Vietnam: A Television History; Cambodia and Laos; 109; Vietnamese Invade Laos

One of the biggest offensives of the Vietnam War is now underway this time from Vietnam into neighboring neutralised Laos. The push began to dawn with armored personnel carriers from the 11th Armored Cavalry Brigade and spearheading the attack. About a dozen Vietnamese airborne troops huddled against the morning chill on top of their carriers. Somewhere inside Laos when the North Vietnamese were ready these troops will face heavy fighting. There were some two divisions of North Vietnamese troops in southern Laos and they had known about this invasion for days behind the shock troops came bulldozers there needed to open the jungle covered section of no man's land between Vietnam and Laos. Twenty thousand Vietnamese are in this drive and supporting them from inside Vietnam. Our 9000 American troops American Our power is clearly evident. Scores of U.S. Army helicopters moved in ahead of the armored column as Rangers and para troops through a security net around the invasion forces although American ground troops are allegedly not going in. Some advisors were on hand to see their units begin the push. As the convoy began to move well entrenched North Vietnamese forces were discovered in bunkers

overlooking the road gunships moved in to blast them with rockets and cannon fire. General Director of this huge offensive made a quick visit to the kick off point Iraq that's a Democrat in line but Americans with him were stopped also on hand at the border where a dozen Vietnamese military policeman. Their job is to keep correspondents from accompanying the assault force. No reason is given why the Vietnamese are hiding their actions in Laos from the public. Arena.

The thing. Yes. Yes. The thick. And thin. Mind you I'm going.

To release you. But somebody said he's going to go on and on again you know the sign the sign says no U.S. personnel be on there. Well we just want to go up to the sign. OK. Just it is just in the sign. We're just going up to the sun right. Well just to the sign where it says no U.S. personnel in. This supposedly Secret Invasion of Laos is now under way the U.S. military command embargoed all news of this bush and tell it was embarrassed by the detail reports Radio Hanoi and radio Peking carried. Now the Vietnamese are attempting to hide their actions inside Laos. Still early in the china war has come full circle with Vietnamese fighting Vietnamese inside Vietnam Cambodia and now inside neutralise Laos. Jeff Williams CBS News on the border of Laos.