out that all the walls and temple sculptures were released as part of this Vietnam series by Plastic Platoon. They were sold separately from the figures, and definitely add an atmosphere of authenticity to their setting. 

Mars Vietnam Marines - set 32005

This was the first  of three Vietnam sets released by Mars in quick succession around 2017. Definitely a welcome addition to the period, given that prior to these new sets, there had been so little in terms of Us Vietnam forces. But for sure a different level of detail and quality compared to PP and TSSD. But hey, 8 more poses were certainly welcome, and all of them usable in a combat setting. Also positive is the good mix of weapons, and also the more realistic outfits compared to the TimMee predecessors. 

Mars US Infantry Vietnam - set 32006

This set is just OK in my opinion. While most of the poses can be used in a combat situation, some of them feel a bit stiff in their stance. Not the way that a real person would be standing in the middle of a firefight. They remind me more of someone telling an enemy to stay still and put their hands up. And that guy who is standing around taking a smoke, I don't have much use for him in the type of scenes I like to setup. Aside from that, the sculpting is a bit coarse and chunky in some areas - like the weapons. Even so, a welcome set, and if you are just starting to collect, I fair deal for the number of figures and price point, compared to Plastic Platoon. You can definitely assemble a platoon size force of Mars figures for the same cost as 6 Plastic Platoon guys. 

Mars Green Berets Vietnam - set 32008

This is the most rugged, bad ass looking set of out of the 3 Mars Vietnam sets and also my favorite. These guys do look like a dangerous bunch of jungle fighters. The outfits and attitudes very fitting as well. A few of these guys could have come straight out of Rambo. Unfortunately, this set also suffers from suboptimal sculpting when it comes to the little details and some of the proportions. For instance, the head on the guy on the far left feels too small for his body, or perhaps it's just because of the bandana he is wearing? In any case, the weapon he is holding is really thick. But despite those minor details, this is a pretty cool set, with a good number of fighting poses to take advantage of.