ABOUT Headquaraters, US Army Vietnam
- Formation and Purpose: Headquarters, United States Army Vietnam (HQ USARV) was officially established in July 1965 to provide unified command and control of U.S. Army forces in the rapidly escalating Vietnam War.
- Location: The main headquarters was based at Long Binh Post, a massive logistics and administrative complex about 20 miles northeast of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).
- Nickname: USARV was sometimes referred to as "Uncle Sam’s Army in Vietnam" and had the motto, “Strength through Unity.”
- Size and Structure: At its peak, USARV controlled over 400,000 Army personnel, making it one of the largest overseas Army commands in U.S. history.
- Support Operations: USARV coordinated not only combat operations but also vast support, logistics, and medical services, including running the 93rd Evacuation Hospital and the largest helicopter fleet in the world at the time.
- Famous Visitors: USARV Headquarters hosted numerous high-profile visitors, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, General William Westmoreland, and entertainer Bob Hope during his Christmas tours.
- Command Relationships: USARV worked closely with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), and often had overlapping responsibilities, creating both cooperation and occasional friction.
- Role in Tet Offensive: During the 1968 Tet Offensive, USARV’s rapid response and coordination were critical in defending key installations and launching counteroffensives.
- Innovations: USARV was at the forefront of integrating computers for logistics and personnel tracking, pioneering early automation in military administration through projects like the IBM 1401-based "Automated Data Processing Center."
- Drawdown and Legacy: As part of the Vietnamization policy, USARV began winding down in 1972, officially ceasing operations in March 1973. Its legacy includes shaping modern Army logistics and command structures in subsequent conflicts.