Unsung heroes, saving Saigon

On December 15, 1967, General William Westmoreland made a surprising decision. Because of the U.S. relationship with and the sensibilities of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), he turned over full responsibility for the defense of Saigon to the ARVN. That left Saigon with no American tactical troops and without a tactical headquarters. The only American Military Headquarters in the city was the United States Army Headquarters Area Command (USAHAC), a service command. Within its ranks were military policemen and service personnel, none of whom had any tactical training. HAC had thrust upon it a beyond-comprehension challenge which was totally unexpected, and for which it had never been trained. Because of its immediate, vigorous, heroic response, it performed the virtually impossible and saved Saigon.