By mid-April 1975, nine North Vietnamese Army (NVA) divisions were bearing down on Saigon from three directions—from Tay Ninh in the
northwest, south along Highway 4, and east along Highway 1 (Street Without Joy). Xuan Loc was located 35 miles northeast of Saigon on the
road to Bien Hoa air base. The 341st NVA Division led the attack on Xuan Loc, which was defended by the 18th ARVN Division (Army of the
Republic of Vietnam). The fighting was harsh and severe, and the ARVN troops fought well, holding up the assault on Saigon for two
weeks. Xuan Loc was reduced to rubble in the fight, and its population fled in a mass exodus. The North Vietnamese broke through
Xuan Loc with Soviet T54 tanks and headed straight toward Bien Hoa, and from there made the southern turn into Saigon at the end of
the month. Although defeated at Xuan Loc, ARVN troops in the 18th Division had fought well, the only contingent of ARVN troops to
perform well during the 1975 campaign.
And Other Vietnam War Short Stories
http://www.vietnamwar.net
