Vietnam War 1965–1973
20 Deadliest U.S. Battles
20 Deadliest U.S. Battles
of the Vietnam War
Where Firebase Ripcord stands among the costliest engagements ever fought by American forces in Vietnam
#10
Firebase Ripcord — 10th Deadliest Battle of the Vietnam War
With 75 Americans killed between July 1–23, 1970, the Battle of Firebase Ripcord ranks as the 10th deadliest single engagement fought by U.S. forces in the entire Vietnam War — yet almost no one knew it happened because the military discouraged media coverage.
Historical record
The 20 Deadliest Battles
| Rank | Battle | U.S. Deaths | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ia Drang Valley | 300 | Oct 23 – Nov 26, 1965 LZ Albany alone claimed 155 KIA on Nov 17, making it the single deadliest U.S. action of the war. LZ X-Ray resulted in another 79 KIA over two days, Nov 14–16. |
| 2 | Khe Sanh | 205 | Jan 20 – Apr 14, 1968 |
| 3 | Dak To | 192 | Nov 1 – Dec 1, 1967 158 of the KIA were sustained at Dak To over six days, Nov 17–23. |
| 4 | Cu Nghi | 121 | Jan 28–31, 1966 |
| 5 | Hue | 119 | Feb 2 – Mar 2, 1968 |
| 6 | Kim Son Valley | 107 | Feb 16–28, 1966 |
| 7 | Con Thien (ambush near) | 84 | Jul 2, 1967 |
| 8 | "Nine Days in May" | 79 | May 18–28, 1967 |
| 9 | Dak To | 76 | Jun 22, 1967 |
| 10 | ▶ Firebase Ripcord 101st Airborne Division — Our Battle | 75 | Jul 1–23, 1970 Battle deaths in Sigler's book for FSB Ripcord are listed as 61. Based on Keith Nolan's research a better figure is 75 KIA, including one ARVN interpreter attached to A Co., 2/506th Infantry. |
| 11 | Vin Huy | 73 | May 30 – Jun 2, 1967 |
| 12 | Ong Thang | 70 | Oct 17, 1967 |
| 13 | Hamburger Hill (Ap Bia) | 70 | May 10–20, 1969 |
| 14 | Dong Ha | 68 | Apr 29 – May 4, 1968 |
| 15 | Tam Quan | 58 | Dec 6–20, 1967 |
| 16 | LZ Bird | 58 | Dec 27, 1966 |
| 17 | Dong Son | 54 | Sep 4, 1967 |
| 18 | Con Thien | 51 | Jul 2–3, 1967 |
| 19 | Thom Tham Khe | 48 | Dec 27–28, 1967 |
| 20 | Tan Son Nhut Air Base (near) | 48 | Mar 2, 1968 |
Source: VFW Magazine, November 2001; reprinted from Sigler, David B. Vietnam Battle Chronology: U.S. Army and Marine Corps Combat Operations, 1965–1973.
Note: Lengthy operations are excluded. Only actions that could be categorized as single or directly related engagements are tabulated.
Editor's Note on Firebase Ripcord: Battle deaths in Sigler's book for FSB Ripcord are listed as 61. Based on Keith Nolan's research a better figure is 75 KIA, including one ARVN interpreter attached to A Co., 2/506th Infantry. This makes the Battle of Firebase Ripcord the 10th deadliest battle of the Vietnam War.
Special thanks to Rick Blythe (HHC, 2/506) for supplying this information to the Ripcord Report.
Note: Lengthy operations are excluded. Only actions that could be categorized as single or directly related engagements are tabulated.
Editor's Note on Firebase Ripcord: Battle deaths in Sigler's book for FSB Ripcord are listed as 61. Based on Keith Nolan's research a better figure is 75 KIA, including one ARVN interpreter attached to A Co., 2/506th Infantry. This makes the Battle of Firebase Ripcord the 10th deadliest battle of the Vietnam War.
Special thanks to Rick Blythe (HHC, 2/506) for supplying this information to the Ripcord Report.