SOUTH VIETNAM-Changed Pattern of War

November 28, 1970 SOUTH VIETNAM Changed Pattern of War Harish Chandola THE Vietnam war is winding down, but for the US troops only. While their casualty-rate has gone down substantially, that of the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam or the South Vietnamese forces) has gone up sharply, to over 700 killed or wounded a month. One reason for this is that the withdrawing US forces are turning over the fighting to the South Vietnamese forces, in accordance with the American policy of Vietnamisation of the War. But an even greater reason for the fall in US casualties is the changed attitude of the American soldiers who now feel certain that they are getting out of the country soon and do not want to get killed in the meantime. Instructions have been issued to the US forces from the top to keep casualties down. But how does one keep casualties down in the field at company and platoon level? To that no answer is provided from the top and those in the field interpret it as an order to keep out of the fighting.