World: ARVN: Toward Fighting Trim

The U.S. had a Christmas gift for each of the men in South Viet Nam's 1st Regiment of the 1st Division, based just south of the Demilitarized Zone. It was the lightweight, fast-firing M-16 rifle, which packs far more punch than the older and heavier weapons that the ARVN (for Army of the Republic of Viet Nam) troopers had been carrying. The 1st Regiment soon had a chance to use them. During the Christmas truce, its scouts spotted a large North Vietnamese force moving into the Quang Tri coastal flats. As soon as the...

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