Endnotes for Chapter II
1 A Vietnamese regiment was equivalent in size to an American battalion
or squadron, and a Vietnamese squadron was equivalent to an American
company or troop.
2 The appearance of the green camouflaged M113's, moving rapidly over
the water-soaked fields, belching fire and smoke from their machine guns
and engines, gave rise to the nickname "green dragons."
3 Major Brown was the first American awarded the coveted Army of the
Republic of Vietnam Armor Badge, appropriately numbered 1.
4 Oddly enough, the commander of the palace armored unit was promoted
from captain to major on the spot, an unusual reward for loyalty to a
losing cause in a revolt.
5 The Armor School was forbidden even to conduct training in the
direction of Saigon. One night, when U.S. advisers were bringing in new
M41 tanks after midnight to avoid traffic, General Khanh was alarmed and
fled with his family to Vung Tau, over 50 kilometers away.
6 Armored units were often given the name "coup troops" by
detractors. In the same vein, the tanks were called "voting
machines" because they influenced every early change of government.
Although the armor corps became nonpolitical, the U.S. Embassy still
worried that during the 1971 Vietnamese national elections armored forces
would intervene.
page created 17 January 2002
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