The Air Close to the Trees: Evolution and Innovation in U.S. Army Assault Helicopter Units during the Vietnam War

Throughout the Vietnam War the United States Army\u27s use of assault helicopters was unprecedented in modern warfare. Although planners originally anticipated their utilization on a European battlefield rather than against an insurgency, Army Aviation adapted, allowing them to overcome an uncertain future. Due to the unconventional nature of the conflict, continual revisions in tactics, techniques, and procedures ensured that assault helicopter doctrine was never concrete, but always shifting. Multiple factors influenced these developments, and manifold channels of dissemination allowed combat knowledge ultimately to influence training and doctrine. This thesis finds that previous works focus too heavily upon the initial large-scale airmobile battle, ignoring the more profound aspects of later experiences. Using memoirs, official Army documents, service journals, and personal papers, it argues that innovation amongst assault helicopter units occurred throughout the entirety of the American involvement in Vietnam, signifying a youthful Army Aviation that was amenable to varied and innovative thinking from within its ranks