1974 MAP - LONG TIENG - SAIGON - Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam War - HANOI, KHE SANH

Description

For your Kind Consideration:
Rare - Vietnam War Map - 1974
This is an exceptionally rare Vietnam War Map - Titled Viet Nam - Laos - Cam Pu Chia, it covers the entire field of combat of the Vietnam War. Also includes section of Thailand including the Thai capital Bangkok and moves north into China
It also, remarkably includes Long Tieng (Titled, Long Chieng on this map). Long Tieng was during the Vietnam War known as 'The Most Secret Place on Earth'. It over thirty years of collecting, this is only the second time I have seen it referred to on a map. I have provided more detail on Long Tieng below.
This is a large war map, perfect for framing and measures - 30.5 x 21 inches (78 x 54 cms)
Many other places of interest are also included in this piece;
Saigon, Phnom Penh, Nha Trang, Vientiane, Hanoi, Bangkok, Siem Riep, Angkor Wat, Nha Trang, Ving Tau, Qui Nhon, Cam Ranh, Da Lat, Tay Ninh, Bien Hoa, An Khe, Quang Ngai, Da Nang, Hue, Pleiku, Kontum, Hon Tre Island, Phan Rang, Xuan Loc, Cheo Reo, Cam Lo, Highway 9, Cam Lo, Dong Ha, Khe Sanh, north into North Vietnam shows Haiphong, Hanoi, Son Tay, Dien Bien Phu, Yen Bai, NInh Binh. Haiphong Harbor into Laos, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khoang, the Royal Thai Airbases of the United States Air Force - I could go on all day listing places of interest.
Long Tieng - Khe Sanh - Saigon - Hanoi - Da Nang - Hue - Vientiane - Phnom Penh.
An absolutely superb museum quality piece that could be the center piece of any Vietnam War collection.
Rare Map
Printed 1974
Measures -
30.5 x 21 inches (78 x 54 cms)
Long Tieng – Laos – The Most Secret Place on Earth.
Long Tieng (also spelled Long Chieng, Long Cheng, or Long Chen) is now an off limits, Laotian military base located in Xiang Khouang Province.
During the Vietnam War, it served as a town and airbase operated by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.
During this time, it was also referred to as Lima Site 98 (LS 98) or Lima Site 20A (LS 20A).
At the height of its significance in the late 1960s, the "secret city" of Long Tieng maintained a population of 40,000 inhabitants, making it the second largest city in Laos at the time, although it appeared on few maps throughout this period.
In 1962 the CIA first set up a headquarters for Major General Vang Pao in the Long Tieng valley, which at that time had almost no inhabitants.
By 1964 a 1260m-long runway had been completed and by 1966 Long Tieng was one of the largest US installations on foreign soil, becoming one of the busiest airports in the world.
North Vietnamese forces began to threaten Long Tieng in late 1971, and came close enough to start shelling the area on December 31st at 15:30 local time.
In early January, 19,000 North Vietnamese forces launched a four pronged attack on Long Tieng from all four directions, encircling the site, capturing several facilities and positions, and installing antiaircraft batteries.
Despite subsequent claims of victory from communist forces, the 10,000 defenders of Long Tieng, a mixture of Hmong, Thai, and Lao, had not been overrun, and in mid-month reinforcements appeared in the form of CIA-led Thais and 1200 elite irregulars from southern Laos.
After enduring a third to 50% casualties, these forces succeeded in taking back key positions by the end of the month.
Long Tieng was often described as “The Most Secret Place on Earth”.
It was located in a valley at 3,100 feet elevation, high enough to have chilly nights and cold fogs. It was surrounded by mountains and on the northwest side of the runway were karst outcrops several hundred feet high.
In the shadow of the Karst outcrops was “Sky” the CIA headquarters in Long Tieng. Jerry Daniels, a CIA officer codenamed “Hog,” is said to have named Sky after his home state of Montana, known as “Big Sky Country.”
Long Tieng was protected on three sides by limestone mountains.
“What a place is Long Tieng, Tribal soldiers dressed in military garb standing next to traditionally dressed Hmong, with Thai mercenaries milling about. And the Americans here are mostly CIA operatives with goofy code names like Hog, Mr. Clean, and Junkyard. The town itself is not much. There’s one paved road running through it and tin shacks on either side with eating shops, food stalls, and living quarters.”
USAID officer Jim Schill.
Evacuation of Long Tieng
On February 22, 1975, the final defensive outpost for Long Tieng was defeated, leading US Brigadier General Heinie Aderholt to begin planning an evacuation.
By May 1975, there were almost 50,000 guerrillas and refugees living in and around the city.
However, by then, the U.S. had withdrawn all its civilian and military personnel from Indochina, except for a few Embassy personnel in Laos and CIA officer Jerry Daniels in Long Tieng.
There were few resources for an evacuation. Daniels had only a single transport aircraft and Hmong pilot in Long Tieng to take evacuees to Udon Thani, Thailand.
Aderholt located three additional American transport aircraft and pilots in Thailand. He had the planes “sheep dipped” to remove all markings identifying them as American-owned and sent them to Long Tieng.
On May 10, 1975, Vang Pao reluctantly followed the CIA's counsel and decided that he could no longer maintain Long Tieng against the opposing forces.
Between May 10 to May 14, 1975, US C-130s and C-46s airlifted people from the airbase to US bases in Thailand.
Between 1,000 and 3,000 Hmong were evacuated.
Crowds of civilians surrounded the flights on the runways, creating a chaotic atmosphere. Those evacuated were primarily Hmong military leaders and CIA employees.
The evacuation ended with the departure of Major General Vang Pao and Jerry Daniels.
Vang Pao told the people still on the tarmac "Farewell, my brothers, I can do nothing more for you, I would only be a torment for you," as he boarded a helicopter.
Tens of thousands of fighters and refugees were left behind.
The 10,000 or more Hmong clustered around the airfield expected more aircraft to return, but they soon realized that none would come. The shelling of Long Tieng began on the afternoon of May 14.
Many of the Hmong fighters and their families made their way overland to Thailand during the next several years, a dangerous journey that cost many of them their lives
During the Vietnam War, Long Tieng became the largest Hmong settlement in the world.
General Vang Pao moved to the United States in 1975.
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