War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding

right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its

size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for understanding American history.

Welcome to Key Battles of American History,

a podcast in which we discuss American history

through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars.

Here is your host, James Early.

Thank you. host, James Early. Hello, and welcome back to Key Battles of the Vietnam War, a 10,000-foot survey of the war

that defined a generation. I'm your host, James Early, as always. And as always, I am joined by my co-host, Sean McIrae.

So this is our second topical episode.

In our last episode, Sean and I presented an overview of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard's

role in the Vietnam War.

We described the Navy's wide-ranging missions, including carrier-based air operations,

naval gunfire support, riverine warfare, coastal interdiction, special operations, and amphibious landings.

We also briefly discussed major campaigns such as Operation Market Time, Operation Game Warden,

and Operation Sea Lord, along with significant

events like the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the Battle of Way, and Operation Frequent Wind.

In addition, we gave a brief overview of the U.S. Coast Guard's contributions to maritime

interdiction, port security, and search and rescue.

We did not want to forget the Coast Guard.

In the episode, we saw how naval power shaped strategy, logistics, and combat in Vietnam,

while leaving lasting lessons on joint operations in riverine warfare.

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